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Versatility of the Lever Action
- Jul 1
- 5 min read
by Shane Jahn
Nostalgic. Uniquely American. Just plain cool. The lever action rifle is an icon of the United States. It stands as a symbol of our western culture. Since 1860, the lever gun has been answering calls from riflemen. It has seen battles against man, tangled with surly bears and defiant Cape buffalo, and accounted for all manner of wild game in the hunting fields. While there are numerous old-school versions still in existence, ranging from blue-worn shooters to showcase quality heirlooms, rifles of more modern ancestry are widely available for today’s outdoorsmen. Lever actions of traditional profile are still made here and abroad. Rifles with synthetic stocks and apparatuses of an extreme tactical nature abound to fill any gap or desire.
Ammunition companies continue to cater to the lever gun. Just this year at SHOT Show 2026 we saw new ammo from Winchester with their American Lever Range line. Hornady and Remington are two other big names with lever action ammunition options. There are other small manufacturers like High Desert Cartridge Company and Hendershot’s, just to name a couple, who refuse to let the lever action go unfed. Some like Buffalo Bore Ammunition specialize in options that add a little spice to older cartridges chambered in strong, modern guns.
