Thoughts?

https://www.smith-wesson.com/1854

Wood and blue one is more my style.
But a little spendie!

I am on it. I have been asking for a stainless synthetic 44 Magnum lever gun for a long time. I'd prefer a shorter barrel, straight stock and standard loop, but this is as close as I'll get to what I want.

I guess I don't hate it.

Interesting.

Kinda cool but I'd rather have the modern version. The AR.

Picatinny rail, cross bolt safety and m-loc for tactical attachments… good grief Charlie Brown.
Space Cowboys?

huh? S&W making lever guns?

I like it.

Looks more like they just had Marlin build it for them.

9 shots and a threaded muzzle w/what looks like a "heavy" barrel.
A stainless version of the 94 Black shadow with a less flexible cartridge.
This had to have been concocted by the "I'd love to have a rifle in the same cartridge as my sidearm" crowd. That way you could carry twice as much weight and still be limited in range. FFS

S&W patented the very first lever gun... in 1854, hence the moniker of the new lever gun.

If I had the money just to spend, I'd buy one . Just because, why not?... Joe

That is a point.


Haha!

No thinks

The detachable mag tube might be pretty handy. As long as it doesn’t rattle around or other wise give the appearance of just being a cheap feature.

What, no chamberings in 10mm, 454 Casul .50 S&W?

Agreed, if they are sticking to pistol rounds there should be a 50s&w, or .460 at least.

We need a rimmed 6.5 Grendel with flexi tips.

You'd have something then.

Love it !

Now off to find one for sale

Ah……………..no. 😂

If the 1 in 20 twist rate stabilizes the longer bullets like the 300 grainers they have a winner. That is if the action can also handle the COL.

I don't think it's that great, too expensive compared to other lever actions, I was hoping maybe a new revolver, Ruger will bring something out to compete with it

Street prices will probably come out at under a grand. That's right there with Henry and Marlin.

S&W has bailed on bolt guns multiple times. They’ve bailed on shotguns. They bailed on Thompson Center. Other than their AR’s, they’ve always ended up “losing interest” after a few years. We’ll see..

If they chamber it in .45 colt I would definitely be interested.

Being as Ruger bought Marlin as of a couple of years ago, and now makes Marlin, perhaps this is S&W's answer to that?

https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/sw-model-1854-limited-edition-lever-action-rifle-44-magnum

Looks good to me

What? No FDE! It'll never sell.

S&W has made a stinker or 2 in the last 100 years. Their revolvers are still standing as the standard to follow. Yes, even more so that the Colts. Give it a little time and I want to see how it stands up to some use and abuse. This guy typically gives everything he shoots a good workout.
kwg

I saw yesterday where henry announced a Big Boy rifle in various pistol cartridges. Funny thing is that S&W looks like a spitting image of the Henry.
PJ

Not sure why they would offer it with a flat trigger, had one on a bolt action, very sensitive as to where you place your finger, ok on bolt action, not so great on a lever action IMHO.

Not sure why they would offer it with a flat trigger, had one on a bolt action, very sensitive as to where you place your finger, ok on bolt action, not so great on a lever action IMHO.

Funny Marlin goes tits up, now we have four of them!

And why bring back Micro groove?

If S&W wants to lure me back into their fold, they'll have to make the hillary hole disappear from their wheel guns.
Haven't bought a S&W since the mid 90's.

Anyone jumping in the market to make more lever guns is a good thing.

Some of you fàgs would bitch if they [bleep] you with a fresh [bleep].

Since they’re using the “We invented the lever action Shtick” it would be cool if they brought out a Volcanic repro in .22 lr.

I’d also agree that this modern, stainless design might be given legs with their own .460 & .500 cartridges. Sort of an “affordable” Big Horn Armory copy instead of Marlin copy.

I have a Marlin 336 in 44mag and an 1894 in 44mag. I don’t see any improvements on those two in this S&W. I’ll pass on it.

Or the Henry is a rougher spitting image of a Marlin...

$3500 ?

Dead as Julius Ceasar in a year.

S&W is the kiss of death to long guns.

Didn't take any time at all to kill TC.

They need to offer it in more than 44 mag.

S&W had to jump into the newest tacticool fad. Won't be getting any of my money. I'm still pissed that they trashed TC.

I thought Smith & Wesson had a deal with Winchester never to market a rifle.

honest outlaw did a review. he said it was pretty good out of the box. he is going to do a torture test video on it. you can see on youtube

Like this one?

Life is too short for an ugly gun.

Seems like it would be fun to dink around with but I don't get the pistol cartridge in a lever gun concept.

The plain old .30-30 covers that ground, and more.

