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Mossberg 464 Lever Action Reviews...

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Dick Metcalf, R.L. Window Review

Mossberg’s Model 464: A 21st-Century Lever-Action That’s Right For The Traditionalist

Mossberg’s Model 464: A 21st-Century Lever-Action That’s Right For The Traditionalist
Our technical editor says Mossberg’s brand-new Model 464 lever-action is both traditional and modern.
By Dick Metcalf, R.L. Window

Other than apple pie, I know of nothing more quintessentially American than the .30-30 lever-action deer rifle--as exemplified in myriad western movies and television shows and on the gun racks of millions of hunters by the classic Winchester Model 94.

Of course, the Model 94 is no more; in 2006, Winchester closed the New Haven, Connecticut, factory where it had been manufactured for more than 100 years. But fear not. Now comes the new Model 464 .30-30 lever-action rifle from O.F. Mossberg & Sons--a gun that faithfully evokes the traditional look, feel, and appeal of the traditional Winchester while also incorporating several unobtrusive refinements and design improvements that make it worthy of any 21st-century shooter and hunter.

Mossberg, which is located in North Haven, Connecticut, (just a scant 5 miles up the pike from the old Winchester facility) was fully aware of the enduring popularity of the great American lever-action and of the manufacturing and quality problems plaguing Winchester’s Model 94 production. Mossberg had already decided to build its own traditional-format M94-type rifle well before the shocking announcement that Winchester was shutting down, leaving Marlin as the only remaining significant competitor in this portion of the lever-action market.

It was also merely coincidence that at almost the same time, Hornady introduced its new LEVERevolution ammunition line featuring FlexTip spitzer bullets, providing significantly enhanced ballistic performance for all traditional lever-action cartridges.

All in all, it was nice timing.

Traditional And Modern
Put a new Mossberg Model 464 side by side with a Winchester 94 (or a Marlin Model 1894) and the resonance is obvious. The Mossberg 464 has the familiar slim, flat-sided receiver; two-piece, straight-grip stock; receiver-side loading port; tubular magazine with barrel band; and exposed hammer. Like both the Winchester and Marlin designs, the Model 464 action is operated by a forward stroke of the straight-looped lever, which directly engages the bolt. There is neither cam nor link-arm nor the “geared” rack-and-pinion design used by the modern (1971) Browning BLR to shorten its lever travel. The Mossberg 464 feels and operates like John Wayne’s favorite rifle.

In function, the Model 464 is similar to the Winchester Model 94 Angle Eject design. The receiver is open-topped with the right side slightly lowered to allow sideways ejection of fired cases, thus permiting receiver-top scope mounting. The 464 utilizes Weaver 403 bases, which are the same as the front base for the Model 94 Angle Eject but are used both for the front and rear on the Mossberg. When installed, the rear base projects rearward and overhangs the rear of the bolt and the bolt locking lug but does not interfere in any way with their operation or with access to the hammer. Also, the low profile of these mount bases allows ready use of the gun’s barrel-mounted open sights for thicket-hunting if you employ quick-detach rings to readily pop the scope on or off. The Model 464 sights include a dovetail-mounted front blade with serrated rear surface and gold bead, and a dovetail-mounted rear sight with a flip-up/down leaf that is screw-adjustable for windage and has a set-screw-adjustable elevation notch with a visible white-diamond insert.

Mossberg Model 464

Model: 464

Purpose: Deer hunting

Manufacturer: O.F. Mossberg & Sons Inc.
7 Grasso Ave
North Haven, CT 06473
203-230-5300
http://www.mossberg.com

Action Type: Lever-action

Operation: Direct bolt engagement

Magazine type
and capacity: Tubular, six rounds

Receiver material: Forged steel

Caliber .30-30 Winchester (.30 WCF)

Barrel length: 20 inches

Rifling: Six grooves, 1:10 RH twist

Sights: Gold-bead front blade; flip down adjustable rear leaf with visible white diamondl receiver drilled and tapped for scope mounts (Weaver #403)

