Practical Lever Gun Upgrades With Bobby Tyler

Despite being well over 150 years old, the lever action rifle is an extremely reliable, practical, "working" firearm that is still super popular in the 2020s. Still, anything good can be improved on, so today our old friend Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gun Works made the trek all the way from Friona, Texas, to join Caleb. He tells us about some practical upgrades you can make to your favorite lever gun to boost its performance. Bobby's sample lever actions here are base models by Henry Repeating Arms, but these upgrades can be made to Winchesters, Marlins, and other popular lever guns.
SIGHTS: Basic lever action rifle sights are, well, pretty basic. But you can improve your sight picture immensely with a set of sights by Andy Larsson of Skinner Sights. In fact, some upscale factory lever rifles come with Skinner sights. Andy offers rear sights that that fit right into the factory dovetail on the barrel, and other models that mount to the top of the receiver for a longer sight radius.
CARTRIDGE CUFF: Don't be "that guy" who runs out of ammo before his day in the field is done! Consider adding a cartridge cuff, which slips over the buttstock and holds a half-dozen or so spare rounds. Some cartridge cuffs incorporate a sling. Others include a raised cheek pad that'll help you get a more comfortable, secure cheekweld.
BIG LOOP LEVER: Aftermarket big loop levers are available both blued and color-case finished steel, so you can channel your inner John Wayne with style. As a practical benefit, the big loop lever functions like an oversized triggerguard on your AR-15, letting you shoot your lever gun while you're wearing heavy gloves in the depths of a Midwest hunting season cold snap.
.22 RIMFIRE DIFFERENCES: What if your cherished lever action is chambered in the most popular cartridge of all time, .22 Long Rifle? (Here's lookin' at you, Winchester 9422 and Marlin 1897 fans!) With a little help from a good gunsmith, says Bobby, you can get centerfire upgrades installed your favorite rimfire lever gun.

[@whitsixkiller]

First Time I've seen a video about upgrades with no examples.

[@GeneD283]

Value of video would have been much higher if you could have shown some of the products discussed

[@michaelgomez3044]

Yeah pretty sloppy.

[@TheRanxerox]

New echo effect is really annoying

[@REF49]

Really should have had upgrades for viewing while discussing them. Content fail.

[@BobJones-zw3ui]

Lazy.

[@6Sally5]

Agreed. WTH, guys? How about showing the upgrades instead of leaving it to our imagination?

[@bobvi5490]

In that vein, what was the purpose of this video in the first place???

[@connorhart7597]

Or at least having the rounds out that actually go in the rifle lmao neither of these rifles are .30-30

[@BillRodgers2]

You would think a custom shop and a parts dealer would show the parts not just talk about them. Sad day

[@cleetismcdougall5425]

Show the upgrades and accessories you are talking about. Usually these videos are really good. A lot of interest in lever guns. Do more in-depth videos on them.

[@gunsandcars3648]

lever 30/30 is the number rifle you should have , handy, easy to carry and accurate enough to 200 yards for anything you need.

[@itsapittie]

.30-30 is the most common lever gun caliber but there are a lot of other good options depending upon your needs. A .44 magnum carbine will outperform the classic .44-40 and can be paired with a revolver, for example. The same can be done with .45 Colt. .45-70 will stop anything in North America. Although my favorite Marlin is .30-30, I don't think it's necessarily "anything you need". Fortunately there are lots of choices.

[@Hankhillismrbig]

Would be nice if it wasn’t $1.50+ a round though.

[@joaopedrobaggio4475]

My grandfather has a Winchester 44-40 that he bought on his youth days, works very well until nowadays.

[@onpsxmember]

It'd be interesting to see what not to do to a lever gun and also go into details how to install things correctly, what to look for to make sure that parts really fit the particular rifle and it's not only on the packaging. Lots of different series, lots of thing to damage. Also, lever action cleaning videos would be nice since they're a bit more involved than other rifles.

[@claiborneeastjr4129]

I really like my four JM Marlins (22 LR; 44 Mag., .444 Marlin; 45-70 GG). the latter two have Skinner aperture sights. All are utterly reliable, accurate, and fun! I also have a Winchester 9422. I think I got hooked on lever guns, and the Colt SAA, from TV westerns of the '50s and '60s., many of which are still rerun. Great video.

