The lever action rifle has a long and storied history. Having its origins in the Volcanic pistol of 1854, the action type has become as much a part of Americana – especially the “Old West” – as has apple pie. Who doesn’t remember John Wayne, atop his horse, twirl-cocking his Winchester as he scowls at the bad guys? Or, how about Chuck Connor’s popular late-’50s TV show “The Rifleman”? That opening footage under the credits, with him firing and emptying his magazine tube as fast as he could work the lever got me (and several thousand other youngsters) hooked on the gun.
Originally chambered for pistol cartridges such as the .44-40, lever guns later included many rifle calibers such as the venerable .30-30 and even the .45-70. I won’t go into the history too much, other than to say that the Volcanic pistol that started it all was introduced by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson … sound familiar? The Volcanic Repeating Arms company eventually morphed into Smith & Wesson, which is the company that makes the gun we have before us today. Only – this ain’t your grandpappy’s lever rifle! Old married new, and what a shooter they produced!
So What’s Different?
Let’s take a quick walk down Lever Action Lane. The traditional lever-action rifles that were (and still seem to be) so popular typically have these features:
- Wood stock, usually walnut or beech
- Buckhorn-type rear sight, marginally adjustable
- Blued finish on metal. some finished better than others
- Chambered in pistol calibers or possibly .30-30
- Winchesters utilize top ejection – optics mounting is difficult
That’s a short list. It is not meant to be condescending toward traditional lever actions. I have owned several of these and I like them. But, let’s see how this 1854 rifle stacks up in the above categories.
Stock and Fore End: Black polymer. The weather can’t affect it, nor can a briar patch.
Sights: Fully-Adjustable Rear and Brass Bead Front.
The rear sight adjusts by loosening two screws to adjust left-right and up-down. Plus, the rear sight has an oversized XS aperture that allows super-quick target acquisition. I came to appreciate it when I shot the rifle. I can see its utility in the deer woods. If those sights are not good enough for you, there’s a Picatinny rail atop the receiver, so mount whatever sight you want.
As for the next two points, the blued metal and caliber, the stainless finish is obvious and the rifle is chambered in .44 Magnum, a great woods cartridge (especially out of a rifle).
Side Ejection: To address the final point, here we see the action open… on the side, a la Marlin and Henry.
Specifications
Caliber: .44 Magnum
Weight: 6 lbs., 9 oz.
Width: 1.6 in
Length: 36 in
Capacity: 9 + 1
Barrel: 410 SS, 19.25 in., threaded
Stock: Polymer, fore-end also with three M-Lok slots
Sights: Front, gold bead; rear, XS large aperture, adjustable, optics ready
Safety: Cross-bolt
Color/Finish: Black/stainless steel
Frame: Stainless steel
Shooting The 1854
I gathered three types of .44 ammo from my not-large supply of .44 ammo and headed to my backyard range. Here’s what I brought, with a little ballistic info I got from the use of my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph.
Load: Velocity, fps: Energy, ft./lbs:
PMC Bronze 180-grain JHP 2,174 1,889
Hornady Leverevoltion 225-grain FTX 2,165 2,342
Fiocchi Range Dynamics 240-grain JSP 1,478 1,164
Handload, 240-grain Lee TL SWC/10 grains Long Shot 1,395 1,036
I was really impressed with the velocity and energy readings for both the 180-grain and the 225-grain loads. I did a bit of research and discovered that the 225-grain load is producing energy almost on par with what a .30-30 can do with a 170-grain bullet. The 180 wasn’t far behind. After looking at the targets and energy column, I believe I would invest in a few boxes of the 225-grain Leverevolution load. It was the most accurate and led in the energy department.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the .30-30 will do better, every day, at longer ranges due to the ballistic coefficient of its bullet trumping that of the .44’s bullets. But, at the across-the-holler ranges we typically find here in my little part of the Hoosier State, fancy ballistic numbers don’t matter. A doe killed at 60 yards is not going to know that the bullet that killed her is “ballistically challenged.” Heck, one deer I killed with a similar cartridge, a .45 Colt handload I’d put together, went down at a tape-measured 104 yards. I was using my 5.5-inch-barreled, open-sighted Ruger Blackhawk revolver. This was before I owned a range finder. If I’d known the distance, I’d have waited a bit more for her to come in, but she didn’t look that far away.
