Through the years it has become clear that a light short and handy rifle will probably be around when you need it than a heavy and long rifle will. When most of the shooting on the ranch is within 100 yards there is little need for 12x telescopes and belted magnum rifles.

The top is the new Rossi .357 by Nonneman and the bottom is a M94 .44 Mag also by Nonneman but back 15 or 20 years ago when he was doing John Linebaugh's blueing when John lived in Marysville. He does really good work and is a solid man to know as a friend.

The Winchester was originally fitted with a AO Ghost Ring rear and Big Dot Tritium front sight that seemed to be a good idea at the time but proved much to coarse for most of the shooting that I do.

I had Regan swap it for a fine diameter green fiber optic front sight that is much better for my eyes and my shooting. Very nice.

The .357 is good for 90% of the shooting that I do on game and the .44 is good for absolutely bone crushing power with proper ammunition.

Byron likey!

I really like having a handy pistol caliber carbine or two around.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

My brother has a Win 94 in .357 and I played with it for a while and found it to be a really fun practical rifle. I keep thinking a Marlin in 44 mag or a 45 colt really needs to go in the safe one of these days. Fun guns for sure.

...ready at hand. But, yes you need one.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Got one of the Trapper 94's in 45 Colt that is real handy, easy to shoot and lots of fun, from cowboy loads to thumpers.

do the job around here.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

Absolutely right about short, light, handy rifles. I don't have a pistol-caliber lever gun (yet!), but the slightly updated version - a Norinco SKS Para carbine. They imported a few of them some years back and I got one. Replaced the coarse military sights with a Williams Firesight fiber optic front and large aperture rear, and scrapped the crummy wood for a Choate stock and handguard. With the 16+ inch barrel it is exactly as long as the handlebar of my ATV is wide, fits muzzle-down on the console of my pickup, and pretty much goes everywhere on the place with me. It is MUCH handier than the full-sized SKS, which I have always thought was too big and too heavy for the cartridge it shoots. 7.62x39 ammo is still fairly cheap, and the Wolf hollow points I keep in the gun are as accurate as I can hold at 70+.

The Para is no longer imported, but I have seen one of the currently available Yugo rifles modified to pretty much the same configuration, removing the grenade launcher and other milcrap to make a slick little carbine.

My 30/30 carbine lives under the backseat of the truck, (wont fit under the front). It's having a good one in a pistol caliber that I don't have, those little 16" guns are mighty handy...

But here in Michigan you cannot carry one loaded or uncased in a vehicle, but with a concealed pistol license you can have a loaded handgun at hand. Out to 100 yards I can hit as well or better with a good revolver as with an open sighted carbine, so the carbine sports a low power scope and is used for stalking deer in heavy cover where fast shooting in heavy cover is a possibility.

Very nice guns, Byron. I certainly understand the draw of the short pistol caliber lever-action. I own or have owned several and I've formed some ideas about them.

I think they're at their best in the bigger calibers where, with proper loads, they become a 45-70 Lite. The 38/357 carbines are fun and comparatively cheap to shoot; but are short range hunting rifles, even by lever-gun standards.

The 30-30 can be fed light cast-bullet loads pretty cheaply too and it swats with authority at 220+ yards. For my purposes, these advantages push me back the Model 94 camp.

under the front seat of my truck. Here's what I found:

17 empty cans of beanie weenies
8 empty pop bottles
2 mouse traps with decomposed meece(I had a problem and forgot about it)
1 dead squirrel
1 set of rattl'in antlers
1 sock(?)
1 pair of underwear(don't ask)
1 pair of binoculars(been looking for these for months!)
2 rolls of TP
And various sundry empty wrappers that contained the following:
Hardee's bacon, egg and cheese biscuits
Goo-Goo candy bars
Little Debbies snack cakes

I thought about stashing a rifle under there but you can see my dilemma.

quick-access, but good coverage protection & some sort of ammo storage -- y'betcha. Sights would be a variable, too.

.......sounds like a regular convenience store under that seat.

Otony

with jumper cables, rope, a tow-strap and a flashlight. The underwear and TP have gained in importance as the years have passed.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

enough reason to keep an eye out for a 'distressed one' walking in the gunshow door,

It would be too scary to look under my front seat. Never sure what you would find, so I just hold my nose when getting in until the window can be opened and dread hot, humid days. So long as the car continues to run well, gonna keep it though.

a bible...

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Of the Troops & For the Troops