The lever-action rifle is something of an anomaly when looking back through history. The American Civil War showed its efficacy as a fighting weapon, but it never truly saw widespread military use. Still, they persist as a fun way of shooting or hunting. Today, we’re looking at the best lever-action rifles around.
Why Didn’t Lever Actions Catch On?
There are a few strong reasons why lever-action rifles never moved past a sporting rifle. The lack of support for spitzer bullets early on meant that it wasn’t nearly as robust as a bolt-action rifle. Further, the feed mechanism was prone to fouling and jamming when dirt and debris entered the action.
10. Winchester Model 1892 Series
The Herstal Group manufactured the Winchester Model 1892 Series. It is available in .357 Mag, .44 mag, .44-40, and .45 chambering. The approximate base retail price of this rifle is $1,170.
9. Marlin Model 1894 Series
The parent company for the Marlin Model 1894 Series is Sturm, Ruger & Company. Ruger U.S. rifle production reached 736,664, 18.7% of all U.S.-made rifles. Sturm, Ruger & Company operate out of Prescott, AZ, Southport, CT, Mayodan, NC, and Newport, NH. The Marlin Model 1894 series has an approximate base retail price of $1,280 and comes in the .38 Special, .357 Mag, .44 Special, and .44 Mag chambering.
8. Henry Long Ranger Series
Henry Repeating Arms, out of Rice Lake, WI, and Bayonne, NJ, produced 296,948 rifles, about 7.5% of all U.S.-made rifles. They are the parent company of the Henry Long Ranger Series rifle, produced with .243, 6.5mm Creedmoor, .223, and .308 chambering. The approximate base retail price is $1,100.00.
7. Browning BLR Series
The Browning BLR Series was manufactured by the Herstal Group in Morgan, UT (Browning). It is available in a .243, .270, .308, .30-06, 6.5mm Creedmoor, and .300 Win Mag chambering. The approximate base retail price is $1,150 for this rifle.
6. Winchester Model 94 Series
The parent company for the Winchester Model 94 Series is the Herstal Group. This rifle has an approximate base retail price of $1,200 and comes in the .25-35, .30-30, .32 Win Spl, .38-55, and .450 Mar chambering.
5. Henry Golden Boy Series
Henry Repeating Arms, out of Rice Lake, WI, and Bayonne, NJ, produced 296,948 rifles, about 7.5% of all U.S.-made rifles. They are the parent company of the Henry Golden Boy Series rifle, produced with .22 S/L/LR, .22 WMR, and .17 hMR chambering. The approximate base retail price is $530.
4. Rossi R92 Series
Rossi manufactured the Rossi R92 Series. It is available in a .30-30, .454 Casual, .38, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .45, and .45-70 chambering. The approximate base retail price is $620 for this rifle.
3. Marlin Model 1895 Series
The parent company for the Marlin Model 1895 Series is Sturm, Ruger & Company. Ruger’s U.S. rifle production reached 736,664, or 18.7% of all U.S.-made rifles. Sturm, Ruger & Company operate out of Prescott, AZ, Southport, CT, Mayodan, NC, and Newport, NH. The Marlin Model 1895 series has an approximate base retail price of $1,280 and comes in the .45-70 chambering.
2. Henry Side Gate Series
Henry Repeating Arms, out of Rice Lake, WI, and Bayonne, NJ, produced 296,948 rifles in 2021, about 7.5% of all U.S.-made rifles. They are the parent company of the Henry Side Gate Series rifle, produced with .30-30, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .45, and .45-70 chambering. The approximate base retail price is $870.
1. Henry Big Boy Series
The Henry Big Boy Series was manufactured by Henry Repeating Arms in Rice Lake, WI, and Bayonne, NJ. It is available in .327 Mag, .41 Mag, .38, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, and .45 chambering. The approximate base retail price is $850.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Hmaag / CC BY-SA 4.0.
