“Grandpa’s Gun” No More

Every other Saturday afternoon, Duane Hammaker hosts a radio show on a local AM station. The hour-long show covers a wide range of shooting themes, including historical topics, safety and what’s new from manufacturers.

Hammaker, co-owner of Guns Plus in Duncannon, Pa., also includes a weekly spotlight on one of the many Henry rifles in stock or on the way to his shop. Such was the case when he covered their new magazine-fed Lever Action Supreme Rifle. 

The response was immediate. Calls and emails flooded the store from customers eager to learn more and grab one of the unique firearms. During the initial rollout, he was able to secure nearly 80 rifles. They only lasted a few days.

“I sold everything I had,” Hammaker confirmed.

Such is life these days with a lever-action segment that is slowly, but steadily, shedding its sleepy past. A rifle once associated with the Old West and cowboy movies is making a claim for a piece of the modern firearms market.

Hollywood’s Impact

Guns Plus has a front-row seat for this evolution, through its in-store Henry Shop featuring more than 160 of the company’s SKUs. The change is reflected in customer attitudes and interests.

“It used to be ‘Grandpa’s gun,’” Hammaker explained, “but now I’m seeing a lot of younger people in their early 20s coming in with a fascination for lever guns.”

Determining the turning point for any trend can be difficult, but this one may be traced — like a few others — to Hollywood.

In 2015’s box office hit “Jurassic World,” the dinosaur wrangler played by Chris Pratt was seen carrying an unusual stainless lever action (Marlin’s 1895SBL) with a laminate stock and scope. It was an attention grabber, said Jason Gentz, industry veteran and owner of Gentz Sporting Arms in Lakeville, Minn.

“That was kind of the beginning of the evolution of modern lever actions,” he suggested.

The trend continued from there, with the same rifle being carried by actor Jeremy Renner in 2017’s modern-day Western “Wind River.” The following year, the hit TV series “Yellowstone” debuted, with lever actions appearing sporadically throughout its run.

During this same period, both Marlin (Dark Series) and Henry (Big Boy X) launched popular lines catering to the needs and interests of modern shooters. Chambered in a range of calibers, they sport polymer stocks, threaded barrels, optic/scope mounts and the ability to add other accessories not typically associated with the gun carried by legendary Western actor John Wayne.

Throw in the continuing demand from Cowboy Action shooters, and you have the perfect cocktail for maintaining and growing demand for these iconic rifles.

Hunting Inroads

There’s no reason to think the nostalgia driver is going anywhere, with Cowboy Action remaining popular across the country, contends Jen Beery, a salesperson at Buffalo Arms in Ponderay, Idaho. And while lever guns may not be the first choice of hunters, it doesn’t mean there’s no role for them.

“You know, you can go hunting with some of the more modern guns, and it’s easy,” she reasoned. “Some people are looking for a new challenge. Whether it’s black powder or a lever gun, it’s just not as easy.”

The variety of caliber options in lever guns — everything between .22 rimfire to .45-70 — means these rifles can be used for a wide range of game. 

Henry’s new mag-fed Lever Action Supreme Rifle is currently offered in .223 Rem./5.56 NATO and .300 BLK (both come with five-round limiters), giving it considerable versatility.

“You could easily consider it a deer hunting rifle or mid-sized game rifle, depending on how you load it,” Hammaker shared.

Recent Developments

At the same time, manufacturers are finding new ways to attract people who want more than a repackaging of rifles that had their heyday prior to 1900. Consider some of the recent developments in the segment:

• Henry’s Lever Action Supreme Rifle features a threaded barrel and scope mount, and it is fed by AR-style magazines, making it faster to load and eliminating concerns about limited ammo capacity in lever-action rifles.

• Smith & Wesson rejoined the lever market after a 170-year absence, with its 1854 Stealth Hunter Series. The rifle features a threaded barrel, polymer stock, scope/optic mount and an M-LOK handguard.

• Bond Arms, known for its beefy derringers, is set to debut a new lever rifle with all the furniture of a modern sporting rifle, including a 30-round magazine.

• Marlin’s Dark Series is back —following a hiatus while the brand was absorbed by Ruger — with a polymer stock, threaded barrel, muzzle brake, adjustable cheek riser and M-LOK handguard.

For Ruger, the immediate challenge is keeping up with the demand for the Dark Series, even as it prepares to debut additional calibers (.38 Special/.357 Magnum and .44 Rem. Mag./.44 Special) this year. 

“These levers are a little different than everything else,” said R.G. Stitt, the company’s director of sales. “It’s taking extra effort for us. We’re clearly selling them as fast as we can build them.”

With new entrants into the market, it makes you wonder who else might consider dipping a toe in the lever pool. It’s unlikely we’ll see someone like GLOCK jump in. But Hammaker expects to see more new entrants — particularly if the market responds to what’s being offered.

As demonstrated by Henry’s recent decision to start making revolvers, manufacturers are willing to step outside of their comfort zones if there’s money to be made. 

“That was a great divergence from what Henry typically does,” he remarked. “I think everybody’s going to look at it [the lever segment] to see if they can grab a piece of the market share and grow their business.”

Stitt agrees, pointing to a market demand that hasn’t been fully met by the current players.

“So, would I be surprised if somebody else gets into it? Not a bit,” he stated.

Meeting In The Middle

Perhaps nothing has done more for this burgeoning market than the aesthetic/functional changes that appeal to younger shooters and those who have enjoyed the modularity of modern sporting rifles.

Hammaker expects to see companies that make AR accessories start paying more attention to this segment, particularly with the AR market saturated. We already see this happening with the Henry Big Boy X line and the Marlin Dark rifles.

There is a wide range of aftermarket parts available for anyone wanting to customize a rifle. This includes replacement grips, handguards, sights, cartridge holders, muzzle brakes, hammer extensions, trigger kits and optic mounts. 

Hammaker is most familiar with the demand for the Henry Big Boy X line. But there’s the potential for similar competitors to fill the same niche. 

“It’s a tremendously well-selling line,” Hammaker acknowledged. “It meets the middle between the guy who wants the nostalgia lever action and the guy who wants the plastic gun.”

Indeed, there’s just something different about these rifles. They allow the creation of a hybrid that mixes the DNA of a traditional Western firearm with all the bells and whistles of modern shooting.

“You can add whatever accessories you want, lights, lasers and accessory ammo holders,” Stitt said. “There’s so much cool stuff that can be added to them.” 

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