New Guy from New Mexico....

[C Lee Nickel]

Howdy,

I'm happy to be joining you this fine Independence Day!

My name's Lee and I live in Farmington, New Mexico. Been a "levergunner" since about the age of 15...and that was many, many decades ago! Started with a pre-64 Model 94 .30-30 but my dad had a Savage 99 300 savage before that. He owned a sporting goods store up in the Idaho panhandle, with both new and used guns, so by the time I was out of high school I'd shot a variety of Winchester and Marlins off the "used" rack..my dad would hunt with a different rifle pretty much every year. And we'd find a reason to "test" many used guns that came through the shop before we sold them. Sometimes the testing was extensive, and for an extended period of time.

Sadly, I don't have the Winchester I started with, but currently I have a variety of bolts, semi-autos, and single shots. Rifles and handguns. Black powder and smokeless...But what qualifies me for "levergunner" status today are these here, collected over the last quarter-century:

leverguns.jpg

Marlin 1895 Cowboy .45-70
Marlin 336W .30-30
Henry H001 .22 (Bought new first year of production)
Winchester 9422 ,22 Magnum
Winchester 1894 .30-30 S/N: 438,XXX
Winchester 94 Trails End .44 Magnum


Now I'm pretty enthusiastic about my leverguns, EVEN my REMINGTON made Marlin 1895 Cowboy, which is a new acquisition from January this year, and which has been a flawless shooter and all around durned fine gun since day one. Being enthusiastic about a Remington-made Marlin apparently doesn't set well in some quarters of what turned out to be the "(JM)Marlin-centered ethereal internet ee-lectronic universe", and given I enjoy a healthy debate, passionately (but politely) defend my stance, respect and allow everyone's opinion while holding my own, and don't always cotton to certain narratives that don't ring true about certain manufacturers, but which seem to be the "official" stance of certain quarters of the "(JM)Marlin-centered ethereal internet ee-lectronic universe", I guess I became a pariah, so I had to come looking for a new "levergun" ee-lectronic home. Since I do also enjoy leverguns across the board (I would next like to acquire a Savage 99 like my dear old departed pappy had), here's hoping this will be a "fit" for me, and I'm happy to be here.

[crs]

Welcome to the forum.
I think you will find that this levergun forum is pretty "brand neutral" with respect to what folks post about and shoot.
Sure, we all have our favorite brands and models, but being a levergun comes first.
(some of us actually shoot non-leverguns, but do not spread than around)

[C Lee Nickel]

Welcome to the forum.
I think you will find that this levergun forum is pretty "brand neutral" with respect to what folks post about and shoot.
Sure, we all have our favorite brands and models, but being a levergun comes first.
(some of us actually shoot non-leverguns, but do not spread than around)

Thank you for the welcome!

I've been known to shoot "other than leverguns" as well (I hear tell they still make them!), so your secret is safe with me!

I didn't get drawn for a center-fire elk hunt this year, got third choice..so this fall I'm gonna have to hunt with one of these contraptions...for the first time in 30 years!!:

greatplains.jpg

[gamekeeper]

Welcome to the fire you sure should fit in around here......

[OldWin]

Welcome from Maine. If you spend much time here, your levergun list will get longer.
We are chronic enablers.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Welcome!!! Enjoy your stay. I believe you will find the majority of folks here are pretty cool heads,we are all just a little bit nuts.

[octagon]

Welcome friend, from Texas

[navajo]

I am new here too Lee.
We have already met here and on Marlin Owners...
Good to bump in to someone I know here.
Welcome, Friend!

[Bill in Oregon]

Lee, welcome. I am going to be relocating to your fair state from Oregon this fall. Likely Alamogordo, as my family has history there. Some wonderful folks here.
Bill

[J Miller]

Lee,

Welcome to Leverguns.

I lived in Farmington, NM when I was a lad, loved it. But my parents split and my mom and I moved to Phoenix. I want to go back there at least once before I take the big dirt nap.

I have Winchesters and Marlins, levers and bolts so we love 'em all.

As for the JM vs Rem made Marlins I just compare that to the Pre - Post 64 Win 94 argument and keep on shootin 'em.

Joe

[Pete44ru]

.

