I heard a guy at SHOT say, “I don’t know why everyone’s making ‘tactical’ lever actions: A lever action is a cowboy gun.”
And I agree. Like steak strips on a salad, tactical lever guns are ok if regulations in your state limit your firearms.
But there’s nothing better than using your gun as it was intended. Chambered in .45-70, Pedersoli designed the Boarbuster Apocalypse for a dangerous game.

.45-70 as Winchester Intended
Pedersoli took the 1886 Winchester lever action and improved it. With a hundred and thirty years of experience with Winchester’s classic, Pedersoli found a few adjustments that make the lever action feed more smoothly and reliably.

This fine Italian-made lever action is chambered in .45-70. Its 16″ trapper-length barrel keeps it handy for toting, using in brush, and coming up quickly when a situation gets Western. Hunt with it, or carry it for protection.
See other Pedersoli products on GunsAmerica here.

Boarbuster Apocalypse: Modern, Not Tactical
Pedersoli says the BoarBuster Apocalypse is modernized, but it’s not tactical. “Modernizing isn’t offensive to the cowboy, but we’re not going to send this gun out with the SEALs.”
Modernizing includes a copper-colored Cerakote on the receiver, action, and barrel. The Apocalypse also has a synthetic stock with a crinkle texture finish, a tang safety, bison hide accents, and an adjustable comb.

That adjustable comb gives you a repeatable cheek weld for precision with the fiber optic sights, or whatever long-relief optic you choose to mount on the Picatinny rail. The fore-end includes M-Lok slots, and the barrel is threaded 5/8″-16, but these are not tactical additions.

You can now purchase Pedersoli’s Boarbuster Apocalypse, an improved 86 Winchester in .45-70. Pricing starts at $2,500

*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE! ***
This particular model must be the top of the line with all of those leather accents. None of the other models (there are a few) have leather, but on the other hand they sport 19″ barrels that make the rifle look better balanced and may just temper the recoil a bit.
Fads come and go, but there are a number of cartridges that have stood the test of time. At close range, modern 45/70 hard cast bullets using modern powders, are even more effective than they ever were. A .458″ diameter bullet doesn’t have to expand to create a big hole. Bonus is that that same bullet will penetrate deeply into the toughest boar. Appears that name – BOARBUSTER, is a clue of how to best use this rifle.
No .45-90? I’ll keep my Miroku ’86 take-down in the bigger caliber for daily life here in Alaska. I can always shoot
45-70 for plinking.
Leave the Lever Action Classic Western- they’ve made a gong show out of this one- something along the lines of Homer Simpson’s car design.
Coming to a Poser near you soon… WHY, just WHY?
There have been a couple other lever gun abominations in the last couple of years. This one fits right in and that paisley jacket makes it official.
Does Pedersoli still make the 357 Magnum Lightening? Love to hear about it if you do.
That abomination ain’t no “cowboy” gun, in fact it’s more likely the complete opposite. Slapping some unnecessary bison leather patches on it does nothing but make it much harder to maintain and make it look goofy. This rifle is the epitome of pandering, I’m surprised they didn’t laser engrave a few bison on it.
That rifle is butt ugly. They took what was a beautiful example of a John Browning rifle, which needed little to no “tweaking” and turned it into a true abomination that should never have existed. Wow, my first impression was revulsion and my second impression after reading the entire description was even worse. The Pedersoli folks who approved this should be publicly flogged and made to swear they will never veer this far out of their lane ever again.
I’m going to have to go stare at an unmolested Winchester 1886 just to get the picture of this thing out of my mind.
They make them with plain black polymer stocks and walnut stocks as well. The wooden ones look just like a Winchester/Miroku.
I consider a lever gun as a backup for when the government takes away our ARs. Yes, unfortunately, it is a real possibility. Many in governments desperately want our semi-auto long guns. Even those haters of liberty are not likely to go after 150 year old designed firearms (that is, until the day when they find out how effective lever guns, and for that matter, pump shotguns, truly are). Stay safe. j
Ask the folks in Canada how long it takes for the government to come after lever guns following banning semi auto’s, the answer is not long enough to matter. If they can ban a semi auto, lever guns (as well as pump shotguns) are immediately put on the chopping block. There won’t be a relief period in between the two types of guns. Fortunately, we don’t have the same government they do and ours will likely result in a war before forced disarmament.
might want to call it the san fran edition……..i’m being polite here…
Why dress up a Winchester 86 top eject, when the Marlin 1895 side eject is available? Just complicates a scope, with no other value. I’ll take my Marlin or a Marlin Dark, with parts from the Ranger Station. Saves money, and provides better function.
Pedersoli has a video on its site of an African hunt. Scope was a 1-4, and as you may have noticed, the pic rail is well down the barrel from the ejection port. Since velocity drops off rapidly, the effective range is really no more than 200 yards for medium or large game, that is as much of a scope as one would need. This is the mot expensive option. Also available in .444 Marlin. Yes, pricey, but Pedersoli has a solid reputation.
Hmmpff! This might appeal to “urban cowboys” and maybe metrosexuals. It’s not an alpha-male woodsman or mountain-man lever gun. The price tag alone should be enough clue.
$2500 LOL…not today.