Why lever action

The standard lever action is relatively weak compared to most bolt actions. Introduced by Winchester, this cartridge was the first cartridge to use smokeless powder and was actually developed specifically for their Model The two-piece stocks and rear-locking bolts definitely play a part, as do the rear sight mounting slots that are cut right into the barrel.

Even though we are well into the 21st century, the lever action rifle is far from outdated. A lever action is an awesome style for deer hunting. In fact, more whitetails have been harvested with lever action. It works well for deer, hogs, and black bear, especially within the typical yard range. My go-to gun for hunting in thick woods is a. This rifle is ultra reliable when it comes to dropping whitetails, especially when those whitetails are moving fast through thick cover.

The very first bolt action rifle was designed in Germany by Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse in The Prussian army adopted his design in It was used until eventually ousted by the Mauser in the s. Dubbed the Dreyse Needle Gun, this was the first mass-produced weapon that used breechloading technology.

During the American Civil War, the bolt-action Palmer carbine patented in was used as a cavalry weapon by Union troops. As the Second World War ensued, the military bolt action began to be phased out in favor of semi-automatics, although most WW II combatants carried some version of the venerable bolt action. The bolt action still makes frequent appearances on the battlefield, but mostly as sniper rifles.

The bolt action is also a beautifully simple design. While there is some variation between models, the basics are relatively standard. The bolt consists of a metal tube that houses an internal firing mechanism. There are lugs at the front and back of the tube that lock the bolt into place during the firing process. A handle, usually on the right side of the bolt Sorry, lefties is manipulated to unlock the bolt and open the breech cover. When the handle is pulled up and to the rear, the spent case is ejected from the chamber.

Opening the bolt may also cock the weapon, depending on the model. When the bolt is pushed forward, it loads a new cartridge into the chamber. Once the bolt is rotated back down to the closed position, the firing pin is unblocked.

When the trigger is pulled, the sear releases the cocking piece which strikes the firing pin. As the firing pin makes contact with the cartridge primer, a series of reactions ensues that eventually propels a bullet from the muzzle, sending it downrange toward your target. Bolt actions are super strong, which means they can easily accommodate high pressure cartridges. With minimal searching, you can find bolt actions chambered for everything from tiny.

This one simple fact makes the bolt action incredibly versatile. Just want to plink cans off fence posts or pop backyard squirrels? The bolt action does that, too. The bolt action is generally considered the most inherently accurate of all the action types out there. Although accuracy has more to do with the person behind the rifle than the action, the biggest strength of the design is its repeatable precision.

Any manually operated firearm is only as reliable as the person shooting it. With lever action rifles, there are numerous ways the shooter can introduce problems in the firing cycle.

The most common, by far, is short-stroking the action. Some lever actions will not consistently eject if you run the action too slowly or too quickly. Some will not feed properly if the gun is not oriented just right. Marlin rifles that have the crossbolt safety tend to mess people up. But when the Marlin the safety is on, you can still pull the trigger and the hammer will fall. So you might just cycle the action and try again.

The most well-known example is probably the. They are supposed to be compatible with. Again, with the handgun cartridges in particular, this can be an issue. Some lever actions run a lot more smoothly with round nose full metal jacket ammo than with anything else. The lever action rifles made today are just not designed to be subjected to the kind of use and abuse that we take for granted that our modern semi-autos can tolerate.

It was designed to be disassembled in the field with just a cartridge for a tool. None of that is true of a lever action. Accuracy can go out the window just by resting the mag tube on something when you fire. The very first lever actions that popped up around the time of the Civil War were made with military use in mind.

But even back then, a lot of people believed they were too fragile to be used in that role. They are really good at those things. We just have to have realistic expectations if we decide to start treating these guns the way we would an AR. I want to finish up with a story I heard recently that I think summarizes all of this pretty well. This comes from Morgan Atwood. He said,. The practice was to bring him all the broken ones, and take back the best of the fixed ones.

In that world, at that time, those rifles were ubiquitous. And still required a skilled gunsmith and machinist to fix, with only some percentage being easy fixes. Almost everyone who is into ARs has more parts for them just by nature of the hobby than my grandfather ever stocked for any gun in his gunsmithing days.

So there you have it. Lever actions are tons of fun, and still useful for some things. It's time for part two of our Lever Action Rifle Series! Today, we're looking at. Nov, 02, Dec. Chris Baker. Marlin is back and selling new variations of their 94, , and 95 lever actions as fast as they can make them.

Winchester is also back, and faithful reintroductions of their classic lever guns consistently sell out. Mossberg reports steady sales of their Henry, very much a lever-action company, is doing well. It was the first successful repeating action, and in the years of repeating rifles, almost all lever-action designs have been American.

The field of new lever actions chambered to modern, high-intensity cartridges is very limited. Regardless of action type, any. However, used Savage 99s are available and affordable. So, if you want full-spectrum versatility from a lever-action, you can have it. Instead, a premium is placed on fast handling and easy carrying. Sometimes a fast second shot saves the day! When you venture afield with a lever-action rifle, you must feel at least a small surge of patriotic pride. Lever actions are American history.

Lever actions have been chambered to many cartridges, from pistol cartridges on up to pachyderm-capable powerhouses. Even so, the gold standard and most plentiful lever-action cartridge is the. The lever action does not have a reputation for extreme accuracy, but it depends on the rifle. However, as with power and range, adequate accuracy depends on what you need. Sights are a genuine limitation, especially with many older rifles. I derive satisfaction from the added challenge of using iron sights, but as I get older, my effective range has shrunk.

Armed with new prescription shooting glasses, I can again use aperture sights comfortably to about yards, open sights somewhat less.

That said, most modern rifles are suitable for optical sights. All Winchester s have been Angle-Eject and drilled and tapped for mounts since Side-eject Marlins have been able to accept scopes for generations, and the Savage 99 was the first factory rifle to be drilled and tapped clear back in the s.

A while back I picked up a Savage 99 in. Mad at myself, I sold it. Then I got new glasses and found another 99 in. This fall, with a mission to take a buck with a.