Curious, how much more would you pay

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Nomadic Pirate 66 said:
I would never get a bolt action again vs a sidelever, had a few and never enjoyed the manipulation
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I realize this is old but didn’t want to start a new thread for the same question. Never is a strong word. How much $$ are we talking side lever being worth? I’m looking at some right now where bolt vs side lever will let me get a $3-400 better deal. I can get a nice scope for that much. I know it’s gun and person dependent but it’s all a trade off.
 
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I normally stay away from old brought back threads bu never saw this one.
I would be willing to pay $0.00 for a side lever "improvement".
I would purchase another Gauntlet if a bolt action, shame. So smooth & cocks easily with one arthritic finger. Even the DAQ pistol which does have a bit of spring in it no issue cocking just a matter of doing it correctly just like hand pumping ( I do Not do that anymore though -due to rotational spodilisious (SP)- a matter of technique mostly and easy.
Loved every bolt action I've ever had ( 200+) and only 1 side cock/lever action.
If saving money hands down bolt action.


John
 
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I like a side lever but I can work the bolt on my R10 faster then I can any of my side levers. It has gotten super smooth as Ive shot it a lot this last summer. There`s less movement/shorter stroke involved with the bolt to me..
But I do like side levers a lot.
As far as how much extra I would pay it would depend on the gun and how smooth it is. Some bolt guns make your fingers hurt racking them and some side levers have too much of a arc when using making them feel like your swinging open a gate.
If I like the gun and bolt/side lever is decent will pay whatever it takes to get said gun.
 
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boscoebrea said:
That is a tough one. That is a lot of money. I would properly save the money and then use it as you suggest.
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Yeah it's quite a bit, I've never used a side lever but I can't see it being worth that much money to me. Nor a bolt on an airgun, but I've worked bolts on plenty of regular rifles. Is it significantly harder to work the bolt on some air rifles than a powder burner?

John spysir Blount said:
I normally stay away from old brought back threads bu never saw this one.
I would be willing to pay $0.00 for a side lever "improvement".
I would purchase another Gauntlet if a bolt action, shame. So smooth & cocks easily with one arthritic finger. Even the DAQ pistol which does have a bit of spring in it no issue cocking just a matter of doing it correctly just like hand pumping ( I do Not do that anymore though -due to rotational spodilisious (SP)- a matter of technique mostly and easy.
Loved every bolt action I've ever had ( 200+) and only 1 side cock/lever action.
If saving money hands down bolt action.


John
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That's kinda what I was thinking, if it has one great, but not worth spending the money on. I appreciate the direct answer.

DeanB said:
I like a side lever but I can work the bolt on my R10 faster then I can any of my side levers. It has gotten super smooth as Ive shot it a lot this last summer. There`s less movement/shorter stroke involved with the bolt to me..
But I do like side levers a lot.
As far as how much extra I would pay it would depend on the gun and how smooth it is. Some bolt guns make your fingers hurt racking them and some side levers have too much of a arc when using making them feel like your swinging open a gate.
If I like the gun and bolt/side lever is decent will pay whatever it takes to get said gun.
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I'm glad to see some prefer bolts. It seems like a side lever might be one of those things that's more marketing ploy than universally loved feature. With these response, I'm gonna go with "either is good as long as the price / gun is right".
 
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John spysir Blount said:
I normally stay away from old brought back threads bu never saw this one.
I would be willing to pay $0.00 for a side lever "improvement".
I would purchase another Gauntlet if a bolt action, shame. So smooth & cocks easily with one arthritic finger. Even the DAQ pistol which does have a bit of spring in it no issue cocking just a matter of doing it correctly just like hand pumping ( I do Not do that anymore though -due to rotational spodilisious (SP)- a matter of technique mostly and easy.
Loved every bolt action I've ever had ( 200+) and only 1 side cock/lever action.
If saving money hands down bolt actionhing

F
John
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My Gauntlet2 bolt is hard to close. It has to be hammered shut with the heel of your palm, but that is caused by the lack of a leade, crushing the pellet home.
 
