Recently having become excited about lever actions again after seeing Marlin’s XLR series (and finding a home for one in .444 and one in .35 Rem), I have discovered some excellent sites to pass along:

#1: Skinner Sights.  Built in a one-man shop in Ronan, MT, these sights look like the ticket for the .444.  I don’t really want “scope-eye” from a .444. Can you blame me?  A longer sight radius and a ghost ring should make the .444 a good bear-whackin’ machine.

#2: Game Reaper Scope Mounts.  I like the look of these one-piece, lightweight aluminum mounts for putting a 1.75-5x scope on the .35 Remington XLR.  They have some forward offset, which is nice to have on a lever rifle with a scope that has generous eye relief.  

#3: Ranch Dog Molds.  The proprietor has done his homework on shooting cast bullets in Marlin’s lever guns, especially on barrel throat dimensions and the unique attributes of Micro Groove rifling.  The XLR series (as well as the Guide Guns) have cut rifling, but the bullets are said to shoot well in those, too.  With ammunition prices going sky high, casting bullets with the Lee system looks like a good way to save money.  The molds aren’t horribly expensive, and the sizing and lube processes are simplified and don’t require an expensive lubrisizer.

#4:  Marlin Owners Forums.  This set of forums offers the collective wisdom of Marlin guys across the country, so the rest of us don’t have to know it all.  A good place to get acquainted with common problems and solutions involving all Marlins.

I am looking forward to summer and load development.  I think with all of the new trendy cartridges on the market, it will be fun to work with a couple of “oldies but goodies.”  The one new cartridge that interests me in Marlin’s lineup is the .338 Marlin Express, but I’m not sure I would trade the .35 or .444 in to get it.

Just a quick alert to a product I was unaware of.  It has made my life and the appearance and function of my rimfire rifles much richer.

THE PROBLEM:  Mounting scopes on European rimfires.  Examples:  Zastava imports, like the Remington Model Five; Sako Quad; some CZ rimfires; Anschutz.  They have 11mm grooves, which, at least in Remington’s case, get passed off as 3/8 grooves for .22 rings.  But they’re not quite the same.  I encountered this problem myself with my Remington Model Five, when mounting a scope with cheap rimfire rings.  They just didn’t seem to “grab” properly on the rail, and even seemed to be slightly off-level, but I went along with it at the time and it functioned.

THE SOLUTION: Fast forward to the present.  I just picked up a Sako Quad (for 399 samolians, no less!) and it, too, has an 11mm groove.  I stopped by Sportsman’s Warehouse, and my solution was waiting.  Warne makes a rimfire ring that solves the problem and grips the rail very tightly.  The claw on the side of the ring can be turned 180 degrees depending on whether you are using it on a 3/8 groove, or an 11mm European application.  And they’re nice steel rings for 20 bucks, available in medium and high.

These rings are a very nice replacement for the cheap aluminum stuff that usually comes free with rimfire scopes.  Go out and improve your .22s!  My Remington Model Five and Sako Quad will both be wearing these.

 Click here to visit the Warne page describing the 7.3/.22 Rings.

Oh, and the math?  11mm=.433 inches.  3/8″=.375″.  That is a .058″ difference.  Maybe I’m picky, and maybe it’s just the design of the rings, but the Warne rings set up for 11mm feel rock-solid on my Model Five.  I love it when I find things that make everything fall right into place.

Big Green has come out with an AR-15, partially due to their corporate ownership also owning Bushmaster.  I know–old news to many of you.  What I’m trying to figure out (and maybe I need the help of a democratic Congress-ha!) is whether or not it is an assault rifle.  I’m not sure that if I pick it up, I won’t put on my best Rambo sneer, start cackling wildly, and jam in a 70-round magazine.  Just a few years ago congress thought weapons like this (especially the really evil ones with bayonet lugs) would surely turn law-abiding citizens into criminal bad-boys.

More on the specs and features later, but I really want to know–what are your thoughts?  Predator hunting machine or nasty mall ninja toy?

Post me a comment and I will post an anonymous breakdown of typical responses, along with my thoughts in a future blog post.