A Lawman's Levergun Updated

[KCSO]

At one time i sent Paco an article about carrying a lever gun for duty use. I have packed a Rossi 357 since about 1973 before the idea of cops and rifles occurred to the city folks. Well this year i updated my carry gun just a little. I haven't had to carry a 38-357 for many years now and I pack a 1911 almost exclusively. A while back i came across a Rossi LSI John Wayne gun in 45 Colt and the price was right so i took it home and started working on it. I replaced the plastic in the mag tube and erased the so called safety on the breech block and then slicked up the action and tuned it to feed both 45 colt and 45 S and W. I replaced the rear sight with a buckhorn with a wide notch and the front post now has a gold insert. The clubby stock was trimmed down to match my original 92 and i set the trigger pull to 3 pounds on the snout. That's a lot of work to put in to the gun but when i got the gun I shot it and lo and behold the barrel was on spec .451, and even though the tube is only 16" I was holding right around 3" at a hundred yards, the gun was a SHOOTER. Long story short the 45 has replaced the old 357. I carry 2 different loads in the car. A 45-250 RNFP with 9.5 of Unique that runs about 1240 fps in the carbine and a 454 R/B with 4.2 of Bullseye that hits spot on at 25 yards and groups under an inch. The light load works well for pests and the 250 gran load takes care of everything else. I likie the little gun so much i put a scabbard in the jeep and it's right next to my right hand pretty much all the time. The gun shoots just as well as the AR's the kids carry and if i have to shoot past 100 yards I expect to call in an air strike. The kids sort of teased me about the leverguns for a while but after outshooting them a few times they learned to keep quiet.

A big part of the job here in the boonies is putting down injured animals and destroying pests and the 45 Colt has worked on everything from skunks to a bull. The only thing I haven't made my mind up about is the large loop lever, I've thought I should swap it out for a standard lever but it doesn't really bother me and a standard lever alone will be a fifth of what I paid for the whole gun.

[JerryB]

I have a Rossi 92 in .45 Colt amongst other 92 carbines. I reckon you have about the perfect gun for your job.

[Griff]

When I moved to TX and joined the SO... I drove around for a few weeks and all that open area started to get to me... lots of places to hide and plink at the easy target (me in that black & white)! I talked to the Sheriff and got the ok to carry one of my .30-30s instead of a SG. A mdl 94 fit right in the SG rack... A little foam in the upper end, no rattles. Never had to use it, but my peace of mind went way up.

And yes, the youngsters quickly learn not to tease the "ol' man" when you outdo them on the range!

[Aussie Chris]

Here is my Legendary Lawman levergun
30-30 16'' trapper

We are only allowed to carry our issued sidearm here in Vic, which is now my new S&W M&P .40 auto. This is replacing our S&W .38 six shooter as we speak

Chris

[AJMD429]

One big advantage over the 'EBR' guns is that if you shoot your .45 Colt carbine without stopping to put on hearing protectors, you won't go DEAF...!

Ours is currently the farmstead 'go-to' firearm:

[Hobie]

I'm glad to hear that somebody else finds they have a practical use. Great guns. I like mine, too.

[rogn]

I believe about a year or two ago Mike Venturino posted a article in (IIRC) "Rifle" where he was invited out on a training session for the modern police, and he was requested to bring a leveraction. He toted a '92 44-40. After a few snickers from the multimag, quick shooter types, they sent out on the training regimen. After a good portion of the program had been completed, the instructor make a special mention that the guy with the leveraction put all his bullet holes in the middle of the targets , whereas the re
st of them had holes everywhere including outside the targets. The snickers shut up.
And as we all know the placement of the hole is more than 95% of the solution.

[Catshooter]

The kids sort of teased me about the leverguns for a while but after outshooting them a few times they learned to keep quiet.

That made me laugh, I love it. It is results that count, isn't it.

I have a Trapper in .45 Colt that I had Armalloyed, it is my go to also.


Cat

[KCSO]

When i started in this business i was hired on a handshake from the Sheriff. I asked what kind of gun I had to carry and he said," Carry what ever you wan't but if you have to shoot make sure you don't miss". We all carried a shotgun and a rifle in the trunk all the time.

[Chas.]

This isn't about leverguns and I've told this before, but when I took my carry class, I used a single action. In this state you can use about anything you want for the carry class. Nearly all the guys were younger than me (heck, everybody's younger than me) and were using a variety of plastic guns. They really rode me hard, 'til the shooting was over. I think most now have a new-found respect for single-actions. The black plastic guns were shooting all over the place, sometimes even on the target. I could have done as well as them if I'd fanned mine.

[BC in TN]

I'm glad to hear that somebody else finds they have a practical use. Great guns. I like mine, too.

Hobie,
Is that a B92? What reciever sight is on it? Did you drill a hole or two for the sight?

[model55]

Thought this was a good link on the subject ttp://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=418868

[3leggedturtle]

I have a 16" Puma 45. It hits where you look. Just got a 45 Blackhawk keep it company.

[Catshooter]

I have a 16" Puma 45. It hits where you look. Just got a 45 Blackhawk keep it company.

And hit darn hard, too.


Cat

[Paladin]

When I started in the State Police in 1977 we had Winchester 94 saddle ring carbines marked 30WCF in the locker for anyone that wanted to carry them, a few of us did until the took them back and issued ARs.

[3leggedturtle]

One big advantage over the 'EBR' guns is that if you shoot your .45 Colt carbine without stopping to put on hearing protectors, you won't go DEAF...!

Ours is currently the farmstead 'go-to' firearm:

I see you still havent bought a stainless lever to match your flashlight tisk tisk

[Topside]

The black plastic guns were shooting all over the place, sometimes even on the target. I could have done as well as them if I'd fanned mine.

Chas, I love that!!

[2X22]

Man, the opening post and the responses are very heartening to me! If a policeman can feel comfortable with a levergun while in his uniform, then dangit that makes me feel better about the levergun in the back of my jeep

2x22