Why rimmed? Levers can run rimless

if you can't sneak up on them to within range of a 44 mag out of a long gun???

Will it handle Specials too?

QFT & FIFY

It's all about the mag capacity. Theyre marketing to folks that are used to 30 rounds as a standard capacity

More carrots to draw you away from a modern sporting rifle. Folks will say they are trying to market to places ARs are not welcome. Like gun grabbers will stop at lever actions with limited round counts. Buy one if you truly like lever guns, and I like lever guns but not buying a lever gun made to look like a defense gun with plastic stocks and attachment points. What’s next blunderbuss’ with a laser sight?

Walnut and Blued at $3499.... no thank you

What if I don’t truly like lever guns, but like the idea of one anyway? What if I like the idea of adding a light to shoot predators outside my door? Is it ok if I don’t think a lever gun has to have wood furniture and tang mounter aperture? Is a ghost ring setup from XS ok? Or should it have to be an AR variant if I want to mess with the sights? Somebody ought to print out the rules for this shît

Yes, but one of the early testers had some feed issues with one of the batches of specials that had a short OAL.

Rockinbbar: Does it have a "hillary hole" (trigger lock)?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

It could be worse, a lot worse.

https://www.marlinfirearms.com/s/leverAction-DarkSeries/

no attachment point for lights on traditional style firearms. no, no, no

do like my uncle did with his .410 single shot. It had a big ol' 5 cell, 60's style, flashlight taped to the barrel with black electrical tape. When he came home from a call out on his lineman job and saw a rabbit run into the corn rows in the garden he'd grab that up and go hunting rabbits.

You have better options now, there's gorilla tape and Streamlight 1000 lumen lights you can use.

God forbid someone markets a lever rifle with useful features.

old school is cool

thanks Paul, as I am considering a Special revolver this summer

Thankfully, the 30-30 will never go away. But, I'm liking the concept of pistol cartridges in a lever action. Very traditional and the anti gunners seem to be leaving them alone. I realize the S&W may not be everyone's first choice but a lever action has been re-gaining that "cool factor" it had 100 years ago. I see no downside.

kwg

That thing looks more Henry than Marlin.

Insane MSRP

Lots of hole-less used ones out there.

I saw this model this morning and have some mixed feelings about it. I am all about the stainless utility of it. Not crazy at all about the stock. Have no idea what "accessories" your going to be MLOK mounting on a hunting rig. And a 44 mag for a HD carbine is just silly. I have both a Stainless JM Marlin 1894 and a Henry Big Boy, both in .44 mag. Just looking at this I would put this above the Big Boy but don't see it replacing my 1894 anytime soon.

It would be nice if they offered it up in both .357 and .45LC. Waiting for Ruger/Marlin to do that with the new 1894s. Time will tell if it sticks. Hope it does, with more lever gun options out there on the market maybe we'll see the prices of them come down a bit.

I watched the Honest Outlaw review and one from sootch00. I don't really care for the latter as a presenter but giving credit where due he does do a more thorough review than most.

Obviously it's a Marlin 336 through and through but with some interesting variations. The magazine comes completely out, it's not a tube within a tube, when you release the knob at the end the whole magazine comes out. It's not made for loading and unloading, just unloading. At around 11:25 he does that with a fully loaded mag and the whole thing flies out and off camera. Oops.

The screws are all allen head which is certainly practical if not traditional, but then this rifle isn't following tradition too much.

At 13:25 he fires a five round group at 25 yards using the factory peep sights - really not impressive for 25 yards, or else he can't shoot peep sights worth beans.

Trigger pull on his example came in about 3 1/4 pounds, not too shabby for a hunting rig.

Nobody mentions if the loading port will slice your finger open but I didn't see any blood, so who knows.

I'm glad to see S&W doing this. It's always good to see the gun companies expanding their horizons.
That said, this rifle doesn't appeal to my tastes in a lever gun. Personally, I'd rather not have the big lever loop, the pik rail, the threaded muzzle or the attachment points. I like stainless steel, but would prefer a black finish over it. Also would prefer straight-grained walnut over plastic furniture. .500 S&W would interest me way more than .44 magnum and I would prefer .30-30 to either. All the same, if they made it in .25-20 I'd grab one, but I'm not holding my breath for that.

In all honesty the Rossi stainless Trapper based on the Winchester 92 action would be my choice. Considered by many to be the strongest and fastest cycling SA revolver carbine. They have wood and laminated gray. On a 44 Mag stainless Trapper I wouldn’t care or need telescopic sights for my purposes so that’s not a consideration on a 16” carry carbine.

The Rossi is around $675 or about half the cost of this S&W cross between a Marlin and a Henry. For that kind of money you could slick out the Rossi to be impressive for the purpose intended, which is wilderness protection with a Trapper platform.

