What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
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- Old Ironsights
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What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
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Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
Deja vu...... viewtopic.php?f=1&t=72121&sid=762865649 ... aa22c4cffe
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Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
I guess you could have had Custer run for President.....
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Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
"What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?"
They hadn't? Every movie I ever saw growing up showed them with Winchester '92s & Colt '73s from 1865 on and some elite CW units even had them.
They hadn't? Every movie I ever saw growing up showed them with Winchester '92s & Colt '73s from 1865 on and some elite CW units even had them.
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Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
But... with the Army buying up Winchester's 1876s, would Winchester have pursued Browning to design a better repeater, i.e. the 1886? Would Marlin have taken those contracts away with its 1881? And, would either company have allowed Springfield Armory to build their designs? Did they even have the manufacturing capacity, without S-As help?
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Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
Or... would have S-A, having lost its military contracts to Winchester and then Marlin,, have broadened its horizons, found JMB; making the 1886 a S-A product?
Griff,
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There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
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AND... I'm over it!!
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- marlinman93
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Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
Yes, as Winchester spurred John Browning to design the 1886 not based on possible future military contracts, but because of Marlin's Model 1881 that was chambered in much heavier/larger cartridges than the 1876 Win. So regardless Winchester wanted the 1886 to compete with the 1881 Marlin, which it did very well. So well it surpassed the 1881 Marlin, and Marlin had to drop the 1881 and replace it with the stronger Model 1895 in the same calibers.Griff wrote: ↑Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:10 am But... with the Army buying up Winchester's 1876s, would Winchester have pursued Browning to design a better repeater, i.e. the 1886? Would Marlin have taken those contracts away with its 1881? And, would either company have allowed Springfield Armory to build their designs? Did they even have the manufacturing capacity, without S-As help?
Both Winchester and Marlin could easily have kept up with Springfield Armory had they gotten military contracts for the 1881 or 1886. Marlin did offer the 1881 for military trials, but was sabotaged when they specified small primer cases in .45-70, and Winchester supplied large primer cases to the tests.
The Army didn't want repeaters anyway, as the Generals felt poorly trained soldiers would "waste ammo" if armed with repeaters.
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Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?
Interesting video. But, I'm not sure I agree with having three different rifle calibers. That's bound to increase logistics problems. And that at a time when logistics was pretty darned complicated already.
Personally, sticking with the .45 colt for the handgun makes good sense as the round did exactly what it was supposed to do and was in inventory. One levergun cartridge, I'd go with 45/70 as that was by 1873 the standard would have given good range and rapidity of fire plus excellent terminal ballistics.
As to the "long range" cartridge I can't fault their call, but that would change pretty darned soon once the "modern" ammo became available.
Personally, sticking with the .45 colt for the handgun makes good sense as the round did exactly what it was supposed to do and was in inventory. One levergun cartridge, I'd go with 45/70 as that was by 1873 the standard would have given good range and rapidity of fire plus excellent terminal ballistics.
As to the "long range" cartridge I can't fault their call, but that would change pretty darned soon once the "modern" ammo became available.
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"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad