The ‘tactical’ levergun is not going to go away…

[AJMD429]

.
…and I think that’s a GOOD thing (even though I still love my blued-and-walnut leverguns snd bolt actions and semiautos...!

Blued-steel and walnut guns of ALL types are being replaced by stainless & synthetic ones, or at least nitride and laminate.

AR’s replacing M1A’s was an aesthetic ‘A’ to ‘D’. especially with the first-wave triangular forend ones.

My ‘All-weather’ Ruger Hawkeye wasn’t too much of an affront to my M77V ‘200th year’ model, but clearly was a deviation from the ‘classic’ lines of the M-77 that won many over from the Win-70 and Rem-700 designs.

And my Savage in-line stainless muzzleloader is so much easier to maintain than the blued muzzleloaders are that the ‘inauthentic’ look is worth putting up with.

Now none of those changes is being promoted as ‘tactical’, because the fundamental application of the firearms in question is not increasing in terms of defensive potential. However when leverguns go stainless-and-synthetic, especially if accommodations are made for better sights or a light, there truly IS an upgrade in ‘tactical’ application.

https://youtube.com/shorts/mM4BXCc6aSM

Since I like leverguns, including the beautiful walnut and blued steel ones, with ‘classic’ lines, I appreciate being able to use one for bump-in-the-night applications. Yes, the ‘classic’ design works for John Wayne against injuns, and John Wick could probably use one against zombies, but my old eyes and need for help there means I’m either gonna modify my levergun, or just keep it in the safe and grab the AR15 if bumps in the night happen.

I think the young, less nostalgic crowd, that grew up with Glocks and AR15s, isn’t going to even consider leverguns as anything other than pretty-but-obsolete range toys, given the very practical “if you have just one rifle” suitability of the AR15 with its exchangeable uppers (22 WMR, 5.56 NATO, 300 Blackout, & 50 Beowulf would cover many needs), or for the person who figures a handgun is plenty for home protection and mostly hunts, why not get a 308 or even 358 Win bolt action?

On the other hand, if they have the option of a levergun in 357 or 44 Mag, with ten shots in the tube, a few spares or even shot cartridges on a stock-carrier (and not leather like ‘we’ like, but nylon or aluminum most likely), a decent Skinner or even a red-dot sight, and the option of a laser if desired, there becomes less to lose versus that AR15 they were considering. Especially if the whole package is wood-free, so they can take it out in the rain without a 30 minute cleaning ritual afterwards to prevent magazines tube rust.

So if we want leverguns to stay popular we should be GLAD the ‘tactical monstrosities’ are being produced - and eagerly bought…!

[jeepnik]

Did he seriously toss that rifle down on the bench? I know it's ugly and "tactical", but come on throwing firearms down?

[AJMD429]

Did he seriously toss that rifle down on the bench? I know it's ugly and "tactical", but come on throwing firearms down?

I noticed that - I wonder if it was a toss onto something soft, combined with a sound-effect.

The worst part of the DIrty Harry movie was when he had to toss that S&W 29 (actually I think it was a different model in 41 Mag, but STILL....!!! )

I'd have had to beg to just 'set it down gently...)

[JBowen]

As much as I like my traditional blue and wood levers, I think they have a place in some people's collection. I have been looking at them but haven't brought
one home yet.
The throwing his down on the bench like a tool makes me cringe!
JBowen

[Scott Tschirhart]

Here’s a good example:

https://youtu.be/rdVdQrzllIw?si=wIXgaz3Nqf6P-Xa8

[Streetstar]

I like 'em -- I'll add one to the arsenal one of these days but id rather have one based on a Winchester style action - so i may have to eventually pick up a basic Ranger carbine or something similar and roll my own

I absolutely do like MArlins and have had some great hunts with a Guide Gun --but The MArlins and Marlin style actions (like the Henry's ) -- always carried "fat" --- but in a 45/70 Guide Gun operation i appreciated the extra heft --- but theres not much cruising around Oklahoma that a 30/30 wont handle

[sghart3578]

I like them a lot. My Marlin 1894 CST goes with me a lot. It gets bumped around all the time and still works.

When I hanker for some nostalgia I have my old 32-20 or 38-55. Both of which look like they have been dragged behind a logging truck but still shoot better than me.

And don't forget, real world hunters and killers of men have been modifying weapons to better suit the mission since forever. Roger's Ranger sawed off the barrels of their Brown Bess's to make them easier in the bush. That's just one example of course.

[jeepnik]

As tactical as I'll go.

If I feel I need something more in the line of a combat arm.

45-70 and 7.62. Both actual rifle rounds.

[Scott Tschirhart]

This is about as tactical as I get.

[AJMD429]

I absolutely do like MArlins and have had some great hunts with a Guide Gun --but The MArlins and Marlin style actions (like the Henry's ) -- always carried "fat" --- but in a 45/70 Guide Gun operation i appreciated the extra heft --- but theres not much cruising around Oklahoma that a 30/30 wont handle

With the skeletonized aluminum forends like in that video or the ones from Ranger Point Precision, the Marlins balance well and are lighter and waterproof. Even if it weren’t so much more helpful for adding a better sling, sights, and light, that forend change would be worth it.

Haven’t yet figured the virtue in going out on a rainy night to deal with dog packs in the goat pasture and not having a suitable light or night-capable sights on my gun, much less having to remove the forend when I get back inside instead of just going back to sleep.