Metal Finish: Polished blue/black

Safeties: Manual sliding tang safety; lever disengagement safety

Stock material
and type: Two piece straight grip, American hardwood

Stock finish: Satin

Stock checkering: None

Length of pull: 13 7/8 inches

Recoil pad: Serrated hard rubber; 1/2 inch

Sling studs/swivels: None

Weight, empty: 6.7 pounds

Overall length: 38.5 inches

Accessories: Oweners manual, gun lock, two year limited warranty

MSRP: $473

The new Mossberg Model 464 combines all the stylistic appeal of the traditional Winchester Model 94 and Marlin Model 1894 with modern refinements and bolt-rifle optical capability

The Model 464’s bolt mechanism is entirely an original in-house Mossberg design. A cylindrical bolt contains the spring-loaded firing-pin system and is enclosed by a front receiver ring and a rear receiver bridge--similar to typical bolt-action rifle systems. The extractor is a forward extension of a collar-type spring, similar to a Marlin, which fits in a groove around the bolt body. When closed, the front of the bolt is tightly enclosed by the receiver ring--again, a bolt-action characteristic. The bolt is locked by a thick vertical lug, which moves up through milled slots in the receiver behind the bolt to hold it firmly in place when the lever is closed. This is similar to the Winchester 94 but different from Marlin, where the bolt-lock mechanism fits into a notch in the underside of the bolt within the receiver.

The Mossberg 464 bolt-locking lug also contains a firing-pin striker that serves to transfer the hammer’s energy to the firing pin, like the Model 94, which can therefore only operate when the action is fully seated. This is much the same principle as a transfer-bar safety on a revolver, except that here the locking lug is tied to the action of the lever, whereas on a revolver the transfer bar is tied to the action of the trigger. The entire Model 464 bolt system has exceptional mass and strength given the overall slim receiver design, and we can safely expect to see Mossberg eventually offer it for more robust lever-action chamberings.

Unique among lever-actions, the 464’s sliding manual safety is located on the rear tang, where it is equally accessible for right- or left-handed shooters and does not mar the otherwise clean lines of the smooth-surfaced receiver. The serrated hammer does not have a traditional “halfcock” position, but it does incorporate an innovative integral passive safety system. Unless the manual tang safety is disengaged, the hammer cannot contact the firing pin, and unless the lever is fully up and squeezed against the bottom tang by the firing hand, the trigger cannot be pulled. The hammer does have a threaded cross-drilled hole completely through the base of its spur, which can be used to mount an accessory side-spur for ease of cocking when the rifle is fitted with a scope.

Loading the Mossberg 464 is through a familiar spring-loaded gate on the right side of the receiver, which feeds into the tubular, six-round magazine. The 20-inch, button-rifled barrel features a recessed target crown, and the gun’s overall weight is a mere 6.7 pounds. That’s lighter than either a comparable .30-30 Winchester M94 or Marlin 336. Overall length is a fast-handling 38.5 inches--almost a carbine. The stock is uncheckered satin-finished American hardwood with a grooved and monogrammed no-slip rubber buttpad. The receiver, barrel, and metal fittings are polished deep blue-black. For lever-action fans, it’s an altogether delightful package.

First-Class Performance
When I first removed the review sample Mossberg Model 464 from the shipping box, it immediately felt like an old friend. Clean-finished and closely fitted with a balance point engineered to be precisely at the juncture of the fore-end and receiver, it seemed entirely natural to simply carry it at my side with one hand--just like Chuck Connors or Jimmy Stewart or John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, pick your own favorite Western hero. I immediately ran a few different standard .30-30 factory loads through it to check function, and the performance was smooth and flawless.

The white-diamond and gold-bead open sights were crisp and fast to acquire. I then mounted a Leupold Vari-X III 1.75-6X scope with a German 4 reticle to check accuracy, believing that this magnification range and the thick-crosshair reticle format would be an ideal choice for any situation where I might need a fast-handling brush rifle.

Sitting down at PASA Park’s 100-yard benchrest for some serious shooting, R.L. Window and I first turned to Hornady’s newest 160-grain FlexTip .30-30 LEVERevolution ammunition. Shooting Times readers probably don’t need to be told again that the LEVERevolution revolution has turned the entire lever-action shooting world on its head by making it possible for the first time to use ballistically superior flexible-tipped spitzer-form bullets in tubular magazines. Compared to traditional blunt-nose lever-action cartridges, Hornady’s entire family of LEVERevolution cartridges provides an incremental velocity advantage over traditional lever-action ammunition, but their most important feature is an often-dramatic improvement in accuracy, downrange energy retention, and enhanced impact performance, which adds a minimum of 50 to 100 yards to the effective range of an ordinary lever-action rifle, depending on the particular gun, caliber, and load.

