[glock39]

I am thinking of getting a with a lever-action 30-30 for a camping/truck gun, primarily for defense rather than hunting. Yes, I know the SKS is a better fighting gun. But traveling around and being on somebody else's land makes me not want to even appear to be looking for trouble. A lever-action rifle does not look like one of those terrible Assault Weapons. Where I live this isn't a legal issue (at least not yet), but simply a desire to maintain a low profile.

Most any lever action would work, however Mossberg makes a "tactical" model of their 464. From a strictly mechanical point of view, it's got potential. Short barreled and shorter overall length. Unfortunately, the thing looks like a prop from a Mad Max movie:

http://www.mossberg.com/products/rif...ssberg-464-spx

However, the rails could be removed and the fore stock repainted. I suppose the simplest thing would be to just cover the M4 stock with a leather butt cuff (something that covers the whole stock all the way up to the lever and holds some extra cartridges). Another option might be to repaint all the furniture almost anything other than black (maybe a nice hunter friendly Woodland Camo pattern?).

I could also replace the M4 stock with a side-folding stock of some kind. I would definitely want a folding stock with a more sporting profile, and it wouldn't have to be capable of being fired with the stock folded. This would still look like someone butchered an innocent cowboy rifle, but a "backpack" gun might be less threatening than an Evil Black Rifle. And I would have the advantage that almost nothing I could do to it would make the rifle look worse than it already does.

I would also like to find a way to carry it that doesn't look like a rifle case. Again, to keep a low profile, I'd rather that it not even look like I've got a rifle. The M4 stock collapses the rifle down to 32 inches. A folding stock could get it down to the minimum legal 26 inches and would be one of the reasons this rifle would make sense. I wish Mossberg had done that to begin with, but apparently they think there are more Zombie Hunters than campers or backpackers.

I want to blend in with a generic deer rifle, not look like a Super Mall Ninja. Can this rifle be redeemed, or is it a lost cause?

[kalashluvr]

Why don't you just get a regular 30-30 with wood stocks rather than buy this and swap everything out? Maybe I missed something though....


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[glock39]

Why don't you just get a regular 30-30 with wood stocks rather than buy this and swap everything out? Maybe I missed something though....

That is definitely the other option I'm considering. The only thing the Tactical model has going for it is a shorter overall length, and the fact that it would be easier to put a folding stock on it.

[GAFinch]

As far as an inconspicuous case, a gun up to 28" will fit inside a tennis racket bag or some gym bags.

[Bren]

That POS is nearly a $400 gun and it's made by Mossberg. That's like paying $600 for a Taurus revolver. That's more than I paid for my Marlin 1895G with scope, 50 rounds of ammo and about 500 rounds of ..223 thrown in. It shouldn't be hard to get a real lever action from a decent gun company for under $300.

[Glockdude1]

Originally Posted by GAFinch

As far as an inconspicuous case, a gun up to 28" will fit inside a tennis racket bag or some gym bags.

[mjkeat]

The rifle is a little silly but I will say the sights are nice.

[MStarmer]

Gotta agree lot's, of better choices. For a truck gun like mentioned a Marlin would be hard to beat.

[glock39]

Originally Posted by Bren

That POS is nearly a $400 gun and it's made by Mossberg. That's like paying $600 for a Taurus revolver. That's more than I paid for my Marlin 1895G with scope, 50 rounds of ammo and about 500 rounds of ..223 thrown in. It shouldn't be hard to get a real lever action from a decent gun company for under $300.

I'm not committed to Mossberg as such, other than that the 464's apparently have a shotgun style stock attachment bolt. Which should make them more structurally able to accept different stocks.

You're right, the Tactical is an overpriced marketing gimmick. However, I'm thinking that it would be cheaper to buy one that's already factory set up to attach a folding stock, than to pay a gunsmith to modify a regular lever action.

In other words, it would be easier to fix the cosmetics on the Tactical, than to mechanically convert a normal rifle to accept a folding stock.

[Gunnut 45/454]

Agreed just pick up a nice used 30-30 Win or Marlin- it a truck gun!

[ViennaGambit]

Just picked up a new Marlin 336Y for this very purpose - it is the "youth model" but has a 16" barrel with a 12.5" lop and fits me fine... It was $408 out the door. Going to just add a sling, buttstock shell holder and a Skinner sight. MAYBE add an XS lever rail for a red dot, but dont think so.

Just can't beat a 336 for the price/value ratio.

And the best part is that .30-30 is still in stock EVERYWHERE.

