Lever Action Prices

[Tactically Fat]

When manufacturing costs are high, product costs are high.

 

[Winamac]

I'm going the old guy route...I remember in the 80's when you could walk into pawn shops in the Louisville, Ky area, and find 94's, and 336's for $100-200....dang to have a time machine! (plus go back farther and buy surplus M-1 Garands)

Yes this ^^^^^. I recall in the early 80's while in the Army at FT.Carson going to pawn shops and it being just like you mentioned above. I recall one shop literally having rows of M1 Garands on one side of the isle and M1 carbines on the other side of the isle in cosmoline your choice $99.99 OTD.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

When manufacturing costs are high, product costs are high.

 

[TheGrumpyGuy]

I'm going the old guy route...I remember in the 80's when you could walk into pawn shops in the Louisville, Ky area, and find 94's, and 336's for $100-200....dang to have a time machine! (plus go back farther and buy surplus M-1 Garands)

By comparison, that $100-$200 in 1980 would equate to $380-$760 today, so...

Still, I think I did OK with the looks-like-it was-never-fired 1982 Marlin 336 I picked up last year for $525

 

[Tactically Fat]

View attachment 357464

Well when you ask an obvious question, you'll get an obvious answer. Not that you did...generic you.

 

[bgcatty]

Lever guns are just great, great guns! Sure prices have gone through the roof and availability sometimes is spotty; however, nothing beats the feeling of cycling a lever action gun. Search around and you’ll find what you want at a price you can live with.
Best of luck!

 

[Mgderf]

Search around and you’ll find what you want at a price you'll have to live with.

Fify

 

[92FSTech]

" I should had kept that gun" I am sure we have ALL been there.

There are only a couple that I wish I'd kept, and none that me awake at night. But there are definitely some that I wish I'd bought. I watched a buddy trade a Win 94 in .30-30 at an LGS for $200 one time...he offered it to me first but I was a broke college kid and couldn't afford it at the time. Still wish I'd found a way to come up with the money. I shot that gun a lot before he sold it, and it was probably what sparked my interest in levers in the first place.

I do have a nice little Marlin collection now that I got before prices got stupid. I'm glad I got them when I did, but now I feel almost bad shooting them because they'd be so expensive to replace, and it's next to impossible to find parts for them. I have to keep reminding myself that I bought them to shoot, not as an investment.

 

[D K]

Pawn stores can be good places to look also. A friend of mine picked up a .44 Mag Winchester 94 at a garage sale.

Pawn shop is the plan, thanks. While they do seem to catch on quick when market prices increase, I figured they’d be the best source of a rifle in rougher shape, that may be less desirable to most folks.

 

[Mgderf]

Pawn shop is the plan, thanks. While they do seem to catch on quick when market prices increase, I figured they’d be the best source of a rifle in rougher shape, that may be less desirable to most folks.

You might be pleasantly surprised if you troll Gunbroker long enough.
There are serious deals to be had.
They are just few and far between.

 

[duanewade]

I wanted a lever in .45-70 or .44 mag and looked at prices and they were selling for way more than I wanted pay. I did buy one and ended up with a nice Rossi R92 in .44 mag for $400 (used and private sale) and it is a good shooter. The action is fairly smooth and shoots well.

I just picked up a used Henry Golden Boy and like it too.

 

[Cavman]

You might be pleasantly surprised if you troll Gunbroker long enough.
There are serious deals to be had.
They are just few and far between.

Picked 1 up last week. A genlfied though for 550. I didn't think it was terrible. Plus really like the deer in stock

 

[Knights1776]

When the "tactical lever gun" fad dies out, prices will be back to normal.

 

[MrSmitty]

10 years ago went to neighborhood yard sale, asked the old guy if he had any “guy” stuff, tools guns ammo, he said I got an old Winchester 30/30 I’d sell, I asked how much? He said $300.. I just couldn’t get the money together…..

 

[ACR]

I got a brand new Rossi R92 .44 mag in stainless steel a couple months ago for $664, granted they are the bottom end of lever actions and I had to do some slicking up on it.
But yes I have noticed the same thing, but that said Marlin for example in 2019 was owned by Remington, and when Ruger took over the prices about tripled. But I also hear the quality went way up as well.

 

[Mgderf]

I got a brand new Rossi R92 .44 mag in stainless steel a couple months ago for $664, granted they are the bottom end of lever actions and I had to do some slicking up on it.
But yes I have noticed the same thing, but that said Marlin for example in 2019 was owned by Remington, and when Ruger took over the prices about tripled. But I also hear the quality went way up as well.

Rossi's get an undeserved bad reputation as far as I'm concerned.
They may not have the fit and finish of a Marlin or Winchester, but they are completely utilitarian.

I have a Rossi '92 in .454 Casull and that thing is a beast.
Light weight and slim, it's very easy to carry all day in the woods and there's no question that .454 bullet will take care of whatever steps out in front of me.

I would never turn away a good conditioned Rossi, unless I found a better deal on a Marlin or Winchester.

A lot of people also don't seem to realize that Mossberg makes a nice little lever gun.
The model 464 in .30-30 is one of my favorite.

 

[Aszerigan]

When the "tactical lever gun" fad dies out, prices will be back to normal.

And we’ll all have stocked safes when this happens. The new prices make me laugh. Remember when a budget AR was going for $1000? Now…$400. It’ll happen, just wait it out.

 

[DMTJAGER]

7 years ago in the spring of 2017, I bought three JM stamped Marlin 336c rifles in 35 Remington for my sons and I to use to hunt on private ground. I reloaded and shotgun sabot ammo was absolutely insanely over priced at $3 a round I already had primers and powder that perfectly suited the 35 Remington and the 336's were actually cheaper than a Savage 220 which is what I was going to buy my sons.
I found three JM stamped 336's on GB that were literally LNIB. I bought them for an average price of under $600 each TMD. These rifles are so absolutely gorgeous I shudder when we use them.

All three were literally line new in box. Not a scratch or even handling mark on them to be found. I was hoping they would be 2-2.5MOA 100 yard guns. I was doing back flips with tears of joy running down my cheeks when they all three were between 1.2 and 1.5moa 100 yard rifles with my reloads.

So absolutely beautiful is the walnut on these 336's and the bluing is so deep and lustrous I get them out often just to admire their beauty every now and then as 95% of my rifles are not blued with wooden stocks. We do shoot them 5-6x a year as my sons enjoy shooting them more than our AR's.

My advice is go on GunBroker and see what's for sale there in JM stamped Marlin 336's.
I'm guessing for less than a new Ruger/Marlin or Henry, you can get a used but in excellent condition JM stamped 336.
Those three 336c's are now heirloom rifles and I have since bought three CVA Cascade bolt guns in 450 Bushmaster as my sons and mines go to public land deer rifle.

Here is a link to an example for your consideration:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1055423208

 

[snapping turtle]

There are tens of thousands of 336 in closets and under beds in the USA. They were working man's guns and the government should stockpile 30-30 to drop in case of invasion by foreign troops.

 

[Leadeye]

Bought another Marlin 1893 in 32-40 tonight, while ammo is hard to find, the cases are easily made from 30-30.