Since they chose to copy the Marlin action, .44 Mag is the most potent round they’ll ever bring out. The action ain’t strong enough for anything more.

Absolutely no downside for some uses and looks like it would be fun. Just not sure I'd use one a lot if I owned one.

I like it!

MSRP is $130 less than the hideous non-stainless Marlin Dark.

Looks heavy and clunky. If I wanted a .44 mag lever rifle I'd chase down a Browning B92.

So now they gotta compete with Ruger/Marlin. And Rossi. And Henry. And 50 years of used rifles.

What they COULD have done, was produced a PUMP gun (ala the IMI Timberwolf), and they would have had virtually NO competition, a “faster” gun, and…..

.
Might be a good marketing move for S&W, time will tell.
Leverguns are very popular still and straight-wall hunting regs in some states increase the market.
44Mag ? The new Marlins and the Henrys don't stay on the shelves for long. Try to find a new model 357, 44 or 45-70
That's probably a safe choice for the roll-out. Enough power for a deer gun and plenty for HD.
The modern furniture and accouterments ?
I'm not a fan but their marketing people must have determined that the new buyers want it.
The wood furniture model is too much money. I'd be looking at a Big Horn 460 for that kind of money.
The reviewer said that 357Mag and 45LC were mentioned in the manual, so they're probably next.

A 45-70 and a lower price-point wood furniture model would round out the line-up nicely.

Like!!!

Should have been 45 Colt.

Make it in 500 smith and Im in 100%

+1

Count me among the "companion arm" freaks.
"MY" problem is .... I want the rifle in .41 Rem Mag instead of .44 Rem Mag.
Marlin built a few .41 Mag lever guns. They ARE pricey and difficult to locate!
Oh well! LOL!

Henry makes the 41 in a lever action but it doesn't have the loading gate. It loads at the tube.

kwg

Marlin can't even keep up with their own demand. I like this gun by the way

True

Agreed. That's why I like this new S&W

I'm hearing $1,400 msrp. Probably $1,100 street price

Just looked at Buds, thought I had seen something like this Smith before, Rossi has a 30-30 called Triple Black threaded barrel, but it is called there new R35 model, 45-70 , 30-30 , on Rossi site, several lengths. Smith will fade in couple years !!

Why not wood/ blued steel and include 357 and 45 Colt. I want wood to set the LOP to my requirement. They are so far out in space they don't include it in the spec sheet. I do like threaded barrels and NO crossbolt safety. If it isn't safe on halfcock it is junk to me. Peep sounds good with a gold strip sourdough front. Probably won't happen. RZ.

Neat gun for sure, I like it. Be really neat in a 45/70!

S&W website shows $1279 for the stainless synthetic.

Better yet. Thanks

Yeah, just another fly by night company nobody will remember.

I see the anti gun contingent has rolled in to hate on any new guns being introduced

I like anything that’s good. If it works well, I’m a fan. They managed to make it a good defensive model without ruining the lines. Obviously, the ones who like walnut and blued ain’t gonna like it, nor will the Marlinites who already have ones they like. So be it. I don’t think they’re the S&W target market.

Honest Outlaw has a review as does Sootch.

Not saying S&W will not be remembered, ever, dumb fugg, be just like their bolts and shotguns, and there cheap ass autos , not their great revolvers or even AR platform.

Watching the Sootch review now. Receiver is forged 416R, lever is carbon steel. There is a half-cock notch. Not sure I like the way the mag tube comes completely out. Flat-faced trigger, pull about 3 1/4lbs. Torx screws. Definitely a Marlin copy.

I think I’d keep a ranger band around that tube to ensure no whoopsies in the field.😱

.45 Colt and .357 coming….

No you're just rooting against a new gun. I'm happy that we have more choices and you want less

Little spendie. I'd be happier if they'd stop putting the hillary hole on their revolvers. And not just a few J-frames. ALL of them.

I’m cool with a new gun from a old company, I just don’t believe it yet, but, I hope it takes off, I want to know who is making it for them, Ruger !!! Is this a John Deer made by bombardier ? When this thing tanks in couple of years you going to order parts from Ruger? New idea comes a long because every one getting suppressed, and boom, here’s a lever, we will see.

Take a look at edm's post with the price of the walnut and blued. Yikes.

I actually just threw up in my mouth a little. I'll probably take my chances on a Ruglin one of these days though.

I like it but I think I would wait a year or 2 to make sure they worked all the bugs out.
The second video said it weighs a little over 5 lbs. and the owner's manual mentioned it being chambered in 357 magnum and 45 Colt so it looks like there's more to come.

It's growing on me. Maybe by the time the .357 comes out I'll be ready.

