lever action

Ever since the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum came on the scene in 2003, there have been a bunch of folks trying to figure out how to cram the cartridge into a rifle—especially a lever-action rifle. It’s an American obsession ever since the cowboy days: A guy “needs” to have a lever-action rifle chambered for his handgun cartridge.

Sometimes you find a product that just works. No false advertising, no gimmicks—just a piece of equipment that functions precisely as it’s designed. That’s what I found with Caldwell’s Lead Sled Solo from Midsouth Shooters.

While Hollywood gave screen stars Winchester rifles, many real-life heroes carried Marlin rifles. According to the company’s website, Annie Oakley, Captain Hardy, and William “Buffalo Bill” Cody all used Marlin rifles. And, today’s 1895GBL carries on the tradition of providing great lever-actions to consumers.

Our friends over at Henry Repeating Arms have some cool new guns set to launch in Jan. 2017.

Called “The gun that won the West”, the Model 1873 remains an iconic rifle of the American West some 143 years after its debut. And today you can have your own recreation of this classic rifle that you can shoot without the fear of damaging a valuable collectible.

The 1860 Henry, a paradigm-shifting lever action that first appeared in the Civil War era and influenced firearm design well into the future. But, originals of this firearm can be rare and expensive. So what about those of us who would like to own one for themselves, one that we can actually shoot?

To put it simply, Henry Rifles look cool. Maybe it is a Country-Boy-Hipster-Thing, but brass framed lever guns have that certain something that not only appeals to my gun loving side, but also to my functional art side. This is a slick looking rifle that, most importantly, is a hell of a shooter.

I don’t generally believe in love at first sight, so I’ll call this “lust with potential.” Gun folks are always on the hunt for that perfect gun, the one that has all the features and advantages without making any compromises. This is one of those guns.

Shooting a squirrel with a .45-70 doesn’t leave much meat on the bone. Don’t ask me how I know this. Let’s just say that the .22 is more suited for this application. And Henry’s Small Game Carbine is the perfect choice for magnum rimfire.