Lever Action rifles are one of those special kinds of firearms that have timeless roots in society and modern demand. Many people started with hunting using a lever gun. Growing up in Michigan, I was the odd one out because I started hunting with a Winchester Model 70, while all my buddies were using a Marlin .30/30. Interest fell off a little with some company buyouts and closures. But now lever guns are back in their rightful place as one of the coolest firearms you can own. If you don’t own at least one, chances are good that you want one. Why do you want a lever-action rifle? Because they are cool!
Why you want a lever-action rifle
While we can all admit they are cool, there are some practical reasons why you want one. They are often compact, making them easy to maneuver when you’re hunting. They are reliable, too. Unlike a semi-auto rifle that can jam, it is rare for a lever-action rifle to hang up and cause an issue.
One of the other features of the design that makes them popular is that lever-action rifles are fast. Once you get practiced using one, you can make follow-up shots in pretty rapid succession. With some of the accessory options now being offered both direct from the factories and from aftermarket specialists like MAGPUL and WOOX, you can trick one out just the same as an AR-platform rifle. And unlike ARs, there are no legality concerns with a lever action.
Also, many lever-action rifles now come with threaded barrels, making it a piece of cake to mount a suppressor and tame the sound output.
A brief history
It was common for gunslingers of the Old West to have their rifles in the picture with them. Image courtesy Winchester Arms.
The first lever-action rifle was developed in 1848 by Walter Hunt as the Volition Repeating Rifle. It was a commercial dud. The design was taken and improved by Lewis Jennings, who later partnered with a few notable names – Horace Smith, Daniel Wesson and Oliver Winchester. They formed the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company in 1855. Again, they didn’t reach the commercial success you might expect, but it was going in the right direction.
Colt got in on the action with the Colt Ring Rifle, with models coming out in 1837 and 1841. These came in multiple calibers and were marketed mainly to the military. While part of the lever-action story, these rifles didn’t stick around. The design was extremely heavy, making in hard to use, especially from horseback. There were other issues with reliability, and the overall cost was extremely high for the time.
Lever-action rifles gained momentum
In 1860 things really took off, thanks to Benjamin Tyler Henry, who’s Henry Rifle was used extensively during the later stages of the Civil War. It was chambered in .44 Rimfire.
Another prominent lever gun, the Spencer Rifle, designed by Christopher Spencer. This was an interesting rifle, with a tubular magazine that was loaded through the stock. They produced over 200,000 of these rifles in the 1860’s. It was adopted by the military during the Civil War and was notable for being the first rifle adopted by any military that had a removeable magazine.
The modern version of the Winchester 1873 rifle.
Winchester took the Henry design and refined it. At first the Winchester Model 1866 did quite well, but it was the even more refined Model 1873 that became the Gun that Won the West. By the time the Model 1894 came out, Winchester had control of the market share. The Model 1895 soon followed, developed to handle higher pressure cartridges that were coming out for big game hunting.
Competition is a good thing and in the 1890’s Both Marlin and Savage started to get in on the action. The Marlin Model 1891 and 1895 did quite well, eventually becoming the Marlin Model 336. Savage also did well with the Model 1899.
Modern times
The modern Marlin Trapper, with a threaded barrel that is suppressor ready.
From the 1970s up through the early parts of the 2000s, lever-action rifles took some weird turns. It was prominently Marlin and Winchester owning the main share of the market. The economy was taking its toll, and Marlin was soon brought into the Remington ownership. What started off as a promising partnership, with new models coming out, soon became a bit of a nightmare. Remington folded, declaring bankruptcy and the future of Marlin was in serious jeopardy.
Winchester was also in trouble and was acquired by the FN Herstal group in 1989. The company chugged along until further financial loss led to the closure of the Connecticut factory, and a period of uncertainty arose. The manufacturing of all Winchester arms switched over to another FN company - Browning, in 2006. Currently, Winchester produces several models of lever-action rifle. The part I really like is the craftsmanship is outstanding. Many are painstakingly replicas of the original rifles and they are beautiful.
And they're back...
Marlin rose from the ashes of the Remington Bankruptcy as well, being bought by Ruger in 2020. They started back with a single model but are now at full production with multiple models coming with factory threaded barrels, perfect for suppressors.
The Smith & Wesson Model 1854.
Smith & Wesson recently jumped back into the lever-action rifle business with a nod to their history. The Model 1854 was released in January of 2024. It comes in multiple versions and caliber options and they come with that all-important factory threaded barrel.
Henry Repeating Arms is now the leading manufacturer of lever-action rifles. They offer both nostalgic models that are throw backs to the 1800s. You can also find some of the most advanced lever-action rifle technology on the market today, including lever guns that use AR-15 magazines, carbon fiber barrels and much more.
The Henry SPD HUSH, the first production lever-action rifle designed for suppressor use.
Of particular interest to us, the Henry SPD HUSH is the first lever-action rifle designed specifically to be suppressed. Henry used a carbon-fiber barrel on the HUSH to help balance the weight when you have a suppressor attached. They also have a closed action when fired to help with suppression as well. These are amazing rifles.
Suppressing a Lever-Action Rifle
With the common calibers that lever guns come in, picking a suppressor is fairly straightforward. For the bigger caliber models, like .45/70, .45 Long Colt, .44 Magnum, and some of the other calibers that have bullets larger than .30 caliber, you can't go wrong with a 46-caliber suppressor, such as the Dead Air Primal.
For .30/30 and other .30-caliber lever rifles, there is a massive range of options. Popular models include the Dead Air Sandman X, the SilencerCo Omega 300 is popular as well. There are other options you might consider, such as BANISH's new HNT 30 SS.
There are some cool newer designs of lever guns that shoot .223/5.56 rounds. You have options for suppressors too. Take a look at the Dead Air Sierra 5, which gives you several mounting options. You may also like the BANISH VRMT 223 Ti, or the Dead Air Lazarus 6, both are very highly rated.
Buying a suppressor is easier than ever. Silencer Central makes the process simple and pain free, and will ship your suppressor to your front door.
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
