Retrieved: 12/06/2013

This thread is for general observations on lever-operated firearms.

The first thing I'll note is that lever gun stocks seem to be predominantly two piece. I've been sketching a two piece bolt action, and the feed tube is smack where the recoil lug usually goes. There's not much stock left if you try to feed the tube through a lug. You could move the recoil lug back behind the feed mechanism, but then you're into the space where the fire control bits need to go. And once the lug makes it farther back than that, you might as well just bolt the stock to the end.

Of course, the first lever guns had the tube running to the back, through the wrist into the stock. This protected the thin walled tube from damage, though at least one front-tube rifle drilled a hole through the barrel, like an over/under shotgun, with the bottom being the magazine tube. The Spencer had a rear tube that was a detachable magazine; a soldier could carry a bag full of loaded magazines. Not bad for Civil War era tech. And then there was the Evans, which had a fixed magazine in the stock, but it was helical and carried up to 27 rounds.

The Winchester 95 started off with a conventional box magazine under the action, and various Savages used a rotary magazine under the action.

barnbwt
August 24, 2013

Why not fork a larger recoil lug and route the mag tube between them?

TRX
August 24, 2013 If the rifle is very slim, as most lever guns are, there's not much wood left to take the recoil load. Note how many bolt-actions use crossbolts to help out.

TRX
August 25, 2013

Lever action rifles were one of America's contributions to small arms technology. The lever became popular with cavalry, which had to shoot both to the left and right while mounted. The Russian military noted this, and equipped the Cossacks with Winchester leverguns.

European militaries didn't care much for the lever action; their thinking went along the lines of shooting prone, where the lever would be a liability. They also didn't see any point to having more than five shots, and the leverguns' cartridges were usually well below what most countries considered to be real military power, though Winchester eventually shipped a bunch of '95s in military calibers.

Some leverguns also ejected vertically, which meant they were convenient for left-handed shooters. And some could be reloaded continually while they were being shot, stuffing fresh shells through the trapdoor in the side. No need to wait until the magazine was empty before inserting another stripper or clip. For military purposes, the large, always-full magazine was a big advantage. However, the dogma of the day were "volley fire" and "every soldier a marksman", other than some cavalry, there was no place for what was, basically, an assault rifle. (short, light, medium power, big magazine, high rate of fire)

gunnie7
August 25, 2013

Well one could make it have detachable stick or box mags if tradition was a non issue.

Now if one was still bent on using a tube mag is there any way to move the tube to say the left side of the rifle (from the veiw aspect of looking down the sights) say in the 7:30-8:30 posistion?

Speaking of leverguns the local pawn has a Marlin .410 lever, from the looks of it its 1930's production and prolly 85% condition......man I wish I had a "spare" 800$ ;D :D :D :D

TRX
August 25, 2013

The very first lever action was the Spencer, which had replaceable magazine tubes in the buttstock. It fed from the back. There were some .22s made that way later.

The problem with a box magazine is that it is limited in capacity compared to a tube, and tends to hang below the action if it holds more than 5 double- stack rounds, or 2 single-stack. For carbines, the box tends to be near the balance point, which is where your hand wants to be when you're carrying the rifle. My '91 Mauser and Mosin have long barrels and balance ahead of the magazine box.

The rotary magazine seems to be the only real competitor to the tube, but they're limited in capacity, at least if you're talking about pistol calibers. They're about equal when you're dealing in .300 Savage, .30-30, etc.