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What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 10 Sep 2018 17:39
by Deleted User 327
I've been a member for years but I just found this part of the site. I didn't realize that we had a non-Rossi area as well so I now that I found it, I thought I'd share some of my other leverguns. While my 2 Rossi 357mags I got back in 2009 are by far the most fun for general plinkin, woods carry, and just fun, my interest is broader so . . . . . . .

I've always thought that the Winchester Model 88 was the most beautiful modern hunting rifle going. I also spent almost 20 years looking for a pristine example with great wood in .308 at a reasonable price. Back in 2012, my search ended when a friend introduced me to his buddy's mom who was selling off her husband's collection after his passing. She told me she bought it for him in 1959 for Christmas and that he thought it was so nice he couldn't bring himself to carry it hunting so it sat in his safe until his passing. Based on my being a friend of he 'second son', she offered it to me at a low side of fair price and I agreed.

It was absolutely stock, including the Winchester recoil pad she ordered it from Winchester with (back then you could order rifles with options from the factory). I added a 'New Old Stock' Redfield mount and Revolution 3-9x40 scope on it in deference to my eyesight as it's set up for deer and elk out here in the West where the ranges are typically longer. It's a real beauty and I admit, I haven't taken it out hunting either.

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Not long after, I decided to get another 30-30 'just because' for my collection. I looked at the Winchesters and Marlins but was not impressed. Then at the range one day a friend showed me his guest's new Mossberg 464 carbine. I was surprised how nice it was and after he let me shoot a few down range, I knew I'd found the 30-30 I wanted. I waited a few months for a sale at a local big box and brought it home. It's a fun gun and more accurate than I anticipated.

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Five years ago I was following a Gunbroker auction on a NIB Uberti 1873 Special Sporting Rifle in 45 Colt, a caliber I've always wanted but couldn't justify the full price for. Early in the auction period I had emailed the seller with a question as the picture didn't match the description. They responded directly to me, not through Gunbroker, with the answer to my question that the picture was right and they had miss-posted the information on the rifle.

It turned out the seller was a hardware store in Wisconsin that got the NIB rifle as payment on some account from a local and they weren't that sure exactly what they had, just that it was new, in the box with all the tags, and unfired. At the end of the auction period no one had bid on the rifle so, on a lark that evening, I emailed them directly and offered what I thought was a ridiculously low cash offer, explaining that they didn't have to pay commission anymore so my bid wasn't totally unreasonable.

To my surprise, the next morning I got a reply from the store manager accepting my offer! I sent the check and he sent the rifle to my FFL. When it arrived it was exactly as stated and a great find!!

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Like my 24" Rossi 357mag rifle, I added a tang sight for longer range shooting. Besides being a beautiful rifle, I get a kick out of shooting those 255grn pistol bullets at bowling pins out at 200yds with it. They're challenging but the tang sight gives it a long sight radius like my 357mag Rossi so it's great fun. :D

Like my Rossis, I kept on the lookout for a Uberti carbine in 45 Colt to make another set. Surprisingly, I didn't have to wait long as a couple weeks later, I stopped by a smaller gunstore I hadn't been in forever to browse and darned if he didn't have this beauty sitting sitting behind the counter with a 'SALE, Good Discount' sign on it. A quick negotiation and agreement on another good price and my 19" Uberti 1866 Yellowboy carbine came home with me.

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To round out my collection, I decided that a Savage 99 would be a good choice and went searching for one in 300 Savage. It took a couple of years but I snagged a beautiful 1949 EG with a first gen 1964 Weaver steel body V7 II 2.5-7 scope.

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Somewhere along the line I picked up a Henry H001 22lr and tricked it out a bit just for fun.

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For completeness, here are my 357mag Rossis too. All eight of them and each one a joy to handload for, keep clean, and of course take out and shoot.

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Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 11 Sep 2018 01:18
by rondog
Helluva collection! Very nice!

Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 11 Sep 2018 08:21
by ksmoose
Very nice collection

Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 11 Sep 2018 09:00
by Arroyoshark
Very nice array of levers !

Brings to mind the 1960's Lovin' Spoonful song ~

"Did you ever have to make up your mind,
Pick up on one and leave the other behind,
It's not often easy, not often kind
Did you ever have to make up your mind ..."

Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 11 Sep 2018 15:20
by Ranch Dog
Great looking rifles. Love my 99 300 Sav and 308 Win.

Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 11 Sep 2018 16:20
by HarryAlonzo
Ditto for me, except my 88 is in .243. That's quite pleasant to shoot without a recoil pad.

Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 12 Sep 2018 16:16
by golfish
Nice stuff Steve, I really like the 99 and the 88. I've been wanting a 99 since I was 10 years old. Been wanting an 88 since right now :)

Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 12 Sep 2018 17:35
by GasGuzzler
I only have two....R92 .357 and a waffle top in .30-30.

What's funny is all the other centerfire rifles I have are self-loading. Not a CF bolt gun in my locker. Probably kind of rare for my age. Then again, I have as many wheels as self-loading handguns as well.

I still need a pre-safety Old School R92 in .45 or .454.

Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 13 Sep 2018 16:16
by akuser47
Very nice

Re: What Can I Say, I Love Leverguns

Posted: 15 Sep 2018 08:32
by Strawdawg
That's a great collection!