Have You Ever Gotten Rid of A Lever Gun Because...?

[RIFLE MAN]

Fellow Riflemen:

Have any of us ever sold or traded a lever gun because it had too
much recoil or something of the kind, then a few years later regret
having gotten rid of it? Then to top it off, when you decide to find
another one, you discover that it's no longer made, or the current
price is too high to buy?

Thanks,
Rifle Man

[kynardsj]

Years ago I wanted and got a Marlin 444 with a Redfield 2x7x?? scope. This gun would hang up what seemed like every other time I cycled it. I tolerated it and tried to fix it but one rainy day the guys and I were holed up in the hunting cabin that overlooked a 11 acre field. I caught movement and saw a big wide racked 8 point crossing at about 150 yards. I took an off hand shot and knocked him down but he got up and when I went for shot #2 the rifle hung up. Deer got away, I never found him and I sold the rifle at the next gun show. Haven't missed it. Only lever action I do miss sometimes is a Winchester 94AE in 307 I owned about 6 years ago. This one was slick and probably the most accurate rifle I've ever owned. One ragged hole groups at 100 yards. Traded it like a dummy.

[BBF]

I bet you told the buyer just why you are selling.

Regrets for selling or otherwise

1. A 336C in 35 Rem to a female child of mine  
2. A 444 to a friend because he really really wanted it and is now hanging on his wall unused for years.
3. A M450 Guide with factory ports because I didn't see any use for it at that stage of my hunting situation.

The 444 did jam on me once because I half cycled the action which delayed me by several minutes for being on the agreed location with my partner which turned out to be just fine because I tied into a moose which would not have been there if I had been on time.

[kynardsj]

I sold the 444 to a dealer at a gun show and did tell him it was a threat to hang up. He said it was an easy fix and bought it anyway. Ain't gonna burn somebody else with something that burned me.

[BBF]

Nice to know, ethics are high on my list.
I wonder what that easy fix was. On my 336 I had to take off just a little wood on the forearm it was a tight fit which affected the groups.

[Flynmoose]

Regret? a Marlin 1894PG in 44 mag. I hated the pistol grip but miss the groups it would shoot.
No worries, it went to a good friend/home and gets proper exercise and care.
No Regret? Winnie 94AE Trapper in 44 mag. I bought it new and it had some stripped screws
and the metal to wood fit was not so great. I then discovered Marlins and am happy with them.

[Savage .250]

Many,many years ago I had a savage 99 in Sav 300 cal.  Got it through a trade.  Didn`t know anything about them then but traded if off for something else. Back in the day (when you could
   wheel and deal) didn`t even think of anything as going to be a "collector piece."
   We all know how that turned out!!  
    When you wheel and deal, you best know what your doing. " Hind sight-101"

[snowbird]

Three actually, one I should have traded for was a BLR 257 Roberts. I had a unfired 243 BLR, a guy wanted to trade me his used 257.   The second one was a 45-70 CB, they have went up in price.  The last one was a Winchester 44 mag., trails end.

[Halwg]

Fellow Riflemen:

Have any of us ever sold or traded a lever gun because it had too
much recoil or something of the kind, then a few years later regret
having gotten rid of it? Then to top it off, when you decide to find
another one, you discover that it's no longer made, or the current
price is too high to buy?

Thanks,
Rifle Man

No!

[yukondog]

Just one, a 35rem. that was my wifes, after she broke her leg in a hunting trip we were on she decided she never wanted to hunt again so I sold it, now she has been hunting again and has taken over my 35 rem. other than that I still have every lever gun I'v had and getting more.

[gstewart44]

I have only gotten rid of one - a 1980's era Rossi Puma in 44 mag because of shoddy workmanship and QC.   The thing shot loose, sent it back to the factory, was repaired, it shot loose again.   Sold it for a loss and never looked back.   My other three (marlin/winchester 3030 and marlin 4570) I will never sell.   

Had one that I should have bought and passed it up because I never had any centerfire pistol calibers under .44........ a Marlin 1894 in .357 for $180.     Shoulda, woulda, coulda....      We live and learn and hopefully  get smarter from our mistakes..

[P.A. Myers]

I got rid of a '94 because it rained hot brass on my head. 30 years later I got an angle eject for 3x what I was paid for the old one.

[dpastordan]

Yes.  I sold a Winchester Big Bore in .358...reason was to downsize my gun collect and help pay for son's college.  I also sold a Marlin in .35 Remington (really regret that one!) for same reason.  Later, I had a nice Youth Ranger in .30-30 that was acccurate and all my kills were one shot.  Sold it...again downsizing my gun collect for economic reasons - want that back bad!!!!

[Halwg]

I sold the 444 to a dealer at a gun show and did tell him it was a threat to hang up. He said it was an easy fix and bought it anyway. Ain't gonna burn somebody else with something that burned me.

