What Is a Lever Action Rifle?

Lever action rifles have always been common firearms, and have recently been surging in popularity as manufacturers are producing more modern versions that appeal to a wider array of customers. Lever action rifles are identified by their loop lever, also known as the trigger guard, located underneath the action of the rifle. The action of the rifle is opened by pushing the lever downward and forward. This extracts and ejects a cartridge case from the chamber. Closing the lever or pulling it back towards the receiver loads another round in the chamber either from a detachable magazine or magazine tube. Lever action rifles are not semi-automatic because the user needs to manually load a round in the chamber via the lever. This is one reason why it appeals to some customers, as semi-automatic firearms are not legal or limited in some capacity by many states, especially when it comes to hunting. If you're looking for more information about lever guns, here is what you should know.

How Does a Lever Action Rifle Work?

Some lever action rifles use a detachable magazine much like a bolt action rifle. While some are loaded through a port on the magazine tube, most require you to individually insert rounds through a side gate on the receiver. The different loading methods are typically due to the caliber of the rifle. Certain calibers require a box magazine due to their size or shape, such as .308 Winchester and .30-30 Winchester. On the other hand, a lever action .22 caliber rifle may use a magazine tube, as you can fit many of the small, short bullets in one easily. Side gate lever actions are loaded by inserting each cartridge individually through the side gate until the internal magazine is full. Rimfire lever actions are typically loaded through the front of the magazine tube with a port or cap that you can easily remove to drop cartridges into the magazine tube.

What Calibers do Lever Action Rifles use?

Lever guns are offered in a variety of calibers to suit many applications, with both pistol ammo and rifle ammo being represented. Rifles using rimfire ammo are often chambered in .22LR, .22WMR, 17HMR, and more. Revolver cartridges, such as 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, and 454 Casull are also common calibers in modern lever actions because they are usually cheaper to fire than centerfire rifle rounds. Centerfire and straight wall cartridges, such as 360 Buckhammer, 45/70 Government, and 30-30 Winchester are commonly used in lever guns and have been popular choices for individuals who hunt with their lever action rifles. Some ammunition is designed specifically for lever action guns with a tubular magazine, since the point of one round is aligned with the primer of another round and could potentially cause a safety concern if using conventional ammunition.

What Is a Lever Action Rifle Used For?

Since lever action rifles are offered in a wide range of calibers, they are tons of potential applications. Rimfire models are most commonly used to as range plinkers and for varmint hunting. This is because the rounds are typically less expensive than centerfire cartrdiges, so you can shoot a lot without breaking the bank. Lever guns that use revolver cartridges are excellent for small game hunting, self-defense, or shooting at the range. Straight wall and centerfire models are popular choices for bigger game hunting, self-defense, and range guns as well.

Shooting competitions are also popular with all types of lever action rifles. Specifically, lever guns are used in Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), also known as "Cowboy Action Shooting," competitions. This is a multi-gun, competitive shooting sport that follows an "old west" theme. Competitors dress in appropriate attire and use guns as well as shooting gear reflective of the time period.

How Can You Customize a Lever Action Rifle?

With the recent surge in popularity of lever action rifles however, many aftermarket parts companies have introduced modern handguards, optic mounts, light mounts, barrels, actions, and more. This allows you to customize a lever gun similar to AR-platform rifles are customized, providing a setup that meets specific needs. Due to various laws that limit the purchase of semi-automatic firearms, lever action rifles have become more popular as they are still very capable rifles that plenty of potential modifications.

Unfortunately, lever action rifles typically have a higher buy in cost compared to standard semi-automatic AR15s. Ammunition, with the exception of centerfire, revolver, and more commonly used calibers, can also be more expensive. This can make it more difficult to shoot a lever action frequently. Lever action rifles are also less modular compared to other platforms, such as the AR15. With an AR15, you can change your caliber simply by changing your barrel. You can go from a 5.56 AR15 to a .22LR AR15 with the purchase of a conversion kit and swap back at your leisure. There are no such conversion kits available for lever action rifles, meaning you can only use the ammunition the lever gun is originally chambered for.

Summary

Overall, a lever action rifle is a fantastic option that you can use for hunting, plinking, cowboy action shooting, and self-defense. It is especially appealing to people living in states with semi-automatic rifle restrictions. As lever guns become more popular, more and more aftermarket support is becoming available allowing users to customize their rifles to their liking. If you're looking for ammo or accessories for your lever gun, you've come to the right place. We have plenty of red dot sights and rifle scopes available to mount to your firearm, so you can hit your shots and accomplish your goals.