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Most of the talk in the rifle world these days about bullets with high ballistic coefficients, high-magnification trajectory-compensating rifle scopes, and rifles guaranteed to deliver one-hole groups. But while today’s long-range practitioners argue about the best high-dollar tripod to shoot from, there are folks out there filling freezers and putting antlers on the wall with lever guns just like their grandad used to use.
The lever-action rifle has evolved a fair bit over the last century, and with refined designs and modern ammunition, it’s now more capable than ever. Maybe somewhat surprisingly, in the midst of today’s long-rage craze, manufacturers are still introducing new lever-action rifles, and hunters are buying them up as fast as they hit gun-shop racks. There’s a wider variety of lever guns to choose from now than at any other time in recent memory. So, which one should you get? To help you with that, I’ve narrowed the field to a manageable number. Below are my picks for the nine best lever guns currently on the market.
- Best Overall: Marlin 1895 Trapper
- Best Classic: Winchester Model 94 Deluxe Sporting
- Best Modern: Browning Lightweight ’81 Takedown
- Marlin 1895 Dark Series
- Smith & Wesson Model 1854
- Winchester 1895
- Henry Lever Action Supreme
- Henry Long Ranger Express
Best Overall: Marlin 1895 Trapper
best overall
Marlin 1895 Trapper
Pros
Adaptable stock with ammo storage
Compact and handy
Versatile sighting options
Element resistance
Cons
Expensive
45-70 only
Specs
Overall Length: 33.25 inches
Barrel Length: 16.17 inches
Weight: 7.25 pounds
Chamberings: 45-70 Government
Price: $1,649
Marlin offers two varieties of the 1895 Trapper rifle, but they fitted their newest one with a Magpul ELG buttstock and forend. And it’s that stock and forend that puts this rifle in a class by itself. The forend is polymer with a recoil shelf at the front and with M-Lok slots along its sides and bottom. The buttstock is also polymer, but it has a hidden, trap-door compartment where you can fit an optional cartridge holder. (No unsightly butt cuff needed on this rifle.) The rifle also comes with a comb riser that you can attach to the trap door to better position your eye in line with a riflescope. This Trapper has a short Picatinny scope rail with an integral Skinner aperture sight and a Skinner Bear Buster front sight. All the metalwork, including the 16-inch threaded barrel, is stainless steel which contrasts nicely with the Nitride coated bolt and black hammer, loading gate, trigger, and screws. As far as I’m concerned, the new Trapper from Marlin represents the best melding of traditional and modern lever-gun features ever offered. You can read my full review of the rifle here.
Best Classic: Winchester Model 94 Deluxe Sporting
best classic
Winchester Model 94 Deluxe Sporting
Pros
- Elegant
- Nostalgic
- Beautiful
Cons
- Expensive
Specs
Overall Length: 42.5 inches
Barrel Length: 24 inches
Weight: 7.5 pounds
Chamberings: 30-30 Winchester, 38-55 Winchester
Price: $2,279.99
When you think of a traditional lever-action rifle, you often think of case-hardened and deeply blued steel as black as a witches’ heart, surrounded by finely figured walnut. Many also think of the Winchester 94, which is the most iconic of all lever-action rifles. Winchester’s Model 94 Deluxe Sporting rifle puts it all together. It’s a pure, traditional lever gun that’s so fine, you might contemplate skipping a mortgage payment (or two) to get one. This rifle has a color-case-hardened receiver, lever, and nose cap; a crescent butt plate; and a deeply blued, half-round/half-octagonal 24-inch barrel. The stock is grade V/VI walnut with a statin finish as smooth as a politician’s lies. It’s also fitted with a traditionally styled Marble Arms adjustable semi-buckhorn rear sight, and it’s even drilled and tapped for scope mounts, though you might burn in eternity if you scope a rifle like this. Wild West stock detective and regulator Tom Horn would have traded his horse for a rifle like this.