[@JW--dc8ri]

You guys dropped the ball not showcasing any of the products you talked about

[@markcmann]

One affordable upgrade to any lever action rifle is a leather lever wrap. Hellhound Leather Co out of Utah makes some great kits and they have an excellent detailed instruction video for the installation. I have recently installed one on my Henry .22lr Classic lever rifle and it looks great. 👍🏻

[@fredeschen3783]

Watch out for rust underneath the leather. I learned the hard way with a beautiful old Winchester 94☹️

[@onionhead5780]

@@fredeschen3783 Thanks for the intel brother.

[@cleetismcdougall5425]

Why? Seems like it would be a sweat and dirt and grime magnet.

[@markcmann]

@@cleetismcdougall5425 good point. I suppose it depends on your particular climate. I live in a relatively warm dry climate so it’s not really an issue for me. 👍🏻

[@justinschuyler]

Was the audio recorded in the shower?

[@the8jrfan]

Is Brownells telling Indie Guns to cooperate with giving over customer information to the government?

[@iwsbull1417]

Y’all need to relax, y’all are so tense I’m afraid if you fell you’d shatter. Either rehearse your lines more or just go extemporaneous.

[@maynardcarmer3148]

I put a Pearson rail on my top-eject M94 Winchester .375, along with a 2.75x Burris Scout scope. That's all the upgrade I need for hunting in the brush.

[@Bigdaddylobo1]

I have two Henrys, a .45 Colt and a 45-70, both steel and walnut. Ranger Point Precision has a trigger kit for the 45-70 that is easy to install and makes it a whole new gun, in a very good way.

[@JW--dc8ri]

I always thought the Henry trigger pulls were nice. Mine breaks at 3.5lbs

[@1stCrippleb]

I noticed you didn't mention a lever wrap. That's the only current upgrade I have on my 3 Henry's. Much nicer on knuckles with the repeated use of the lever. The other ideas you had are my next. Keep up the great content.

[@KiLLJOY1056]

lever wrap is like the first go to! Do you use paracord or leather?

[@montanaspring7176]

audio microphone needs adjusting..overall Great video @Bobby Tyler

[@rangerdanger766]

a little know product is a Montana sling. adds a bunch of class and u can vary the sling length within seconds.

[@wjbh7442]

South paws rock!

[@ManzanitaRecords]

or may just be that one of the cameras audio was left on in the edit. I noticed this on a few of your videos. love what you doing with these videos. Great content

[@joshuabessire9169]

I had a Remington Marlin 336. It was firmly in the "it doesn't" category.

[@bkeevers6719]

We all have PTSD from those days. Bought one that shot 12 inches high at the lowest setting on the buckhorn at 50 yrds with factory nonLeverevolution ammo. I swear the barrel was bent.

[@bobbbobb1624]

My son has been bugging me about the new ruger marlins in 45-70. Wish we could find one close to MSRP

[@DenmanShooter]

I love my Henrys!

[@Paladin1873]

Skinner sights are rugged and great. I only wish they were easier to adjust like M14 sights.

[@cameronjaeger]

I love a classic like the next guy but would love to see more of the modern accessories for the lever gun. Say what you will, they add all kinds of functionality my pre 64s just don't.

[@stevedenis8292]

Cheep and simple upgrade is a dab of white paint on the front blade sight .For practice shooting a nice leather glove saves your knuckles . Also make you feel like a cowboy.

[@bkeevers6719]

Fire sights from Midwest Gun Works instead. Easy to lose that dab of paint in the field.

[@stevedenis8292]

@@bkeevers6719 True it can rub off but a very cheep and quick fix.

[@dylanremmick5671]

Could yall do one on the Xmodel Henry's

[@josh656]

I need the lever gun to upgrade. Preferably a Marlin 1895SBL

[@FishFind3000]

audio sounds odd, sounds like 2 audio feeds at the same time but slightly off. Like when your tv and receiver are both play audio at the same time.

[@teamja1088]

According to the website, Skinner sights are not offered for 336 Marlins. Dang it.

[@sixoffive]

4:55 extra ammo, where did you find 30-30 ammo and how much?

