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1st Lever Action, 1st Mossberg, 1st Post & 1st ?

The tang safety (when in the fully back position on the 464 in 30-30) is designed to physically block the hammer from hitting the firing pin, but still allows the trigger to be released (when the finger !ever is squeezed with thumb on the hammer) so the hammer can then rest in the "safe" position (a.k.a. a half cocked position)...

So, with a round in the chamber, the hammer resting in the safe position & the tang safety in the fully rearward position the rifle can then be safely carried, handled, etc. When actually ready to fire the hammer is 1st cocked to the fully rear position, the tang safety is then moved forward, the finger lever is squeezed and the trigger released?

It seemed strange to me at 1st that the trigger would release the hammer with the tang safety on or off: do I have it right as described above?

Thanks in advance for your kind consideration to this "newbie" question!
 
Sure sounds complicated at least for my pea brain to really understand. IMHO a firearm should not be so complicated, at least the way you describe the procedure.

What is a finger lever? The trigger? Just wondering, because you use both terms in your post.
 
I didn’t answer this because it has been so long since I shot my 464 that I cannot remember.

I might still go and dig it out of the safe to see how that works.

I never carried this gun anywhere in the field. I’ve only shot it at the range. Consequently I never bothered with the safety at all.

Clear the action, flag the chamber, and forget about the safety.
 
I still am more than mildly curious what is a "finger lever", which must be different from a trigger which is "released".
 
Well, I guess if any of the respondents (only one of whom even deigned to answer the question?) ever looked at the exploded diagram in the Mossberg Model 464 Owners Manual it would be clear that the part of this firearm you put your fingers through (you know: the "lever", as in lever action) to work the action is described on the diagram as the FINGER LEVER. That's Mossberg's nomenclature: not mine...

Thanks!

P.S. I wonder if CaddmannQ might consider returning his "box of parts" to where the sun don't shine? If there's any room left in there...?
 
Actually, this gun was designed to allow the hammer to SAFELY fall when the trigger is pulled REGARDLESS of whether the tang safety is in the ON position (fully rearward) or in the OFF position (fully forward). When ON the tang safety physically prevents the hammer from falling foreward enough to strike the firing pin.

Not unlike a hammer drop on a semi-automatic pistol (think Walther PPK, various SIGs, FN FTX, erc.). But done by pulling the trigger.

Just a bit disconcerting at 1st to this lever-action newbie...

Cheers!
 
So clearly you have figured this all out by your self. It is like you never needed our help at all.

Normally I don’t insult people that come to our forum looking for help.

But some folks will come here, never much introduce themselves or become involved in the forum, Ask for help, and make a rude fuss when they don’t get it.

We’ve had a few members start out this way, but in the end they came around, Everybody decided to get along, and it all worked out OK.

It’s not up to us you see.

You have to want to be a member more than you want to crab.

But I would understand if you just disappeared into the sunset never to be seen again. That’s how people often are.
 
By the way I just looked at a Winchester 94 diagram and they have called that thing the finger lever since the 1800s. Clearly Mossberg didn’t make up the name from scratch.

I have never called it anything other than “the lever”, And in my 67 years I’ve never heard anybody else call it anything except “the lever.”

There are only about 12 members here that make 90% of the posts.

I am probably the only one of them that owns a .30-30 464. It’s a very unpopular gun. That’s why they quit making it.

I’m pretty sure I have not touched that gun in two years now or longer. Once I feel better I’m going to drag everything out of the safe and oil it.
 
Well, I guess if any of the respondents (only one of whom even deigned to answer the question?) ever looked at the exploded diagram in the Mossberg Model 464 Owners Manual it would be clear that the part of this firearm you put your fingers through (you know: the "lever", as in lever action) to work the action is described on the diagram as the FINGER LEVER. That's Mossberg's nomenclature: not mine...

I don't have an owners manual because I don't own a 464. Sorry for that.

But you claim to pretty well know your way around firearms, comparing many brands of similar design, can completely disassemble a lever gun, and I am supposed to steer your path?
 
I’m happy to see Norman could take it apart and put it back together again. A lot of people who come here would never attempt such a thing.

But fortune favors the brave.
 
A little of history on lever guns if anyone is interested.

