Mojave Lever Crew - Roll Call!

[ar15barrels]

Anybody have room for an extra dove hunter this opener?
My usual dove hunting buddy is out of town for the opener and I can't get on to our usual property because it got sold and we don't know the new owner to ask permission...

[200Apples]

my first 1911 - SA PC9111

Well, I'll be hog wallered! Your first *personal* 1911 and it just so happens to be the one on my bucket list?!

You, sir...

OUTSTANDING.

Oh, and you suck, too.

[Spyder]

I'll have to do another group photo soon. I just picked up some cool old Winchesters in some scarce calibers. And I'm real close to having the custom dies from Hornady I sent off for my early Marlin 1894 in .255 Dean.

[200Apples]

Outstanding! Spyder... what a neat prospect, and that .255 Dean wildcat! Too frickin' cool.

[golfish]

straight to the python for your first Colt revolver?

damn playa - congrats!

friend from church is close friends with a Colt exec and swears the new ones are great shooters..

good luck with it and please share range report..



btw, I did something similar about 12 years ago..

although I carried several clunky Colt 1911s on duty, I never owned one until 2010..

my first 1911 - SA PC9111

That's a beautiful 1911. I think SA makes a great 1911. I'd love to get a pro someday .

Knowing my MLC brothers, the 1911 has a better place on this thread over the the Python. The DA revolver doesn't get much love in the Mojave. The only one I have is a H&R 929.

[Killer Bee]

That's a beautiful 1911. I think SA makes a great 1911. I'd love to get a pro someday .

Knowing my MLC brothers, the 1911 has a better place on this thread over the the Python. The DA revolver doesn't get much love in the Mojave. The only one I have is a H&R 929.

shucks, just trying to fill in the voids on slow days in this fun thread but thanks!

funny you mention the 929, I picked this one up from a cool calgunner few years ago

[golfish]

shucks, just trying to fill in the voids on slow days in this fun thread but thanks!

funny you mention the 929, I picked this one up from a cool calgunner few years ago

Mine has black grips and the barrel might be a tad longer. I'll have to find it
They really are exceptional guns.

Looks like it might have the same length barrel.

I remember going with my dad to the K-Mart on Whittier Boulevard in East LA, probably the mid 70s to buy this gun. It's been well taken care off.


Chris, I didn't mean to dis the DA revolvers or the crew, it's just that we don't see them on the tables when we go, and rightly so, its not MDAC now is it

[pennstater]

Mark, your Python will get plenty of love for sure. Heck, I can't wait to try it out. Got some Red Dot loads to try in .45 Colt and .45 acp in my Pietta.

MLC

[200Apples]

Knowing my MLC brothers, the 1911 has a better place on this thread over the the Python. The DA revolver doesn't get much love in the Mojave. The only one I have is a H&R 929.

John Moses Browning, Lewis Hepburn (Marlin Models 1894, 1895 to name just two) and Samuel Colt by way of his designers of the Model 1873 revolver, William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards, will always hold places of honor among the MLC. And if I could nail down the folks responsible for the modern S&W L-frame (and of your Python), I'd mention their names, too.



Point being I'll try to remember to bring my Model 696 with me next time we convene... I'd still like to get it over to Randall R.'s for some cylinder throat enhancements (to better match the bore). It could also stand a few rounds' pressure-lapping to reduce the barrel's thread choke.

But it still shoots reasonably straight.

The only other two DA's I have are a Model 60-15 and a Model 351 PD. All three are unusually cool S&W. I say, "unusually" because we mostly hear of six-shot .357s 'n' stuff when folks jabber on about their Smiths.

That Python, though, is in a whole different league as an iconic firearm. It is a most-cool addition to the MLC Armory!

[Spyder]

Antique lever prawns time!

These are the ones that were sitting within arms reach of the desk just now, so they make good for a picture. All have excellent bores with bright shiny sharp rifling, though they all also have "stuff" wrong with them that makes them not very high end on the collectible or dollar value scale...though I think I prefer that, so I will take the out and hunt with them.

Spencer Sporting Rifle, still in 56-46 Rimfire. I eventually would like to find some 56-46 brass and actually shoot this one. It was done in the Gemmer style, but unfortunately doesn't have any markings that lead me to believe it may be a real Gemmer, but it IS very well done.

Winchester 1894 in 25-35. I wasn't sure until just now that it actually was 25-35, as the marking isn't on the side of the barrel, but there really couldn't be any other options from that time period, as the bore was smaller than 30 caliber. But I just pulled the handgaurd and it's marked properly, at 6 o clock on the barrel under the handguard.

Winchester 1892 in 25-20.

Winchester Model 53 (This one isn't an antique, I guess, but it's too cool not to include).

Marlin 1894, originally a 25-20, but at some point it was reamed out to something similar to .255 Dean, and the different wood was put on it. I can't decide if I want to find a correct crescent buttstock for it and hack the rear of the barrel off and recut it to 25-20, or just leave it as is. I guess it will depend on whether the dies I'm having made after doing a chamber cast and sending it off, work well to load the fire formed brass I have. It has nostalgia and personal history within my hunt group as is, so I hope it shoots well enough I don't have to mess with it, and can keep loading the funky 255 Dean loads.

[bigbossman]

Winchester 1894 in 25-35. I wasn't sure until just now that it actually was 25-35, as the marking isn't on the side of the barrel, but there really couldn't be any other options from that time period, as the bore was smaller than 30 caliber. But I just pulled the handgaurd and it's marked properly, at 6 o clock on the barrel under the handguard.

That is very odd to have the caliber marking at 6 o'clock under the wood. It should be at 12 or 3. I'm wondering if it was a 30-30 or other caliber that got worn out and re-barreled? Barrel length looks good in the pic, at least in relation to the magazine tube (should be 20"). Definitely indexed funny, though.

[golfish]

Oh my!! That's some good looking lever guns right there....

I'm really looking forward to read about the reloads that you work up. Please keep us informed...

What do you think the date is on the Spencer?

Thanks for sharing

[BOBGBA]

Finally got around to taking some pictures of the Marlin 1895SS, 22" barrel 45-70 made in '97.

[Spyder]

Bigbossman, I agree it's odd, but I've got several like that. The Marlin is the same and I've got some other Win and Marlin stuff that is marked under the handguard but not at 3, 12, or 9 o clock.

[bigbossman]

Bigbossman, I agree it's odd, but I've got several like that. The Marlin is the same and I've got some other Win and Marlin stuff that is marked under the handguard but not at 3, 12, or 9 o clock.

Interesting - I have never seen a Winchester 94 0r 92 that had the caliber roll stamp at 6 o'clock under the wood. I'm going to go over to winchestercollectors.org and ask about that. there is a huge base of knowledge on that site.