The AR/Modern Sporting Rifle platform captures a large share of the rifle/carbine market. However, lever action rifles and carbines have served longer, and they still have lots to offer, even for defensive work.
Lever action rifles and carbines are pure “American,” and have served faithfully since the middle of the 1800’s. The first lever action to receive a U.S. patent, in 1848, was the Volition Repeating Rifle. It was not a success. Smith and Wesson left the company to start making revolvers, and Oliver Winchester bought out all investors to form the New Haven Arms Company. Benjamin Tyler Henry was hired to improve on the Volcanic design – which became the 1860 “Henry” rifle, released in 1860. It’s the one “you load on Sunday and shoot all week.” The Spencer lever action was introduced the same year. New Haven Arms evolved into the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which produced “The gun that won the west.” Ever since then they’ve seen use by law enforcement and for defense, hunting – lever actions have likely taken more deer than all other actions combined – and of course sport – lever actions are a mandatory piece of gear for Cowboy Action Shooting.
My lever action is an 1894 in .357 magnum. I’m a big fan of the lever action, especially for commonality; one round fits my handguns – revolvers – and the rifle. But, in order to make it fit my needs a few modifications were required. First, it needed to be cut down. The length of pull was too long, the barrel was too long and it definitely needed the sights upgraded. The goal was to end up with a short, lightweight carbine; easy to carry all day, quick to get onto target and simple to operate.
First, I shortened the buttstock. Since I didn’t like the concave shape of the factory plate, and now it was too large to fit, I made a new cap out of G10. (Rubber is too “sticky” and hangs up on clothing.). I also chopped the barrel down to 16 ¼” and topped it off with a set of peep sights from XS, which required drilling and tapping the barrel for the front sight bolts. After cutting a new crown on the barrel, and re-bluing the naked areas, everything was ready to assemble. (Another advantage of the lever action rifle is that they’re super simple and easy to work on.).
The modifications resulted in a 32” package that weighs about 6 pounds (loaded), with the sling, and with the butt cuff filled with spare rounds. The lever action is four inches shorter than my AR carbine with 16” barrel and fixed stock, and a little lighter. The Marlin is compact, lightweight and simple to operate; perfect for defensive use or putting meat on the table.
The .357 Magnum is a great cartridge, especially considering all the offerings available today. And, as mentioned above, my revolvers eat the same ammunition. Another benefit is “Legality.” There are some places where semi-auto military style firearms are frowned upon, or outright illegal. The lever action doesn’t attract any undue attention, and it’s “more legal” than an AR. (Plus, with an eye to the future the AR platform is going to become more restrictive and costlier to own.)
The lever action is still a viable firearm to consider. The well-established platform is proven, and available in a variety of calibers. It can be as low-tech or as tactical as desired. Many companies are offering pre-made tactical lever actions, like the Henry pictured with the Marlin above. In addition to this, lever actions are good looking, and fun to shoot.
Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.
