Mojave Lever Crew - Roll Call!

[RayPDA]

Looks like my dros went through on the 39 and the little savage combo gun... (14 days).

J serial prefix puts it at around 1952.

I blame Golfish for this one.



Teaser pic:

[desertrider]

Originally Posted by golfish

Desertrider, is that a 94/22 you have there?

Not a Winchester, I wish though.

It's a Browning BL22 Grade 1. Lot's o' fun to plink with, too.

[nickel plate]

I just added another bucket list lever gun to my current fleet of two.
A 1972 Marlin ORIGINAL GOLDEN-39M. It's a nice match up to my Marlin .357mag 1894 CARBINE as both of them have the square end levers. Looks to be in very good shape but it's coming in from the east coast then the waiting period begins.

[DueceMcGurk]

Good job, Nickel! That is a great 22LR. Beautiful, accurate, cheap to shoot.

[DueceMcGurk]

Good find. I agree, levers and SA wheel guns go together like peanut butter and jelly. Certainly CASS agrees. Enjoy.

[cannon]

Hello All,

Can I get in on this? My bonifedes are...

Upper right of this post has my location as the Mojave Desert. (So I'm close.)

Upper left in the Avatar. BTW the Winny .22 has been replaced by a Marlin .22 to go along with the Marlin 357 and 45 LC.

Have Colt 2nd gen 357's. Ruger SA in 22 and a double barrel Steoger with hammers.

I kinda got a thing for shooting old west type guns.

It is really a shame I just can't pull off a cowboy hat or boots.

Going camping later today out in the Panamints. Taking the 22 along to site in the new Skinner sights.

[200Apples]

cannon, I think that you were one of the original MLC add-ons a few months back, and because of that, we're going to put you in the towards the front of the list due to the chronology. My bad.

Welcome aboard!

Hairball

Speaking of adding to the collection, I found a 1979 new in box, never fired Colt SAA in .44...

If that's .44 Special you will have my undying envy. Or is it .44-40. Either way, you suck! Congrats!

There's that Great Western up for auction in an hour, but some of the screws are buggered and the trigger guard plate portion of the grip frame is tweaked.
I was going to bid but will wait for a better example.

I've four .44 Special-chambered rotators; three are Ruger New Model flat top Blackhawks. I have a .357 New Vaquero in stainless... if only it were a .44 Special.

nickel plate, congrats! I envy you that 39! One like it will more than likely be my next firearms acquisition.

[pennstater]

np, that 39m looks really nice. Very nice wood there. It will be worth the wait!
cannon, you handload for the .45Colt? Those are great shooters!

MLC

[200Apples]

Thanks hb.

[CalHawg]

After getting a new Marlin 1894C .357 at the end of last year, I am looking to add a 44mag lever. As much as I love the look of a case hardened Henry or Uberti, I am not ready to invest that amount of dollars in it.
Found a couple online deals on the Rossi R92 SS at about $520.
So, what says the MLC? Is the 16" or 20" barrel better for just shooting targets and/or HD?
Any advantage to the 24" Oct Bbl for an extra $70?
Only buying one, for the moment.

[golfish]

Originally Posted by CalHawg

After getting a new Marlin 1894C .357 at the end of last year, I am looking to add a 44mag lever. As much as I love the look of a case hardened Henry or Uberti, I am not ready to invest that amount of dollars in it.
Found a couple online deals on the Rossi R92 SS at about $520.
So, what says the MLC? Is the 16" or 20" barrel better for just shooting targets and/or HD?
Any advantage to the 24" Oct Bbl for an extra $70?
Only buying one, for the moment.

After purchasing 5 Rossi R92s in the past 8 years I'm going to say that I'm done with Rossi. Every single one of them had/has issues.

Rossi has little if any customer service. I sent an email regarding my last purchase. It took 3 months to get back to me.

Get the Marlin, Henry or Winchester....they are worth the extra money

[bergmen]

Originally Posted by golfish

After purchasing 5 Rossi R92s in the past 8 years I'm going to say that I'm done with Rossi. Every single one of them had/has issues.

Rossi has little if any customer service. I sent an email regarding my last purchase. It took 3 months to get back to me.

Get the Marlin, Henry or Winchester....they are worth the extra money

I only have one Rossi, a 92 in .454 Casull. If Marlin, Winchester, Henry or anyone else would have made a lever in .454 Casull, that would be in my safe instead. It's okay I guess but it didn't take long for the front and rear sights to fly off because the dovetails were poorly machined.

I wonder why nobody else offers a lever in .454 Casull?

