Tactical lever gun question

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Dave3006

New member
In a SHTF scenario where you will be carrying a lever gun for protection, how would you plan to carry your spare ammo? You would probably want 100 rounds on your person. I have a couple bandlider style carrier. However, they flop around pretty bad. Any better ideas.

I know this is pretty far fetched.
 
Left-side shirt pocket, just like Chuck Conners on The Rifleman.

Seriously, a full magazine and a butt cuff should be more than enough for any single engagement. The rest can go in your pack. If you plan on needing more rounds than that, you need a semi-auto.
 
Well, I'm not much one for thinking a lever gun is a good tactical choice, but my Marlin 336 in .30-30 is my field gun. I get 6 in the tube, one in the chamber and a buttstock cartridge holder holds 9. That's 16 rounds easily accessible. I'd probably get a belt cartridge holder for a few more rounds. I use this for hog hunting on my friend's farm. (ain't got none yet, but we'll try to go get some soon!)


M@
 
Front pocket on the same side as whichever hand I would use for a tactical reload. My favorite advantage of a levergun is the ability to top off your mag without dropping a mag or opening the chamber.
 
Ideal Choice

I don't really care what conventional wisdom says, a lever action carbine is far more accurate and powerful than any handgun and far faster and easier to use than full-length bolt-action rifles. They're the aurea mediocritas of firearms. People think of leverguns as archaic, but a .45 Colt or .44 Magnum lever action will allow you to totally dominate a 75 yard radius. If you can't do it with eleven rounds, it's not likely more are going to help. The real trick is to have buddies with weapons of their own.

I suppose it wouldn't be a good choice to go after soldiers armed with 400 yard rifles, but you're probably screwed no matter what if that's your scenario. IMHO, you're likely to want something fast, light, easy to handle, tough, and powerful. If it's the lever that's the problem, a semi-auto carbine would also work well. The more weapons I own and shoot, the more I'm convinced carbines are an ideal tactical weapon.

As far as carrying one, the backpack scabbard is great. I've used it in the field with everything from carbines to shotguns and heavy Mausers. Believe it or not, even the heaviest rifle FEELS LIGHTER than a revolver on my belt.

Spare ammo could go in the backpack, whether in bandoliers or not. That stuff does get heavy real fast, so I wouldn't carry more than fifty rounds plus a pocket press and some basic reloading tools, assuming you were off on some strange quest. Though I honestly don't know why you'd want to leave home if the SHTF. They always do it in movies, I suppose.
 
In a SHTF scenerio, my lever action will be in a rifle calibre, probably 30-30. Why? Becasue a rifle calibre will defeat any body armor less than Threat IV. A 30-30 will go through Threat IIA and II like swiss cheese, even when fired from a 16" barrel.:D
 
A Winchester 16" .30-30 is my car gun (actually my eeevil, pollution spewing SUV). I use a butt cuff from Milt Sparks. It's black therefore very tactical! I keep a box of .30-30 in the trunk compartment too any of which I hope to never use.

If I could I would carry the ammo inside the stock. Shooting from the non-dominant side gives me the ouchies (darn desk jockey).
 
Personally..........

.....in a real SHTF time, we all had better have whatever weapon we chose........in our HANDS......not in our backpack..........as any Hunter knows, it's when you have your rifle slung, that you see game......
 
Butt cuff, or belt slide.

I am a big fan of lever guns, not just for playing Cowboy, (which I do) but for self defense, etc. A 30-30 has a lot more power than a .223 (I know, not the flatness in range though) and rounds are readily availible anywhere. Easy to load for too.

Yup, I love leverguns!
 
My Marlin 1895 .45-70, Marlin 1894P .44 Mag, and Winchester 94 .30-30 all carry 8 rounds each on a buttcuff. Fast magazine reloading is not the levergun's forte but it can be accomplished with some practice. I've tried two ways of speed loading a levergun (this is for right handers). One way is to keep the gun shouldered, right hand in the firing position. Rotate the gun 90 degress to the right until the loading port is straight down. Remove a round from the buttcuff with the left hand and insert into the port. Repeat as necessary. The second way is to grip the forestock with the left hand, pulling the butt tightly into the shoulder and then loading with the right hand. Both methods are intended to keep the muzzle on target and allow the shooter to quickly resume a firing position. I've also found that cleaning up any sharp edges on the loading port and the gate helps much. Tweaking the gate spring will help, also. Large aperture peep sights and a good trigger will help when shooting time comes.
 
I just had a crazy idea for those of us with .44 mag. leverguns. Has anyone ever tried using a .44 Desert Eagle magazine as a speedloader? It would seem to be a handy way of carrying an extra 7 rounds. I've read about fellows using a 1911 mag to load .45 acp single actions and wondered if the same concept would apply to leverguns. Perhaps the mechanics will be all wrong but it might be worth a try. My neigbor has a Desert Eagle. I will borrow a mag and report back my findings.
 
Front pocket on the same side as whichever hand I would use for a tactical reload. My favorite advantage of a levergun is the ability to top off your mag without dropping a mag or opening the chamber.

Wow real advantage. Let see what your giving up oh about 25 rounds or so compared to an Ar 15.
PAT
 
A lever gun will due if you don't have any thing else, but a Mini-14 or AR-15 to an HK91 or FN FAL would be far better.
 
Just picked up a Marlin 1894 carbine in 357 Mag. The 44 Mag woulda been "better", but I don't have any; all my wheelguns are 357.

Easier to hit better with at 25-50 yds (3 in groups) than any pistol, and even closer it's still easier. Platt did a pretty damn good job in Miami at 30 ft or so w his Mini 14 223 carbine.

With 125 gr at over 2000 fps, 140 gr at over 1900, 158 gr at over 1800, and 180 gr at over 1450 the 357 mag carbine will do fine. Some of those are better on deer than any .223, I suspect they will work fine on bad guys too.
 
How about a Model 99 Savage in 308? I can shoot to over 400 yes if I have to and it comes ina nifty lever gun. It dosent look like an "evil assult rifle". I keep 5 rounds in a Galco Butt Cuff on mine along with having a Scout Scope and a set of Ashley sights. I even put a Ching Sling on it. If I ever had to use it is would be able to justifibly say It was just my old deer rifle.

On On
Hasher

"If you are not in a position to return effective fire then you are not using cover you are HIDING"
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