Forums.NitroExpress.com

I don't think much of that list - the top lever actions of all time doesn't include either the Winchester 73 or the Winchester 1892? that's ridiculous!

(No surprises though, the writer says he doesn't even care about lever actions in the first paragraph! Which is the same thing as admitting he doesn't know anything about them. No wonder he's got so many Marlins on the list.)

It is interesting to see that all of them are still being manufactured apart from the Savage 99 and the Winchester 95.

I like the Winchester 92. Winchester made a million of them - but the Spanish made a pretty good quality version from about 1920 called the El Tigre, of which they made a million too. These El Tigre rifles were so popular in South America that they directly inspired Rossi in Brasil to continue making an 1892 carbine, which they are still making. (By now Rossi have been making model 92's for longer than Winchester ever did.)
When you lump in the modern Browning company version, and the Winchester brand ones they do today in Japan, the total numbers of the 1892's manufactured worldwide must be at least three times the number usually quoted.

The Winchester 94 is still current production for Winchester and being made by Miroku in Japan, another version is made by Mossberg, and most recently this year Pedersoli have announced they are making an 1894 model too. I would get a Pedersoli made 94 carbine in .38-55 in a heartbeat...

While the Winchester 1873 has been recently started up again by Winchester (at Miroku), more familiarly the Uberti rifles dominate Cowboy Action Shooting. I have one myself in .44/40 which I use for deer hunting with black powder loads.

The 1866 Yellow Boy is going stronger now than it ever did in the 19th century I would warrant, with fine quality rifles being made by Uberti, and now also under Winchester's name too.

Pedersoli are still doing '86 rifles and also their Winchester model 71 version, while Winchester are once more making 1886's too, trying to compete with the Italians, although the prices are too high for the average shooter I think.

Marlin are still around despite the buy out, and a factory and staff change that caused them some quality issues. The Marlin 336 is still selling well I believe.

I never 'got' the Savage 99. I had one briefly. I always thought them an ugly rifle, and being a shallow person, found it difficult to get past that. If I was to get another one, it would have to be one of the old straight stock versions from the 1920's or so; with a tang sight.

--------------------
If you carry a cat home by the tail you will receive information valuable to you for the rest of your life.
Mark Twain

Post Extras