lever actions

[Cold Creek Kid]

how many rounds does your rifle need to hold. u see some that hold 9,10, or 13. im new to the sport and eager to learn more. im wanting to try to buy a rifle and shotgun after the first of the year or now if price is right and i have always wanted to shoot and possibly own a 1860 henry. they are a bit pricey. but if i have to wait then i just might. i just dont want to get a trapper model in any gun which will hold 9 or 10 and have to reload but thats prolly part of the whole thing.

[Wolfgang]

For SASS shooting most stages require 10 rounds of rifle shooting.  So having a magazine that holds at least 10 rounds is the way to go.  No point in having one to hold more as any additional rifle shots are  "reloads".  ie.  must be reloaded "on the clock".  Follks staring out and on a budget pretty much go with Marlins that are the least expensive lever gun going in a pistol calliber.  Commonly available at "Big 5 Sporing Goods".   You'll get more replies. . . . digest them all before you buy . . . good to go to matches and try out different folks guns also.  Good shootin', . . . .

In regards to aquiring guns . . . .

I started out simple 8 years ago . . .

. . . and now . . . www.drburkholter.com/cf6.html . . .

well you can see fur yourself whut has occurred  


And that is only a few . . . they won't all fit on a page  

[Shotgun Franklin]

Not knowing how much CAS you've done, I'd say show up at a match with the guns you have, if any, and enough ammo for the match. Borrow different guns to see what you like BEFORE you spend a bunch of money. When I started another guy and I shared my rifle for about 4 months coming to realize that neither one of us wanted that kinda rifle.

[PABLO DEL NORTE]

   YOU CAN GET A ROSSI LEVER ACTION RIFLE FOR A GOOD DEAL TOO.  THEY COME IN VARIETY OF CALIBERS AS WELL.
I HAVE A .44 MAG THAT IS SMOOTH AS HECK TO SHOOT. YA CAN LOOK AROUND THE GUN STORES AS WELL FOR A
USED ONE FOR A GOOD PRICE.  GOOD LUCK & GOOD SHOOTIN' !! 


HEY, WOLF! BEAUTIFUL PICS OF SILVERTON. MY FAMILY HAS BEEN AROUND THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY SINCE THE
1880's. SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD & SOME OF THE BEST FISHING.!!

[Doc Fillem]

My advice, for what it's worth (free), try to find a Marlin, new or used. They are great rifles and will give you the least trouble (usually). '92s are good, just slower than a Marlin. Marlins are also easy to sell if you decide to later.

I had an 1860 Henry, couldn't gid rid of it fast enough, not my cup of tea. Yes, they look nice. Hard to hold and shoot (for me). Approach with caution. An 1866 looks just as good and is a better rifle, in my opinion.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Usedtabe that we sometimes had stages that needed up to 12 rounds from the rifle. But everywhere I shoot now it has pretty well been standardized that the most rounds you will need for your rifle is 10 without a reload. So I will agree to avoid anything that does not hold at least 10 rounds in the magazine. Some of the trapper models only hold 9. You may also find that some of the 357Mag/38 Sp short rifles will hold 10 38s but only 9 357s. I bought a short little Marlin for Mrs Johnson. Straight from the factory it would only hold 9 357Mags but it held 10 38s. I only load 38 for her, so no problem.

I will second the reply to get to a match and try as many different rifles as you can before you plunk down any money. Some of them can be very pricy. I have one of almost everything, so I will not recommend one over the other, it is pretty much up to your preference.

I will say you have to think long and hard about the 1860 Henry. Particularly for a beginner to the sport. Henry rifles have some special requirements as far as loading them and shooting them that other rifles do not suffer from. It is mostly because of the way they load. With all the other rifles, you just stuff your rounds into the side loading gate. There is no loading gate on a Henry, so you have to load it from the front of the magazine.

There is a tab on the follower that protrudes out of the bottom of the magazine. The tab slides through a slot in the bottom of the magazine. In order to load it grab the tab and pull the follower all the way forward to fully compress the spring. Then you pivot the follower out of the way. Pivoting the follower out of the way also opens the end of the magazine for loading. There are several ways to come to grief when loading the Henry. NEVER drop the rounds straight down the magazine. The force of a primer striking a bullet could fire a round. Always gently trickle the rounds down the tube at a slight angle, so they do not strike each other. After all the rounds are in the magazine, the shooter grasps the follower and pivots it back in line with the slot. This also closed the end of the magazine. NEVER let go of the follower. If it slams down onto the column of ammo with the full force of the spring, it could fire a round in the magazine. This has happened and usually ruins the gun. It can also be dangerous. If the shooter's hands are slippery with sweat or oil, he has to be very careful to maintain control of the follower tab and lower it gently onto the column of ammo. Lastly, one has to be careful handling a loaded Henry. If the tab should snag on anything, it can allow the follower to slam down onto the ammo with the full force of the spring, again perhaps firing a round.

Lastly, when shooting a Henry, one has to allow for the rearward movement of the follower. Every time you lever the gun, a round strips out of the magazine and the follower slides back the length of one round. That tab is still hanging down out of the bottom of the magazine. If the shooter's hand gets in the way of the tab and prevents the follower from moving, rounds will stop feeding out of the magazine. You will think you have run out of ammo.

All these reasons are why the Kings's patent side loading gate was invented in the first place. If you are new to lever guns, I do not recommend a Henry as your first one.

Did I mention that because there is no wooden forearm, and because the barrel and magazine are all made from one large bar of steel, the barrel and magazine on a Henry can get very hot if you are shooting Black Powder on a hot summer day? I always wear a glove on my left hand when I shoot my Henry in the summer. That warm barrel can feel real good on a cold winter day though.

[Cold Creek Kid]

much abilged friends!