[Paladin]

I have modified a couple, only one with a hand guard on a Rossi. I put a suppressor on to walk the dogs. I have Cerakoted a few to keep them from corroding due to the weather conditions. This was my Colonel's Kalifornia assault rifle, a 16-inch 30-30, when I got transferred to his location from Afghanistan (none of our ARs were legal then).

30-30 Trapper.jpg

Rossi .357

Rossi 357 painted.jpg

[Lastmohecken]

Stainless and Laminate on a levergun is about as far as I can go. I just can't stand that plastic stuff. I hate the looks, and I hate the feel of them. Which reminds me, I went into a couple of gunshops the other day, and One was a fairly large gun shop. fully 80 precent of the bolt action rifle had some form of that big box magazine hanging underneath. Sometimes, I just wish I could walk back into a 1970's gun shop and buy a nice blued steel and walnut bolt action rifle with a hinged floorplate, like the old Remington 700 BDL or Sako or something. I was looking at Tika recently, and was tempted to buy it, but it had that cheap plastic magazine hanging out the bottom for 3 or 4 inches.

[nwcatman]

As tactical as I'll go.

If I feel I need something more in the line of a combat arm.

45-70 and 7.62. Both actual rifle rounds.

i have those exact same rifles, with a bushnell scope on the marlin. both will get it done.

[AJMD429]

As tactical as I'll go.

If I feel I need something more in the line of a combat arm.

45-70 and 7.62. Both actual rifle rounds.

i have those exact same rifles, with a bushnell scope on the marlin. both will get it done.

Definitely both are ones I would choose for turning ‘cover’ into ‘concealment’…!

[marlinman93]

Tactical leverguns are just plain fugly.

[nwcatman]

Stainless and Laminate on a levergun is about as far as I can go. I just can't stand that plastic stuff. I hate the looks, and I hate the feel of them. Which reminds me, I went into a couple of gunshops the other day, and One was a fairly large gun shop. fully 80 precent of the bolt action rifle had some form of that big box magazine hanging underneath. Sometimes, I just wish I could walk back into a 1970's gun shop and buy a nice blued steel and walnut bolt action rifle with a hinged floorplate, like the old Remington 700 BDL or Sako or something. I was looking at Tika recently, and was tempted to buy it, but it had that cheap plastic magazine hanging out the bottom for 3 or 4 inches.

i'm with you 100%. and i can't even stand the laminated stuff. that and the plastic stuff all look like something bought on amazon for a 12 yr old.

[Crazy Horse]

I personally hate the looks of the tactical leverguns. The young people think they are "cool" including my son. I would never spend my money on one. I have plenty of Ar's and Ak's if I want tactical.

[AJMD429]

I personally hate the looks of the tactical leverguns. The young people think they are "cool" including my son. I would never spend my money on one. I have plenty of Ar's and Ak's if I want tactical.

'Tactical' has so many meanings (I saw an ad for a 'tactical stethoscope' - but it was sort of sensible, in that it wasn't shiny but was blackened on the metal 'bell' part). Definitely there is 'tactical' as in 'militia' use - for 2-legs, and 'tactical' as in 'lots of added stuff for functionality beyond daytime hunting or target shooting'. My 'fighting' firearm would probably be an AR-15 - I guess if I actually had to go outside and confront a gang of 2-legged predators I'd not mind the noise and flash, and I'd take a full-sized AR (or M1A), but that doesn't happen very often where I live...!

Instead, living in a rural area and having livestock, if I have to go out to see what's bothering them (or just to feed them or whatever), I'd MUCH prefer a 357 Mag levergun loaded with light loads, but given that it is often raining and that I also want a 'pistol' trajectory since if I have to fire the gun in the dark, I don't want a bad-backstop issue, and will need a light and some sort of sight more capable of night use than a semi-buckhorn or whatever is on most leverguns, I definitely PREFER a levergun, but if I'm using it in heavy rain, the wood forend is going to have to go, and if I want a light and night-capable sight on it, I'm going to want a chunk of rail or two. It may look funny, but it will work a heck of a lot better than one of my blued steel/walnut leverguns (which is most of what I have, and what I do think 'look better'). AND it will work a heck of a lot better than an AR-15 or M1A for my 'farm' purposes.

I prefer my walnut/steel leverguns for deer hunting and 'fondling', for sure, and I'm sure for many young folks that's not the case - they seem to like the 'modern' look ('tacticool'). But for me it is purely a matter of function over form, because I want EXACTLY what the 'tactical levergun' provides - why would I care how it 'looks' if I"m going out in the rain at night to check why the goats are freaking out, or the chickens squawking...? I just want something that will put out a few accurate 4-legged-pest-killing shots of 38 Special semiwadcutter cast bullets in pitch black conditions (meaning flashlight and laser attached, and holosight or red-dot sight too). The only option to a 'tactical' levergun would be a 'pistol caliber carbine' like a Ruger Charger 9mm or whatever, but in my limited experience I can shoot far more accurately with the 357 Mag Marlin levergun than any 9mm semiauto carbine I've tried.

What works best isn't a matter of what looks best - it is a matter of what use you're going to put it to. I suppose the youngun's with their 'tacticool' ideas would like the same gun I'd take out in the rain at night, but because their use is different - range toy and showing how cool it looks to their friends. For my 'range toys' and showing off how cool they look to my friends, I will pick the pretty walnut/blued ones I have, just like many folks here do. Also for hunting (which maybe the youngun's would disagree with, and would go after Bambi with their aluminized/lit-up leverguns). But not for 'night-duty', ever.