[lawman800]

What do you guys think of a lever gun in 357/38 so that I don't have to stock up on another caliber? The logistics is a concern as well as the fact that the 30-30 ain't exactly the cheapest ammo either.

[Glockdude1]

Originally Posted by lawman800

What do you guys think of a lever gun in 357/38 so that I don't have to stock up on another caliber? The logistics is a concern as well as the fact that the 30-30 ain't exactly the cheapest ammo either.

A lever gun in .357 is a nice choice. You could shoot .38 also. With .357 rounds, recoil would be nearly non existent.

[Cwlongshot]

Originally Posted by Glockdude1

A lever gun in .357 is a nice choice. You could shoot .38 also. With .357 rounds, recoil would be nearly non existent.

IMHO, this is a excellent suggestion, ballistics of the 357Mag form a rifle are JUST behind the 30-30 and if hand loaded the 357 Mag equals the 30-30. 357 and 38's are cheap and plentiful. The 30-30 has QUITE a blast form a short barrel, the 357 will be more pleasant...

BUT if your set on the 30-30, I would buy a used older Marlin and have the barrel/mag tube pruned to just over 16" then trim the stock down to 12-12.5'' LOP. Remove and oaint the stocks with Truck bed liner paint. This gets you a matt blk finish and is extreamly durable with a great texture. Add a shell holder to the stock and go enjoy your truck gun.

CW

[NDCent]

So, Mossberg sells an AK-30/30. Whatever the market calls for, I reckon.

[glock39]

Originally Posted by lawman800

What do you guys think of a lever gun in 357/38 so that I don't have to stock up on another caliber? The logistics is a concern as well as the fact that the 30-30 ain't exactly the cheapest ammo either.

I had considered a 38/357 rifle as well, but decided that the more expensive 30-30 was a better choice. Anyone with more experience, please feel free to correct me on any of the following. I'm basing this on Internet research, not experience.

The 38+P loads out of a rifle look like they have about the same velocity as a 357 out of a 3 inch pistol. Much improved, but not the same as a full size 357 pistol. Some 357 rifles will apparently feed 38's flawlessly, but some will double feed the shorter 38 cases and cause a nasty jam. The 30-30 only has one case size.

The 357 pistol loads out of a rifle get a tremendous boost in speed, perhaps too much. Apparently deer hunters don't like them because a hollow-point pistol bullet that's designed to open up at 1500 ft/sec can completely fragment and not penetrate properly at 2000 ft/sec. I'm frankly not sure how that translates into use on thinner skinned bipedal predators.

Some 357 loads are specifically designed for rifle velocities. But it you then fired them out of a 3 inch pistol, you'd have the opposite problem. Would a bullet designed for 2000 ft/sec work properly at less than 1500 ft/sec out of a smaller 357 pistol? So is your ammo really interchangeable between the rifle and pistol?

The 30-30 factory loads are all designed to operate at about 2000 ft/sec out of a rifle barrel. Some of the 30-30 hollow-points apparently don''t have any more penetration (at least through ballistic gelatin) than many pistol bullets, but have a lot more kinetic energy than any pistol.

For hunters, plinker's and those who hand load, the 357 rifle is wonderfully versatile. For self defense, pretty much any 30-30 factory load should work predictably (as they were all designed for rifle use), and there are both hollow-points and longer range options available. If you hand load, then you can make quiet and/or low power loads for small game.

[HerrGlock]

Originally Posted by lawman800

What do you guys think of a lever gun in 357/38 so that I don't have to stock up on another caliber? The logistics is a concern as well as the fact that the 30-30 ain't exactly the cheapest ammo either.

I wanted a .357 lever action just to have one caliber out in the field. This thing is just flat FUN!
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firear...fire/1894c.asp

Really good accuracy, doesn't look like the EBR and I'm thinking I'm going to lose mine when my son comes to visit one of these times.

[Cwlongshot]

Originally Posted by glock39

I had considered a 38/357 rifle as well, but decided that the more expensive 30-30 was a better choice. Anyone with more experience, please feel free to correct me on any of the following. I'm basing this on Internet research, not experience.

The 38+P loads out of a rifle look like they have about the same velocity as a 357 out of a 3 inch pistol. Much improved, but not the same as a full size 357 pistol. Some 357 rifles will apparently feed 38's flawlessly, but some will double feed the shorter 38 cases and cause a nasty jam. The 30-30 only has one case size.

