Rifle for target & home defense

[Boboclown]

I have an AR in .308 and one in 5.56. Between the two rounds I'm covered with just ARs.



But honestly, since the OP can't have an AR I do recommend the Mini-14. M14 if a lot of land with no one else nearby.

 

[BillGabby1]

SMD
If you go with either the 357 or 45long colt consider this,
the 357 will also shoot the quieter and usually cheaper & more redilly available 38spl. In a pinch the 38 +P+ is nearly a light magnum, and with full house 357 loads you can take anything up to black bear and even an elk from close up and with well placed shots so that makes the 357 much more versatile, than any other pistol round ever made that I've ever heard of in my 74 years.
Pick up a good used 357 revolver to go with it and you are set they will both shoot all the same ammo, so you don't have to have 45acp and 45 LC or whatever, 38 standard loads in the rifle / revolver would great for practice. If you decidec to reload for economy you could get by with just one set of dies to load all your ammo, another savings. Your significant other would soon master the 38 loads and then could slowly transition to the hotter loads.
Take some time and watch some of those stupid redneck you tube stunts where the dudes put a high powered weapon in the
un-suspecting GF or wives hand then stand back camera rolling and laugh when it knocks her down. Creating one more person who will have nothing more to do with firearms, and if she is smart she would dump the idiot who played such a dirty rotten trick on her!

A possible other option is the 44 magnum which also fires the 44spl, but they aren't as versatile as the 38/357 and they are more expensive to feed, noiser & ETC.
Like I said earlier don't get in a big hurry, the right gun is out there with your name on it!
Good hunting,
Gabby

Here you go, and with the side eject you can put an optic on it if you need to. 20" barrel makes it pretty handy in close quarters.
Shop around you can probably find it in stainless if you want.
I looked and looked they don't, sorry
Henry Big Boy Steel 20" Blued Lever-Action .357 Mag H01...
I also looked for Marlins in 357, they are available out there starting at around $750 and rapidly go over $1,000 from there, so if you are on a budget, the Henry is your best choice.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

BillGabby1;
Thanks for all the info. I like your advice, and I've been leaning toward the Henry Big Boy Steel for a while. I prefer the dark metal over brass – I'd be too afraid of scratching it. I also like the idea of simplicity in ammo stocking. Having one universal caliber makes a lot of sense.

Really appreciate your help and wisdom! I love this forum because of all the helpful people.

We've hit a bit of financial crunch at the moment, so nothing much will happen for a while, so I've got plenty of time to enjoy the search.

Gracias!

 

[etrain16]

BillGabby1;
Thanks for all the info. I like your advice, and I've been leaning toward the Henry Big Boy Steel for a while. I prefer the dark metal over brass – I'd be too afraid of scratching it. I also like the idea of simplicity in ammo stocking. Having one universal caliber makes a lot of sense.

Really appreciate your help and wisdom! I love this forum because of all the helpful people.

We've hit a bit of financial crunch at the moment, so nothing much will happen for a while, so I've got plenty of time to enjoy the search.

Gracias!

Having had a Henry, with the brass receiver, just be aware, the rest of the rifle is just as susceptible to scratches as the brass receiver. I was quite surprised actually how easy it was to ding the finish. Beautiful rifles, just be aware of it.

 

[BillGabby1]

De Nada Amigo, glad to help, I enjoy searching things out for others, it gives me something useful to do, and if I have some useful experience to share so much the better.
Buying anything brand new makes that first scratch all the more glaringly obvious, but at least with a blued steel rifle with some Oxpho-Blue in your shop it's pretty easy to touch it up, I think there is in one of the threads, maybe in this one some comments about the metals used in Henry's receivers. I'm a bit foggy about whether or not it is solid brass or not.
If it is brass a little dressing with the right files and sand paper and buffing with some rouge on a felt dremmel wheel can fix that up.
It just requires some patience care and the right tools and supplies.
Besides once it gets that first scratch you can just relax and use it!
Being retired on a small SS pension I know how it is being tight for money. Take your time and do more research, and think about buying used, you might find a nice one at a savings that way.
I wonder if Henry's guarantee extends to all owners or just the original buyer? Someone who knows please speak up!.
Meanwhile look at my thread in the Black Powder Forum.
Keep your powder dry and your eye on the target!
Gabby

 

[AMProducts]

BillGabby1;
Thanks for all the info. I like your advice, and I've been leaning toward the Henry Big Boy Steel for a while. I prefer the dark metal over brass – I'd be too afraid of scratching it. I also like the idea of simplicity in ammo stocking. Having one universal caliber makes a lot of sense.

Really appreciate your help and wisdom! I love this forum because of all the helpful people.

We've hit a bit of financial crunch at the moment, so nothing much will happen for a while, so I've got plenty of time to enjoy the search.

Gracias!

Honestly, the search is often the most fun part. Its just like getting a new pet. At first it's super exciting, but after a while you get tired of having to feed it and clean up it's poop. Unless you really spend a lot of time together that super exciting part tends to wear off.

 

[BillGabby1]

AMP
I think that is part of the reason I enjoy helping folks like this, I get to share in their quest, so it becomes partly my quest too!

Gabby

 

[wired]

AR15 - keep it stupid simple with no flashy stuff.

Any gun fired in the house will deafen you so get an electronic noise canceling head set and put it with the gun.

There are better ways...

