As kids we believed it could take down a goose flying close to the surface of the moon. The coolest model was the Goose Gun chambered for a 12-gauge 3-inch magnum and featuring a 36-inch, full-choke barrel. It seems that anybody who came of age in the 60s hunted with one at some time or another. But I suspect most hunters of a certain age best remember their Model 55 Bolt Action shotguns. The company made several models of shotguns. The modern Marlin Firearms Company, which I would loosely define as post-WWII, has produced an amazing number of different firearms in a multitude of configurations. They replaced Micro-Groove with “Ballard Cut Rifling” which is actually standard, deep-cut, land and groove rifling. Sometime later Marlin phased out the Micro-Groove barrels for some rifles, including the 1895. Although later developments discovered a way to use cast bullets successfully, the complaints persisted. There were complaints that the new rifling didn’t play well with cast bullets. Plus, relatively new regulations- allowing straight-wall rifle cartridges in formerly shotgun-only deer hunting areas, mostly in the Midwest-were custom made for lever actions. The author took this Alaska moose with a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in. Better ammunition options like Hornady’s Leverevolution and Federal’s Hammer Down have made lever guns more relevant for modern hunters. I’ve even taken a huge Alaska moose with a Marlin lever gun. I have lost track of the deer and black bears I have shot with a Marlin lever action. Here in the East, it’s a rare thing to shoot a deer beyond 200 yards and the lever action is custom made for that kind of hunting. Lever actions are a delight to carry, hit the shoulder fast, and are quick with follow up shots. I don’t think I have ever let a fall pass without at least a few days sharing the woods with one. I shot my first whitetail deer when I was 11 years old with a lever action in. If Chris Pratt thinks it is enough gun for a T-Rex, who are we to argue? If you watched the movies “ Wind River” or “ Jurassic World” you have seen the 1895 in action. 45-70, especially the Guide Gun model, are longtime favorites for big bear protection in Alaska, the Rocky Mountain States, and Canada. Lever-gun makers have helped drive the trend by introducing tactical models over the last several years like the Henry Model X series, the Browning BLR 81 Takedown, and the Marlin 336 Dark Series.Īlso, the bigger Marlins like the Model 1895 in. With practice, it’s easy to run them fast and those cartridges pack a serious punch from a carbine. 44 Magnum a good option for home defense.
Many of the folks who live under state laws that restrict AR-15s are turning to lever-actions as personal protection firearms, because lever-action rifles in pistol cartridges hold a lot of rounds and can shoot quickly. Today, the fear of government gun bans is selling a lot of lever-action rifles.