Author Topic: Marlin Lever Action Shotgun (Read 4448 times)

Sourdough · « **on:** July 01, 2011, 06:17:33 PM »

Where does the Lever Action 410 shotgun fall. Can we discuss it on this page? Rog

Keith L · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2011, 02:44:48 AM »

Go ahead. I won't complain. If it gets to be a major part of the board then we can see about starting one of its own, but I don't think it will.

Have at it!

Sourdough · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2011, 09:13:45 AM »

OK, do any of the people here own one. If so how do you like it. Can not find anyone near me that owns one or can tell me anything about them. I have looked into buying one several times.
They are going for around $800.00 on on-line gun auctions, but I can buy a new one for about $600.00. I guess my main question is how do they function? And do the people that shoot them like them.

pastorp · « **Reply #3 on:** July 03, 2011, 07:15:22 AM »

I'm thinking they only take the 2&1/2" shells. Not for me. I have a double. A older lefeverI really like.

Regards,

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2011, 03:35:24 AM »

I can't believe no response here. $:-\$ I'm waiting to hear as well, think they would work as a Dove gun? DP

Swampman · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2011, 04:14:20 AM »

I don't really understand what they are for. Unsuitable for both small and large game IMO.

Keith L · « **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2011, 01:18:46 PM »

I don't see the utility of the gun, but I don't have one. It looks to me like the wrong stock geometry for a shotgun, not really suitable for slugs (better choices available). Having said that I am sure if there is someone out there that has one and uses it they will now come in and tell me I am wrong, then you will have your opinion.

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #7 on:** July 05, 2011, 02:56:53 PM »

Many of the shops around here are bringing in 410's now. Used to have to look hard to find a box of shells, now all the stores have a good selection of them from 8's up to 4's, 2 1/2 and 3 inch. Friend of mine let me shoot his side by side and what a trim, light little bugger. Just thought it might be fun to add one to my family of Marlins if it could be used. Come to think of it, I have firearms that I really have no use for.

It's all good!

DP

1895gunner · « **Reply #8 on:** July 31, 2011, 06:54:54 PM »

My next purchase is a toss up between the Marlin 410 lever or a 45 Colt 1894. Been eye balling a couple lately. Great rabbit, squirrel, snake gun for around my parts.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #9 on:** August 01, 2011, 02:36:52 AM »

my best friend uses one for rabbit hunting and it works great.

Hooker · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2011, 03:27:46 PM »

I think that one would be a great rabbit, squirrel gun. Although I prefer single shots for squirrels.

Pat

Swampman · « **Reply #11 on:** August 02, 2011, 03:43:47 PM »

The .410 isn't a good small game gun.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2011, 03:46:17 PM »

Quote from: 1895gunner on July 31, 2011, 06:54:54 PM

My next purchase is a toss up between the Marlin 410 lever or a 45 Colt 1894. Been eye balling a couple lately. Great rabbit, squirrel, snake gun for around my parts.

I think a good lever 22 would be better and a whole lot cheaper to shoot.

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #13 on:** August 06, 2011, 03:36:00 AM »

Yep, got 22's for that. Buuutttt.......

. DP

Lost Farmboy · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2011, 03:56:41 AM »

Quote from: Swampman on August 02, 2011, 03:43:47 PM

The .410 isn't a good small game gun.

Why is a 410 not a good small game gun? Is that by experience or is it your opinion? By the way I respect your opinions even if you don't respect mine.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #15 on:** August 11, 2011, 11:07:49 AM »

Quote from: Lost Farmboy on August 07, 2011, 03:56:41 AM

Quote from: Swampman on August 02, 2011, 03:43:47 PM
The .410 isn't a good small game gun.

Why is a 410 not a good small game gun? Is that by experience or is it your opinion? By the way I respect your opinions even if you don't respect mine.

