I am knew to the forum and lever guns. I would truly love to find a nice used 357 reasonably priced but my research has shown them to be rather rare. I may have to settle for now on a 30-30 for budget reasons. What should I look out for? Anything to avoid? I have my eye on a Glenfield that seems in decent condition except for some defect in the blueing (maybe pitting?) on the receiver body. I could get it for $175. Too much?
Iwould greatly appreciate input from some of you veteran lever gunners. Bulldog87
buying a used lever/ newb ?
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gamekeeper
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Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
Welcome to the fire.. 
$175.00 sounds good to me but I'm on the other side of the pond, so what do I know?
$175.00 sounds good to me but I'm on the other side of the pond, so what do I know?
Whatever you do always give 100%........... unless you are donating blood.
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
Welcome to the fire, BD87 !
FWIW, a Glenfield .30-30 is really a Marlin Model 336 in plainclothes, made to the same classic stanards for over 130 years - so you certainly can't go wrong for that short money, even for one with a slightly pitted receiver.
I'd peep-sight it, oil 'r up, and take 'r shooting !
BTW - Pics are mandatory here.
.
FWIW, a Glenfield .30-30 is really a Marlin Model 336 in plainclothes, made to the same classic stanards for over 130 years - so you certainly can't go wrong for that short money, even for one with a slightly pitted receiver.
I'd peep-sight it, oil 'r up, and take 'r shooting !
BTW - Pics are mandatory here.
.
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
That is now a good price on a Glenfield even with a bit of rust. Pete's got the right plan!
Regionally, it seems the used .357 Mag rifles/carbines are hard to come by, because those that have them don't want to let them go. The only ones that have come through the shop I work at have come from estates/widows...
Regionally, it seems the used .357 Mag rifles/carbines are hard to come by, because those that have them don't want to let them go. The only ones that have come through the shop I work at have come from estates/widows...
Sincerely,
Hobie
"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
Hobie
"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
Welcome to the site.
Go for the Glenfield. Think how many rounds or 30-30 you can buy and shoot for the difference between the price of that gun and a 357 lever of any flavor. I have several 357 levers and love them. Not for sale. I also have 30-30s and love them too. There's a reason the 30-30 has been around since the 1890's - it works very well out to a couple of hundred yards for most game in North America. Many men still use just the 30-30 for everything up to moose.
+1 on a peep sight like a Lyman 66 or Williams 5D or FP. Add a Merit adjustable Aperture and you're in high cotton.
Don't forget to save your brass because with all that money you'll save over the 357, you'll have plenty left over for a small reloading set-up.
Go for the Glenfield. Think how many rounds or 30-30 you can buy and shoot for the difference between the price of that gun and a 357 lever of any flavor. I have several 357 levers and love them. Not for sale. I also have 30-30s and love them too. There's a reason the 30-30 has been around since the 1890's - it works very well out to a couple of hundred yards for most game in North America. Many men still use just the 30-30 for everything up to moose.
+1 on a peep sight like a Lyman 66 or Williams 5D or FP. Add a Merit adjustable Aperture and you're in high cotton.
Don't forget to save your brass because with all that money you'll save over the 357, you'll have plenty left over for a small reloading set-up.
Kind regards,
Tycer
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Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
The Glenfield for that money seems like a good deal if you like the gun. The 30-30 is a great round and you will likely come to appreciate it.
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
woohoo! good answer.Tycer wrote:Welcome to the site.
Go for the Glenfield. Think how many rounds or 30-30 you can buy and shoot for the difference between the price of that gun and a 357 lever of any flavor. I have several 357 levers and love them. Not for sale. I also have 30-30s and love them too. There's a reason the 30-30 has been around since the 1890's - it works very well out to a couple of hundred yards for most game in North America. Many men still use just the 30-30 for everything up to moose.
+1 on a peep sight like a Lyman 66 or Williams 5D or FP. Add a Merit adjustable Aperture and you're in high cotton.
Don't forget to save your brass because with all that money you'll save over the 357, you'll have plenty left over for a small reloading set-up.
careful what you wish for, you might just get it.
"BECAUSE I CAN"
"BECAUSE I CAN"
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
Unless you use to pound in fence posts, it's hard to imagine any levergun you'd buy used would lose much value, so if you find it isn't to your liking, you can probably get all your money back, anyway.
