First Rifle Purchase

[Fox75]

I'm looking into to buying my first rifle that will mainly be used as a range/target gun (i don't hunt). Would also be nice to know that it would be capable of handling home defense and be nice as a SHTF/survival gun.

I've had my eye on a Henry Big Boy chambered in 357 as it would be nice to have a rifle chambered in the same round as some of my revolvers.

Would this be a wise first rifle purchase? Here is my train of thought, in Ca I only get 10 rounds so it defeats the purpose of owning an auto type rifle. I also figured reloading 10 rounds wouldn't take much longer than having to deal with the bullet button. I also get a rifle that is more reliable and easier to maintain.

Am I on the right track here? Or am I missing advantages to an auto type rifle?
Any feedback from experienced rifle owners would be appreciated. I have a Henry in my cart online, just waiting for some feedback before I confirm the purchase.

[TMB 1]

I'd rather have something with a loading gate like a Marlin 94 or Winchester 92 or a 92 clone.

[NorCalFocus]

Lever actions are fun to shoot guns. Go out to BLM set up a few reactive targets, and shoot. But if your wanting to go punch paper with it, I think it will loose its luster fast for you. Its not going to shoot tight tiny groups.

Having a lever that matches your pistol is nice as well. There's a reason why cowboys did it back in the their day.

[Hairball]

Does not matter what rifle you purchase first as you are bound to get more With that said, there is not "one" specific rifle that does everything. While you can use one rifle if needed, there are always better options given a specific requirement. As you want a range/target/home defense/SHTF/survival rifle, you will need more than one. JMHO

[SonofWWIIDI]

M1 Garand.

[LynnJr]

For your intended use a short heavy barreled 308 Winchester in your price range.

[Fox75]

For your intended use a short heavy barreled 308 Winchester in your price range.

I'd like to keep it in the 357 caliber. What are all of your thoughts on the Rossi 92? I'm not really concerned with price but the Rossi is available and seems to have the features I'm looking for.

[mikenewgun87]

I just gotten a rossi m92 and ruger sp 101 4inch in 357/38.
Thats my matching camping gun/truck gun.

SHTF gun still is going to be AK/AR and g19.

[geoint]

I know somebody else is gonna go there so I'll do it first without being a jerk about it. They aren't auto rifles they are semi autos.

I think a nice lever gun would be fun but you're kidding yourself if you think a lever action is inherently more reliable than semi autos. Not saying they aren't reliable but just t he reasoning in your first post is a little flawed. As far as ease of maintenance, again, plenty of semi autos are dead nuts reliable 24/7/365 even after thousands of rounds between cleanings

[Jeepergeo]

The Henry Big Boy delivers a lot of value for the money, and the .357MAG/.38SPL configuration does match up well with your handgun ammo stock.

A lever gun makes many compromises, and as such, does many things fairly good but is rarely optimal for any particular purpose. Keep that in mind. It will do all the things you said you want, but will not be optimal for any. That said, I can't find any gun that is perfect all round.

The Henry load from a tube, and that will be slow for reloading. The lever will be in the way when shooting off a bench. The Rossi uses a gate for loading so that is a bit faster and more ergonomic, but still has the lever issue with the bench when target shooting. That all said, a lever gun is fairly fast and reasonably accurate and tons of fun.

Maybe consider a Ruger Gunsite bolt action in .308. It reloads fast via a box magazine, is bolt gun accurate, and ammo is easy to find. A good marksman can cycle the bolt nearly as fast as a lever gun.

OR, go with a Browning BLR takedown lever gun. They use a box magazine so reload fast and they lock up like a bolt gun. Basically, they are lever operated bolt guns. They don't come in 357, but can be found in many other rifle calibers. Again, it is all about compromises.

Your first choice is fine, but there are other choices out there that are just as fine.

[russ69]

If you are going to buy a rifle get something in a rifle caliber. A handgun is the better tool for indoor defense. You'll need a free hand to open doors and such. Nothing wrong with a 357 lever gun but if you want to learn to shoot a rifle get an AR15.

[Fjold]

It is a lot faster to swap 10 round magazines with a bullet button than it is to reload any lever gun.

[Superfreak]

Can't go wrong with a good AK or good AR.

Both are pretty reliable, are pretty affordable right now, and have cheap and plentiful ammo.

There's a reason why they're so popular...


Edit: For a home defense gun I would opt for a handgun or shotgun

[JeffSD]

I have two Rossi 92s in 357 Magnum, one is blue and one is stainless. I also have a Winchester Model 94 in 357 Magnum. The Winchester is my pride and joy, mint condition, very accurate. It's hard to get parts for but I have now found a supplier that is machining all the hard to get parts for these rifles.

The Rossis arrive pretty dirty and need a good cleaning, but they are very accurate, and very good shooters. Rossi doesn't really allow you to buy parts, which is a shame because they are easy to work on. If something goes wrong with it, you will have to send it to an authorized repair center so you'll be rifleless for a couple weeks.

I love my lever guns, they are my favorite rifles. My AR collects dust because the levers are so much fun. They are also my go-to plan for home defense. I would never consider using an AR for home defense in this state.

Rossis have a kind of hit or miss reputation on the internet but that's only because most people don't give them a serious cleaning when they get them. They come with a plastic magazine follower and an overly powerful ejector spring. Replace those with the kit from Steve's Guns and you have a wonderful rifle at a great price.

[Jjwisled]

Ruger has a nice bolt action in 357. Would be great for target shooting even home defense if you wanted. Ar/aks are not what you want to be shooting in your home. Just my opinion.