The invention of the Spencer lever-action rifle in 1860 changed many things, including how the United States fought wars. This major advancement in firearm efficiency gave shooters the ability to fire multiple shots with just a flick of the lever, enhancing and even extending life for those settling the perilous new frontier of the American West.
The Spencer and the Henry, which would soon follow it were unlike any that Americans had imagined before. With the Spencer, moving the loading lever caused the breechblock to drop. Once the breechblock cleared the receiver, the carrier rolled downward, ejecting the spent cartridge from the chamber and gathering a fresh round from the tubular magazine in the buttstock. Closing the lever chambered a new cartridge, and the breechblock then rose vertically to close the breech.
Lever Actions — A New Beginning
It’s easy to envision how this transformed life on the frontier and the battlefield. A mountain man defending against hostile natives could maintain a steady stream of fire instead of reloading after each shot. Similarly, a Union rifleman could independently keep a group of Confederate soldiers pinned down due to the new rapid-fire feature.
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It’s no secret that 166 years later, the lever-action rifle remains as popular as ever—maybe even more popular. For many, there’s a certain nostalgia to working a lever that makes them feel closer to those taming the Western land. And with improved manufacturing processes, many of today’s lever guns are just as accurate as quality bolt-action rifles on the market.
The Lever Gun Lives On
A very interesting trend in lever-action rifles has been the introduction of “modern” lever guns. While these guns might look somewhat like the lever actions of yesteryear, most have features that set them apart. Some have synthetic stocks in place of traditional walnut, along with stainless steel barrels replacing the conventional blued ones. Some even feature M-Lok rails for mounting accessories and threaded barrels so they can be used with a sound suppressor.
For modern lever guns, it seems that the sky is pretty much the limit. Of course, all of these improvements come with a price. In fact, judging from the MSRPs of some of the modern levers, the sky is also the limit there.
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Fortunately for lever-action lovers, there are plenty of these modern models to choose from. Let’s briefly explore three that might catch your fancy and would almost certainly pique Christopher Henry’s interest.
Smith & Wesson
The 1854 Stealth Hunter from Smith & Wesson isn’t the lever gun John Wayne used to take on Ned Pepper and his crew in the all-time classic movie True Grit, but I have no doubt The Duke would have been more than happy to go to battle with this rifle in hand. Among a host of other features, it offers an extended Picatinny rail for mounting optics—an increasingly popular option for lever guns these days. A new fore end with 15 M-Lok slots allows mounting additionalaccessories, and it features a HIVIZ H3 front sight designed for superior visibility in both low-light and daylight conditions. The rear sight is an XS ghost-ring sight that is adjustable for both windage and elevation. Other features include a synthetic stock and a stainless steel barrel and action. MSRP is $1,399 to $1,499.
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Pedersoli
The first time I saw the Pedersoli Boar Buster Apocalypse, I wasn’t even sure what I was looking at, as it is far from your grandpa’s lever action. The gun’s modern aesthetics and functional elements merge with the classic lines of a Western-style gun, pleasing new and seasoned lever-action fans alike. The gun features a polymer buttstock and fore end, with leather-covered inserts on the grip areas of the fore end and pistol grip, along with on the adjustable cheekpiece. The fore end has M-Lok mounting slots for attaching various accessories. One of the things that makes the gun great is that it is chambered in .45-70, a cartridge that can easily take down any animal on the North American continent. At $2,705, the MSRP isn’t for the faint of heart.
Henry Repeating Arms
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The SPD HUSH Series rifles come from Henry’s Special Products Division (SPD), a collaborative hub dedicated to pioneering advancements in firearms design and technology. Called by Henry the “ultimate suppressor host,” it uses carbon fiber wrapped around a steel liner for the barrel in place of traditional steel to cut weight. The buttstock is laminated wood, and the carbon-fiber fore end comes with M-Lok slots on both sides and the bottom for attaching accessories. Of course, the barrel is threaded for suppressor use. These lever-action rifles areavailable in all the classic lever-action chamberings, including .357 Mag., .44 Mag., .45 Colt, .30-30 Win. and .45-70. MSRP is $2,000.
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