If two barrels are better than one, then why not three? That’s the thinking behind the exotic Bockdriling BD14 from Blaser, unveiled at the 2014 IWA Show in Germany. This three-barrel Bockdrilling firearm works as a shotgun, large-caliber rifle, and small-caliber rifle all in one. Even with all those barrels, the BD14 is relatively light, at 3.3 kg (7.26 lbs) without optics. That makes this a nice, carry-around gun for stalking. As you’d expect from Blaser, the twin triggers are crisp and precise, with a pull weight of just 1.43 lbs (650 grams). The front trigger is for the large-caliber rifle barrel, while the rear trigger works both the shotgun and small-caliber barrels, via a tang-mounted selector. These firearms are rare in the USA — and quite expensive. The only Blaser BD 14 we could find on GunBroker had a $9099.95 asking price. That works out to over three grand per barrel.
Here’s what Blaser USA has to say about its unique three-barreled BD 14:
“The ‘Bockdrilling’ is, put simply, an over/under (O/U) rifle-shotgun combination with a smaller caliber rifle-barrel… on the side. The barrel arrangement [allows] for an extremely slender receiver, making the BD14 exceptionally huntable.
The [patent-pending] Vertical Block Lockup… combines an extremely compact and solid block lockup in a closed system within the monoblock with the comfortable handling of a classic break-action rifle.
The double lock permits, if needed, a rapid second shot, the front trigger always releasing the large rifle-caliber. The … barrel selector actives the shotgun barrel when in position ‘top’ and activates the smaller rifle caliber in position ‘bottom’.”
Why Does Anyone Need Three Barrels?
The Blaser website explains: “As hunters, we learn to expect the unexpected, whether in a blind or stalking, so it’s understandable that we dream of a firearm that will allow us to take advantage of any situation. With the Bockdrilling BD14, Blaser has developed the perfect blind and stalking firearm – compromises are finally a thing of the past.”
Design Features of the Bockdrilling BD 14 Tri-Barrel Gun
The BD14 has a double-lock system so that a second shot can be taken without having to recock the firearm. Blaser says: “Thanks to the free-floating barrels, point of impact remains constant even with a quick succession of shots, no matter which barrel was fired first. The extremely strong vertical block lock on the BD14 helps contribute to the high degree of precision.”
Story idea from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Here is Tom Mousel with Whitetail taken with his ultra-light hunting rifle fitted with 6mm Creedmoor Lilja barrel. Friend Cody (right) actually took the shot. This gun has a second barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor.
Hunting season is opening up soon across the country. In just three weeks, on 9/26/2026, the nation celebrates National Hunting & Fishing Day. This Sunday we feature an impressive state-of-the-art, ultra-light hunting rifle. This rig is very accurate AND very light, and features two barrels, one in 6mm Creedmoor and the other in 6.5 Creedmoor. With this Titanium-actioned rifle, owner Tom Mousel has successful taken Whitetail deer and other game.
“Light is Right” when it comes to carrying deer rifles long distances in the backcountry. A lighter rifle DOES make a difference when you’re hiking many miles and carrying other gear including binoculars, laser rangefinders, food/water, and packs. And then, if you are successful, you’ll be carrying out game meat, so a lighter rifle translates to a lighter overall load.
When Forum member Tom Mousel (a top 1000-yard competitor) considered a new hunting rifle, he wanted a very light-weight rig. What he got was a low mass masterpiece — an ultra-accurate, five-pound hunting rifle. Not only does this twin-barrel rifle, as built by Alex Wheeler, come in under five pounds (before optics), but it has produced some quarter-MOA 3-shot groups at 1000 yards. The 6mm Creedmoor version of this rifle has demonstrated truly stellar accuracy at long range. The 6.5 Creedmoor barrel also shoots well and packs more punch for hunting use.
CLICK HERE to view full-screen large version of photo.
Here is Tom’s rifle weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces with 21″ Lilja #1 contour 6mm barrel. Tom says: “Here’s the rifle with full Titanium action, bolt, and lug, in a Tom Manners 17 oz. carbon fiber stock. It’s exactly one pound heavier fitted with my Leupold Mark AR 4-12x40mm scope in Talley rings.”
