The 30-30 in Combat

[Duane]

Saw a guns and ammo program where the 30-30 was used to clear a house .The lever action had light mounts and trigger jobs kinda made me think that the old 30-30 would make a good battle rifle need be

[mangulator]

Seen the same program several months back. Wish I could find a tactical stock and forearm like the one they had. 

[yellowtail3]

'tactical' means overpriced, plastic, black... ugh.Not something I'm a fan of (though i was at one time)

Wannabee commandos can have 'em, but... dang, don't screw up a nice wood & steel levergun!

[S.S.]

they rode in many a Police car too.

[southernutah]

A plain Jane hunting 30-30 will look a lot better in court than a tactical made to hurt some one type. Just a thought. Same with the duck hunting shotgun verses a pistol griper. I don't think a light would matter.

[yellowtail3]

A plain Jane hunting 30-30 will look a lot better in court...

...and they look a LOT BETTER in hand, too.

[pastorp]

Back in the early 70's when we were having all those hot summers and riots in the cities, I would ride with one of my wife's cousins that was a florida state trouper. At that time the state gave them a choice of a MI carbine or a riot shotgun and of course their service revolver, a colt python.

One week end we were riding together and he told me he had picked up a rifle to go with his riot shotgun. When he showed it to me I found out his new sniper rifle was a Winchester M71 in 348. Well that should do it I believe. 

Regards,

[Lloyd Smale]

alot of people dont know that some 94 winchesters were actually issued to troops in wwII

[zoner]

well it's short,light,powerful, and you can replenish the magazine(put rounds in) while on the move without looking at the gun....sounds pretty good to me....

[jimster]

I've always thought the 30-30 lever would be my go to weapon if crap hit the fan around my home.  I know how to use it and can hit things with it because I was raised on lever actions, and the 30-30 has enough power and range.  Even without being all decked out, a simple peep sight and a sling will do, and like Zoner points out, it can be reloaded on the run.  There are butt covers and slings that hold extra ammo and a bandoliers that could help keep ammo close by and last along time providing you make your shots count.

[NYH1]

I have a Marlin 336C 35 Rem. sitting right next to my short/smooth barrel Remington 11-87 12 ga. in my safe.   After seeing what it does to deer.....I know I wouldn't want to get hit with a 200 gr. Core-Lokt.   I have no reason to think a 30-30 Win. wouldn't work just as well!   

[Old Grizz]

I don't know guys, I would have to say the 30-30 load would work ok but not in a lever. There is just too much recovery time between shots to be accurate. It's one thing to shoot at a deer or pig but when your life depends on it I would rather have a semi, less recovery time.

[Cheesehead]

alot of people dont know that some 94 winchesters were actually issued to troops in wwII

I would like to learn more about that. Any more info available?

Cheese

[pastorp]

Grizz, levers are very fast if your used to them. Working the lever during recoil becomes second nature if you practice.  Jeff Cooper thought a good man with a bolt gun was no one to feel superiour to just because you had a semi-auto.

Of course Jeff had a marines outlook not the current spray & pray attirude. In short he was a rifleman. Supressive fire has it's place but really do we as cilillian marksman need that.

Regards,

[mirage1988]

Grizz, levers are very fast if your used to them. Working the lever during recoil becomes second nature if you practice.  Jeff Cooper thought a good man with a bolt gun was no one to feel superiour to just because you had a semi-auto.

Of course Jeff had a marines outlook not the current spray & pray attirude. In short he was a rifleman. Supressive fire has it's place but really do we as cilillian marksman need that.

Regards,

Check out this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1BwUJ4--Qw&NR=1

[Dee]

Well guys I tell ya what. My ole 3030 rode with me in my unit for about 18 years and the Texas Dept of Public Safety issued Winchester and I believe some Marlins to all State Troopers, and Game Wardens.
Occasionally I would be pulled out of my Narcotics slot to transport a high risk prisoner to Texas Dept of Corrections, and there was nothing like pulling up to the Diagnostic Unit in Huntsville, and while I was locking my own gun in the trunk of my unit before taking the prisoner thru the gate I was staring at a man on guard tower with a Model 94 3030 watching my every move.
I carried mine in the car, and when asked to do a track on a man hunt, I wore a 357 mag in a Model 19 Smith, and carried ole reliable, my Winchester Model 94 3030. Every now and then I will pull the news paper clippings with pics of me on some of those man hunts, carrying that 3030, and look at my youth, and how long that rifle has been a good friend. Every scratch, and every dent on that ole stock has a memory, with some being pretty excitin, and more than one outlaw saw the business end. The bluing just in front of the lever where it balances is just about gone after all these years, but I look at it, and know that my hand "wore" it off. 
I have seen someone shot with the old 3030, (no not by me) and he went right down, and no he didn't get back up.
I will never give up my 3030, it is enough.

