New Lever Action Rifle

A few weeks ago my wife & I were in a pawn shop where we've bought a couple of revolvers (yes, REVOLVERS), and I handled a Winchester Model 1894 caliber .32 Winchester Special, made by Miroku, Japan.

I bought it on Friday. It's fairly new, made in 2018 if my Miroku serial numbers research is accurate. The only cosmetic flaw I've found is a very slight blueing blemish on the barrel, that can only been seen in the right light at the right angle.

Now I just need to find some .32 WS ammo, and a range where I can shoot it. The indoor range near us doesn't allow centerfire rifle ammo. The .32 WS caliber is very similar to .30-.30.

 

For my purposes, a .22 would make much more sense. Yesterday I ran across a Marlin Original Golden 39A. Unfortunately the rifle was very used and the shop had it priced too close to ones in 90% plus condition. Someone will gladly pay it.

 

Don't knock the .22 too much for lack of power. I keep the High Standard Sentinel, a 9 shot .22 double action revolver, loaded with CCI Velocitor as a back-up. But to be honest it's down the list of what I would reach for.

Edit...I placed my first internet ammo order today. Waiting for a local gun store to get .32 WS "back" in stock didn't look promising, so I ordered some through cheaperthandirt. Supposedly if they show it as being in stock, it is. A friend who is a total firearms enthusiast (Cowboy Action competitor, hunter, former military, etc) said CTD is the most consistently reliable online firearms site he's dealt with.

 

Oh, the official The Rifleman rifles made by Winchester are way out of my price range. Even the unofficial copies from manufacturers with solid reputations sell for serious money.

 

Last night UPS dropped off my .32WS ammo (I'm surprised a signature was not required). I've already researched some outdoor ranges, just need to call for more info and make sure they're open.

I had forgotten that Cheaper Than Dirt is located in Ft. Worth, TX. So why did I pay the full shipping rate? So someone in Oregon doesn't have to pay the rate they should? I'm joking, sort of.

 

I recently purchased a Henry Big Boy Classic in .44 mag/spec. No photos yet.

.357/.38 would've made more sense, and was preferred. But in these crazy times I was lucky to find the .44 locally, under MSRP and sale priced as well. Oh, yeah, the Bass Pro website showed it being OOS.

 

Nice Winchester. Lever guns are like old watches. Charming, elegant... occasionally finicky. I have several Marlins. I want to like Henry but the lack of a side gate was a no-go for a long time and the new dual-load models seem ridiculous. That and the price. With Ruger recently having purchased the Marlin line, I'm excited about what they will produce.

I would avoid Cheaper Than Dirt like the plague. They are notorious price-gougers with dirtbag morals. Check out Target Sports USA and get on the wait list for what you need. Ammo search engines can also be an invaluable tool for finding rare calibers or particular loads.

Here's a solid video on the .357 / .44 lever gun caliber debate.

Like tricking out guns? Don't look here.

 

Cheaper Than Dirt recently had some ammo prices that drove me away. They also charge a flat shipping rate, so someone in the far PNW or ANE pays the same S&H as me roughly 250 miles away (yeah, yeah. I know that's a common practice, but it still bothers me).

Marlin prices vs Henry prices. In the current craziness both bring very good money. Academy was the only store I found that kept their pre-craziness prices on Marlin, but good luck finding one in stock. The Remington Marlin qua;ity problems had been reduced, but not eliminated.

I have high hopes for the Ruger Marlin lever rifles, it seems like a good fit for Ruger. They have a very strong presence in Cowboy Shooting with the Vaquero, and other SA revolvers. Offering lever rifles makes sense.

Chris Baker/Luck Gunner does some good videos. Here's Youtube gun channel I really like. BTW the carbines are lever action Marlin rifles.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6k3ES1mKE

 

I purchased one 20 round box of the LeverEvolution, basically because it was the only .44 ammo on the shelf.

It fed & ejected just fine, and was accurate,, but there were two issues.
1. The "extended" bullet points would not allow me to load a tenth round unless I wanted to force the issue. I didn't, and didn't.
2. Two of nine rounds didn't fire, the primers show solid strikes. I might contact Hornady, just...because. Maybe they'll want to know, might send me some free ammo.

The other two types of ammo loaded and shot no problem. Well, other than me getting used to working the lever without hesitating (I did notice Hickok45 on YouTube also had some hesitation working the Henry action).

I'll probably never load the Henry for home defense, for which I would use 44 Special. But I still want to test it. You never know.

 

After a few swings my shoulders would seizeup.