Welcome to the fire - we hope you can set & jaw with us awhile.....


.

[hayabusa]

Lee, welcome from NW Louisiana. My #2 Son has been living in Farmington, NM for 25 or so years. He works at the Electric Power Company and wife works at the coal mine. Shot several lever guns on this day of celebration of freedom, put a great feeling in my heart for freedoms we have in this greatest country in the world.
A fine group of fellows who know so very much about leverguns.

hayabusa

[Griff]

Howdy, and Welcome to THE forum! That fine rifle in your last post sure looks an awful like my Uberti "Santa Fe Hawkin" in .53! Good gun!

[ollogger]

Hi & welcome from Wyoming!


Looks like you have some nice Lever Guns!

Brad

[C Lee Nickel]

Thank you all for the warm welcomes!

Up early this morn because I just got back from taking my son to work. He's got a summer job for an environmental clean up outfit and they are working a job in Jal, New Mexico, which is about a 9 hour drive from here. They were on the road at a little after 5AM. He was down there two weeks, then home for 4 days, and is now going back for two weeks or so. Pretty good gig. Good pay, lot's of overtime, a decent motel, and a "per diem" for meals that's more than I made per day at my first few jobs! They are staying in Hobbs, which is a bit larger than Jal. Not bad for a 17 year old. Oil and gas field jobs (the main industry here) aren't nearly what they once were here in Farmington (Farmington was named the fastest shrinking city in the U.S. in 2015), but there still are a few jobs around. A lot of our friends have left the area for greener pastures over the last few years.

Reading up on some of the welcomes finds several folks with connections to the Farmington area! Well, if any of you are ever over this way, let me know and I'll show you the good shootin' spots! One is less than 5 minutes from my place. New Mexico is a pretty gun friendly state all things considered, so it's easy to find a place to plink.

I lived in Louisiana for a couple years from about 95-97 or so..Southern Louisiana, though. It was a little tougher to find a place to shoot there! A buddy had access to a "range"...of sorts. It was basically an island about road wide surrounded by swamp and jungle. We lost a good chunk of our brass in the water when we'd shoot there. That was an experience.

Regarding the muzzle loader in the pic, that's a Lyman Great Plains Rifle, 50 cal. I've got a couple others. Both CVA's. One I built from a kit and the other, a flintlock Hawken, I bought at a gun show in Baton Rouge, when I lived back there in Louisiana. Got a couple black powder pistols as well. My dad and I shot a lot of black powder when I was young. Even loaded up black powder cartridges once in a while. The mention of the Uberti "Santa Fe Hawken" brought back memories of the good ole' days of "traditional" muzzle loading so I looked it up. Nice rifle with an interesting history! I have to admit when it comes to muzzle loading, I'm more into the traditional/historical stuff. My dad's sporting goods store used to sponsor a muzzleloading club back in the 70's, early 80's, so I hung around a lot of folks wearing buckskins who spent weekends living in tee pees and lean-tos made of logs, sticks, and brush. "Modern" muzzleloaders are great for those who like 'em, but give me a side lock muzzle stuffer any day!

[J Miller]

Wow talk about coincidences. When my parents first moved from Taylorville, IL to NM I was about 5 ish, we lived in Hobbs for a while before moving to Farmington.
I don't remember much about Hobbs other than the day my friend and I somehow got into a nest of vicious red ants. Talk about two little kids screaming and trying to run for help while being bitten buy dozens of those things. We both ended up stripped to our birthday suits while the ants were removed from under our clothes. That was not fun.
I did instantly learn to stay far away from ant nests though so at least I got something from that.

Lee, when I lived in Farmington my favorite activity was catching and releasing Horny Toads. Are there any left in the area?
The last one I saw was back in the desert north of Phoenix about the late 70s or early 80s.

Joe

[Ysabel Kid]

Welcome to the fire!

[piller]

Welcome. I have a Remington made Marlin, a JM Marlin, and a couple of other leverguns. I sort of barely qualify as a real levergunner here, but they are a good bunch of people here and they haven't told me to leave. We do have some folks drop by who really know their stuff, and will sometimes help folks out with a technical issue.
Hope you enjoy it here.