Tom has two barrels for the rifle, one chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor and the other for 6mm Creedmoor. Tom reports: “The 6.5mm is a bit lighter being fluted. But I won’t be switching back now that I’ve shot the 6mm version. Neither has too much recoil, but the 6mm CM just kills the 6.5mm at distance for groups.”
Tom tells us: “What I like about this rifle is there were no corners cut to make it light. On some other ultra-lights, the fore-end has no strength or they are cut down really short. This is a full-sized stock, pillar-bedded with aluminum-filled epoxy and free-floated barrel. The ignition is set up with a TON of firing pin fall to function in the coldest temps.”
Gunsmith Alex Wheeler of Wheeler Accuracy is pleased with how this project turned out: “Tom has shot a bunch of sub-5″ groups and a couple one-inchers back-to-back at 1K. He has the Berger 115gr VLD going about 3050 fps.” Tom noted the 6mm barrel picked up about 50-60 FPS after the first 50 rounds. He shoots 115gr Berger VLDs with CCI 450s and Reloder 16, with the Bergers about .005″-.008″ in the lands.
Groups at 1000 Yards with 6mm Creedmoor Barrel, 115gr Bergers
Here are two of Tom’s 1000-yard targets. This is with the 6mm Creedmoor barrel shooting 115gr Berger VLDs pushed by Alliant Reloder 16 at about 3050 FPS. The average of the two groups is 0.246 MOA. Pretty amazing for an ultra-light rifle shot off a bipod. Tom acknowledges that he can’t do this every day. He says that “shooting 871 yards at my home range, the rifle typically shoots 4″ to 5″ 3-shot groups”.
Q & A with Tom Mousel About his Ultra-Light Hunting Rifle
Q: Why did you choose to build this rig?
Tom: I just wanted to do it to see how light we could build an accurate, good-shooting rifle.
Q: What are your favorite things about the rifle, and is there anything you would change?
Tom: Definitely the light weight, and the overall size — it has a pretty short barrel (21″), so it’s just handy. I wouldn’t change anything about the rifle, now that I have the Titanium bolt. When I bought the action originally it had the steel bolt.
Q: How does this rifle handle?
Tom: It points well considering it is a light rifle. The 6mm Creedmoor version has very little recoil. On a good bipod I can sight in at 1000 without a spotter.
Q: What are your favorite accessories?
I use a Solo Hntr Mtn Lite stretchy cover. You can see it in the photo at right showing me on a hunt. I like this because you can roll it up like a sock and and use it for a rear support.
Q: Why did you choose Alliant Reloder 16 powder?
Tom: Lonnie Anderson, a fellow Deep Creek shooter, did a 6mm Creedmoor and he said RL16 was absolutely the most accurate. We have also found that Reloder 16 is really consistent on velocities through the seasons — from 90 above to teens below zero.
Q: Could this ultra-light set-up work for a bigger caliber also?
Tom: I’ve tried bigger calibers, but I’ve never been satisfied with the consistency of the groups. There’s a cut-off — there’s too much torque and recoil. We see a limit — you don’t want “too much gun” for the platform. Even here, the 6.5 barrel just doesn’t shoot as well as the 6mm.
Q: What advice do you have for hunters considering ultra-light rifles?
Tom: Be careful about falling in love with ballistics and trying to build too much bang for too small a platform. If I built a 7mm WSM for example, I’d want to rifle to weigh at least two pounds more.
Full Titanium Action from Pierce Engineering
This photo shows the Pierce Engineering Titanium Featherweight short action featuring Titanium (Ti) receiver, Ti bolt, and Ti lug. This unit is a mere 15.90 ounces complete. (NOTE: with Titanium body and STEEL bolt the weight is 18.5 ounces). The long action version is 17.4 ounces for the complete Titanium action with Ti bolt and Ti lug.
Jud at Pierce Engineering tells us: “Both the Ti action body and Ti bolt are DLC-coated. This action also has an anti-bind rail for added smoothness and ease of functioning. This really is one of the lightest actions on the market. If you’re looking into building an ultra-light rifle I would seriously check one out! We make these with the highest level of detail, pride, and machining tolerances. They’re just sweet actions… and our Ti Featherweight short action is roughly half the weight of a Remington Model 7. So there’s a significant weight savings with the Pierce Ti Featherweight over a Model 7.”
