TTAG hasn’t had a bout of lever fever in quite some time. Rest assured that the Cowboy Assault Rifle (CAR) project gun is in the works. Again. Still. We got off to a slow start (as in racing glaciers). Marlin eventually sent us a new 1894c to replace the inadvertent folding stock version. We’ve sent the new lever gun [not shown] to Crimson Trace for some skunk works laser action. Top Shot winner and Crimson Trace marketing maven Ian Harrison has handed the gun to CT’s boffins. But not until Ian had a chin wag with our main man Lew Bonitz over at Grizzly Custom Guns . . .
Lew’s waiting for an experimental (i.e. don’t hit him up for one yet) tri-rail within which the laser gubbins may—or may not—be attached. Meanwhile, Mr. B’s cooked up a new twist on America’s oldest continuously produced rifle. Et voila: the BackPacker Lite “Scout” – Marlin 39A.
Check out that shortened barrel (16″) and slammed scope. The detachable optic doesn’t co-witness with the iron sights but who reads the Watchtower with a friend anyway? The perfectly proportioned loop is a new build. And no, the gun is not for sale. Nor the next. After that, maybe.
But wait until you see the CAR. Without doubt, it will be the ultimate stylatical lever gun. Patience? Yeah, you’ll need some of that. Money? That too. But then who can put a price on perfection? Other than Glock.