[@solomonsgtjustinl9724]

Man that audio was something else.

[@paulthomas2303]

Henry just isn't feeling the love these days, the Marlin is the talk of the town. Idea for the producers, a Marlin 336 on top of boxes of .30-30, rimfire off to the side and maybe some of the products you're describing. Kinda phoned this one in guys...

[@Paladin1873]

Instead of parachute cord or leather wrap, I put multiple layers of Plasti Dip on the lever of one of my rifles to soften the feel when I manipulate it. It takes up less room and has worked fine so far (two years and counting). The cost is negligible.

[@jfrankmayer9540]

Show the products!!!!!!

[@ETHRON1]

I just ordered a Warren Custom peep sight for my wife's Vintage Marlin 336 her late father passed to her.

[@ManzanitaRecords]

You probably know this but your audio has some issues. I might be phasing between the two Lavalier mikes. Solution would be too adjust audio, bringing the other person's mic down or just reversing the polarity of one channel

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

Best upgrade is aperture sights.

[@TheMLightning]

Dudes, the audio is doubling up. It sounds like one audio track is off by a frame or two.

[@geoffreyjones2000]

Maybe short stroke kits

[@timhuffman5311]

The trigger on the 44 looked plastic?

[@jkroundumup365]

Please restock your website

[@ethanschorey8421]

Ranger point precision

[@michaelkullas9239]

Very informative. Thanks

[@dingo5208]

My wife has a winchester that is not at all reliable. Between her Dad and I, it's been to gunsmiths 6 times and still a POS. I have a remlin, works every time and I'd wager it's my most accurate 200 yard gun. It's also one of my cheapest and lightest guns and goes dogging the deer fields over my Browning semi.

[@adamb2619]

Snap Caps are also a huge upgrade. Just pop some in and you have everything you need for a range session, without the bang.

[@jungleno.]

Now, if only there was a way to increase magazine capacity!

[@xnavyro]

Do they make a “lever gun” with a magazine?

[@dso227]

The tube mag under the barrel. Maybe you're thinking of the Henry Homesteader or the POF Tombstone.

[@marklewis9594]

The henry long ranger and the browning blr, abd the savage 99.

[@hiramhaji7813]

Rise in lever gun means retailers will charge a premium

[@whykaye3791]

Is that the guy from the wiggles?

[@SolversonRidge]

You can tell these guys aren’t levergun users 😅

[@ctapmgriley]

My goodness. What the heck?

[@rickyramirez3483]

Great vid, guys!

[@darkoneokc]

Weaver plates, optics, furniture?You guys missed a ton.

[@BiggumsMcHoney]

Practical upgrade to lever gun is, thermal scope, IR laser, breaching device on muzzle, and bayonet.

[@ETHRON1]

Hey "C"...what's up with the audio...sounds like you're in a can 😮.

[@gabel.5269]

Only reason they're popular right now is because of the states that banned or restricted semi automatic rifles. Aka 2A Infringements.

[@theone031]

I'd rather have a Winchester or Marlin. Henry's feel cheap in hand to me.

[@bkeevers6719]

Marlin fit and finish... post 2009 has been less than desirable. even when they fixed the guns post Remlin QC growing pains. Henry's a solid and well made right out of the box.

[@kidherder]

This video was supposed to be about upgrades but the presenter didn’t bother showing examples of them? And saying that by putting the butt cartridge holder on a different way would work for a left handed doesn’t sound right. I suspect that there is a left and right hand version of this accessory. This was a waste of time by Brownells.

[@storebrandpeas5413]

Woo

[@leonardboufford282]

Talk is nice but show is better! More show, less talk!

[@DUKEisALIVE]

First

[@jungleno.]

You want a medal??

[@lucassmith2332]

👎 laziness all the way. Come on your Brownells pull out some products.

[@joecaptain3]

Comment

[@Adobe150]

You guys need to calm down.

[@spraynpray]

I've got 4 leverguns. 3 are unreliable and 1 is extremely unreliable. I've yet to meet a truly reliable levergun. They're complicated, outdated designs. I dunno why people pretend they're great. IMO, what's cool about them is their history and how antiquated they are. Even the new Rugers that look real pretty are unreliable.

[@RexH00ligan]

Not yer best video