Best Modern: Browning Lightweight ’81 Takedown
best modern
Browning Lightweight ’81 Stainless Takedown
Pros
Compatible with modern cartridges
Lightweight
Cons
Rudimentary open sights
Specs
Overall Length: 40 inches
Barrel Length: 20 inches
Weight: 6.5 pounds
Chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 Remington, 308 Winchester, 300 WSM, 30-06 Springfield, 300 Winchester Magnum
Price: $1,429.99 to $1,519.99
Over the years, there have been several of what you might call “modern” lever-action rifles that can fire rimless, modern cartridges and feed them from a detachable magazine. The first was the great Savage 99, but it, the Winchester Model 100, and Sako Finnwolf are all long gone. The one that has remained is the Browning BLR. Of the current BLRs available, I like the Lightweight ’81 Stainless Takedown the best. It features Browning’s famous rack and pinion lever design, a non-reflective statin-nickel finish on the aluminum alloy receiver, a stainless-steel barrel, and a laminate hardwood stock. All you have to do is flip a single lever to take the rifle down for easy packing. Browning drills and taps the barrel on this rifle for an optional scope base, so you can mount a scout scope that will retain zero after takedown and reassembly. Packable, lightweight, and handy, it’s perfect for the lever-gun lover who wants to hike in deep with a modern cartridge like the 6.5 Creedmoor or 300 WSM. Really, if that’s you, the question is: Why do you not already own this rifle?
Marlin 1895 Dark Series
Marlin 1895 Dark Series
Pros
Compact and light
Versatile sighting options
Adaptable butt stock and forend
Cons
Limited availability
Specs
Overall Length: 34.63 inches
Barrel Length: 16.17 inches
Weight: 6.4 pounds
Chamberings: 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum
Price: $1,429
It might be hard to look at Marlin’s Dark Series lever gun and call it traditional, but it still functions and operates like the lever gun your grandad carried. The difference is that Marlin has refined the Dark Series to be more appealing to modern-day shooters who like a more radical look as well as some modernized features. The action is the same 1895 action that Marlin is famous for, but this rifle is fitted with an aluminum handguard that’s M-Lok compatible. It also has a polymer butt stock with M-Lok attachment slots. The Dark Series rifle comes with a comb riser that you can snap in place for better eye alignment with a riflescope. Marlin threads the muzzle, and the gun comes with a radial port break and thread protector. To maximize sighting options, there’s a Picatinny rail that extends part way down the barrel, and the gun is fitted with an integral aperture sight. The front sight is fiber-optic with a Tritium ring for better performance in low light. The Marlin Dark Series 1895 could be appreciated in a dense laurel thicket while looking for black bear, or at home for personal protection. Check out my full review of the rifle here.
Smith & Wesson Model 1854
Smith & Wesson Model 1854
Pros
Threaded muzzle
Removable magazine tube
Adjustable XS Sight and scope rail
Cons
A tad heavy
Specs
Overall Length: 36 inches
Barrel Length: 19.25 inches
Weight: 7.2 pounds
Chamberings: 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt
Price: $1,399
Smith & Wesson re-introduced the 1854 rifle in 2024. It’s based on a rifle Smith & Wesson made in 1854, which was S&W’s first lever-action rifle. The 1854 is a side-eject lever-action made from 410 stainless steel. At 7.2 pounds, it’s a tad heavy for a lever gun chambered for a revolver cartridge, but at less than a meter long, it is handy. Out of the box, the rifle comes with a Picatinny scope rail and an integral XS Sights aperture sight that pairs with a gold bead front sight. Smith & Wesson finishes the metal work with a black, corrosion-resistant Armornite, and it contrasts nicely with the plain-grained and checkered walnut stock. Smith & Wesson also threads the barrel, and the rifle has a cross-bolt safety, which is common on modern lever guns. If you like to hunt in close quarters where the action can be fast and furious, this 1854 should give you a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Winchester 1895
Winchester 1895
Pros
Powerful
Nostalgic
Cons
Rudimentary open sights
Not optics compatible
Specs
Overall Length: 42 inches
Barrel Length: 24 inches
Weight: 8.0 pounds
Chamberings: 30-06 Springfield, 405 Winchester
Price: $1,589.99
Often considered the rifle of Rosevelt, the Winchester Model 1895 can hardly be called a modern lever-action rifle today. But in 1895, it was modern beyond everyone’s imagination. This was the first Winchester lever gun manufactured with a magazine below the action to allow the use of higher pressure cartridges loaded with pointy bullets. Chambered in 405 Winchester, the 1895 found favor with hunters like Teddy Rosevelt and Stewart Edward White in Africa, but Winchester also chambered it for the 30-06 Springfield. Winchester still makes this classic lever gun, and although the 1895 is not compatible with a riflescope, the receiver is drilled and tapped for a side-mount sight. Granted, the 1895 is a long ways from new and lacks a lot of modern features, but as far as lever action rifles go, it’s just too good to leave off this list. After all, it is the original, “Big Stick.”