Owner Profile — Tom Mousel, Hunter AND Long-Range Benchrest Ace
Tom Mousel knows a few things about accurate rifles. He is a top 1000-yard competitor at IBS matches and at the Deep Creek range near Missoula, Montana. In 2016 Tom set a remarkable 6-match Light Gun Group World Record, with a 2.9540″ group size Aggregate for SIX matches. And a year later, in 2017, Mousel set a 10-Match Heavy Gun World Record with a 5.3376″ Aggregate. NOTE: that is for TEN-shot groups in Heavy Gun. That’s an average ten-shot group under 6 inches for 10 matches! Over the past decade, Tom has remained at the top of the 1000-yard game, with many match wins at Deep Creek and other ranges.
Our friend Robert Whitley of ARX Enterprises LLC has learned, through careful measurement and testing, that some barrels threaded 5/8″ x 24 TPI at the muzzle may not deliver optimal accuracy. The reason is that the end of the barrel can bell out slightly, like a trombone, because too much steel has been removed. This is particularly true with .30-caliber barrels, but it can also be a problem with smaller caliber barrels (even 6mm). Robert demonstrates this phenomenon in the video below. All gunsmiths, and anyone considering threading a barrel, should watch the video. At 1:00 – 1:30 Robert gauges a 5/8″ x 24-threaded .30-Caliber barrel. You can see the belling effect clear as day.
“When setting up a commercial barrel in the lathe, we noticed that the maximum-sized bushing that would fit in the bore at the chamber end was almost .0015” smaller [than what would fit] at the muzzle. That precipitated my pin-gauging of a number of different commercial barrels that were threaded for 5/8” x 24 tpi. What I found is what’s shown on the video.” – R. Whitley
Solve Problem with a Larger Thread Diameter
If 5/8″ x 24 threading is potentially harmful to accuracy, is there a solution? Yes, you simply need to leave a little more steel on the barrel. (See Video starting at 02:40.) Frank Green of Bartlein barrels states: “We get these questions all the time. I say run the largest thread diameter that is possible.” Robert Whitley has found that a 3/4″ x 28 TPI threading does not cause the “belling effect”. Accordingly Robert recommends 3/4″ x 28 if you need to thread your barrel for a muzzle brake or suppressor. Robert explains: “We only make 3/4” x 28 TPI muzzle brakes and that’s what we recommend to customers.”
“See how much meatier the 3/4″ threading is vs. the 5/8″. The 3/4″ threading offers a lot more metal around the bore. There’s a lot less opportunity for the bore to become bell-mouthed…” – Robert Whitley
Barrel Threading Diameter — What’s Important to Know
By Robert Whitley
In truth, the 5/8″ x 24 TPI threading never came out of any accuracy-based think tank or set-up, it’s a military .30-Cal threading for barrels that someone has to carry around (they needed to keep the barrel weight down so it was smaller in diameter and the threading had to work with that situation). People have somehow assumed because the military uses that threading for certain things that it must mean that it’s also fine for a highly accurate rifle too, but that’s not really correct.
I don’t think there is any better and realistic option than the 3/4″ muzzle threading, and we also do it so there is no relief cut behind the threads on the barrel (i.e. put the relief cut on the brake or jam nut, don’t chop down on the muzzle of the barrel). For some reason many have a hard time grasping that the metal at the muzzle end of a rifle is “sacred” and you should not cut it down any more than absolutely necessary. A little threaded pencil diameter nub on the end of a barrel is not ideal for accuracy especially if it’s threaded and you need to torque on it. I cringe when I see a barrel with something like an MTU or Heavy Varmint contour, only to have an itty-bitty pencil thin threaded nub right at the muzzle so someone can “screw on a can” or a muzzle brake.
Lessons Learned Over the Years
A number of years ago I did a 30BR rifle project with Craig Kostyshyn who was big in the 30BR game and he made some of the best 30BR rifle barrels for benchrest competition. When I did the project I wanted a medium-heavy Palma type contour barrel I could use and also have a muzzle turndown for a front sight band. When he found out I was going to have the muzzle turned down he said “whoa, I need to provide for that when I make the barrel because if you turn the front down later you’ll be shooting a trombone” (i.e. the muzzle bore dimension would open up).
