Tactical lever actions - what's the appeal?

[Ridge Runner]

View attachment 621495

I hope that is a night vision scope to see through the coming smoke screen. Could increase range accuracy to 75 yards possibly 100 yards depending on caluber, charge, and bullet selection. Is the flintlock configuration an option?

 

[B0MBOY]

I have a 45-70 tactical lever action, and it is an excellent gun. It’s a henry 45-70 X model. As for why i bought it

1) I already had a 45-70 revolver so a matching rifle made sense

2) I plan on supressing it so a threaded barrel from the factory is a requirement

3) the inclusion of a small rail made it easier to add modern attachments I’m accustomed to having on my field rifles. (I love having a pistol grip, and it’s nice to be able to add an ir laser for hog hunting)

So yeah that’s why i got one. And as my shooting buddies will attest my gun looks a little funny up until you actually shoot it and then everything on it makes perfect sense and it feels just right.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Simple answer from a lever lover? I. Do. Not. Know.

It's like choosing a member from The View over an SI cover model.

 

[freefall]

Simple answer from a lever lover? I. Do. Not. Know.

It's like choosing a member from The View over an SI cover model.

You seen some of those cover models lately??

 

[Tundra Tiger]

You seen some of those cover models lately??

Touche good sir. I considered that after I posted.

 

[BeeMaa]

@BeeMaa about the 30-30 and 45-70, in some places thems are fightin' words!!

Not much of a fight if the ranges exceed 200 yards.

I understand how beloved lever actions are, but it’s difficult to meld a 130 year old technology with modern expectations.

I’ve been a big proponent of using a lever action within its capabilities to take all manner of game. But there has been very little that’s “new” with this design.

 

[freefall]

Isn't some AR company making a lever version in 5.56 that uses AR mags?

 

[mdwest]

ummmm.. whats the appeal?

 

[BeeMaa]

Isn't some AR company making a lever version in 5.56 that uses AR mags?

Bond Arms Inc.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I believe I saw one in a cinema with my grandson lately. The latest John Wick film (#3 or #4, I think) featured a character that owned one.

 

[Laniarius]

No doubt the latest John Wick helped more recently, but I think the drivers and the sequencing were more like this:
- Red Dead Redemption video game stirs up interest in lever action rifles (and single action revolvers) among younger men
- ARs and "tactical" style firearms exploding in popularity at the same time
- People start merging the ideas and put rails, polymer furniture and stuff on lever guns, helped along by companies like Ranger Point Precision who make it easy with drop-in parts

Basically it was gun enthusiasts having fun, fueled by businesses who saw the niche opportunity. And like others have mentioned, there are some practical uses for a lever with these modern features.

 

[DG870]

I like my wood stocked Marlins, but wonder if some of the tactical lever guns are a fallback for manufacturers to have a product to sell in case of an assualt rifle ban at some point in the future. I think if read that there is a lever action lower receiver on or in development that will Accept your AR15 upper.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I like my wood stocked Marlins, but wonder if some of the tactical lever guns are a fallback for manufacturers to have a product to sell in case of an assualt rifle ban at some point in the future. I think if read that there is a lever action lower receiver on or in development that will Accept your AR15 upper.

Don't know how that would work; combining a gas operated semi auto upper with a lever action lower.

 

[PerH]

Both the two RDR games have made many interested In various weapons from levers to the Evans rifle and other levers there also. And quite a feat that is on do many ways .

 

[DG870]

Don't know how that would work; combining a gas operated semi auto upper with a lever action lower.

Bond arms. Found a picture, don’t know how it works. Must hook into the bolt carrier group somehow…..?

 

[Laniarius]

Don't know how that would work; combining a gas operated semi auto upper with a lever action lower.

I agree, that's harder to visualize. I think there are straight-pull uppers that can work with an AR-15 lower. They have a different bolt carrier so it's easy to see how that works. Making a lever action lower that works with an AR-15 upper, that would require some way of grabbing the bolt carrier and making it work with the lever. What happens to the charging handle? Questions like that.

So I suppose we could classify "tactical" lever guns into three main groups: 1) traditional lever guns with different attachments and furniture; 2) completely new guns that may re-use some parts like magazines; 3) partial conversions of existing guns like the AR.