First Rifle Purchase

[Jjwisled]

Although I did just get home from the range where I shot my mod 94 in 45 colt. The ****s and giggles factor of a lever gun can't be beat.

[as_rocketman]

The only issue with Henry leverguns is that they're relatively expensive. If that's what tickles your fancy and it fits you, I'd say just go for it.

Caliber-wise, .357 will do fine on the range out to 100 meters or so. The .357 levers I've shot have been quite nice, decently accurate, and also hit harder than you'd think. But it's not an all-around rifle -- it's light for hunting. If that's what you wanted, I'd probably steer you toward a .30-30 instead.

Personally I have only a single levergun (.45-70), but my uses are a little different. (It's a single shot. Rapid shooting a levergun in prone is a challenge compared to an auto, or even a bolt-action.) Also, for what it's worth, I have an RAW and a pile of standard-capacity magazines, but I usually shoot 10-rounders. The impact on my scores is minimal. So I wouldn't be scared off by CA limits. However, who needs excuses? If you want a levergun, get one, and if you can afford quality, buy quality. They certainly have their place.

[Oceanbob]

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

This^^^^*

And if you go featureless you don't need a bullet button. (No pistol grip, no flash hider, fixed stock, 30 inches minimum.)

You mention SHTF. You mention Survival. You mention home defense. A Henry .357 isn't a good choice. Sorry. It's a pain to reload, it's heavy. Really heavy when compared to other levers.

Why not buy a Lower and build a featureless AR? Less money then a Henry Lever.

Now if you want a .357 Plinker then a Lever is fine. However, a first rifle for plinking should be a .22, perhaps a Marlin or Ruger.

I own 6 levers. Love them. But not for the job you want.

Be well
Bob

[larkja]

Last year, I had a bunch of guns - rifles and pistols. I have sold off everything but my 10/22, AR, shotgun, and 1911. I did bolts, levers, pumps, and wound round back to semi-autos. I figure if I need to use it in a survival situation, a semi-auto is going to allow for much quicker follow-up shots without taking my eye off the target.

The semis I have are very simple - few moving parts and not much to go wrong as long as you keep them clean. I understand the whole same caliber argument and did the same thing for a while - had a GP100 with a Rossi 92. But in the end, realized I'm a much better shot with the rifle. So just kept my 1911 for nostalgia (been in the family 25+ years).

Hope this helps.

[TMB 1]

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.

The Rossi I have is good. It's a 45Colt
It's on the left, middle is 44mag Browning 92, right is 44mag Marlin 94.

What's nice about loading gate over the Henry is you can add another round at any time.

[Pupulepeter]

M1A SOCOM. short enough for HD and long enough to provide decent accuracy. It is nice to have a box magazine when trying to reload in a hurry, especially if you only get ten rounds. Plus .308 is super fun to shoot and easy to come by.

[Pupulepeter]

Did I mention you don't need a bullet button?

[sleepur606]

Does anyone else want to address the fact that in a true survival/end of the world type scenario, the floors are going to be littered with Bullet Buttons? In a lawless (or even semi-lawless) situation, magazine locks are the least of your worries.

That said, there are plenty of semi-auto rifles that I would suggest for all-around guns that I think would be better than a lever gun. And don't get me wrong, I love a good lever gun. But, for me, they're more a nostalgia gun. Not to say they aren't capable for hunting or other applications, but limiting it to a pistol caliber (.357) is going to limit your "all-around" factor.

An M1, M1A, Mini-14/30, heck...even an SKS would probably be better than a lever gun for all around, punching paper, home defense, and SHTF scenarios. Also, the .30 caliber rifle round is pretty much the go-to for military and law enforcement (except in the US where 5.56/.223 reigns supreme; see Mini-14), so ammo can be had very easily and, if you're plinking, for relatively cheap.

But if you're dead set on a lever gun, don't let me dissuade you.

[FishnHunt]

I have a 30-30 lever and its fun. but the 44 mag carbine that looks like 10/22 will do some damage with 300gr pills.
Ruger does offer 357 and 44 mag bolt gun with rotary mag. and maybe you can shoot 38 special out of 357?. I don't know but maybe ask.
Marlin also has a 357 and 44 mag/special lever.

[JMP]

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.

For what you describe, a semiautomatic rifle would be quite a bit better. These can be shot much faster, even with the 10 round limit and a bullet button and you can have additional magazines.

You can also gain speed by getting a featureless semi that does not require a bullet button like a Mini 14.

But, if you are set on going with 357 mag, then you will certainly pick up a significant advantage in accuracy and distance with the lever action rifle over a revolver. I'd suggest a semi-automatic carbine, but those won't do well with a rimmed revolver cartridge like a 357 since it'll generally have feeding reliability issues.

[as_rocketman]

I have a 30-30 lever and its fun. but the 44 mag carbine that looks like 10/22 will do some damage with 300gr pills.
Ruger does offer 357 and 44 mag bolt gun with rotary mag. and maybe you can shoot 38 special out of 357?. I don't know but maybe ask.
Marlin also has a 357 and 44 mag/special lever.

Yes, you can. Although recoil of even a full-house .357 is pretty manageable in a rifle.

[Apollo]

I am going to have to say a shorter barreled 308 Win bolt action rifle with back up iron sights. Specifically the Savage Hog Hunter.

Don't let the name fool you, it is basically a 20" scout rifle and comes with iron sights already attached. It shoots MOA or better all for less than $500 including tax and DROS.

There are no magazines to lose or accidentally drop when moving through bush, it is dead nuts reliable, and if you want to upgrade it later you can swap pretty much every part out including the barrel with a minimum of effort.

Why 308? At close to medium range it works for just about every critter in north america, even including the two legged ones. Just not grizzlies. Plus it is less than $.50 per round for loaded ammo and it almost never is completely out of stock.

[ScottsBad]

Staying with .357 is pretty limiting. I understand the appeal of having one caliber, but a pistol is a pistol a rifle is a rifle, they have different purposes and should use different rounds. IMHO.

If you don't like a bullet button get a Mini-14, they don't require a bullet button. But if you want accuracy and good ergonomics get an AR and learn to use the BB effectively.

[T19gun04]

M1 Garand.

+1

My first rifle purchases were two SKS Sino-Soviet, Cosmoline-filled assault rifles (not weapon because fixed mag/no handgrip). I learned how to disassemble, how to best clean, and how to look for any potential issues that could cause bodily harm, like a stuck firing pin, which can cause slam fires. They are both accurate and awesome to take to the range.

I picked up a used henry .45 LC and love it. However, like a previous poster mentioned I bought it used and did not give it a good cleaning (harder to disassemble than SKS). I had several Fail-to-Fires with light strikes on primers. However gave it a good clean and changed ammo, shoots much better. Compared to SKS, loading was slower for me, as the tube loading took me longer than multiple SKS clips ready. Both accurate but m1 garand is better.

[osis32]

Now is the time to buy an at. The prices are rock bottom right now. I love the rossi92 but tough to beat a featureless ar. I'm sure you'll eventually get both but I'd go ar now and lever second.