Dan

[DueceMcGurk]

Hawg,

For me, I thought I would like the octagonal barrel best. But after handling it, seemed a bit heavy for what I would be doing with it. All my levers are round barrels.

I don't feel a significant difference between 18.5 and 20" barrels. Max capacities are different of course.

[Spyder]

Well, apparently I need to start looking for 25-20 components and ammo, seeings as how's I am now the happy owner of a >120 year old Marlin 1894 chambered in such a cartridge, with a 24" octagon barrel and fancy walnut stock.

I'll get around to photos and story and such one of these days.

[SanJoseMarkp]

Originally Posted by bergmen

I only have one Rossi, a 92 in .454 Casull. If Marlin, Winchester, Henry or anyone else would have made a lever in .454 Casull, that would be in my safe instead. It's okay I guess but it didn't take long for the front and rear sights to fly off because the dovetails were poorly machined.

I wonder why nobody else offers a lever in .454 Casull?

Dan

bighorn armory does a lever in .454, .500 S&W, .460 ruger, .475 and .500 Linebaugh....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrBm0PzDX0E

just be sure to be sitting down before you look at the prices $$$$$

[SanJoseMarkp]

Originally Posted by Spyder

Well, apparently I need to start looking for 25-20 components and ammo, seeings as how's I am now the happy owner of a >120 year old Marlin 1894 chambered in such a cartridge, with a 24" octagon barrel and fancy walnut stock.

I'll get around to photos and story and such one of these days.

25-20 brass is hen's teeth rare. most either expand .218 bee brass to .25 caliber (with a LOT of imperial die wax) or take 32-20 brass and neck down using the 25-20 sizer die but neither is ideal. if your rifle will feed with the slightly thicker rims of the starline 32-20 brass that would be the best option probably though it will have thicker necks so may need to ream/turn the necks after sizing.

[BOBGBA]

25-20 ammo is available.........
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/25-20-winchester

[SanJoseMarkp]

Originally Posted by BOBGBA

25-20 ammo is available.........
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/25-20-winchester

glad to see that, when I was about to purchase a couple years ago nobody had ammo so I investigated reloading and got turned off. Maybe it was just a temporary shortage.

[Spyder]

Yea, I've seen it in stock a couple places. Once I confirm that this is actually chambered in that, I'll probably just order a hundred rounds of loaded. It should last me about forever, with the low pressures I expect to use in this thing.

Quick research shows it's a very early one, and a deluxe model...although it should have a crescent butt plate and it has a straight. Someone probably swapped the stocks at some point in the last 120 years.

Figuring it out will be a project for later in the week!

[bergmen]

Originally Posted by SanJoseMarkp

bighorn armory does a lever in .454, .500 S&W, .460 ruger, .475 and .500 Linebaugh....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrBm0PzDX0E

just be sure to be sitting down before you look at the prices $$$$$

Yeah, giant money for sure. It shouldn't take $3,000+ to get a lever action in .454 Casull.

Dan

[golfish]

Originally Posted by bergmen

Yeah, giant money for sure. It shouldn't take $3,000+ to get a lever action in .454 Casull.

Dan

Hey Dan, I probably asked you this does your Rossi load 454 and 45 both ways, through the gate and mag tubea.

I swear I read that one of them doesn't load through the gate.

Your Rossi sounds like my hardtail. I've got parts falling off all the time.

[bergmen]

Originally Posted by golfish

Hey Dan, I probably asked you this does your Rossi load 454 and 45 both ways, through the gate and mag tubea.

I swear I read that one of them doesn't load through the gate.

Your Rossi sounds like my hardtail. I've got parts falling off all the time.

Yes, it has both gate and tube loading. They both work well and the rifle is actually not bad as far as function. The stock is a bit on the cheezy side but I plan to refinish it once I get the sights replaced.

I will probably send it to a 92 specialist like Steve's Gunz with instructions on the sights I would like to have. I started thinking about a ghost ring sight (actually ordered one) but I think I'm going to stay with traditional. I will want a hood on the front like all of my other levers.

I need to get going on this. I have started and stopped a few times but I need to get the pros involved.

I bought this as companion to my two .454 Casull SA revolvers (Freedom arms 83 and Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley as seen in my avatar).

Dan

[golfish]

Originally Posted by bergmen

Yes, it has both gate and tube loading. They both work well and the rifle is actually not bad as far as function. The stock is a bit on the cheezy side but I plan to refinish it once I get the sights replaced.