What he did was rough contour the barrel with the turndown (about .010” oversize) before he lapped the barrel, then when he lapped the barrel he took it easy in the muzzle area and worked the back of the barrel more. I thought he was a little bit excessive in his concerns but the barrel shot great and I wasn’t going to argue with him, after all he was shooting groups in the ones. I kind of just filed that away and never thought about it until recently when I went to have Fred from Sabreco do some chamber re-work on a commercial .30-caliber barrel I had. When setting up the barrel in the lathe and indicating things Fred noticed that the maximum-sized bushing that would fit in the bore at the chamber end was almost .0015” smaller [than what would fit] at the muzzle and he mentioned it to me. That precipitated my pin-gauging of a number of different commercial barrels I had that were threaded for 5/8” x 24 TPI. What I found is what’s shown on the video.
NOTE: This is a copyrighted article. Do not reproduce or re-link more than 75 words without written permission from AccurateShooter.com.
With barrels, one wonders “Can a little more length provide a meaningful velocity gain?” To answer that question, Rifleshooter.com performed an interesting test, cutting a .308 Win barrel from 28″ all the way down to 16.5″. The cuts were made in one-inch intervals with a rotary saw. At each cut length, velocity was measured with a Magnetospeed chronograph. To make the test even more interesting, four different types of .308 Win factory ammunition were chronographed at each barrel length.
This is a very useful test is you’re thinking about building a .308 Win hunting rifle, or perhaps thinking of going shorter for your F-TR rifle to save weight.
Test Barrel Lost 22.7 FPS Per Inch (.308 Win Chambering)
How much velocity do you think was lost, on average, for each 1″ reduction in barrel length? The answer may surprise you. With a barrel reduction from 28″ to 16.5″, the average speed loss of the four types of .308 ammo was 261 fps total. That works out to an average loss of 22.7 fps per inch. This chart shows velocity changes for all four ammo varieties:
Summary of Findings:
The average velocity loss per inch, for all four ammo types combined, was 22.7 FPS. By ammo type, the average FPS loss per inch was: 24.6 (Win 147 FMJ), 22.8 (IMI 150 FMJ), 20.9 (Fed GMM 168gr), and 22.5 (Win 180PP).
Interestingly, these numbers jive pretty well with estimates found in reloading manuals. The testers observed: “The Berger Reloading manual says for the 308 Winchester, ‘muzzle velocity will increase (or decrease) by approximately 20 fps per inch from a standard 24″ barrel’.”
How the Test Was Done
The testers described their procedure as follows: “Ballistic data was gathered using a Magnetospeed barrel mounted ballistic chronograph. At each barrel length, the rifle was fired from a front rest with rear bags, with five rounds of each type of ammunition. Average velocity and standard deviation were logged for each round. Since we would be gathering data on 52 different barrel length and ammunition combinations and would not be crowning the barrel after each cut, we decided to eliminate gathering data on group sizes. Once data was gathered for each cartridge at a given barrel length, the rifle was cleared and the bolt was removed. The barrel was cut off using a cold saw. The test protocol was repeated for the next length. Temperature was 47° F.”
CLICK HERE to Read the Rifleshooter.com Test. This includes detailed charts with inch-by-inch velocity numbers, multiple line charts, and complete data sets for each type of ammo. Rifleshooter.com also offers ballistics graphs showing trajectories with different barrel lengths. All in all, this was a very thorough test by the folks at RifleShooter.com.
Much Different Results with 6mmBR and a Longer Barrel
The results from Rifleshooter.com’s .308 barrel cut-down test are quite different than the results we recorded some years ago with a barrel chambered for the 6mmBR cartridge. When we cut our 6mmBR barrel down from 33″ to 28″, we only lost about 8 FPS per inch. Obviously this is a different cartridge type, but also our 6mmBR barrel start length was 5″ longer than Rifleshooter.com’s .308 Win start length (and we ended where Rifleshooter’s .308 started — at 28″). Velocity loss can be more extreme with shorter barrel lengths (and bigger cartridges). Powder burn rates can also make a difference.