I have a couple 410 and like them a lot. The little Stevens 311 SXS is a joy to carry and shoot. The down side is the cost of the bloody shells. I can grab a 20ga and shoot the same about of game for about 1/2 the price. I aslo have found that the 3" 410 shells are not as effective as the 2.5" shells on game. You would think more shot would be better but the plain jane #9, one half once just work.
The other 410 is a bolt action that only feeds the 3" shells,
As I said earlier I can hit skeet with the 2.5" and will hit about 70% with them but am under 50% with the 3" versions out of the SXS. I have a couple trophys here for sporting clays with a 410 but if I were headed out to hunt small game on the farm. I think a 20 would go with me for fur and feathers than the 410 more because I am cheap than anything else.

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #16 on:** August 11, 2011, 11:50:44 AM »

Lots of old timers used the 410 for small game in the south before deer were reintroduced and there was more small farms around. It was used for rabbit, squirrel, quail, and dove. Lightweight, easy to carry all day, and if shorter ranges was all that was available, it was better than a .22 rifle. So it is and was a good small game getter. If you were a poor small farmer 50-75 years ago in the south, the 410 would get your birds as well as rabbits and squirrels. You guys are right about cost today, the 20 ga is a better value for shells, and the 22lr even better for rabbits and squirrel, unless too much range is a problem.

Swampman · « **Reply #17 on:** August 11, 2011, 12:05:21 PM »

Quote from: Lost Farmboy on August 07, 2011, 03:56:41 AM

Is that by experience or is it your opinion?

experience

1895gunner · « **Reply #18 on:** August 14, 2011, 04:44:44 AM »

Can't tell ya how many rabbits, squirrels and snakes I've killed with a .410 shotgun in the past. To me it works great but then some folks think a 357 isn't a good deer gun either.

I always say what works for you and what you're comfortable with (as long as it is humane).

1895gunner

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #19 on:** August 14, 2011, 03:58:23 PM »

Quote from: 1895gunner on August 14, 2011, 04:44:44 AM

Can't tell ya how many rabbits, squirrels and snakes I've killed with a .410 shotgun in the past. To me it works great but then some folks think a 357 isn't a good deer gun either.

I always say what works for you and what you're comfortable with (as long as it is humane).

1895gunner

I have found a 410 to be a pros gun. If you can shoot, you can shoot a 410. Everyone else, it gets frustrating missing. Many need the extra shot and bore diameter.

A couple of the kids I grew up with had 410s and some of us had 20's The kids with the 20 took a beating shooting the single shots but we hit stuff. The other kids gave up shooting by high school.

Swampman · « **Reply #20 on:** August 15, 2011, 10:34:37 AM »

The shot column is so short, narrow, and slow a rifle would be better. At 15-20 feet it will kill small game but why bother?

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #21 on:** August 15, 2011, 02:17:57 PM »

Quote from: Swampman on August 15, 2011, 10:34:37 AM

The shot column is so short, narrow, and slow a rifle would be better. At 15-20 feet it will kill small game but why bother?

Now wait a minute. Your earlier post was by experience the 410 was not good for small game. Making it sound like a 410 round would bounce off a cotton tail and has. What you are now saying is a rimfire or small center fire rifle would be better. I agree that a rimfire rifle would be chearper but dead is dead and even a short narrow shot column has more of a chance at a moving target than a single projectile that is 1/2 or less the size. In the case of a 22LR moving at about the same speed of 1100 FPS and many fo the small game center fire pistol rounds like 38 Special the 410 is cruising along a lot faster than the 900 FPS of a 38 SW Special that is 87% thge size of the 410. 1/2 an ounce is 218 grains and a #9 shot is about a grain in weight. You have a swarm of 218 pellets that are spreading to about the size of Nickel and about a loose pack of 5 nickels deep. For 20 yards or less for small game that is a killer formula.
I agree with you that there are better options than buying an expensive lever shotgun in an expensive caliber when a Rem 870 SP in 20ga can do more for about 1/2 the price. And any 22 LR can do wonders in the woods for anything that does not fly for a fraction of the cost. But as a small game killing combo the lever gun functions flawlessly and the 410 shells are easy to shoot and carry and will work on all small game and small preditors (bobcat, Coyote, Raccoon, Opossum....) with slugs or the new Judge designed rounds at close range. If you get used to the lever on flying game, want ot spend the $ for a Marlin 410 and the ammo then it would be a wonder gun in the woods.