The 357 pistol loads out of a rifle get a tremendous boost in speed, perhaps too much. Apparently deer hunters don't like them because a hollow-point pistol bullet that's designed to open up at 1500 ft/sec can completely fragment and not penetrate properly at 2000 ft/sec. I'm frankly not sure how that translates into use on thinner skinned bipedal predators.

Some 357 loads are specifically designed for rifle velocities. But it you then fired them out of a 3 inch pistol, you'd have the opposite problem. Would a bullet designed for 2000 ft/sec work properly at less than 1500 ft/sec out of a smaller 357 pistol? So is your ammo really interchangeable between the rifle and pistol?

The 30-30 factory loads are all designed to operate at about 2000 ft/sec out of a rifle barrel. Some of the 30-30 hollow-points apparently don''t have any more penetration (at least through ballistic gelatin) than many pistol bullets, but have a lot more kinetic energy than any pistol.

For hunters, plinker's and those who hand load, the 357 rifle is wonderfully versatile. For self defense, pretty much any 30-30 factory load should work predictably (as they were all designed for rifle use), and there are both hollow-points and longer range options available. If you hand load, then you can make quiet and/or low power loads for small game.

Your statements are mostly true. BUT taken slightly out of context, there are also a couple schools of thought here...

First off, what is the purpose/use for this firearm?

Because something for personal defense is different that a hunting firearm. Mostly concerning over/under penetration. By and large the 357 is a personal defense caliber while the 30-30 is a light game hunting caliber.

The 357 levers WILL reliably feed most all 38 special loadings, OTHER THAN FULL WAD CUTTERS. Full wad cutters can be used if loaded single and do in fact shoot very well in my own guns.

YES, for hunting, the use of a hollow point, when fired thru a longer carbine/rifle barrel in 357. 41 or 44 mag calibers will exhib shallow penetration and bullet desegregation. BUT simply utilizing soft point bullets eliminates this issue. I have shot a number of deer using both HP and SP ammo. From both handgun and rifle length barrels. The SP ammo is head and shoulders better with thru and thru penetration unless major bones are impacted.
BUT, same HP for personal protection will stop over penetration and collateral damages. All while imparting fight stopping prefromance on two legged vermin. Even for PD uses, I would avoid the lightest bullet weights. the 158s are about perfect and most widely available. These light loadings are excellent for small game as would be the 38 spl loadings.

Also, while you are correct velocity increases are experienced. In a magnum, 300-400 fps is closer to the truth. (I have choreographed MOST all available) A full 2000 fps is a bit exaggerated. Its nit picking I know, but 1800fps is about tops UNLESS you hand load. My own 158g XTP FP loading with Lil Gun powder, almost reaches 2000fps from my 18'' barrel Marlin. This level of 357 mag preformance is every bit equal and even superior to the 30-30 150g and it even has a heavier, larger diameter bullet making preformance on game likely BETTER with the 357 Magnum!!! All with slightly less recoil, more rounds in magazine and less muzzle blast.

The 30-30 WILL over-penetrate two legged vermin at any angle and with any part impacted. This is NOT a worry with a 158 HP form a 357 Mag. This 30-30 penetration is desirable in a hunting situation. Conserning HP 30-30 ammo, I have not seen the Winchester HP's for some time, but even if you have some they will NOT preform as a 357 Mag HP will. They are still designed for hunting use and WILL COMPLETELY penetrate any person and likely still go thru walls and into by standers or sleeping house mates...

For a balance of both, I feel either will suffice as long as your aware of the over penetration of the 30-30 is used in dewlings with innocent bystanders around.

Good luck,
CW

[MrMurphy]

The regular 464, or a used Marlin with standard stocks will work fine.

Get a youth stock and a Williams aperature, and a canvas ammo belt (check out the CAS type shooter supply sites) and you're in business. Design hasn't changed in a century, they're still easy to shoot and do the job.

A .357 makes a good antipersonnel-only gun or light game, but the .30-30 has more range and power.

[Bill Keith]

I have both the .30-30 and a 357 lever gun. Both Marlin. Both good guns but I consider the .30-30 more of a hunting gun and the 357 for defense. .30-30 ammo is available just about everywhere and around here it seems to go on sale regularly.

[glock39]

Originally Posted by Cwlongshot

Your statements are mostly true. BUT taken slightly out of context, there are also a couple schools of thought here...

First off, what is the purpose/use for this firearm?

Because something for personal defense is different that a hunting firearm. Mostly concerning over/under penetration. By and large the 357 is a personal defense caliber while the 30-30 is a light game hunting caliber.

