Food For Thought: Please Rank These RF Leverguns

[Pete44ru]

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Returning to a discussion of leverguns, it might prove interesting to find out how our board members would rank the 25 listed, generally commonly-found, .22 RF leverguns.

Please re-list them per your own preferences, as evidenced by prior use/ownership/experience with any/all, in terms of usage (not collectibility) - but please leave the ones, that you have no experience with, off your list.

.22 Rimfire Guns: (In alphabetical order)


Browning BL-22
Erma EG 712/73
Henry Frontier
Henry Golden Boy
Henry Standard
Ithaca 49R
Ithaca 72
Marlin 56/57
Marlin 1891/1892
Marlin 39/39a
Marlin 1894M
Mossberg Palomino
Mossberg 464
Noble 275
Remington Nylon 76
Sturm Ruger 96/22
Taurus 62
Uberti 1873
Winchester 1873
Winchester 150/250/255
Winchester 9422


My preferences, of the 9 guns I have direct experience with (only), are listed in order, below:

1 ) Marlin 39a - most accurate, 2nd best fit/finish (tie)
2 ) Winchester 9422 - most traditional-looking, 2nd best fit/finish (tie)
3 ) Henry Standard - Best bang for the buck (value)
4 ) Henry Frontier - Best bang for the buck, with an octagonal bbl
5 ) Browning BL-22 - Best-looking (IMO) metal/wood finish, but too light for me to shoot effectively
6 ) Marlin 57 - Fastest operating
7 ) Ruger 96/22 - Best magazine system
8 ) Henry GB - Felt the heaviest, hard to peep, awkward to scope
9 ) Mossberg 464 - OK, but IMO an overpriced Henry Standard

FWIW - My comments for each gun pertain only to them - IDK if any guns I have no experience with are better/worse.



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[AJMD429]

I like the Ruger 96 series the best, but I've not handled or shot all the ones listed, by any stretch. Of those I've handled:

• Henry Standard - slickest action, and like the Winchester, looks like a levergun 'should'. Finish not great.
  Marlin 39/39a - Nice design, but too gangly and long; I'd probably like a carbine version.
  Marlin 1894M - I like the 1894 design, but seems a bit oversized for the rimfires.
  Winchester 9422 - looks the best of all of them. I bought three Rugers for the cost of one, though.

Sturm Ruger 96/22 - I have 22 LR, 22 WMR, and 17 HMR versions plus a 22 LR with an integrally suppressed barrel, and they all are smooth, short lever-throws, and accurate. I like the one-piece stock for when it comes time to come in out of rain or sleet, as you don't have to hassle with taking off a forend to dry the whole thing. The magazines of course are great. We live near a road, so often cross the road mid-hunt, or mid-walk, and it is nice to be able to stay 'legal' by removing the magazine, vs. having to unload a tube-full of rounds. The way the barrels swap out you can convert 22 WMR to 17 HMR and back in about two minutes, as well. Easy to scope or peep. They could have slimmed up the stock a bit, and left off the barrel-band, though.

A Henry is on my short-list, 'just because', but I'd not buy a Marlin 39a, unless I could cut it down to a much shorter barrel length, which I'd hesitate to do to a 'classic'. The 1894M and 9422 I'll not likely find in the price range I feel is appropriate for a rimfire levergun I would likely take afield and use in rain, sleet, snow, mud, etc. Maybe if Rossi or Taurus start making clones someday they'll be more reasonable.

[jeepnik]

Can't really rank them as I don't own or haven't shot all. But, the "ONE" I'm looking for is a Nylon 76. I've got at least one of each of the others (if I live long enough, I might get the whole set), but the 76 seems to be elusive.

[Pete44ru]

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FWIW, nobody has to have owned or shot all the guns on the list - just preferentially list/comment on the one(s) you have direct experience with.



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[Lastmohecken]

Winchester model 94/22mag, Mine has been a great shooter, with a receiver sight mounted on it.
Browning BL22 I just love this little short and light rifle, and for some reason I see the iron sights so well on this little gun.
Marlin Mountie, Good gun, but a little heavier and not as smooth IMHO as the first two.
Marlin 39A, The one I had was very accurate when the barrel was fairly clean, and I actually won several 22 rifle Hunter Silhouette Trophy's with it, shooting against high dollar boltaction guys, but it had a great trigger and a 12 power scope on it. I found it a little too heavy for woods wanderings.

Ithaca 49 (that was single shot wasn't it) I always wanted one as a kid, but my dad bought me a Winchester boltaction singleshot 22 instead and it proved to be the better gun as I did buy one of the Ithaca's many years later, with the plan to give it to my son, but it really wan't that great, and I traded it off instead got him a TC contender instead.

Henry Standard? never owned one, but I did work on one and shot it a little bit for a friend of mine. That one was not so great, but they might be better now. It had feeding issues and too many plastic parts to my liking.

[Pete44ru]

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The Ithaca 49 was a Martini-style single shot with a loop-type opening lever.

The Ithaca 49R was a totally different repeating levergun with a tubular magazine.

The Ithaca 72 was a much-improved repeating levergun design that was essentially bought from Erma, and today made essentially the same by Henry Repeating Arms.


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[BenT]

39A my favorite. I just got a mountie and haven't played with it enough to rank.

96/22 just handy , the only 22 I have with a scope and works well at shooting starlings off the bird feeder. I'm looking for one in 17HMR.

Henry can't go wrong with this 22.

Marlin 56 shoots great but isn't that handy.

Winchester 250 shoots good for what it is.

I want a BL-22 someday. but I keep running across pump 22's that I spend my money on.

[J Miller]

1. Winchester 9422
2. Marlins
3. All the rest.


To be honest I've got the most experience with my Win 9422. Second level of experience is with the Marlins then some with a Ithaca or Erma single shot.
The rest I have no experiences with so I'll just lump them all together.