AR-platform rifles can be maintenance-intensive beasts. But some AR owners make the situation worse by not regularly cleaning important small parts, or by using too much oily/greasy lubricants in the wrong places. A properly maintained and lubricated AR15 can shoot hundreds of rounds (between cleanings) without a problem. If you learn where (and where not) to apply lubricant, you’ll find that your AR will run more reliably and the task of cleaning the bolt and bolt carrier will be less of a burden.
Here is a good video that explains AR-15 Cleaning and Maintenance. In this 30-minute NSSF video, Gunsite Academy instructor and gunsmith Cory Trapp discusses the proper way to clean and maintain the AR-15 carbine. Very knowledgeable, Trapp provides rock-solid advice for AR owners. Along with cleaning procedures, this video explains how to inspect key components and how to function-test your AR before each shooting session.
If you want to keep your black rifle running smoothly and reliably, you must clean it regularly and follow the correct maintenance procedures. Here’s another good video that explains how to properly disassemble and clean AR-platform rifles.
Take-Down and Full Cleaning of AR15 by Jerry Miculek
Here ace shooter Jerry Miculek takes down and cleans an AR-platform rifle belonging to his daughter Lena. This is a good video because Lena’s rifle was “run hard and packed up dirty” so you can see where carbon and grease build up. This 35-minute video is very thorough. Jerry is one of the nation’s top action carbine shooters, so listen carefully to his advice on cleaning and lubrication.
This barrel’s shoulder was 0.025″ off the action because Red Locktite had been used on the threads.
Gunsmith Thomas ‘Speedy’ Gonzales offered this interesting report about how NOT to headspace a barrel. Hopefully you never discover something like this…
“A good friend and customer sent this rig in for repair after FedEx damaged the rifle during inbound transport from another smith. After repairing the stock and rebedding it, I decided to re-polish the barrel to make the repair perfect. Well this just added insult to injury as the barrel did not want to come off. After a few choice words, the barrel finally broke free only to reveal something very disturbing. It seems the barrel had been ‘headspaced’ by using RED Loctite to hold it in place.” [Editor: That’s definitely NOT how barrels should be fitted.]
Speedy was not happy: “I hope the smith that did this sees the photos and realized what jeopardy he put my customer in or anyone who shot the rifle for that matter. When cleaned up, the shoulder on the barrel was over 0.0250″ (25 thousandths) away from the face of the receiver.” [Editor: That’s a lot in this business]. Check out the images below to see how much the barrel rotated further inward when cleaned up. The barrel spun in nearly another eighth-turn or more. Not good.
Henry Rifle serial number 1, the first production Henry rifle, is now the most valuable long gun ever made. This historic rifle, Henry serial number 1, recently sold for $5.875 million, the highest price ever paid for a rifle. This wasn’t a rare prototype — Henry Rifle serial number 1 was the very first production Henry, built by New Haven Arms Company in the 1860s.
The Most Expensive Rifle Ever Sold | Henry Serial No. 1 | ($5.875 MILLION)
Technological Innovation — 16-round Lever-Action Rifle
Patented by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860, this lever-action rifle chambered in .44 rimfire was a massive breakthrough, allowing soldiers to rapidly fire 16 rounds without reloading one round at a time. This design directly paved the way for the Winchester dynasty. The auction description noted: “Serial number 1 is not merely an early production example but the genesis of an entire technological and cultural legacy. Every Winchester that followed traces its lineage to this [rifle] that launched a company and helped define an era. As the starting point of the Winchester story … this rifle stands at the beginning of a legend, where Oliver Winchester’s vision took form and the repeating rifle that would shape the American West was born.”
The Birth of America’s Lever Action Rifle
It can be argued that EVERY lever-action rifle built in the 160-plus years since Henry serial number 1 was crafted — every model, every maker, every variation on that under-barrel magazine and swinging lever — traces its lineage back to this one gun.
The 1860 Henry was the design that proved a repeating rifle could actually work in the field, and it set the template that the entire lever-action category has followed ever since. Since its creation a century and a half ago, the lever-action rifle has been the rifle of hunters, ranchers, and everyday Americans who needed a dependable repeater they could trust with their lives.