The 357 levers WILL reliably feed most all 38 special loadings, OTHER THAN FULL WAD CUTTERS. Full wad cutters can be used if loaded single and do in fact shoot very well in my own guns.

YES, for hunting, the use of a hollow point, when fired thru a longer carbine/rifle barrel in 357. 41 or 44 mag calibers will exhib shallow penetration and bullet desegregation. BUT simply utilizing soft point bullets eliminates this issue. I have shot a number of deer using both HP and SP ammo. From both handgun and rifle length barrels. The SP ammo is head and shoulders better with thru and thru penetration unless major bones are impacted.
BUT, same HP for personal protection will stop over penetration and collateral damages. All while imparting fight stopping prefromance on two legged vermin. Even for PD uses, I would avoid the lightest bullet weights. the 158s are about perfect and most widely available. These light loadings are excellent for small game as would be the 38 spl loadings.

Also, while you are correct velocity increases are experienced. In a magnum, 300-400 fps is closer to the truth. (I have choreographed MOST all available) A full 2000 fps is a bit exaggerated. Its nit picking I know, but 1800fps is about tops UNLESS you hand load. My own 158g XTP FP loading with Lil Gun powder, almost reaches 2000fps from my 18'' barrel Marlin. This level of 357 mag preformance is every bit equal and even superior to the 30-30 150g and it even has a heavier, larger diameter bullet making preformance on game likely BETTER with the 357 Magnum!!! All with slightly less recoil and muzzle blast.

The 30-30 WILL over-penetrate two legged vermin at any angle and with any part impacted. This is NOT a worry with a 158 HP form a 357 Mag. This 30-30 penetration is desirable in a hunting situation. Conserning HP 30-30 ammo, I have not seen the Winchester HP's for some time, but even if you have some they will NOT preform as a 357 Mag HP will. They are still designed for hunting use and WILL COMPLETELY penetrate any person and likely still go thru walls and into by standers or sleeping house mates...

For a balance of both, I feel either will suffice as long as your aware of the over penetration of the 30-30 is used in dewlings with innocent bystanders around.

Good luck,
CW

Thanks for the information. I may need to rethink my choice. I would frankly rather have a 357 rifle, to go with a 3 inch SP101 I've already got.

It is my sincerest hope that the gun would never be used for anything other than targets, tin cans and maybe occasional small pest control. But defense is definite concern (the world does not seem to be getting more peaceful).

I knew that 38 wadcutters would have to be single loaded. But do pretty much all the 357 rifles feed other factory 38's OK? Or can they be easily tweaked if they have a problem feeding 38's?

[mac66]

There's a lot of WTF in this thread.

Nobody hunts with hollow points and I don't even know of a hollow point load for the 30-30 and I've been shooting for 50 years. Anyone who hunts deer with a hollow point 357 is an idiot.

Second, while the idea of interchangeable ammo for rifle and pistol may sound like a good idea, there really is no point to it. Use your pistol which is easy and less powerful for close up self defense, and use a rifle in a rifle cartridge for longer distances. Using a pistol cartridge in a rifle negates the advantage of having a rifle, i.e, more power at longer range.

I have several pistol caliber carbines which are fun to shoot but if I need a rifle I am going to choose one in a rifle cartridge. I had a 357 mag lever action once. Never could figure out what it was good for other than playing cowboy.

Finally, the world is filled with short lever action rifles without having to resort to some POS gimmick gun from Mossberg.

[Spiffums]

Originally Posted by kalashluvr

Why don't you just get a regular 30-30 with wood stocks rather than buy this and swap everything out? Maybe I missed something though....


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

To steal a ARFCOM saying.........1st post and all that.

[FLIPPER 348]

Originally Posted by Cwlongshot

BUT simply utilizing soft point bullets eliminates this issue.

My own 158g XTP FP loading with Lil Gun powder, almost reaches 2000fps from my 18'' barrel Marlin. This level of 357 mag preformance is every bit equal and even superior to the 30-30 150g and it even has a heavier, larger diameter bullet making preformance on game likely BETTER with the 357 Magnum!!!


All with slightly less recoil, more rounds in magazine and less muzzle blast.


CW

game-set-match


I use the XTP flatpoint 158g over Blue Dot but otherwise you have the perfect argument of the .357 lever over the 30.30 for a truck gun.

[ak103k]

Not that Im big on that Marlin, but if you paint what ever it is, in the pattern of your favorite stomp around cammies, You can wear the gun slung, and even at pretty close distances, most people dont even notice you have it on. What the gun is, is pretty much meaningless.


Same stock as the Marlin, slightly different gun.