--- title: "Podcast: The Time of the Lever Gun Is Now" description: "The lever gun was one of our first repeating rifles, and after nearly 150 years, the platform is still what many hunters and shooters reach for." date: "2024-04-17" modified: "2024-04-17" authors: - name: "Tyler Freel" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/tyler-freel/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/podcast-lever-guns/" categories: - "Guns" - "Rifles" tags: - "News" --- # Podcast: The Time of the Lever Gun Is Now ![A man in a camo sunshirt and hood leans a lever-action rifle against a tree as he prepares to shoot.]() *The author shoots the new Smith & Wesson model on the range at Gunsite. The lever gun is not just surviving, it's thriving. Photo by Scott Einsmann* You might think that the cutting edge of bolt-action and gas-gun technology is impressive, but the lever gun’s tenure as one of America’s favorite hunting rifles is an equally stunning testament to the concepts and designs of some of our very first repeating rifles. The 2024 *Outdoor Life* gun test showed us just how relevant the lever gun still is, and that some gun makers are devoting the time and attention to crafting the highest quality production lever-action specimens we’ve ever seen. These guns are better made, incorporate more user-friendly features, and they’re more versatile than ever. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xtGELXh5hxkZaHLv2H3eV?si=0198a7861c9048f9 ## A New Sheriff In Town? Marlin has been one of the biggest players in the lever action world for many decades, and after being drawn from the ashes of the Remington bankruptcy by Ruger, the company has made a [huge comeback](). In fact, Marlin had award-winning submissions in our previous two gun tests. Marlin has been making its rifles with better function and more precise attention to detail than they ever did before — arguably becoming the uncontested top dog of lever action rifles. That is, uncontested until now. ![Loading a cartridge into the Smith and Wesson 1854 in .44 Magnum]() *The Smith & Wesson 1854 in .44 Mag. is a well designed and executed lever gun. Photo by Scott Einsmann* “No one had a newly-designed lever gun from Smith and Wesson on their bingo card for 2024,” says OL shooting editor John B. Snow, in this week’s episode. This .44-magnum-chambered lever gun made waves at [SHOT Show 2024](), but we reserved judgment until we could test it for ourselves. Within a day on the range, the [Smith & Wesson 1854]() grabbed the test team’s attention. It’s hard to find anything wrong with this rifle, including the great price. Is Smith & Wesson going to take over the lever-gun market? That remains to be seen, but Marlin and Henry certainly have a new competitor in the arena. ## Classical to Tactical: The Lever Gun Will Never Die If anything is apparent from the field of lever rifles in 2024, it’s that American hunters and shooters will always have an appetite and practical use for the platform. In addition to the Marlin and Smith & Wesson rifles, we tested lever actions from Chiappa/Taylor’s & Co., Henry, and Winchester. Other companies such as Aero Precision and Stag Arms are even jumping in with variations of their own. **Read Next:** [The Best Lever-Action Rifles]() We see traditional cowboy-style lever guns, wood-stocked New England brush rifles like the Marlin 336, fully tactical-ized rifles like the [Marlin 1895 Dark](), and everything in between. The Chiappa-made 1892 Alaskan Takedown is a top-ejecting stainless .44 Mag. that can be broken down and stowed in your go bag or backpack, and the octagonal-barreled Henry .22 is the silhouette gun of your dreams. Many guns come and go, and trends rise and fall, but the lever-action rifle has endured the shifting winds since the days of Lincoln, and it’s here to stay. ## More Episodes of the Outdoor Life Podcast ![]() ## What 2,000 Blood Trails Tell Us About Recovering Deer[ ]() - [ The Outdoor Life Podcast ]() Seasoned bowunter and tracking-dog handler Shane Simpson co-created an app to connect deer hunters with blood trackers. That app also collects a mountain of data about broadheads, shot placement, recovery rates, and more. Simpson and his co-creator, bowhunter and data guru Ryan Carpenter dig through all of it — and provide some key takeaways for hunters — in this week's episode. This episode is brought to you by Victorinox. TRAKR App Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 1. [ What 2,000 Blood Trails Tell Us About Recovering Deer 01:09:59 ]() 2. [ A Return to Market Hunting and Venison Sales? 32:03 ]() 3. [ First Came the DOGE Cuts, Then Came the Wildfires 50:29 ]() 4. [ The Bait That's Taken Over Bass Fishing, and Other ICAST Trends 52:03 ]() 5. [ Trump 'Decimated' Two Popular National Monuments. Here's Why That Might Be Unlawful 37:04 ]() ## Author Tyler Freel is a Staff Writer for *Outdoor Life.* He lives in Fairbanks, Alaska and has been covering a variety of topics for OL since 2010. From backpack sheep hunting adventure stories to DIY tips to gear and gun reviews, he covers it all with a perspective that’s based in experience. Freel is never one to shy away from controversial topics. He’s responsive to readers on OL’s social channels and happy to answer questions, debate opinions, and squash trolls. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()