Breaking: Smith & Wesson Now Makes Lever Action Rifles

On Monday, Smith & Wesson came off the bench that they have been sitting on for 170 years and introduced a lever action rifle.

Written By

Michael Crites

Licensed Concealed Carry Holder

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Updated

Jan 2024

On Monday, Smith & Wesson came off the bench that they have been sitting on for 170 years and introduced a lever action rifle. The new Model 1854– so named after the patent the company’s founders filed that year for what became the Volcanic series of lever guns— is a stainless “big loop” rifle that favors the Marlin 1895 Stainless Big Loop by a good bit.

The differences between the two is that the S&W model has a synthetic stock with Magpul M-LOK slots, a removable magazine tube, a shorter optics top rail, and is chambered in .44 Magnum rather than .45-70 like the Marlin.

The new Smith & Wesson 1854 has a 19.12-inch threaded barrel and a 9+1 shot magazine. The ask is expected to be $1,200.

Speaking of Marlin, Ruger has rebooted them with just a single model in late 2021 (ironically, the M1895 SBL) and now has 10 lever guns in production with two more coming later this year. Rossi is also beefing up their own offerings with the Rio Bravo Tactical along with the new R95 Triple Black and Laminate models, all making their first public appearances at SHOT Show this week.

It seems like lever guns are the new hotness.

Meet the Experts

Written By

Michael Crites

Licensed Concealed Carry Holder

Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18. During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications. His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual. As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY. He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).