Henry Rifle serial number 1 was presented to President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton during the Civil War. This rifle is part of an exclusive trio of factory-engraved Henry rifles presented by Oliver Winchester to high-ranking Union officials to secure military contracts. The other two include Lincoln’s rifle (Serial No. 6, now in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History) and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles’ rifle (Serial No. 9, housed at the Autry Museum of the American West).
Henry Rifle serial number 1 is not simply the first Henry rifle ever made — it is arguably the most important lever action rifle in existence. Manufactured during the American Civil War and presented to President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, this historic Henry repeating rifle launched the era of metallic cartridge repeating long guns in America produced by Winchester Repeating Arms. Every legendary Winchester rifle that followed the Henry — from the Model 1866 to the famed Model 1873 — owes its existence to the Henry lever-action rifle.
This rifle features elaborate engraving and an inscription to Secretary Stanton.
Henry Rifle Serial Number 1 Henry Rifle serial number 1 was awarded a certificate of recognition from the National Rifle Association at the NRA annual meeting in New Orleans in 1970.
Presented alongside other famous “Lincoln Cabinet” Henry rifles gifted to Abraham Lincoln and Gideon Welles, this extraordinary Civil War firearm represents a pivotal turning point in American military and technological history. Featuring factory engraving by Samuel J. Hoggson, with early production features unique to the first Henry rifles, the Henry serial number 1 remains one of the most coveted and historically important American firearms ever made.
This video includes footage from the auction where Henry Rifle Serial Number 1 was sold.
Rifle Was Gift for Lincoln’s Right Hand Man — Secretary of War Stanton
In the 1860s, arms-makers often gave their finest work to key government leaders. After Benjamin Tyler Henry had introduced his lever-action repeating rifle that could fire 16 rounds without reloading, there was good reasons to showcase this for the government. This rifle represented a major breakthrough that could dramatically change how military operations could be conducted. So the company presented engraved Henry rifles to three men close to President Lincoln: Secretary of War Edwin Stanton received serial no. 1, Lincoln himself received serial no. 6, and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles received serial no. 9.
Engraved brass rifle shown with portraits of Edwin Stanton and Abraham Lincoln.
Today, collectors know these three rifles as the Lincoln Cabinet Guns. Lincoln’s rifle now sits in the Smithsonian, while the Welles rfle is at the Autry Museum of the American West. The Stanton rifle, Henry serial no. 1, was the last of the three still in private hands, and the only one anyone could actually buy. Stanton is best remembered for the words he spoke at Lincoln’s deathbed: “Now he belongs to the ages.”
Henry No. 1 Is Highest Priced Rifle, But NOT the Most Expensive Gun Ever Sold
Is Henry serial number 1 the most valuable gun ever sold? Actually not. It is the most expensive rifle, but a famous handgun, a Colt revolver, represents the most expensive gun ever sold. Sheriff Pat Garrett’s Colt Single Action Army revolver, which he seized from gang member Billy Wilson in 1880 and used to kill Billy the Kid (William Bonney) in 1881, sold at a Bonham’s Auction on August 27, 2021, for a record-breaking $6,030,313 (including buyer’s premium).
Details of Rifle (from Auction Description):
Condition: Extremely fine overall with crisp original barrel address and serial number “1” on the barrel. The engraving and historic inscription are all crisp and of extraordinary detail. 85% plus original vibrant case colors remain on the hammer. 40% of the original blue finish mixed with attractive even brown patina remains on the barrel. Significant patches of original silver plating are found in the protected areas of the frame such as the lower tang as well as on the heel extension of the buttplate, attractively aged patina on the exceedingly attractive brass, a mostly even brown patina on the lever, and generally minimal overall wear consistent with the rifle’s age[.] The stock is also fine and has attractive natural grain and color, with an overcoat of protective varnish, faint flakes at the edges of the wrist, a tight hairline crack follows the grain in the butt, and slight storage dings and scratches. Mechanically excellent.
On this 4th of July, 2026, the 250th Anniversary of American Independence Day, we thought it would be good to feature lever-action rifles. Lever-action rifles have been an important element of American history. These were truly the rifles that “Won the West”. Today, lever-action rifles remain popular with hunters and cowboy-action shooters. And rimfire lever guns are fun for short-range shooting at reactive targets. Easy to carry, lever guns can also be very effective on varmints.