It certainly showed with the new Mossberg Model 464. My five-shot group average for five groups with the Hornady 160-grain FlexTip ammunition at 100 yards came in at 1.68 inches. This is remarkable for a traditional .30-30 lever-action design, and I would have no hesitation taking a considered and deliberate 200-yard, or even 250-yard, shot at a deer or antelope with this setup. We also grouped the Model 464 with a couple of traditional-type .30-30 factory loads and a selection of our proven most-accurate .30-30 handloads. (The handloads are listed on page 42). Winchester’s good ol’ 150-grain HP Super-X factory load averaged 2.13 inches at 100 yards, and Hornady’s current 170-grain FP load came in with a 2.5-inch average; both are exceptionally good for blunt bullets from a classic-style lever-action. The best of our handloads grouped 1.88 inches in the Mossberg, and the combined average for all six handloads was 2.88 inches. But it is important to note that all the handloads utilized traditional nonspitzer “.30-30-type” bullets. I ––– hope Hornady releases all its new FlexTip LEVERevolution bullets for lever-action handloading.

Clearly, with the best of today’s commercial ammunition, or with well-selected conventional-bullet handload recipes, the new Mossberg Model 464 delivers performance considerably above the traditional norm for a classic-style lever-action .30-30 deer gun. Without sacrificing anything in the looks, feel, or handling qualities of the original design, it offers important modern refinements and enhancements plus an ease of optical sight application that the original never had.

Your great-grandaddy would be jealous.
 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAINGDyWKl0[/youtube]
 
Mossberg 464

I took my brand new 464 to the range for the first time, today. I ran some 150 gr Win. and some 170 gr Win. through it and it liked the heavier bullets much more. The 170s with stock iron sights and a makeshift rest (I forgot my sandbags at home) gave me 3" high 4" groups at 100 yards after sighting in. The 150s were all over the place. Not as good as you read in the magazines, but it will fill the freezer!

The rear sights have to go, though. Not that they don't give a decent sight picture, it's just that the little blade and set-screw configuration is a little too fidgety (read, impossible) for quick adjustments in the field. I'm sure I could cut my groups in half with a decent scope and reloads from my newly fire-formed cases. Yeah, I'm digging my 464!
 
Last week I picked up one of Davidson's exclusive Mossberg 464 Brush Guns with the 16.25" Marinecote button-rifled barrel and Williams fiber optic sights. This is my first deer rifle so I'm really excited to see how it performs. My initial impression from range shooting is that the shorter barrel length generates quite a bit of recoil and will take me a little getting used to as a novice shooter. My best groups at 50 yards are only about 3 inches or so. To be fair, this is my first experience with anything larger than a 22LR so I'm sure a seasoned shooter could produce MUCH better results. I have used Winchester 170 grain Power Points and Remington 170 Core Lokt's during two separate target practice sessions.

Anyway, the things I really like about this rifle are the short length, light weight, great Williams f.o. sights and stainless hardware. The action is smooth and strong and I had no issues with loading or ejecting after going through 32 rounds. I also love the look of the gray laminate stock.

Minor gripes: I really would have liked a couple of factory installed swivel mounts to be included but those are easy enough to add. Also, a tiny bit of poly finish peeled off when I removed the factory "specification" stickers from the butt stock. For that reason alone, I'm thinking of having Davidson's replace the gun for me under their GuaranteeD warranty.

I hope this review was helpful to some even if it was rather elementary. In all, I really like this gun and can't wait to take it into the woods for a field test soon.
 
I am glad to hear you are enjoying your Mossberg 464 lever action. I am looking to get one of these in near future. Do you have any pictures?
 