woods · « **Reply #22 on:** August 15, 2011, 05:31:37 PM »

I like the 410, have a little savage 22/410 over under works great out to 40 yrds but you have to practice, never tried the the lever gun but would like to I kind of thought the rifleing in the barrel would ruin the pattern. My little sleek savage has a full choke and at 5 1/2 lbs its great for a farm critter getter. Rats, starlings, sparrows, crows, pigions, and ground hogs all have fallen to the little 410. I hunt squirls and rabbits with it ocasionaly 3 to 5 bb.s is plenty of stopping power I allways have to laugh at my friends shooting rabbits with a 12 ga, I think some actually rattle when they pick them up. (just jokeing but they do waste alot of meat). I reload 2 1/2 winchester AA's puts the cost the at about 4$ a box keeping the cost under control. In a good year between shooting clays and pests I'll go through 400 rds so the reloading is a must, and my shoulder doesn't mind the mild recoil.

woods

Hooker · « **Reply #23 on:** August 15, 2011, 06:18:22 PM »

I have an old Iver Johnson Champion 410 I bought it used when I was 10. It has not missed a squirrel season since I bought it, that's 42 years of experience with the 410 .
Swampman I'll wager you that my little single shot 410 has killed more squirrels and rabbits than any 10 guns you have or had. I have freezer full of limb bacon and the year ain't over yet. If your experience leads you to belittle the 410 you need more experience.

Pat

Keith L · « **Reply #24 on:** August 16, 2011, 12:39:53 AM »

Quote from: woods on August 15, 2011, 05:31:37 PM

I like the 410, have a little savage 22/410 over under works great out to 40 yrds but you have to practice, never tried the the lever gun but would like to I kind of thought the rifleing in the barrel would ruin the pattern.

I have never handled one, but I assumed that the Marlin and the Winchester lever 410s were smoothbore.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #25 on:** August 16, 2011, 03:25:11 AM »

I have been looking at the Marlin lever shotgun too, but I can't quite bring myself to buy one. I don't have anything in 410 now and don't really feel like it will do anything for me. It is, none the less a neat little gun.

One thing I have thought about it is that you could really get good a shooting your rifle by having a 410 version of the same gun. Practicing a sporting clays type course with a shotgun that is identical to your hunting rifle may have good skill carry-over for taking running game with the rifle. You could practice in a way that would be unsafe with a rifle. The same aplies to the 410 versions of the AK47 and the AR15. It just seems like you could train soldiers to point shoot with their rifles pretty effectively by spending some time with small bore shotties on a course that was designed for their use. The 'running Taliban' station could be a new addition to the sporting clay repetoir.

Just a thought.

Steelbanger · « **Reply #26 on:** August 16, 2011, 04:42:10 AM »

When I hunted doves, etc. the regulations required you to have a three shot limit. You would have to plug the magazine to hold two shells.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #27 on:** August 16, 2011, 06:02:36 AM »

Quote from: Swampman on August 02, 2011, 03:43:47 PM

The .410 isn't a good small game gun.

Depends on the shooter . I have watched a very good shot take 15 doves with as many shots several times , He uses a Winchester 42 and has been shooting it for 40 years. I would say its not a best choice for the casual shooter

. I grew up with one and have no complaint with it.

1895gunner · « **Reply #28 on:** October 04, 2011, 03:28:42 PM »

This feller likes em.......

1895gunner

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #29 on:** October 05, 2011, 02:06:05 AM »

dont know swampy ive killed many many birds and rabbits and squirrels with the 410. I never found it lacking at less then 25 yards. I allways prefered it to the bigger guns because you ate less pellets and more meat. My 870 410 has been my #1 rabbit killer for over 20 years. It may take a bit more skill and precision to weild then a 20 but in the hands of someone that understands it it is a great small game gun.