I'll use Marlin lever guns as an example. Early on Marlin lever guns had no "crossbolt safety" and for decades they simply used the half cocked hammer position as the way to carry a loaded gun safely in the field. If fact, most folks carried and stored a chambered round all the time. This worked excellent but in 1983 they introduced a crossbolt safety. There are a multitude of stories as to who pressured Marlin to change their design. But for old JM Marlin guys like myself this was simply "an idea looking for an need". But totally redundant and absolutely unneeded.

If fact, to this day most old Marlin guys don't ever use the crossbolt safety and continue to rely on the half cocked trigger as their safety. The double safety is really unneeded.

I'm sure there is a comparable story on Mossberg level guns and their tang safety.

Regards
 
Well, a week after my initial post (with 71 "views" and no answer of any kind) I posted my 2nd on this thread, ending in "My error".

Then I posted on the "What's wrong..." thread... Much to my surprise that one got multiple responses!

In the interim I searched the web and came up with a couple videos and a Owners Manual. I made no claim (that I know of) of any great expertise, but I am pretty comfortable around my firearms and hazarded to take a shot(sic) at disassembling the 464, which was interesting and did, in fact, answer my original question. Imagine my surprise when I came back to the forum with the intent of answering my own question to find my crabbing (rude fuss?) had treated me to the finger?

I certainly didn't aim(sic) to cause anyone any distress, either by needing to dig into their safes (and all that may entail?) or by the use of a term that now seems to be consistent across both the Winchester & Mossberg lines: kind of makes me wonder what the folks at Marlin (and now RUGER!) call it? It is also my understanding that a crossbolt safety USUALLY blocks the trigger from releasing the hammer and/or blocks the firing pin: pretty much a belt & suspenders situation. I just had never handled a firearm where the trigger actually dropped the hammer regardless of whether the safety was ON or OFF. As mentioned, really different from a decocking lever on a pistol, which still feels a little strange when one is more familiar, for example, with the 1911 platform.

I don't know if the Winchester or the Marlin designs incorporate what Mossberg calls the Safety Lever, but I'm going to find out in a couple weeks as a friend is bringing his Father's Model 94 (a gun he inherited upon his Dad's passing and has yet to ever shoot) down to the Beach for an impromptu (well, partially planned) Battle of the 30-30's.

I'm aware that the 464 is not everyone's favorite but the one I inherited from a friend is very accurate and shoots my reloads like they were fresh from the factory. Just my 1st Mossberg, my 1st lever action & my 1st (and probably only) 30-30.

Cheers!

P.S. I'll try to refrain from using any more gun-related cliche's in future posts.
 
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Welcome to the forum from the socialist republic of New York.

Sounds about as much fun as living here on the North of the Left Coast (Grays Harbor County, WA.)!

My Sister and most of her family have lived in the Rochester area for over 55 years. Glad you guys finally got rid of that Whack-job of a Guv!

Cheers!

P.S. As of today the mask rules out here are now history.
 
The Mossberg will out shoot the Winchester. That’s my experience with both rifles.

After shooting against me, my buddy sold his model 94. He hates Mossberg, and was very unhappy to lose to one.

He had been collecting rifles much longer than I have so it came as a bit of a blow to him.
 
I'll be sure and post a thread about the eventual results: don't even know the age of his Winchester, it may well even be an original Model 1894 (in steel vs. alloy)?

He's also retired, in his later '60's (ex-LAPD), and said the reason he never shot the 30-30 that his Dad "used to hunt with for years and years" because he had a 30-06' he always used when hunting in CA (or who knows where else?). Should be interesting a fun as well. He shot my 464 well and actually said he was impressed: like most he originally thought it was a Marlin at 1st glance. A Mossberg, huh?

Based upon some of the comments on this forum I'm starting to think I may have lucked out and gotten an exemplary 464 (in the positive conitation, vs. the punishment aspect of the word)? We'll see...

Cheers!
 
One of my reliability problems was the loose and cheaply stamped main spring link.

Too long and the hammer didn’t rebound properly, too short and it wouldn’t strike reliably. Both conditions resulted in random fail to fire.

There were burrs on the stamping and it rode on those, so as they wore down this link got short and unreliable.

Anyhow I have pictures here on the forum and I wrote a lot more about this issue.
 
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