Lever actions, the neighborhood defense weapon

[wecsoger]

From a posting from Rawles Survival Blog, notes and comments on generators and surviving hurricane Rita

http://survivalblog.com/generators-and- ... rs-by-rkm/

Lots of other good information there but here's the lever action relevant bits

As we removed this I went back out into the front yard. I immediately noticed an unfamiliar car parked in the middle of the street between the first two homes on our street. (We lived on a dead end street.) I saw two of the occupants get out, and one each go to the first two neighbor’s homes. I ducked back into my front door alcove and had my step-son hand me my lever action .444 rifle. As I came back out of the alcove, the driver saw me and started leaving with his two buddies running hard to catch up. I did not shoot either in the back; I never saw them again. I waited two hours on the side of our main road for a deputy sheriff to drive by. When they did, both deputies stated that the sheriff wanted all looters shot! Our 911 service and most cell service was still down at this point. It was weird. Verizon was out as well as AT&T, but Sprint could get calls in but not out.

Again, not my posting but from Survival Blog

[AJMD429]

I think a 444 Marlin would definitely get the bad guys attention...

[Malamute]

Most rifle calibers will turn most of a car into concealment, rather than cover.

Self loaders are all right, and truly the better tool for real conflict, but about any gun will change the equation quickly. I'd prefer a lever to most other sporters for that role. The light went on for me a few years ago. Yes the self loaders were fun, and high speed tools, but in average daily life, I carry a lever with me all the time, and is what I'm most likely to have at hand (or literally in hand) if things go bad somehow. When times were tough several years ago I sold the AR, and cant really say I miss it.

[AJMD429]

In a pinch, you could load about any proper (or slightly less) diameter bullet with about any powder, in a levergun, and it would function, but your AR (had you kept it) not as likely. Only a bolt or breakopen or good pump shotgun would be less picky about ammo.

I do have both, and if it came to self defense against a rampaging gang I'd wand the semiautomatic, but it I just wanted to create the impression that I was 'serious' about keeping potential looters out of my neighborhood, I'd likely be totin' one of my leverguns (probably the 454 Casull or 444 Marlin).

[Grizz]

In a far off galaxy in a parallel universe in a wayback time I observed a thief leaning over my fence trying to pick up some car parts. The sound of the Win 30-30 racking a round in from the upper story window sent the bg scrambling. He even had the squealing tire sound effect from his jalopy pickup.

'Nother time I used it to usher the stoned out heroin addict off the property. He was too stoned to be bothered much but not too stoned to amble outside the perimeter.

Yup, leveractions defend the homelands just right against criminals. Against tyrants? 'Nother story.

Grizz

[Treeman72]

One time on a woods road on state land, with only one way out, a pickup was following me about 200 yards back. At one of the few pull over spots, I stopped my car and proceeded to load 5 rounds of 240 grain jhps into my Winchester 94 ae 44 mag. I stood at the hood of car, rifle slung on my shoulder. As the truck was about 50 yards away, it went into reverse after sighting me with a rifle on my shoulder. I interpret that as a sign I did the right thing. In years of walking and driving on that land, nobody had ever followed me like that. They make the intention clear if they want to pass you by tailgating.

Long live the leveraction. It may have prevented a nasty encounter. It's hard to say when you are creeped out by someone, but they had my red flags going off. Maintaining that 200 yard distance no matter my speed.

[piller]

I would not hesitate to use my .30-30 to protect my home and neighborhood if necessary. Several years ago, one of my neighbors was dealing drugs from her house. The local cops looked the other way since her dad was on the city council. On my days off, I started to make a bit of a show of taking my Marlin out to my vehicle and going to the range to practice. I didn't show anything else that I had, and funny thing was, her customers started being a lot more cautious. I didn't have a set day off, and still don't. She finally moved. Only one time did a car move slowly past my house with guns showing. It was after dark, and when I hit them with the spotlight from the side of the house, they took off without firing a shot. Soon after that is when she moved.

[Blaine]

I'm absolutely convinced that flashing a weapon has, at the very least, saved me from being beat up, and robbed two times, and possibly a third. We can't put ammo in our levers and drive around in Washington, and I would worry about touching off rifle ammo in my area. My 870 Tactical with a full tube, and 20 more on wallet-type pouches is pretty nice to have around. And, the J-Frame at the front door, the Glock at my computer desk, and the 1911 on the nightstand....A buddy sez paranoid, I say I'm pretty dang safe