Instant collectors item, stack it right next to your 7-30 Waters!

Ruger can't even make enough Marlins to meet its own demand. That's what opened the door for Rossi and S&W to introduce new leverguns. My LGS can't keep any leverguns on the shelf and they can't get enough to please their customers. Somebody needed to plug the gap. My LGS actually took to selling Rossi's because they can actually get them

With the new age of long range, I don't understand the modern lever action craze.

I don't know anyone personally who gives a flip about long range shooting. Wouldn't even know where to go to attempt such a feat?

With urban sprawl and development, ranges are getting shorter, not longer for most hunters.

I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it was chambered in a .360 Buckhammer. I like it a lot.

.44 mag just doesn't do it for me.

Black & stainless ! looks good,

I always toss the factory firewood and go with McMillan of Manners handles anyway

If it was a 500 or 460 I'd be on it, even a 444 would be cool,

44 ? naw, pass

Good post; Barry.

Good to see ya!

Hope your week is going well up there!

Had a good rain for a change down here.

Why do you think someone else is making it for them?

Agreed

Allow me to pile on….😜

I see you’re in AZ, so your notion probably reflects that.

This past season I made my longest shot on a whitetail since the 80s, maybe 125yards. About a minute earlier, I shot another one at maybe 50, and a few weeks earlier, one at 7. The only reason I got the longest opportunity is that the DNR opened up a bunch of food plots that were previously head-high brushy fields. One of those plots may present a shot as long as nearly 300 yards, and I saw some like that earlier during the antlerless and archery season. I carry a rifle able to make such shots, but that’s because I prefer bolt actions; these days, lightweight ones using smaller cartridges. For most of the rest of that WMA, a lever action, even a .44, is a sound choice.

Don’t need one, but I’d like to check one out in person.

I'll introduce myself. Now you know someone that knows, cares, shoots long range. And short. Where? Wherever you get range. Of course I can't get a shot past 600 down south on our place but up north we can get long shots all over the place if we look. I prefer to close. But I also prefer to be prepared.

Hang together lest we hang separately

I meant I don't know anybody around here that does it. Of course I've never seen a range longer than 200 yards. I hear tell of a 1,000 yard range in Williamsport but never went there

Looks like a solid offering, but I will spend the same money and get a sleek older Marlin any day.

The older Marlins, even the Remlins, have 1-38” twist barrels, which may be an issue for some. I forgot to check that when I looked at this one, but 1-20” is kinda standard now. My 1885 Browning, about 30 years old now, maybe older, is a 1-20”.

S&W website shows the weight at 108.8 ounces. That's 6.8 pounds. https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/sw-model-1854-lever-action-rifle-44-magnum

That sounds more realistic. I should have double checked the S&W website. (I didn't think anyone read my posts.)

met a few folks in '99-'00 that shot deer from one side of Kinzua Reservoir to the other. Long range target shooters maybe from that Williamsport place or elsewhere in PA. At the time, before the advent of the 6.5 craze, they were shooting 30-378 with long .30 bullets. They liked to test their skills on critters when the season was open.

I met one of those guys that do that when I was 17. He belonged to a 1,000 yard hunting club. He told me all about bench rifles and the 30-378 when it was still a wildcat. They were using the 6.5-300 too in those days. I'd never heard of anything like that before I talked to him

What's that lump of junk on the end of the magazine tube? A why does it have a giant USB socket on the forestock?

S&W. had a pre shot show indoor range show in Vegas. TFBTV has a very good video on it. The S&W rep more than hinted. that 460 and 500S&W versions were planned.

There's one (at least) available for pre-order on gunbroker right now.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1032499151


Be the first kid on your block...

Mo better.

I have read several times that the Marlin 44 Mag rifles, with their twist rate, will not stabilize the heavier .429" bullets.

But that was a while ago, and I cannot recall what the actual problematic twist rate was. Do you know if that was the 1/20" or a 1/38"?

On the Marlin website, it appears that they are all 1/20" now, unless I missed something.

Marlin 1894's were always the slower twist and folks complained about it to them for years, decades even. Some folks reported good accuracy with 300 grain bullets but in the two .44 Mag 1894's I owned, a stubby Lyman 429215 215 gr. semi-wadcutter always shot the best groups by far of any bullet tried.


I'm actually liking not hating this new S&W, even though polymer stocks and M-loks and all that stuff on a lever action leaves me cold. But if it shoots accurately, if it works smoothly from the factory (which reviewers are saying it does), if it feeds reliably and if the loading port isn't knife sharp I can see myself seriously kinda maybe thinking about buying one.

When it comes out in .357 Magnum, that is.

Very much so. 👍