I too have the Davidson's Gallery of Guns, special run, bush gun. (Pic's have been posted).
I'll agree with Ethertec's comments..... With a few exceptions... The re-coil was not that bad with Federal 150gr SP's. (To me, just a little more then my Mini-14 in .223) :eek:

My rounds were about 2 inches at 25 yards but I think the gun can do better, just not me. :oops:
I really agree with Ethertec's: "Minor gripes: I really would have liked a couple of factory installed swivel mounts to be included but those are easy enough to add."
In daylight the Williams sights are great. The gun feels very natural in the hands
I wish Mossberg would make the SS in it's normal channels and maybe even more offerings??? :mrgreen:
I have a couple of other long guns but this has turned out to be my favorite :cool:

I'm going to be lookng at other Mossbergs in the future...

Lateck,
 
Its great to hear that you like your Mossberg 464 lever action as well! This is one of the rifles that is on my list of guns to get in the future.
 
levergunners.com forum

levergunners.com forum

I was just reading some comments some of these guys were writing about the 464 and I really wanted to sign up and give them a piece of my mind but I figured it wouldn't do any good. Ranting and raving on how the Winchester 94 is a better gun and so on. I have had my 464 a week and a half and have bounced a couple of hundred rounds through it and I have not had one time where it has had a problem cycling a round. Never jam never failed ever. Personally I would not want a winny made by the Japanese. Not that I have any thing against the Japanese, I just like American made thats all.
 
Re: levergunners.com forum

Preach it brother. I still haven't had a chance to shoot mine, but the fit, finish and feel are great. Nothing wrong with Winnies, but I really like my Mossberg lever. Spring is going to be fun burning powder with this.
 
Re: levergunners.com forum

This forum is here to get the truth out about Mossberg's such as the 464 that don't get the respect they deserve. If you guys haven't already would you mind posting up reviews in the review section so that future members can get real world feedback?
 
I have had my 464 a week and a half and have bounced a couple of hundred rounds through it and I have not had one time where it has had a problem cycling a round. Never jam never failed ever. Personally I would not want a winny made by the Japanese. Not that I have any thing against the Japanese, I just like American made thats all. This is a great rifle with no complaints what so ever. If you don't have one you need to get one..... NOW
 
Re: levergunners.com forum

I certainly will once I get a chance to do some shooting with it. Once the rain stops and I get some free time on a weekend....
 
Re: levergunners.com forum

Welcome to the Mossberg Owners Forum picturerock !!
 
http://www.realguns.com/articles/346.htm

Mossberg's Model 464™ Lever Action Rifle
Hey. All right Mossberg!
©RGI Media, Inc. Published with permission

mossberg464vert.jpg

My wife is out of state visiting family and left me to my own devices... mostly firearms, power tools and the truck. She calls me three or four times a day, wracked with the type of guilt usually attributed to an adult who has left a two year old to fend for themselves. I don't know why, all I've been doing is staying up late, watching really bad SciFi movies and eating lots of junk food. OK. She may have a point.

The Model 464™ Center Fire Lever Action Rifle was announced in January 2008 as a basic straight stocked, 30-30 WCF chambered lever action rifle. Mossberg referred to it as retro and a tribute to an American classic. Pretty savvy marketing in response to the void left by the Winchester plant closure and suspension of the Winchester Model 94's 111 year run, coupled with Marlin's preoccupation with turning lever action rifles into overweight, long barreled varmint rifles.

The initial Mossberg Model 464™ release was a plain Jane firearm; blued hardware, uncheckered beech straight stock, 20" barrel and a six shot magazine. The Model 464™ Pistol Grip variation was introduced in January 2009 as an upgraded model. It shares the slick functional parts of the initial 464™ and adds a cleanly checkered, tight grained walnut stock and a pistol grip.

Manufactured in Mossberg's ISO 9001 certified Eagle Pass, Texas manufacturing facility, the gun came out of its carton cleanly finished and without functional or aesthetic defects. In overall heft and appearance it is much less bulky than any current production Marlin Model 336 variant and certainly much better made than my New Haven built, rough cut 2x4ish Winchester Model 94 Deluxe.

The Model 464™ 41020 package includes the firearm, a gun lock, instruction manual and two pamphlets regarding safe use and safe storage of a firearm. There is also a hammer extension for use when a scope is mounted on the rifle. Wanting to shoot the gun with open sights, I did not mount a scope. However, for those who might, the Model 464™ utilizes a symmetrical two piece base; Warne's two piece Weaver type base number is M827/827.