Those are really easy fixes, too bad I didn't run into you when you were trying to get rid of it.

[Halwg]

I had a Marlin 1894C (357 mag), that just didn't fit me with the straight stock and short barrel.  Also, I found the 357 in a rifle really didn't work well on game.  So I sold it for more than I had paid for it, so it was a good deal all around.

[bilmac]

I was and still am a Marlin guy but once I picked up a Win 94. I took it down once to clean it from the breech and sold it. It was way too complicated mechanically, and you couldn't put a scope on it.

[Dee]

I had two Marlin levers in 4570, and an 1894 Cowboy in 4570. I would like to have one of the two other Marlins back in 4570. I now have down sized ALL MY COLLECTION to only what I use. One is a Winchester Model 94 3030 my Dad bought new in 1958 and gave to me, and one is a Model 92 357 mag clone I ordered from Navy Arms about 6 years ago. It is the Deluxe Version, and after refinishing the stock with a true oil rub, it looks like my old Model 94 used to when it was new. Or at least it did a few years ago. It has been carried and shot a lot.

[Lloyd Smale]

im allways learning something new on the internet ive got leverguns as big as the 50ak and just didnt know that they made leverguns with to much recoil. What possible caliber could it have been

[jackruff]

I've never done that, and there's a reason:  I've never sold a gun!  I still have every one I ever bought.

[JPShelton]

One lever action I regret selling was a takedown Savage in .25-35, but obviously recoil wasn't a deciding factor, because there wasn't any to speak of.  I wanted a .250-300 Savage but found the old .25-35 at a good price and it came home with me.  It was accurate enough to be a fun range toy and very pleasant to shoot.  I sold it to an elderly gent who wanted more than I did and was willing to pay much more than I did for the privilage of shooting it.  At the time, the idea was to use the proceeds of the sale to go out buy another in .250-3000 but going on twenty years later, that quest still continues.

JP

[jbmi]

Two, an early Savage 99 in 300 Savage with a neat left handed stock. Good friend of mine wanted it and got it, he still owns it and has promised me it's mine again if he ever would sell it. I still have another 99 in 358 that's I'll never sell.
Pre 64 Win. Model 88 in 308. I had two at the time a pre and post, both in 308. I took the best one and had it rebored to a 338-08 (338 Federal) and sold the pre 64 which actually was the hardest kicking gun I have ever owned. I don't miss that one other than it's somewhat collectors value now.

[Old Fart]

I've regretted almost all the times I've let one go. 

[SHOOTALL]

A mod 94 BB in both 375 and 307 .

[I make oil]

Marlin 336 in 30/30 that I kick myself for selling and a 1894G in 45/70 that I thought kicked to hard.  Now I have a Contender in 45/70?  Wish I had that Guide gun back.  I wanted very badly a 1894P with the straight stock in .44mag ever since I first saw one at a gun show.  At the time I could not afford it due to having a young family and being in the military.  Years later when I could afford it I couldn't find a good one.  However I did find a 1894 SS LTD on .44 and bought it.  This is my favorite lever gun and I will never let it go.   

[ratgunner]

I got rid of alot of them over the years.A Marlin 45/70 cause of recoil.
But the one that I still kick myself over parting with was a pre-safety,non crossbolt non angle eject Win. .375 XTR in mint condition with a peep sight.....

[b44mag]

back when i was around 18 i bought a 336 30 30 off a drunk buddy for a  $7 jug of vodka yep i did it figured he would have sold it to someone else had it for 2 years offerd it back to him but he said i dont like that gun it was in new shape i sold it for $275 good deal now i wish i had it
           b44mag

[OldH&R156er]

Had a Westernfield 30-30, made for Monkeywards by Marlin, it was the same as a 336, had it toped with a Simons gold series whitetail classic 3-9x40.
Sold it cause it didn't say Marlin on the side, but now I kick myself, that was one of the best shooting levers I have ever seen, it shot consistant string holes at 100 yard, I could put 5 inside of a 1" center on my target, using a bench of course!
We can't hunt with them here in Indiana, but I have a friend that lives in Colorado, and I get to go out there once in a while!

[Ghostman]

Never got rid of one because of recoil but have for lots of other reasons many of which I really regret. I'd like to have 4 or 5 of the Savage 99's I sold back again!

[dgreen]

no regret on savage 99 308, load it anywhere close to published loads, and it was going to jam, and require a trip to the gunsmith.
REGRET Marlin 444, in like new condition, just didn't interest me, at the time.  1894 357 marlin, cause, well, it didn't kick enough so, it couldn't be any good.  Boy would I like to have that one back

[demented]

 Not yet but my latest model 94 considering its a 30-30 kicks pretty darn hard.  About ten shots is all I want.  I do have a 336A I may sell as I don't like the steel cap forend or that the forearm is larger than for barrel band models.