Taylors and Co 1892 Alaskan Takedown .357 MAG Lever Action Rifle - Stainless/Silver, 16" Barrel, 7+1 Rounds, Synthetic

What a great little rifle. Took it to the range without even cleaning it as it seemed quite clean and well lubricated from the factory. Put about four different kinds of 357 ammo through it without any problems whatsoever. Took it back to the range a week later, no problems at all. Have probably put about 250 rounds through it so far without a hickup. The included Skinner rear aperture site and red fiber optic front sight make hitting the bull's-eye pretty darn easy at 25 yards. Was averaging inch and a half groups with ease. The hard chrome finish is inside and out and made the action very smooth. The trigger is a little heavy at 6 pounds, but not bad enough that I'm going to give it a trigger job. I also like that there is no safety except for a half cock, just like the old rifles. This 16 inch model only holds eight rounds in the tube, but loading through the side gate worked quite well. On the whole, this rifle seems exceptionally well made. The takedown feature is also very handy. I only had one minor snafu reassembling. When you reconnect the two halves, you really need to lock them together firmly with a very strong twist. That last millimeter is important, because if the two halves are not very firmly twisted together, the feed tube magazine will not properly screw into the receiver. Clearly the tolerances are tight. This is my second 1892 style rifle and it is by far my favorite. It is a little heavier than a comparably sized Rossi 92, but that is because this rifle has an octagonal barrel instead of a round one. The only real downside to this rifle is its price. It cost a little more than twice as much (I paid $1,168) as a comparable Rossi but if you can swing the price it is worth it.

Loading gate broke after only 30 rounds. Sent gun back to Taylor for repair. Taylor sent gun to Chiappa to do the repair work, and as of 3/22/15 two weeks after gun was sent, still have not received return date. Also this gun does did not feed 38 spl ammunition without numerous jams. Will try only 357 mag ammo when I receive repaired gun.