The barrel is button rifled, the magazine is full length and there is a tang slide safety rather than a cross bolt stuck through the receiver. The specs, manual and product announcement cite a folding rear sight, however, this example is fitted with a traditional, non-folding, but fully adjustable "V" notch sight.

Details, details... details

Mossberg Model 464™

Manufacturer


Mossberg

Model
41020

Type


Lever Action

Caliber


30-30 WCF

Mag Capacity


6

Barrel Length


20.0"

Rifling


Button 1:11" 6 Groove RH

Weight


*6 lbs 10oz.

Overall Length


38.5"

Stock


Walnut, Cut Checkered

Hardware


Blued steel

Length of Pull


*14 "

Drop at comb


*1.75"

Drop at heel


*2.5"

Sights


Blade Front, Adjustable Rear

Scope


Drilled and Tapped

Trigger Pull


*6lbs. 6 oz. Non-Adj

Safety


Two Position Tang

MSRP


$535
Discount Retailers $425

* Actual weights and measures

Marlin utilizes a 1:10" twist for their 30-30 WCF products, the Mossberg checked 1:10". Current Winchester production employs a 1:12" twist. Even the longest 170 grain bullet intended for the .30-30 WCF should stabilize with anything tighter than a 13" twist, so the 1:10" should work well and, at 30-30 WCF velocity, there would be no over rotation speed issues.

There is a good deal of drop at the comb and heel of the stock and the pull is relatively long. The Model 464™ is intended for open, rather than telescopic sights which makes this stock geometry appropriate.

The trigger pull is heavy, almost obligatory when it comes to lever guns, but it is crisp and it is a very short pull. The lever needs to be fully closed before the sear will release, which requires no more than a normal hold.

The walnut stock has a durable satin finish. Both oil and smokeless powder cleaning solvent wiped right off without leaving a shine. The barrel and magazine tube appear to have a #240 grit finish, the receiver is polished, but not to a high gloss.

aejectmdusaid.jpg


Very closely following the traditional Winchester Model 94 in appearance, the Model 464™ is an angle eject type. As noted previously, the Model 464™ is manufactured Texas in an ISO 9001 certified environment. The company is unique in that it was founded by Oscar Frederick Mossberg as a family business and remains so even today... while most every other firearms company has been bought and sold a number of times over. Nice to buy firearms from a company that doesn't fly the flag of Belgium and I think Mossberg for being a provider of U.S. jobs.

A little less conversation a little more action...

While there is a general similarity between the Mossberg Model 464™ and the Winchester Model 94, they actually have numerous differences in mechanical design and in manufacturing process. Pictured below, Mossberg on top, Winchester below.


leverstrk464v94.jpg


The Mossberg has a longer lever cam slot... say that three times fast, the bottom links drops less and the lever travel is no farther forward than the Winchester. The loop above is farther forward because it is shaped to follow the form of the pistol grip, not because it travels farther, yet the Mossberg action's capacity for cartridge length is greater; 2.625" for the Mossberg and 2.375". A big deal for lever guns. Both use a trigger stop (Mossberg nomenclature), tabs sticking down behind the trigger to prevent the trigger from being pulled until the lever is fully closed.

actioncompsmosswin.gif


Both Winchester and Mossberg actions rely on a locking bolt, AKA falling block, to back up the bolt when the action is closed and locked and to act as a firing pin safety by physically preventing the hammer from striking the firing pin unless the lever is closed and locked. While the Winchester utilizes narrow bolt rails and matching grooved receiver to locate and guide the Model 94's bolt, the Mossberg has a cylindrical bolt that rides in matching radius cuts that run the full length of their gun's receiver. The Mossberg also has a closed aft receiver ring. The combined changes make for a stronger assembly than the Winchester and they make for much smoother operation.

checkeringcomp.jpg


The laser cut Winchester checkering (right) has wide spaces, as large as the as the raised diamonds, and the diamond points are flat. Machine cut, the Mossberg lines are narrow and diamonds are high and tight, all formed to a crisp point. The Mossberg checkering also has a thin pattern shadow line that is a nice aesthetic touch.

