Lever gun magazine Disconnect?

[dkmlever]

For those familiar with Browning A-5 shotguns, they have a mag disconnect to easily unload the chamber or change the type of shot shell in use. Just wondering why the lever guns don't have one. It would have made it easier when taking the round out of the chamber to be legal when in the vehicle or other situations. Half cock works fine for still hunting or even in a tree stand but not legal when you want to climb down from your stand, cross a stream, get in your truck to reposition etc. You must lever all your rounds out of the mag, pick them up off the ground, then reload them, not putting one into the chamber. How do you guys do this? Is there an easy way I just don't know about?

[Pete44ru]

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A thin stylus, carried in a keychain & inserted at the front of the side loading gate, can be used to prevent the next cartridge in the magazine from feeding while the lever/bolt is cycled to empty the chamber & closed on the empty chamber (or left open while moving).


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[OldWin]

With a 94, especially in the .32 and under calibers, this is easily accomplished as is.
1. Open the action until you feel the resistance of the lifter but without engaging it.
2. Point the muzzle up so the cartridge is back far enough to clear the chamber and dump it out.
3. Close the action.
If you want to unload completely, tip the muzzle up and the cartridge in the lifter will tip up through the guides and can be removed. Closing the action lowers the cartridge stop snapping another round onto the lifter. Then the same process can be followed.
No cartridges on the ground, it can be done in the dark, and most importantly.....no accelerated wear on the vulnerable lifter spring.
I use this method exclusively.

[AJMD429]

That's one reason I sometimes use my Ruger levergun (96/44), since it has a detachable box magazine.

It would be interesting if levergun tubular magazines would be made detachable, and there's really no fundamental mechanical reason I see that they couldn't.

[marlinman93]

I once owned an 1893 Marlin that some clever gunsmith built a magazine cutoff for. And did so without modifying the gun too! He removed the front lower triggerplate screw next to the forearm. Then a new screw was made to fit the hole with a small hole centered in that screw. A plunger rod with a large head was mounted in the screw, and had a larger end on it to keep it from falling out when installed.
When I wanted to shoot the gun singly, or unload without cycling all the rounds out of the chamber. I simply pushed the rod up and it blocked the cartridges from feeding out of the mag tube! I thought it was weird when I bought the gun, until I figured out what it did! Then I realized it was pure genius!

[Pisgah]

Is there an easy way I just don't know about?

Yes. Open the action, ejecting the chambered round. Leave the action open, roll the rifle over; the cartridge sitting on the lifter and waiting to be chambered will fall out. Close the action. Presto -- empty chamber. Just reload the two removed cartridges back in to the magazine.

[FWiedner]

Just wondering why the lever guns don't have one.

Just guessing here...

There wasn't one in the design spec so the factory didn't build it in...?

[piller]

Back when they were first becoming common, the primary mode of transportation was either horse or foot. Some laws have come about since that time, and lever action firearms really are based on an older technology. Yes, the little changes to accommodate the modern laws could be added or designed in. And, as Marlinman93 found out, some geniuses could make adapters to fix the issue without changing the firearm.

[Malamute]

This is one of the reasons I far prefer Winchesters over marlins. I often clear a chamber or drop a single small game load in leaving the magazine full. With a Winchester type, and functioning correctly, you can either work the lever fully, popping the carrier up, then with either the little finger, or a cartridge tip, push the carrier back down, then load your round, or clear the chamber. The round on the carrier should go back into the magazine. Some are balkier than others, but it can be done. Polishing the rib on the back of the loading gate and the front edge of the lever, and the small protruding nub at the top edge of the front of the lever helps this. The older, well worn or well made pre-war guns, this works pretty easily with no work.

To clear a round, you can either work the lever to eject it, then push the carrier back down and close the action, or slowly work the lever and grab the round as it comes out, or cover the top of the receiver with a cupped hand and let the ejector try to eject it, then it drops onto the raised round on the carrier, then the previously chambered round can be picked out by hand. In clearing the magazine, I often chamber the round about halfway, getting it clear of the cartridge guides, then back the bolt open enough to be able to grab the rim of the half chambered round with the fingertips or fingernails. Theres no need to eject them onto the ground.

Where I live theres no need to clear a magazine for transport, so most of mine live with the magazine fully loaded, often for years at a time, and if I shoot, its generally a small game or snake load now and then. Clearing a chamber and leaving the magazine loaded, or shooting small game loads with the magazine loaded has been normal for me for 30 years or so. Its very simple to do with Winchester type actions, and a nuisance for the most part with Marlins. Ive heard people being ale to do some of this with Marlins when this has come up in the past, but I wasnt able to with mine. Turning the gun over and shaking out the feeding round to close the action on an empty chamber was the only way I got mine back to magazine full, chamber empty. I didnt see the point in messing with that when Winchesters were so much easier.