Why Lever-Action Rifles Are Popular Again
BY Herschel Smith
1 hour, 26 minutes ago
The result is something few people would have predicted twenty years ago: a lever-action rifle that can comfortably coexist alongside AR-15s and modern carbines at the range. Models chambered in .357 Magnum hold a considerable number of rounds and provide impressive muzzle velocities. They are very easy to hit with, fast cycling and loads of fun. On the flip side are the .45-70 Governments and .444 Marlins big-bores which hit hard putting large diameter and heavy payloads on target. In-between are the traditional .30-30 Winchester and similar cartridges which slay white-tailed deer just as well today as they did 100 years ago.
I like lever action rifles, but for me it’s just as much the fact that you can’t put a .444 Marlin or 45-70 Government into a modern semiautomatic firearm and expect it to function reliably. On the east coast, you’re not likely to need more than these two can give you to take down game animals. We rarely get a shot beyond about 150 yards.
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On August 30, 2026 at 9:08 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
In the Old West and on the frontier, there was often considerably utility to having a revolver and lever-action carbine chambered in the same cartridge. That utility has not disappeared in the modern world. Many owners of revolvers and lever-guns in today’s world enjoy the convenience and usefulness of having them share the same cartridge.
Such an arrangement works for .38 Special/357 Magnum, Colt 45, and 44 Special/44 Magnum, to name a few.
One could also do target-practice and training with less-expensive .38 Spl. and switch to more powerful 357 Magnum when hunting. The same is possible with 44 Spl. and 44 Magnum.
The possibilities abound…