The Best Lever Action Rifles

Above, yours truly with the Winchester 94 bought in 2019. Photo by Larry Lucier.

Until 2019, I had not owned a lever-action rifle. I've wanted one, more so during my retirement years, but hadn't gotten one until I found a 1962 vintage Winchester 94 (or Winchester 1894) in .30-30 Winchester for sale at an Albuquerque gun store I was browsing in.  

It was the model I was looking for and it was in great shape and the price was reasonable (just under $500). Most importantly, it was a pre-64. So I bought it.

Now, it seems everyone else are looking at lever-action rifles these days. Some say they've made a resurgence in popularity. 

One may ask, What are the best lever-action rifles?

Outdoor Life had posted an article by John B. Snow answering that very question earlier this year. It is a mix of new lever-actions being produced along with the classics. It is no surprise that the Winchester 94 made the list.

It begins with:

When I was a kid, there were three reasons I wanted a lever action rifle. First, they were cool. Second, because I grew up just outside New Haven, Conn., the historic home to Marlin and Winchester, they were my hometown guns. Third, they were cheap.

Only one of these things is still true. Lever guns always have been and always will be cool, though they will never again be cheap, nor—barring divine intervention—will they ever again be produced in Gun Valley.

Writing about the top lever action rifles is a bit tricky. Do you focus on the best of all time, which is a great for us nostalgic sorts, or do you talk about great lever action rifles that you can buy new? (Though given some of the lingering shortages, it might be more accurate to say the lever guns you can put yourself on a waiting listing for.)

I tilted this list of the best lever action rifles in favor of those you can order new. Though if you have a hankering for one of the old-time classics, there are plenty to be had on the used market. Just don’t expect to find any bargains. Nearly all quality lever actions command a premium.

To read more, go here.