[bcp]

Not combat, but military:
http://www.winchestercollector.org/guns/w-mil.shtml

On December 29, 1917, the Small Arms Division of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department placed purchase order number 291 with Winchester Repeating Arms Co. for 1,800 Winchester Model 1894 carbines “sighted for center fire smokeless powder cartridges cal. 30 with full patch bullets”.(6) These arms were shipped, along with 50,000 cartridges(7), one week later, on January 5, 1918 to the Commanding Officer, Signal Corps Troops, Vancouver Barracks, Vancouver, Washington. These Winchesters were stamped with a “ US” and an ordnance bomb on the forward upper portion of the receiver. There are no periods after the “U” and “S” and individual stamps were used for each symbol. Model 1894 Carbines with these markings in the 835,xxx to 853,xxx serial number range have come to be known as “Spruce Guns”.

[Dee]

Not combat, but military:
http://www.winchestercollector.org/guns/w-mil.shtml

On December 29, 1917, the Small Arms Division of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department placed purchase order number 291 with Winchester Repeating Arms Co. for 1,800 Winchester Model 1894 carbines “sighted for center fire smokeless powder cartridges cal. 30 with full patch bullets”.(6) These arms were shipped, along with 50,000 cartridges(7), one week later, on January 5, 1918 to the Commanding Officer, Signal Corps Troops, Vancouver Barracks, Vancouver, Washington. These Winchesters were stamped with a “ US” and an ordnance bomb on the forward upper portion of the receiver. There are no periods after the “U” and “S” and individual stamps were used for each symbol. Model 1894 Carbines with these markings in the 835,xxx to 853,xxx serial number range have come to be known as “Spruce Guns”.

Is that one yours, and if so where did you come across it? AND! Did it come with that ladder sight?

[Swampman]

I'd rather have my .30-30 than any rattle gun.

[bcp]

Is that one yours, and if so where did you come across it? AND! Did it come with that ladder sight?

It is a photo from the link.  Wish it was mine!

Bruce

[Dee]

Yea me too.

[AtlLaw]

Model 1894 Carbines with these markings in the 835,xxx to 853,xxx serial number range have come to be known as “Spruce Guns”.

The "Spruce Guns" were my first thought when the question was asked.  I haven't thought about them in years but from what little I remember their story was interesting.

[Swampman]

American Rifleman did an article on the Spruce Guns awhile back.

[Siskiyou]

The issueing of the 30-30 to US Military has always been a question.  Interesting discussion.

[mechanic]

Always nice to learn something new...I shore would like to get my hands on one of those rifles....

[S A Webbx1]

August 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson, younger brother of prison gang leader George Jackson, took over a courtroom in Marin County, Ca., took 4 hostages including the judge and deputy DA, and attempted to flee with 3 convicts from San Quentin Prison.  One prisoner was on trial for charges relating to a prison escape attempt involving George Jackson in which Corrections officers were killed and wounded.  The other prisoners were to be witnesses at the trial.  (The guns used by Jackson were registered to Angela Davis.) 

Things were going well for the bad guys; they had gotten a van and were outbound with hostages, the Sheriff decided to let them go.  But then the cavalry showed up.  Armed corrections officers arrived from San Quentin, established a road block and stopped the van.  Bad guy brandished weapons, Corrections officer shot 3 times, killing 3 bad guys.  With a 30-30.

[Dee]

That's the way it's done. Corrections officers aren't trying to win votes and get re-elected.

[S A Webbx1]

They don't seem to enthusiastic about killers of brother officers getting away.  Armed prisoners bad.  Escapees bad.  Hostages or not.

One reason it happened at all was the Judge didn't allow guns in his courtroom.  The bailiffs were unarmed.  As consequences, the Judge got most of his head shot off with a double barrel that had been taped to his neck, and the Deputy DA was paralyzed.

[K9-Handler]

Ol' Teddy R. and the Rough Riders would have probably done better with a '94 than with the Krags they were issued.
Oh, and "Leave the Colts home, boys.  You won't need 'em."
Military Intelligence???   

[Swampman]

In the Civil War pistols and bowies were often tossed into the weeds because they were heavy and useless.