My point is that the bullet that put her down wasn’t ballistically “elite.” It was one of my hard-cast 260-grain flat points. But, as I said above, she couldn’t tell the difference. Even so, it’s still better to put an effective 180- or 225-grain JHP/JSP out of the barrel at around 2,000 fps. You can get speeds nipping at the heels of rifle velocities out of this 19.25-inch barrel with the right load.
One factor that helped with accuracy was the trigger. Its break was crisp, with very little take-up and minimal creep. It broke at just under 5 pounds. It certainly helped with the groups. On the other side of the coin, that large “O” on the rear sight was great for quick target acquisition but made precision shooting difficult. I’m just happy that the groups turned out as tight as they did!
Here are three representative targets.
You would be well-served in closer-range deer woods with any of these loads. I was especially blown away by the handload’s performance. If you find one that works, you can make as many as you want to practice and hunt with. This was with iron sights. I’m not sure how much an optic could improve on that.
Thoughts On The 1854
We’ve seen how it shoots and what it looks like. But, why am I not going to send this rifle back? It’s a keeper. Here are some thoughts I had about it.
Weight
I know what my digital scale says; I put the weight in the specs above. But, it just doesn’t feel that heavy. That’s one advantage lever action rifles have. They balance well in your hand when carried. Slim and narrow work for me every time, even though I am not slim or narrow, I like my rifles to be that way!
Accuracy
I am not the best shot in our family, to be sure. Most of my sons and a few daughters-in-law can outshoot me. My aged eyeballs are just not the best with open sights. After I adjusted the rear sight up – it was shooting low, as I mentioned – I was pleasantly surprised to see consecutive holes cut in or near the center of my homemade targets. This was with all three loads … I was amazed. Even though the distance wasn’t that far (I set targets at 25 yards in case the zero was off – I didn’t have that much .44 ammo), the gun performed admirably. With minimal bullet drop at 50 yards, I will be good for whatever deer season brings since most of the deer I’ve harvested over the years have been fairly close in.
Capacity
The magazine tube holds nine, plus one in the chamber – that’s 10. Ten .44 Magnum cartridges equals a total of 23,420 foot-pounds of energy!
Large Loop
The extra-large loop is great if you’re wearing gloves. Let’s face it, most of the hunting this rifle will participate in happens when the weather is cold, at least around here. Go ahead and put your extreme-temperature-puffy-insulated gloves or shooting mittens on. You can still work the action.
Modularity
Normally, you hear this “M” word about an AR. But I’m here to tell you that this old-fashioned lever rifle also benefits from the ability to add things to it. You have the Pic rail up top. Add whatever optic you want, be it a scope or red dot. The included hammer extension means you’ll still be able to cock the rifle with a scope mounted. Those three M-Lok slots on the fore-end are a perfect place to add a light or a laser. I’m not sure about the laser in terms of most hunting scenarios, but I could see it for an up-close critter in the dark woods or even in home defense use. Speaking of modularity, you lose the M-Lok slots on the walnut-stocked version. That’s another advantage of the polymer furniture.
The Burris Fast Fire 4 is a wonderful companion for the 1854. This sight works on handguns or long guns and has four reticles and four levels of brightness. It even includes a weather shield for rain or snow. Not bad for around $400!
I have been around long enough to remember when lever rifles by Marlin, Winchester and others were all the rage on Opening Day. If you didn’t have a rifle in .30-30, you just weren’t cool, dude. Of course, that has changed a bit over time as states are now allowing many other calibers and weapons to be used in the deer woods. Indiana has changed its tune, as well … on private land, anyway. The point is that, unless you live in a jurisdiction that just flat forbids its use, you could use a lever rifle to put venison in your freezer. I know I will be doing that come next November, and my rifle of choice will most likely be this 1854 stoked with Hornady Leverevolution 225-grainers. I’ve killed several does with my S&W 629 revolver. I’d like to see what adding almost 11 more inches to the barrel will do. It has to be a good thing … I can’t wait! If you’re looking to add a lever rifle to your gun cabinet, check it out. Even if you are into polished blue and walnut, S&W has you covered … they also make one like that for $120 more. So, no excuses!
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