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Sawney Bean said:
I think a side lever is an improvement, but not having one isn’t a dealbreaker for me. It’s more an indicator of all the other advancements that have been made over the past couple of decades. If a gun has a bolt, then it probably doesn’t have a regulator or a carbon bottle or a picatinny rail.
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My R10 SE has a regulator but no carbon fiber bottle and its probably close to my most accurate air rifle besides my Crown MKII. Maybe my Taipan Vet2 also which is very accurate but havent really shot it enough to judge it against the other 2 yet.
 
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Two of my M-Rods are side lever, two are bolt. I have found that the AGR thumb rest so improves the cocking of the M-Rod that it negates the need for a side lever. All four of my M-Rods use relatively soft hammer springs in SSGs and make their power in other ways, not by whacking the cXXp out of the valve poppet. So they are all four easy to cock. I do hope that someday that the M-Rod Gen 3, if there is ever such a thing, would have a side lever.
 
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3Crows said:
Two of my M-Rods are side lever, two are bolt. I have found that the AGR thumb rest so improves the cocking of the M-Rod that it negates the need for a side lever. All four of my M-Rods use relatively soft hammer springs in SSGs and make their power in other ways, not by whacking the cXXp out of the valve poppet. So they are all four easy to cock. I do hope that someday that the M-Rod Gen 3, if there is ever such a thing, would have a side lever.
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@3Crows Where'd you get a side lever Marauder? I'm assuming this is a custom build. Can you post a pic or two?
 
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Ezana4CE said:
@3Crows Where'd you get a side lever Marauder? I'm assuming this is a custom build. Can you post a pic or two?
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I have posted photos before. One is a JSAR side lever and the other is a Custom Air:






The AGR thumb rest in the back of the tube of my M-Rod Cobra allows for equally easy cocking, put thumb on rest, wrap index finger around the bolt in close to the center axis, squeeze hand like squeezing a rubber ball, easy! And cheaper!

 
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Ok.. I'm a back yd plinker/pester. I live on a couple acres surrounded by woods and swamps. I don't hunt for fun or food. Most of my shooting is from one of my 3 or 4 benched locations and out to 45yds.
I like to have enough mags in my repeater guns to equal a full fill on any given gun before reloading. I like to buy high capacity mags when available for minimal mag swapping. I also like the smooth operation of a good side lever.
Now for the rub...
Target shooting with a smooth running side lever and high capacity mags from a bench at static targets is guaranteed to do 2 things..
Blow through lead and air quickly. ;)
Lately I have been using single shot trays more and more and it slows the pace noticeably. for me, it's actually a more enjoyable experience.
Now if you really want to have a good time... tether that gun and use a single shot tray.. call DoorDash and have your meals delivered to your bench. :cool:
 
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3Crows said:
I have posted photos before. One is a JSAR side lever and the other is a Custom Air:






The AGR thumb rest in the back of the tube of my M-Rod Cobra allows for equally easy cocking, put thumb on rest, wrap index finger around the bolt in close to the center axis, squeeze hand like squeezing a rubber ball, easy! And cheaper!

Click to expand...
@3Crows I hadn't seen your photos before. At least I don't think I have. They look nice! Are the receivers from JSAR and Custom Air or did you have the stock receivers machined for the levers from the aforementioned shops?
 
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Ezana4CE said:
@3Crows I hadn't seen your photos before. At least I don't think I have. They look nice! Are the receivers from JSAR and Custom Air or did you have the stock receivers machined for the levers from the aforementioned shops?
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The receivers are from JSAR and Custom Air. Neither are drop in. The rifles are both parts built entirely. The receivers require various mods to install and to get a TP to work. The JSAR in particular because it is a high rise cannot use the stock barrel band and requires an over length TP than stock. The Custom Air required the TP broach to be drilled up to .25 ID. But, unlike some reports, the barrel went in nicely with just cooling the barrel in a freezer and warming the receiver in the summer sun. If I ever want it out, well, that might be a trick.
 
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