In the short time I have participated in AR I have come to realize Searcy rifles are well regarded. I am curious about the opinion of the group toward the underlever style. Cabela's has a 470 which has been there for quite some time. Why no takers? I handled the gun and it seemed quite nice to me. It is now being offered with a pretty substantial discount.

i owen a searcy 700 nitro express underlever and i love it any rifle i buy from searcy will have the underlever on it its a very simple extreamly strong design.

butch himself also loves the underlever making his owen personal 577 nitro a underlever.

The system you are calling a UNDER LEVER, is properly called a SNAP ACTION, only a simple matter of semantics, nothing more! However, the words UNDER LEVER usually means a system like the JONES UNDERLEVER, which rotates to the right or left, depending on the rifle being made for a right, or left handed shooter!

The SNAP ACTION Searcy is the best system of lever for rifles with huge amounts of recoil, and is the reason the snap action was designed in the first place! The system's lock-up is exactly the same as the top lever, as far as the lock-up portion is concerened. The lever is just on the bottom, and moves fore and aft, rather than on top, and side to side! It was found, long ago, that the top lever would recoil into the web of the hand on violently recoiling rifles, especially if it happened to "DOUBLE"! The snap action leaves the top of the rifle very smooth, so it can slide back in the trigger hand without damageing the shooter's hand!

This system is not needed on smaller doubles, with less recoil. However, it might be a good idea, for some one who uses his doubles for all hunting, to have the small ones with the same system as the ones used for dangerous game! If a person has only one double, and it is a small bore(under 470), then the choice between the snap action, and top lever is simply that, a matter of choice, because one is not stronger than the other, but are exactly the same in that respect!

LJS,

That Searcy underlever (snap action) at Cabelas is a giveaway at $12.9K. You might even get it a tad cheaper.

Clearly the snap action design is faster to reload than a top lever for someone who practices with their double.

However, most guys who were brought up with SxS toplever shotguns just stick with what they know. And a toplever PH model is just $9500, so most buyers go that direction.

The underlever in question:



http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/gun_inventory/inventory/kansas_city/fine_rifle/129358_searcy_kc.jhtml

quote:

Originally posted by 500grains:
LJS,

That Searcy underlever (snap action) at Cabelas is a giveaway at $12.9K. You might even get it a tad cheaper.

Clearly the snap action design is faster to reload than a top lever for someone who practices with their double.

However, most guys who were brought up with SxS toplever shotguns just stick with what they know. And a toplever PH model is just $9500, so most buyers go that direction.

The underlever in question:

I have always wanted a snap action rifle. I have a snap action Dickson 12 and love it.

Maybe enough to buy a Searcy?

Yeah, and only a mere 12 lbs.

quote:

Originally posted by Mickey1:
I have always wanted a snap action rifle.

Mickey,

You should buy the Jeffery .600 NE snap action from Champlin's for only $37K. It has been restocked, but that is quite a reasonable price, especially in view of the fact that HH wants $25K just for an extra set of barrels for one of their doubles. The Jeffery has been for sale at Champlins on and off for 3 or more years as I recall, so you might even negotiate a lower price.

My experience with shooting a 600 tells me I do not want one. That is a nice looking rifle though. I guess the price is too high.

I try not to buy rifles that I don't think will double in value in 5 years, sometimes I actually get it right.

I had a chance to buy a .577 Jeffery in Aus a couple of years ago. I passed on it then but have been thinking about it a lot lately. It is Sambar season over there now after all and what better excuse to go and poke around a bit.

I think what I would really like is a .303 or the like. A nice light, quick everyday rifle.

Here is the Searcy underlever referred to by 700nitro above.

please forgive an uninformed who has never shot a double rifle and only handled double shotguns, not fired them. It would seem that the snap lever would require letting go at the wrist with the right hand (read that as right and as correct ) or manipulating it with the left hand before grabbing the shells. Is it really any faster than manipulating the lever on top with the right hand still on the wrist and simultaneously reaching for shells with the left hand?

remember guys, never shot one of these so some education is needed.

Red

Gentlemen,
While all of my doubles are top lever, I have handled some Purdy underlevers and the above pictured Jeffery as well as a Searcy under lever.
I have hunted with Ruger No 1's quite a bit, so the "movement" might be more natural to me, but the under lever snap action double rifle handles as slick as the top lever models for sure.
In fact the under lever snap action is probably slightly faster to open than the top lever.

Think about it, when you shoot a top lever after firing, you shift your hand position to thumb open the top lever, break the rifle open, extract the fired cases [nonejector] and reload, then closing the rifle.

On the under lever snap action, after firing you open your grip, press the lever down, extract the fired cases [non ejector] reload, and close the action.
I carry extra ammo in a butt stock shell carrier, my rifle hardly leaves the "firing position" when reloading.
Both are excellent "systems". In the real world there is no difference.
The under lever is the stronger "opening leverage" system of the two. Which is why Jeffery used it for his 600 Nitro. Look close at Jefferies "stuff". He was on the Ball.
His doubles had Krupp [German] barrels, his Nitro cartridges all had thick rims, he was a big advocate of "tropical" loads.
His express sights are the best I have ever used.
His "stuff" worked.