For this Saturday-at-the-Movies installment, we feature seven videos about lever-action rifles. These videos review modern lever guns as well as historic 19th-century lever-action rifles. Two of these videos features sophisticated 3D computer animation so you can look inside the rifles to see how the internal mechanisms function to feed, fire, and eject cartridges.
How a Lever-Action Rifle Functions
This video shows the inner mechanisms of a classic lever-action rifle. It shows how the lever actuates case-feeding from the under-barrel tube, then how the hammer is cocked/fired, and finally how the ejection works after the shot is fired. This video also covers lever-action rifle history, looking at the Winchester 1873 as well as popular modern lever-action firearms.
Classic American Lever-Action Rifles — Hickok45’s Insights
Hickok45 is one of the more knowledgeable YouTube gun reviewers, and he personally owns a number of lever guns. In this video, which has over 2.5 million views, Hickok45 first showcases the original Henry Rifle, and the brass-receiver model 1866 (aka “Yellowboy”). Then he reviews Winchester’s model 1873 and model 1876 (Centennial). Next comes Winchester designs by J.M. Browning — the model 1886, model 1892, model 1894, and lastly the distinctive model 1895 with vertical magazine. The Model 1895 was a favorite of President Theodore Roosevelt.
This insightful Hickok45 video has garnered 2.5 million YouTube views. If you can take the time to watch the entire 37-minute video, this is a great history lesson for 19th-century lever guns. In the video, Hickok45 also shows cartridges used in the various rifles.
Top Five Lever-Action Rifle for Hunting and Home Defense
This video combines reviews from multiple YouTube hosts, including .22 Plinkster. It is a good starting point if you are considering purchase of a modern, lever-action rifle for hunting or home defense. We recommend, prior to purchase, that you go to a gun store to inspect the rifles and work the actions. Some lever guns are significantly smoother in operation than others. You’ll also want to check the triggers, and see the options for mounting optics. This video provides a quick look at a variety of lever guns including: Henry Side Gate Lever Rifle; Winchester Model 1866 Short Rifle (replica); Browning BLR Lever Rifle; Marlin Dark Model 336; and Marlin 1895 Custom Shop 45-70.
Seven Reasons to Own a Lever-Action Rifle
We own a variety of lever-action rifles, including Marlins well as handsome replica Uberti 1866 and 1873 rifles. There is much to be said about the lever gun design. Compared to typical modern bolt-actions, lever guns are narrower and lighter. With a little tuning, the replica 19th-century lever-action rifles cycle very quickly and smoothly. And the modern lever guns are good choices for hunters, with their ability to mount scopes and fire modern high-velocity cartridges. This video reveals the reasons every serious shooter should have at least one lever-action rifle in his or her collection.
How a Winchester 1873 Works
This video has over 15 million views on YouTube. The Model 1873 was one of the most successful Winchester rifles of its day, with Winchester marketing it as “The Gun that Won the West”. The original Model 1873 was manufactured between 1873 and 1923, and it is still available today in replica versions. The 1873 was originally chambered for the .44-40 cartridge, the first significant centerfire cartridge. The 1873 was later produced in .38-40 and .32-20, all of which later became popular handgun cartridges of the day. The Model 1873 was produced in four variations: a 24-inch barrel rifle, a 20-inch barrel carbine, and a “musket”—which was aimed at military contracts and only made up less than 5% of production. The standard rifle-length version was most popular in the 19th century, although Winchester would make rifles to order in any configuration the customer wished, including longer barrels or baby carbines with barrels as short as 12 inches, octagonal-shaped barrels, color case-hardened receivers and fancy engraving.
The Henry Big Boy Lever-Action .44 Magnum
Here’s good, thorough 16-minute review of a modern Henry Big Boy side-gate lever-action rifle chambered for the potent .44 Magnum round. This rifle shows the benefits of modern manufacturing methods, and shows good fit and finish. The review puts the rifle through its paces, show how quickly a modern lever gun can be cycled. We think this would be a good choice for a home defense rifle that could share ammunition with a defensive revolver.