The .357 is more practical if you're already into .357 for a handgun, and you only have enough money for a couple of guns; it can do most anything the .30-30 can do that the ordinary person needs to do. (Yeah, I know the .30-30 can do stuff the .357 can't do, but a dead whitetail at 75 yards won't know which it was shot with, nor a feral dog; and any home intruder will hear the lever noise, and leave without waiting to see which caliber the gun was...)
HOWEVER, I'd get the .30-30 in a minute, if you don't have a levergun yet; when you find a .357, if you want it more, you can sell the .30-30 and use that towards the .357 price.
The little Lee 'mallet' reloading kit and a set of dippers WILL get you useable ammunition, although many snicker at those kits. I loaded several thousand rounds of .44 Magnum with one as a kid. They're under $20, although for maybe three times that much, you can get a much higher-capacity and easier setup. If you buy lead (gas-check may be best) bullets you can save maybe $0.50 each time you pull the trigger, with the current price of ammunition. That pays for a reloading setup pretty quickly!
The .357 is more practical if you're already into .357 for a handgun, and you only have enough money for a couple of guns; it can do most anything the .30-30 can do that the ordinary person needs to do. (Yeah, I know the .30-30 can do stuff the .357 can't do, but a dead whitetail at 75 yards won't know which it was shot with, nor a feral dog; and any home intruder will hear the lever noise, and leave without waiting to see which caliber the gun was...)
HOWEVER, I'd get the .30-30 in a minute, if you don't have a levergun yet; when you find a .357, if you want it more, you can sell the .30-30 and use that towards the .357 price.
The little Lee 'mallet' reloading kit and a set of dippers WILL get you useable ammunition, although many snicker at those kits. I loaded several thousand rounds of .44 Magnum with one as a kid. They're under $20, although for maybe three times that much, you can get a much higher-capacity and easier setup. If you buy lead (gas-check may be best) bullets you can save maybe $0.50 each time you pull the trigger, with the current price of ammunition. That pays for a reloading setup pretty quickly!
It's 2025 - "Cutesy Time is OVER....!" [Dan Bongino]
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Ysabel Kid
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Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
Sure are! I personally recommend all firearms photos include snapshots of your feet - preferrably in slippers. Seems to excite the locals!Pete44ru wrote:BTW - Pics are mandatory here.
.
Welcome aboard!!!
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
Thanks to all for the feedback. I was hoping to maintain continuity of ammo as I have a 357 revolver, but you all made some very convincing arguments for the 30-30. If I do get the Glenfield, I'll post some pix as required. Maybe you can give me pointers on how to clean it up and refurb it. BD87
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
From your comment, you know quite a bit. One can still roam the back roads here and find an out-of-the way gunshop with a few Marlins (most likely Glenfields or other low-grade but serviceable models) for around that price if you search hard enough. They may not be pretty, but most 30-30's are/have been owned by the occasional hunter who usually carries them around more than he shoots them. These guns may not look beautiful externally, but a lot have not been subjected to that much actual shooting.game keeper wrote:Welcome to the fire..
$175.00 sounds good to me but I'm on the other side of the pond, so what do I know?
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Borregos
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4756
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:40 am
- Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
Welcome aboard
Go for it, it is a good price
It likely will be the first of many levers to come
Go for it, it is a good price
It likely will be the first of many levers to come
Pete
Sometimes I wonder if it is worthwhile gnawing through the leather straps to get up in the morning..................
Sometimes I wonder if it is worthwhile gnawing through the leather straps to get up in the morning..................
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Lawyer Daggit
- Levergunner 3.0
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- Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 4:38 pm
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
I have a lee mallet kit in 30-30 and 223. I use them with my contender when I am away from base.
If you are only loading up a few they are fine- for volume they get a bit tedious though.
If you are only loading up a few they are fine- for volume they get a bit tedious though.
Re: buying a used lever/ newb ?
OK guys! I got a Glenfield 30-30. Its not the one with the rust and pitting but this one has a great frame and barrel without the pitting. Its furniture needs just a bit of attention but for $200, I think I prefer a worn stock to the pitted barrel. Here's the question. It is not marked with "micro groove." Researching the SN tells me it is a 1977 vintage. So does it have a micro groove barrel even if its not stamped and is that necessarily a bad thing if it is not Microgrooved? Can't wait to hear your responses! Thanks, Bulldog!
Still unable to get pix as my camera is inoperable at the moment.
Still unable to get pix as my camera is inoperable at the moment.