I had more 30-30 WCF ammo around than I care to admit...

ldammosanp.jpg


A trip to the range, which in rural Maine, means stepping out the back door of the shop, I shot three factory loads and two handloads, firing all through the Mossberg Model 464™ and through the Winchester Model 94 Deluxe, both with 20" barrels.
Cartridge Weight
Grains Winchester
Model 94 Mossberg
Model 464™
PMC 150 2,237 2,265
Hornady Leverevolution 168 2,299 2,323
Remington Core-Lokt 170 1,979 2,057
HL - Barnes X 150 2,194 2,237
HL - True Shot CG Cast 170 2,085 2,107

Bore finish, rifling depth, bore diameter, gas seal... I don't know and I'm not going to guess, but I do know that the Mossberg consistently clocked a higher velocity than the Winchester.

There were no problems cycling with any of this ammunition, flat tip or truncated Barnes bullet. The angle eject really popped empties to the side. A big plus - the loading gate on the Mossberg, unlike my Winchester and Marlin, didn't take a bite out of my thumb. Both my Marlin Guide Gun and Winchester Model 94 could do a guest spots on "True Blood".

Fifty yards, open sights and, yes, my less than pristine eyesight...

targetcompgrp.gif


I usually try to mount a scope on a review rifle to take my eyesight out of the accuracy equation. The Mossberg shot so well without a scope that I elected to shoot it using only the traditional metallic sight arrangement and to shoot at fifty yards.

The gun was shot to record group size, not for center black. The target impact reflects typical shift caused by changes to bullet weight and velocity. I'll take ownership for that low flyer in the Hornady group. Subsequent groups shot were more in line with the others on this target.

The open front blade sight and brass bead worked fine, but a set of Williams FireSights, or similar, would be nice on a rifle destined to be shot in the woods under less than ideal lighting conditions. I know Mossberg puts these sights on some of their turkey and slug guns, so maybe... For anyone who wants the gun and can't wait for a factory change, the Mossberg takes any 3/8" dovetail standard front and rear sights, so are many types to choose from.

The trigger pull was a little heavy, but crisp, and the pull weight wasn't noticeable after a few shots. Recoil was too light to be of consequence and the rifle felt very balanced and stabile even though it is a very lightweight firearm. The stock drop was perfect for a natural eye to sight alignment and shooting even at one hundred yards from a standing position was reasonable.

Hey! Wake up! I'm almost finished

clsshtmoss464.jpg


I sometimes wonder how many good products take a hit from careless and uniformed comments made on message boards. I've seen the Mossberg 464™ attributed with issues that suggest the author had never seen a Model 464™ much less actually shot one. That's a shame, because we all love firearms and we are all always looking for the next good one. Based on this first hand exposure, the Mossberg Model 464™ could very well be the woods rifle you've been looking for.

If you miss the classic lever action rifle in its fast handling 30-30 WCF form, stop whining and check out Mossberg's Model 464™, first hand, and form your own opinions.

The product's quality is first class, the derivative design is excellent and the consistency of fit and finish is that of a much more expensive firearm. Best of all, the Mossberg Model 464™ is an accurate and reliable hunting rifle at a more than fair price.
 
Just went to the range with my 464

Hello Everyone. I just went to the range today and broke in my 464. It shoots sweet and was very smooth. I am new to the lever action so I really don't have anything to compare it too. I have a Burris scope on it and shot 150 grain core-lokt. It gave me good groups I still need to tweak it some but over all I am very pleased with this gun.
 
Re: Just went to the range with my 464

Sounds like a good time...I just bought myself another lever action in .44 magnum.
 
Re: Just went to the range with my 464

I love lever guns, I've got two and hope to soon get another. I'm looking at a henry in 45-70. I'm also somewhat interested in a 464 SPX.
 
Re: Just went to the range with my 464

Congratulations on the 464.
They are sweet shooters, I know mine is.

Shoot straight and safe.

Lateck,
 
Re: Just went to the range with my 464

Congrats! I must say, I am jealous. I want a lever action. I was looking at .22 lever actions, but they are so much more expensive than semi-autos that if I wanted to spend that much, I would probably just get a .44 magnum.
 
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