Marlin 336 XLR Tactical-Style Lever-Action Rifle
And now for something a bit different… Here a Marlin 336 XLR lever-action rifle has been updated with a tactical-style forearm, rail-mounted optic, and suppressor. The reviewer noted how well the rifle functioned: “Recently I got my hands on this 336 XLR from Marlin and all of my preconceptions of tactical lever action rifles has now changed. What I found was a very modern and capable twist to an old school platform.”
More Information on Lever-Action Rifles
Want to learn more about lever-action rifles? RifleShooter magazine has published an interesting article, the 10 Greatest Lever-Action Rifles of All Time. Writing for RifleShooter, Brad Fitzpatrick examined a wide selection of lever guns produced in the past 150 years, and came up with this list of ten “all-star” lever-action rifles:
Savage Model 99
Winchester Model 1873/73
Winchester Model 1888/88
Winchester Model 1892/92
Winchester Model 1894/94
As with all “Top 10″ lists, this will be controversial. Where is the Winchester model 1866 “Yellowboy”, the favorite of Native Americans? Where is the iconic Winchester model 1895, the beloved gun Teddy Roosevelt called “Big Medicine”? But other choices are hard to fault. The classic 1860 Henry Rifle surely belongs on the list. And, believe it or not, the Winchester Model 94 is the best-selling sporting rifle of all time in the USA, according to RifleShooter.
Forum member Evan K. (aka “Katokoch”) has crafted a nice rimfire benchrest rig using a Suhl action fitted into a handsome home-built cedar and carbon fiber stock. This shows what a skilled hobbyist wood-worker can create in his garage.
When the rifle was crafted some years ago, Evan told us: “Here is my Suhl 150-1 with a factory 1:19″ twist barrel, Leupold 36X scope, Harrell tuner, and my handmade cedar/carbon fiber stock. I started working on the laminate blank a couple years ago and finally finished it earlier this year. I’ve been using it in my IR 50/50 matches this summer. I haven’t shot a 250 with it yet but I know the rifle is very capable — as usual, I am the weak link!”
We think Evan did a great job on his stock, though he has limited stock-building experience. Evan explained: “The stock is my first attempt at making a very lightweight laminate and also gluing both vertical and horizontal seams in a blank. The wood is Spanish and Red Cedar and I made the trigger guard and buttplate with carbon fiber too (great use for small scrap pieces). The finish is hand-rubbed spar urethane and the action is semi-glued-in with Devcon 10110 and stainless pillars.”
USRA-IR50/50 is a popular .22 rimfire benchrest discipline with three (3) classes: 13.5 lb., 10.5 lb., and 7.5 lb. (Sporter). The matches are shot at 50 yards and 50 meters.
Jonathan Ocab, a High Power shooter from California, had gunsmith Doan Trevor install a Sako-style extractor in the Rem 700 bolt in Ocab’s 6mmBR Eliseo R5 tubegun. Jonathan produced an excellent video showing how the Sako extractor improves the ejection of the short, fat 6mmBR cartridges in his rifle. Jonathan’s video demonstrates 6mmBR case ejection with an unmodified Rem 700 factory bolt versus a factory bolt fitted with a Sako-style extractor.
Johnathan explains: “Note how even when slowly operating the bolt, the bolt with the Sako extractor easily ‘kicks’ out the brass on ejection with minimal chance of operator error resulting in a failure to extract. While the unmodified bolt has issues ejecting brass on slow operation, it will eject if the operator pulls the bolt back quickly (fast and with some force).
While a Sako-style extractor isn’t an absolute necessity, this video shows the definite improvement this modification provides. For short cartridges like the 6mmBR, this is very useful. This modification is highly recommended for competition shooters, especially High Power competitors who seek improved function in rapid-fire stages. This modification is fairly inexpensive and any competent gunsmith should be able to perform the work (usually under $100 with parts and labor).”
EDITOR’s NOTE: In his video, Jonathan deliberately worked the unmodified Remington bolt slowly to show how the standard Rem extractor can struggle with short fat cases like the 6mmBR. In fact, when you work a standard, unmodified bolt more quickly, the extraction can be much more positive. Cycling the bolt with more “snap” provides more energy to eject the cases. We have run an R5 Tubegun chambered in 6mmBR with an unmodified Rem 700 bolt (no SAKO extractor), and the extraction was reliable, provided the bolt was worked quickly.
Q: Why did you choose to build this rig?