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Honestly, the search is often the most fun part. Its just like getting a new pet. At first it's super exciting, but after a while you get tired of having to feed it and clean up it's poop. Unless you really spend a lot of time together that super exciting part tends to wear off.

I get what you're saying, but for me that is the exactly wrong analogy. Our dogs are such a big part of my life I can't imagine being tired of them.

Looks over shoulder then types: "Now if you had used "wife" instead…"

Kidding! Really!

 

[Brutus57]

I get what you're saying, but for me that is the exactly wrong analogy. Our dogs are such a big part of my life I can't imagine being tired of them.

Looks over shoulder then types: "Now if you had used "wife" instead…"

Kidding! Really!

Hahahahaaaa. Cool website brah, looks like you enjoy your gig.

Brutus Out

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Hahahahaaaa. Cool website brah, looks like you enjoy your gig.

Brutus Out

The Missus and I have been working together doing this for 24 years. Working at home. Living out in the woods. Playing with the dogs. Yeah, it's a sweet job.

We lost one of our biggest clients this week. It happens. As a result, I'll finally be whipping that web site into shape (expanding the portfolio section mainly) in hopes of enticing some new work.

Thanks for checking it out.

 

[PaulB47]

that makes the 357 much more versatile, than any other pistol round ever made

I agree. A lot cheaper for bulk ammo than .45LC and .44Mag, also. Cheaper to reload too.

I always wonder about using .38 Long Colt or Short Colt in a .357 lever gun. Use Magnum cases trimmed down, just to get a lot more rounds on board. Probably won't work though.

To me the ideal gun for the OP is a .357 Marlin 1894CB. Holds lots of rounds, still very handy and it's a beautiful gun. You'd just have to be careful to avoid the Marlin guns that were made in their recent "low quality" period, or pay less. 24" barrel minimizes the noise and increases the iron-sight accuracy.

Any gun that requires a suppressor is going to cost an extra thousand, along with the aggravation and time delay from BATFE.

 

[wired]

I agree. A lot cheaper for bulk ammo than .45LC and .44Mag, also. Cheaper to reload too.

I always wonder about using .38 Long Colt or Short Colt in a .357 lever gun. Use Magnum cases trimmed down, just to get a lot more rounds on board. Probably won't work though.

To me the ideal gun for the OP is a .357 Marlin 1894CB. Holds lots of rounds, still very handy and it's a beautiful gun. You'd just have to be careful to avoid the Marlin guns that were made in their recent "low quality" period, or pay less. 24" barrel minimizes the noise and increases the iron-sight accuracy.

Any gun that requires a suppressor is going to cost an extra thousand, along with the aggravation and time delay from BATFE.

No gun "requires" a silencer. Its just a nice addition to an existing rifle. I was out hunting elk the other day and got to talking to a couple of hunters. I had my Mossberg .308 MVP with a SIG can screwed on the end and since there were any elk around anyway I cranked off a shot . Both of them were amazed claiming they were going to stop on the way back to town and order one. No aggravation involved.

As far as the lever actions go you can't go wrong witht he .357 but you really cant go wrong with 45 Colt either and theres plenty of decent levers chambered in it as well. Ammo is less than $20 a box of 50 if you shop around until you really catch the fever and start reloading. My Rossi M92 might not be slick as snot but it will handle full magnum level loads nd holds 9 rounds of full bore 45 Colt . 1800 FPS out of a 250 grain slug will make you a believer.

 

[boogerhook]

I have an AR... it's nice enough, but I'll grab one of my M14s before I grab the AR.
I forget what that build weighed - maybe 14 lbs. suppressed & loaded.
This one weighs 12 lbs. unloaded... it's lighter than my cat.
View attachment 320731

Most will opt for the lighter AR, but the same people will
appreciate to one that totes a .308 when the sh!t gets real.

Nice looking gun - with the flag and all. Your cat must be a Maine Coon or a Siberian ;-)

 

[mtm68]

I have an AR in .308 and one in 5.56. Between the two rounds I'm covered with just ARs.

View attachment 320735

But honestly, since the OP can't have an AR I do recommend the Mini-14. M14 if a lot of land with no one else nearby.

My... what a mighty big.... scope you have.

 

[AMProducts]

I get what you're saying, but for me that is the exactly wrong analogy. Our dogs are such a big part of my life I can't imagine being tired of them.

Looks over shoulder then types: "Now if you had used "wife" instead…"

Kidding! Really!

That's kinda my point, if you make it a big part of your life, there's no regrets. I hate it when I buy a gun and it ends up as a safe queen. There are a few that I bought specifically for that purpose, that I take out and shoot on special occasions, but for the most part, most of my guns are "working guns", they put food on the table (hunting), take part in my business (testing and developing ammo), and are part of my recreation.

I took my dog to work today, we were just doing a test setup of the booth for a tradeshow next week. She was completely freaked out by it. I think I need to take her with me more often.

 

[BillGabby1]

Hahahahaaaa. Cool website brah, looks like you enjoy your gig.

Brutus Out

Alright where did I miss the website?
Gabby

 

[H2O MAN]

Nice looking gun - with the flag and all. Your cat must be a Maine Coon or a Siberian ;-)

Thanks. It's well balanced, and everything lines up nicely for me.
The cat is just a fat feral rescue, I named her Tank.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Alright where did I miss the website?
Gabby

I think he was referring to my web-site. It's located in my signature below.