Joe

[geobru]

9422 - Feels like a 94, smooth action, good heft for offhand shooting. Great gun!
BL-22 - Most accurate due to the sights. Feels like a kids gun, but is very quick and handy.
Henry - Smooth action, great customer service when the barrel band broke and they replaced it with a metal piece.

[gamekeeper]

The Erma 73 was my first rim fire leveraction and was smooth as silk, my next leveraction was a Marlin Mountie, I never really warmed to it, I then bought a Winchester 9422M which I loved ,so I bought another in .22LR.
A Uberti 73 that was sadly beat up my a previous owner was next and it was accurate and reliable but heavy, though not as heavy as my Uberti .22 Magnum Yellow Boy.
My preferred list is:
Winchester 9422
Erma or Henry standard.
Uberti 73
Marlin 39 series.

I hope to try a few more someday, especially the Ruger 96.

[MacEntyre]

These are the best .22 levers I've shot:

1) Winchester 9422
2) Marlin 39/39a
3) Henry Standard

The 9422 has a very nice short throw that sets it apart.

[hfcable]

ARRGGGHH ! i cant choose....always had this problem
but... if i force myself.

marlin 39 and winchester 9422 tied for first place. both are outstanding.

second place marlin 1891 , shoots great, and looks great, and the only sideloader 22 lever gun
i really like the ruger 96/22 for its handling and accuracy.
most of the rest are also very good. the mossberg palomino is very nice and accurate.

the Noble 275 ??? i cant find one !!! help me , anyone has a line on one, please let me know.

[Pete44ru]

the Noble 275 ??? i cant find one !!! help me , anyone has a line on one, please let me know.

http://for-sale.yakaz.com/marlin-30-30- ... i55r10a1qm

[hfcable]

the Noble 275 ??? i cant find one !!! help me , anyone has a line on one, please let me know.

http://for-sale.yakaz.com/marlin-30-30- ... i55r10a1qm

got it !!!!! thanks so much !!

[hfcable]

I have the Ithaca 49R, it was made only a year or so here in the US. kiinda clunky and cheaply made. got mine locally for 100$ a couple of years ago

here is one that just showed up on local forum for 150$ and it looks okay in the photo:


http://alaskaslist.com/1/posts/9_Genera ... 9R_22.html

" Ad Number: A345600

E-mail This Ad... Add to Favorites... Print This Ad... Share This on Facebook... Twitter



Ithaca M49R .22 (Fairbanks)

Price : $150

Telephone : 907-347-9403


Lever Action. Great old rifle. it is over 40 years old. Still shoots straight and accurate. Hair trigger. $150 OBO "

[Pete44ru]

the Noble 275 ??? i cant find one !!! help me , anyone has a line on one, please let me know.

http://for-sale.yakaz.com/marlin-30-30- ... i55r10a1qm

got it !!!!! thanks so much !!

Yestidday I kuldn't spel it, but t'day I-R-An Enabler....................

CONGRATS ! !


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[hfcable]

the Noble 275 ??? i cant find one !!! help me , anyone has a line on one, please let me know.

http://for-sale.yakaz.com/marlin-30-30- ... i55r10a1qm

got it !!!!! thanks so much !!

Yestidday I kuldn't spel it, but t'day I-R-An Enabler....................

CONGRATS ! !


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oh YES you are !!! this fellow selling it is a very nice man with some health problems and the gun looks like new ! thank you thank you! [ said the levergun addict, anticipating his fix !}

[Molasses]

To modify an earlier post's opinion to fit my own views:
1. Marlin 39 and Winchester 9422
2. The rest (only teasing a little)

I've HAD a Uberti '66, Mossberg Palomino, Winchester 250, Ithaca 49R (I was starting to think I was the only person that knew what these were until seeing the posts earlier in the thread), Ruger 96/22 and I've spent some time shooting my nephew's Browning. They're all gone, except for the nephew's rifle, but I handed that one back without any need to pry my fingers off of it. In the interests of honesty, a 9422M and a couple of Marlin 39s have come and then gone down the road, too.

I've also handled a number of Henrys, a couple of Ithaca 72s, along with some Uberti SilverBoys and a few Marlin Levermatics but none of 'em ever overcame my sales resistance. Oh, I did once pick up and shoulder an example of Remington's nylon levercritter and pawed at my cousin's Winchester '73 in .22 short one evening, but can't claim that gives me the experience to rate any of 'em.

I really kick myself every time I think about how I turned my nose up at a Marlin '94M that was priced right for months, until it was too late. It might've turned out to be a big disappointment, but I surely would've liked to've had the chance to find out.

When all's said and done, I've still got one 9422, one 39 Mountie and if either one could ever convince me that it's clearly better, the other one'd be gone.

[Larkbill]

I have and regularly shoot a Nylon 76.

Elegant it is not, shoot it does.

And you can carry it for a week without putting it down since it weighs about the same as a Daisy Red Ryder.

[hfcable]

I have and regularly shoot a Nylon 76.

Elegant it is not, shoot it does.

And you can carry it for a week without putting it down since it weighs about the same as a Daisy Red Ryder.

you are so right-- another one i like; even got a second one for my son

[Gunnin'Wreck]

I don't have experience with a lot of these, but this would be my ranking:

1) Winchester 9422 - only have experience with the magnum version. One of the ones I should have kept.
2) Henry Frontier - Outstanding value and very accurate.
3) Winchester 250 - the rifle I learned to shoot with. I have killed more small game with this rifle than with all others put together. My grandsons are now learning with it. Head shots on squirrels at 60 yards are still a piece of cake after 52 years of steady shooting.