I will probably send it to a 92 specialist like Steve's Gunz with instructions on the sights I would like to have. I started thinking about a ghost ring sight (actually ordered one) but I think I'm going to stay with traditional. I will want a hood on the front like all of my other levers.

I need to get going on this. I have started and stopped a few times but I need to get the pros involved.

I bought this as companion to my two .454 Casull SA revolvers (Freedom arms 83 and Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley as seen in my avatar).

Dan

Man oh Man !!!! That's a lot of power in a light weight gun like the 92.
They made a .480 Ruger for a minute (I read 100 were made)

I like the Bullseye Ghost ring sights from Marbles. They work well for my old eyes, at least for now. I did purchased some of the Skinner sights a few years ago but as I aged they just got harder and harder to see.

FWIW, these are the ghost ring sights I have on a couple lever guns.
https://store.stevesgunz.com/index.p...products_id=46

[splithoof]

Originally Posted by SanJoseMarkp

25-20 brass is hen's teeth rare. most either expand .218 bee brass to .25 caliber (with a LOT of imperial die wax) or take 32-20 brass and neck down using the 25-20 sizer die but neither is ideal. if your rifle will feed with the slightly thicker rims of the starline 32-20 brass that would be the best option probably though it will have thicker necks so may need to ream/turn the necks after sizing.

The old 1892 Winchester that my squaw likes so much is chambered for the .25-20; back in the late 1980's I bought 1K empty new Remington cases from Midway on some closeout deal; with 86 grain Remington soft-points it does good enough for coyotes at closer ranges. It also likes H-110/296 powder.
It is really pleasant to shoot.

[CalHawg]

I thought I had read in other MLC related threads that while not great out of the box, some tuning on the Rossi corrected the issues. I guess the question would be whether the hassle and/or expense is worth it in the end. Or just up my budget a couple hundred for Marlin or Henry.

I appreciate the input. I always enjoy the MLC discussions, experiences and pictures when lurking around calguns.

Still curious about preferred bbl length for 44mag?

Originally Posted by golfish

After purchasing 5 Rossi R92s in the past 8 years I'm going to say that I'm done with Rossi. Every single one of them had/has issues.

Rossi has little if any customer service. I sent an email regarding my last purchase. It took 3 months to get back to me.

Get the Marlin, Henry or Winchester....they are worth the extra money

[200Apples]

Calhawg, thanks for chiming in. I think everyone should have a Rossi or two. What golfish meant was that, for him, from now on, he's gonna go big or go home.

But seriously... the Rossi 92 is a great value, especially in .357 since it's such a fun caliber to shoot with. .44 Mag with a steel buttplate, not so much fun unless you run sub 1200 fps with Specials or medium loads in Mag brass. And be prepared to chase after one or two little issues. For me it was that I needed to stake to the two cross pins in the bolt that hold the ejector assembly spring collar.

Like anything else, if we save a little more dough and purchase the higher priced guns we can usually, anyway, buy once, cry once... unless you get that certain Marlin that needs looking after.

Why not look at the new Winchesters. They are and have been made by Miroku in Japan for quite a few years and are a step above the rest.

[bergmen]

Originally Posted by golfish

Man oh Man !!!! That's a lot of power in a light weight gun like the 92.
They made a .480 Ruger for a minute (I read 100 were made)

I like the Bullseye Ghost ring sights from Marbles. They work well for my old eyes, at least for now. I did purchased some of the Skinner sights a few years ago but as I aged they just got harder and harder to see.

FWIW, these are the ghost ring sights I have on a couple lever guns.
https://store.stevesgunz.com/index.p...products_id=46

The recoil is pretty impressive but not uncomfortable at all. I have not been able to chrono my loads, they are the same ones I put together for the revolvers (35 grains of W296 under a 240 grain Hornady XTP Mag). Some serious Wheaties here for sure.

That ghost ring site is the exact one I bought. The dovetail is so lousy the sight has air underneath it when I drifted it into place. If Steve's Gunz is able to reconstruct the dovetails I may stay with it as an experiment. If he can't and has to blind drill and tap the sight positions I will discuss what type of sight I would like to have there. I will need to take another look at my other levers and see what might make sense.

Now I'm getting anxious to get this thing back into action!

Dan

[Calif Hunter]

Maybe I am lucky or haven't shot them enough yet, but I haven't had any issues with my two Rossi 92s - a .44 mag and a .45 Colt. The Colt is a pre-safety model. I shoot moderate loads in the .44 Mag, usually with 200 gr coated bullets.

[Spyder]

My 20" Stainless 357 Rossi, so far, is great fun. But I have barely shot it yet, so problems could still develop. I'm happy with it.