Henry Lever Action Supreme
Henry Lever Action Supreme
Pros
AR15 magazine compatible
Suppressor ready
Light and compact
Cons
Limited cartridge options
Specs
Overall Length: 36.65 to 38.15 inches
Barrel Length: 16.5 to 18 inches
Weight: 6.43 to 6.65 pounds
Chamberings: 223 Remington/5.56 NATO, 300 AAC Blackout
Price: $1,299
In recent years, Henry has been very innovative when it comes to the lever gun, and new for 2025 is their Lever Action Supreme Rifle. This rifle is available with a free-floated 18-inch barrel when chambered for the 223 Rem/5.56 NATO, or a 16.5-inch barrel in 300 AAC Blackout. It is also compatible with AR15 high-capacity magazines. The Lever Action Supreme also has an AR15-like rotary bolt, but the action is driven by a quad-bar linkage and slider crank mechanism. It has a tang safety, but there’s no external hammer, and the trigger is user adjustable. The rifle comes with a fully adjustable rear sight and blade front sight and is drilled and tapped for scope mounting. Its receiver is aluminum and finished with hard black anodizing, and the checkered wood stock is American walnut. Whether you’re in a state unfriendly to the AR15 or just prefer the lever action for general purpose application, with its high capacity and compactness, the Lever Action Supreme could be a great alternative to the AR.
Henry Long Ranger Express
Henry Long Ranger Express
Pros
Compact
Suppressor ready
General utility application
Cons
No open sights
Only one chambering
Specs
Overall Length: 37 inches
Barrel Length: 16.5 inches
Weight: 7.0 pounds
Chamberings: 223 Remington/5.56 NATO
Price: $1,324
One of the applications where the lever gun is often used but has never been ideally adapted for is home/self-defense. With its short barrel and overall compactness, the Henry Long Ranger Express is suitable for that application and also make a great truck or trail gun. Henry builds the Express on their Long Ranger action, which emulates the Browning BLR, but this rifle feeds from a five-round proprietary, detachable magazine that fits flush with the bottom of the action. The rifle does not come with sights but does ship with a Picatinny scope rail which is ideal for a compact red dot sight or low-powered variable rifle scope. The aluminum receiver is black anodized, and the 16.5-inch threaded barrel is blued. Henry crafts the rifle’s stock from laminated hardwood, and it is lean and trim. Whether you’re looking for a home defense rifle, a truck or camp gun, or a rifle for predator control around the farm, this unique and suppressor-ready modernized lever gun from Henry has a lot of merit.
How We Tested Lever Action Rifles
There are two types of lever-action rifles. The first is classically styled, tube-fed lever gun generally chambered for legacy cartridges like the 30-30 Winchester and 45-70 Government. The other is lever-action rifles fed from an internal or detachable magazine that’s situated below the action. These rifles are chambered for more modern cartridges, like the 223 Remington and 308 Winchester. As a lever-gun nut going way back, I’ve either tested or shot or hunting with nearly every lever gun that’s hit the market in the last, oh, 40 years or so.
Lever guns aren’t like other bolt-action rifles, where there’s a big new batch of them every year. Instead, new models come out a few at a time. As a result, if we only looked at the lever guns that are new this year, we’d be leaving out some of the best guns currently available. With that in mind, based on my extensive experience shooting and hunting with lever actions of both types, I made my picks for the best new lever guns to come out in recent years, but I also included a few not-so-new models to make sure there was something for everyone and for every pursuit.
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4 Comments
What about Rossi? I’d put my R92 against all of them. Can’t pick a best when you don’t even try them all
Brother I’ve had 2 Rossi’s and they work just fine but now I have a new Marlin trapper 357mag and the overall quality , and fit/finish of the Marlin is just top notch over the Rossi.
I was going to come down and say the same thing! Also I don’t trust Field and Stream they are owned by Dicks Sports apparel who is Anti-gun and doesn’t believe in the Second Amendment!
Hello. We are not—and never have been—owned by or affiliated with Dicks Sporting Goods. The “Field and Stream” retail stores they used to own were in no way associated with the Field & Stream media company. Thank you.