I'm debating on either getting a MARLIN, RUGER, OR WINCHESTER Lever Action Rifle.?

Question

Can anyone tell me which one of the Brands are rugged, reliable and that is battle field tested.

Answer 1

Marlins are the unquestioned strongest and reliable of the three. Marlins come in much more powerful calibers than the ruger, and have a closed receiver unlike the winchester, which gives it strength, and keeps the crap out, which gives it reliability. Alaskan guides often rely on marlins. (particularly the 45-70, and 450 marlin)

The Guide Gun was used by Mike Venturino to hunt the big boys in Africa, if that tella you anything.

Shooting Times and G&A have written numerous articles comparing to Winchester to the Marlins. I think the Winchester has a slight edge in ergonomics, But the Marlin is my far the better gun. Another plus with their receivers is that you can mount a scope inline, which you need a really funky setup to do with the Winchester.

The only lever-gun that i know of that were battle tested would be the original Henry lever guns back during the civil war (in the anemic .44 rimfire), and the Czarist Russians had some model 95 Winchesters commissioned around WW I. (gotcha Patton!)

The Browning BLR is a long range lever gun, as was the Winchester 88, but both lost the great ergonomics and handling that the other models have. A modern Henry is only good for Cowboy Action and Target shooting, as the .44 Magnum model is extremely heavy and cumbersome. Their Golden Boy is very pretty though.

I have had great success and satisfaction out of both Marlins I hunt with, a 1894p in .44 magnum, and a1895G guide gun in 45-70. The 1895 is strong enough that it can accept specialty loads that approach the .458 winchester magnum, though they kick the holy hell out of you if you use those rounds. With normal pressure loads you can hunt any thing in the U.S., using 300g bullets for deer sized game, and 405g or larger hardcast bullets (Cor-bon makes wonderful rounds called penatrators, that will shoot through a moose pretty much from tonsil to bunghole).

My best friend also hunts with a Marlin, in the old reliable .35 remington. you really acnnot lose.

*DJ added some fine oints about Roosevelt, though I have never had to have a ruger repaired(or a marlin), I have had reliabilty issues with several Henrys, and feel that in similiar cartridges, marlins kick a little less (not that a 30-30 kicks much to begin with) But actually therKrags were a rather decent arm for the era, and I still enjoy shooting mine. They simply were not as strong as the Mauser or later Enfields and springfields, and there magazine became obsolete as soon as the germans invented the stripper-clip.

Answer 2

While all three are rugged and reliable, Winchester has stopped making the lever guns and so prices are going way up. Ruger doesn't really enter into my thinking as they only really make one rifle chambered in .44mag. Marlin has been around a long time, and would be my choice. As far as "battle" tested, Winchester and Marlin lever guns have been used extensively in the indian wars, as well as several actual wars up to and including the use of winchester lever guns by the Israeli's in the early battles for their independence. Again, My first choice would be the Marlin, it is the strongest and in my humble opinion, the better weapon.

Answer 3

The only lever-gun officially adopted by any military establishment was the Winchester M-1873 chambered in .44-40 WCF.

Lots of Winchesters and Marlins saw action in the Indian Wars, and the Mexican Revolution.

All three are rugged and dependable, but I believe the Marlin to be the stronger action.

You did not say what you wanted the rifle to do, nor did you mention the caliber.

For hunting, I'd advise the Marlin M-336 in .30-30 WCF.

If you are looking for a rifle to use for defensive purposes, I'd say none of the above.

A Rossi M-92 SRC in .357 Magnum, or .44 RemMag if you are a raw power freak, will make as good a home defense rifle as anyone could ask for, and it won't scare the bejazus out of the neighors and the cops if they see you with your levergun in hand.

FWIW, the Model 1892 action, whether made by Winchester, Browning, Rossi, or Pedersoli, is actually a stronger action than the Winchesterm M-94 action, or the Marlin M-336 action.

BTW, I totally disagree with LawGunGuy. I think the Browning BLR in .358 Winchester is the best lever-action rifle on the market, in a rifle caliber.

Doc

Answer 4

Well, the old Winchesters and Marlins were used in numerous revolutions and insurrections south of the border but the modern Winchesters and Marlins are not the same one. For one thing they now have... Safeties (rather than just the hammer safety of old).

What's more, Winchester closed its doors a few months ago. Which leaves the Marlins and Rugers and both are great. Of course you could look at used Winchesters also. You didn't mention calibers nor use for rifle which would help narrow the answer down. Ruger only offers the .44 Mag in a true lever action, but the Ruger #1, an under-lever single shot, is excellent and available in numerous calibers from .243 to 458 Lott and others.

Best.

H

Answer 5

Battlefield tested?

Well, I guess the lever rifle has been used on some battlefields, but it's not really a military rifle as such.

I like Marlin. My Grandad had a 336 circa 1950 and hunted very successfully with it for decades. It's now being used by my uncle for the last 20 or so years.

Winchesters are fine, but I feel their prices are artificially inflated and people think the newer ones are not as good as the older ones.

I don't recommend Ruger usually. Besides their politics, they have a high 'frequency of repair' record.

EDIT: Besides being used in a limited basis in the US Civil War, lever rifles were used in the Indian Wars, the Spanish American War and the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Teddy Roosevelt carried a Winchester 95, even though his unit had been issued the horrible Krag rifles. I'm sure there were others, those come to mind offhand.

Answer 6

Just because something used to be used for a purpose doesn't mean that it still should be. Elk and moose with a .357 Magnum, even from a rifle? There are far better choices out there. If you must have a lever action, and you want to go after big game like that, get a Browning BLR Lightweight in .30-06 Springfield, and you can take just about anything on the face of this planet. It's magazine fed, so you can still use Spitzer bullets, and it's a Browning, so you know it's a fine rifle. And you NEVER buy a hunting gun based solely on ammo price. You buy a hunting gun based on what you intend to hunt with it, and if everything else lines up, THEN you can consider ammo price... and since most hunting ammunition is more expensive than most target ammunition, you might as well just forget about ammo price. Just resign yourself to having to pay a lot per shot when you are working with your moose and black bear gun, and have a .22LR for cheap shooting.

Answer 7

If by battlefield you mean an actual war, then none of them. At least not in any major American engagement. The Winchesters and Marlins have served deer hunters reliably for many years and you will get ppl who will swear by 1 or the other just because that's what Pappy or Grandpappy carried and now they do.
Winchester closed shop here a few months back but of course there are plenty still in the pipeline, you just might have to look a little harder. The downside would be limited caliber selection. Marlin is still very much in business and gives you a better choice of calibers.
As a general rule, Ruger makes reliable firearms, but I don't personally know any1 who uses the lever actions.

Answer 8

Marlin is the crown prince of levers; I have a pair of Marlin 444's. That 444 is fun to shoot and will drop a moose like the hammer of Thor; though I understand the 45-70 is nothing to kick out of bed. Have a number of Marlin 30-30's; but mainly my granddaughters use them for plinking.

Answer 9

Well I have read most of the longer answrers and readily agreee with most answers... Ruger has repair problems on the lever action side, Winchester is overpriced, and not as nice as the older firearms.

Personaly I like the Marilin 336a. Chamber in 30-30 i tell you what i think its one of the best firearms I have in my collection. Nice stock good weight not overly heavy. Smooth action.. fairly accurate for the price you pay.

Deffintly the most bang for your buck

Spanky

Answer 10

Marlin