[BOBGBA]

Originally Posted by 200Apples

...I have yet to see Quigley in it's entirety...

Wait...what? It's a good 'en. Now that it's rainy and you are recuperating....

[Spyder]

Whoa!? I missed that part where you hadn't seen it. What's wrong with you?!?!?

[200Apples]

Not a lot of time spent in front of a televisor, I guess.




I may never see it.

[SkyHawk]

My Rossi 92 runs good. I removed the safety and plugged the hole, swapped the follower and tube spring for better ones and slicked the action with some filing and stoning and the Palo Verde spring kit. I also broke the sharp edges around the loading gate.


There is a real nice .357 Henry Big Boy steel in the marketplace now, great price and considering offers for less. Tempting but I prefer the option to side load. https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/....php?t=1611524

[BOBGBA]

MLC Chief Enabler here, thought I'd give you guys something to ponder...

LSB auctions guns every two weeks on GB.
Here's their latest set of available lever rifles, including a JM .357 that they say is 99%! It's purtier than the one I got there.
I'll be keeping an eye on that one!
https://www.gunbroker.com/Lever-Acti...27&PageSize=24

And here's their revolvers, although not all of them can be transferred ti CA residents.
https://www.gunbroker.com/Revolvers/...27&PageSize=24

I found another category that has other levers and revolvers (and more), C&R.........
https://www.gunbroker.com/Curios-Rel...Sort=13&View=1

[Spyder]

Who is LSB?

I shouldn't have clicked on those links...

[golfish]

Originally Posted by BOBGBA

MLC Chief Enabler here, thought I'd give you guys something to ponder...

LSB auctions guns every two weeks on GB.
Here's their latest set of available lever rifles, including a JM .357 that they say is 99%! It's purtier than the one I got there.
I'll be keeping an eye on that one!
https://www.gunbroker.com/Lever-Acti...27&PageSize=24

And here's their revolvers, although not all of them can be transferred ti CA residents.
https://www.gunbroker.com/Revolvers/...27&PageSize=24

I found another category that has other levers and revolvers (and more), C&R.........
https://www.gunbroker.com/Curios-Rel...Sort=13&View=1

Your a baaaaaaaaaaadddd man Bob. That Browning B92 is a beauty...

I wouldn't know where to look. Is there any info on the guns they sold in their last auction

[Horsewright]

Aggggh! Bucket gun! B92 In .357 Aggggggh! No denaro at this time. Aggggh!

[Killer Bee]

Originally Posted by Spyder

Who is LSB?

I shouldn't have clicked on those links...

you asked for it Lock, Stock & Barrel fine gun auction house similar to Little John's and Martin B. Retting all in socal.. like I said, you asked for it

I'm not savvy on current handgun roster phooey but C&R or 50yo SA could ship to CA once upon a time.. I haven't inquired recently but for those CA residents where some handguns can't ship, you could make local transfer arrangements where ppt and consignment transfers are ok.. best to call ahead before bidding..

Browning B-92 B92 Like Winchester 1892 .357 Mag Lever Action Rifle MFD 1983

and this says it all, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside

This rifle was made in 1983 before all the safety nonsense of a rebounding hammer and cross-bolt safety came into play. It does have a half-cock safety notch, which is as John Browning intended.

I have more often found them out of my price range, why I shop nationally for guns I can afford.. but I have found some nice guns locally.. sorry these are out of context, but a couple I really wanted to go with my Navy Victory and got both at Retting's for $450 & $380 respectively about a year apart.. WWII issue correct all numbers matching



and Retting's offers a 1 year warranty on ALL guns

but never needed it

[golfish]

Originally Posted by Killer Bee

Browning B-92 B92 Like Winchester 1892 .357 Mag Lever Action Rifle MFD 1983

and this says it all, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside

This rifle was made in 1983 before all the safety nonsense of a rebounding hammer and cross-bolt safety came into play. It does have a half-cock safety notch, which is as John Browning intended.

It sure looks like a beauty.I wonder what the original price was back in 83.

There used to be a Lock, Stock and Barrel on the corner of Las Tunas and San Gabriel in San Gabriel behind The Boat and Northwoods Inn. This was back in the early 70s, I wonder if its the same owner/s

[elSquid]

Originally Posted by golfish

Your a baaaaaaaaaaadddd man Bob. That Browning B92 is a beauty...

This one?

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/867679493

Crappy gun. I suggest people don’t bother to bid. Save your money for something else, like a Rossi. Did I mention that this is a lousy rifle?



— Michael