When I heard that Smith & Wesson was introducing its own American-made lever-action rifle, I received the news with enthusiasm. That was because another high-quality, top-tier firearms manufacturer was doing its part to expand the legacy of the classic American rifle — a foundational piece of U.S. history now getting a modern upgrade. I was eager for the chance to test one of these pistol-caliber carbines (PPCs) myself.

The 1854 Series: A Modern Take on a Timeless Lever-Action Rifle

The Smith & Wesson 1854 Series is a retro take on the Winchester 1873-style lever-action rifle. I say “retro” because the 1854 follows the original lever-action rifle pattern and design, while incorporating a number of  21st-century modifications, depending on the model chosen. Currently, there are 10 variations, including a limited-edition collector’s rifle with a custom presentation case.

All Smith & Wesson 1854 rifles are chambered in pistol-caliber cartridges, and currently available in .357 Magnum/.38 Special, .44 Magnum and .45 Colt. The standard series includes three core styles:

  • Traditional: Walnut stocks with a black Armornite finish on the barrel, lever, receiver and magazine tube
  • Stainless Steel: Black synthetic stock and M-LOK forend slots for accessory attachment
  • Stealth Hunter: 15 M-LOK slots, all-black finish and a Picatinny rail extending from the rear of the receiver to mid-barrel

Built for Hunting, Defense and Utility

While all three versions of the Model 1854 lever-action make excellent hunting rifles, I acquired my test sample to assess its versatility as a moderate-range utility and survival carbine. This .357 Magnum lever-action rifle is capable of driving off predators of all types, particularly in rural or semi-rural environments.

Starting at the rear of the rifle, the 1854 features a Smith & Wesson-logoed recoil pad and pistol grip cap. The wrist area of the stock has a stippled texture, providing a comfortable yet secure grip under all conditions.

The action lever is an enlarged type — not for show or trick shooting — but to allow easier operation by gloved or larger hands, as well as improved leverage when cycling the action.

Above the trigger, on the right side of the receiver, is the black manual cross-bolt safety. Push it to the left to disengaged the safety — a red ring will appear on the left side when it clicks into place — or push it to the right to engage the safety.

The black loading gate is located in the traditional position on the right side, with the bolt/ejection port situated just above it. The user loads the rifle by pressing the nose of each cartridge down on the gate while pushing it forward.

With the safety engaged, the user can quickly unload the magazine tube by releasing the twist lock at the end of the tube and withdrawing it from beneath the barrel. Once removed, the live rounds can simply be dumped out — eliminating the need to cycle the action to clear each round individually. After all ammunition has been removed, return the magazine tube to its normal position.

The 1854 comes equipped with a length of Picatinny rail mounted above the receiver. Installed from the factory is an easy-to-use, easy-to-acquire XS Sights ghost-ring rear sight. At the front, the rifle features an XS brass-bead sight, which remains highly visible even in relatively low-light conditions. Simply center the brass bead within the ring with your eye for proper sight alignment.

The XS sights are high-quality components — not cheap add-ons — and are built to provide a lifetime of reliable service. They are a major upgrade over the irons found on older lever-action hunting rifles. Of course, if you plan to hunt at greater distances or in dense forest environments, you can easily mount optics to suit your needs.

.357 Magnum & .38 Special Performance

Testing the Smith & Wesson 1854 proved to be one of the most enjoyable live-fire sessions that I’ve ever conducted. Staying true to the retro Old West theme of the 1854, I teamed up with my neighbor Luke conduct testing on his property. His shooting area is located adjacent to his bison corral. (He owns six of them.)

Apparently, bison aren’t bothered by the sound of gunfire in close proximity. That might help explain why they were so easily hunted to near extinction during the 1800s. Luke is also an avid deer hunter who plans to teach all his kids how to hunt and fish.

For the test, I brought along a box of 158-grain full metal jacket .38 Special Norma Range and Training ammunition. This hot .38 load delivers a muzzle velocity of 988 feet per second and 329 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. The high velocity is typical of Norma ammunition. Interestingly, it is not +P rated.

The second load was Magtech’s 125-grain full metal jacket Flat Point .357 Magnum load, which boasts a muzzle velocity of 1,405 feet per second and a muzzle energy of 693 foot-pounds.

Since I knew that Luke was going to bring his daughter along to try out the lever gun, I also brought a shooting mat and a BOG Rapid Shooting Rest Tripod. She’s 9 years old and would understandably have trouble supporting a rifle weighing over 7 pounds on her own. The tripod is easy to set up and deploy, and I’ve used before to help my own son learn to shoot.

Luke’s next-door neighbor Dave also came over with his two sons to watch the test. Dave is an avid hunter and fisherman.

The 1854 was in for a wide-ranging test in terms of shooters.

Luke shot first. I gave him 10 rounds of the Magtech .357 Magnum ammunition to load up, and he set the 8-inch bullseye targets he had brought along at about 50 feet. Although Luke had never shot a lever-action rifle before, he quickly got the hang of loading and levering it in short order.

Luke fired from a military prone position. His first group was tightly clustered in the center of the 8-inch bullseye target, measuring in the 2-1/2 inch range. Although I had oiled the action beforehand, there were a few initial hang-ups with empties as they were ejected, but these soon disappeared.

Despite being a .357 Magnum rifle, the recoil was light — significantly less than you’d feel firing the same rounds from a standard revolver of the same caliber.

A Beginner’s Rifle Done Right

Next, it was Lukes daughter’s turn. We set her up with the BOG tripod rest, and I worked with her from her left side. To get her started, I loaded five rounds of the Norma .38 Special ammo into the 1854. I explained how the sights and trigger worked, and told her I would operate the lever while she held the rifle steady and worked the trigger.

She drilled the center of her bullseye target with her first eight rounds!

The recoil from the .38 Special ammo was practically nonexistent and didn’t bother her in the least. She wanted to keep shooting, so I loaded another five rounds. The results were the same — dead-center hits and a big smile.

I didn’t realize until afterward that she had never fired anything larger than a BB gun before. That experience shows the 1854 is a great centerfire starter rifle when properly set up for a young shooter. It also proves that a child’s first sights do not need to be optical or electronic. I’m a firm believer in starting out with iron sights.

Next, I worked with Dave’s boys, who were chomping at the bit for a turn. Once again, I coached them the same way I had with Luke’s daughter. They, too, shot just as well, hitting the center of a fresh bullseye target. They safely handled the 1854 under supervision, taking their time and following instructions closely. For me, it was an unexpected bonus that added an extra dimension to the test.

Dave also took his turn from the prone position, firing one shot and drilling the bullseye with a Magnum round. He was sold on the .357 lever gun, too.

Testing from Seated and Standing Positions

Now it was my turn. I can’t shoot well from the prone position anymore due to shoulders that should’ve been replaced 10 years ago. I normally use a modified cross-leg seated position or shoot from standing during evaluations.

I began by firing eight Magtech .357 Magnum rounds from the seated position at the X-ring of a B27 Pro-S silhouette target. The recoil wasn’t objectionable — just a gentle push. While the muzzle blast was noticeably stronger than with the .38 Special ammo, it still wasn’t uncomfortable. My group measured 4 inches.

I finished up by firing five rounds of Norma .38 Special at the head of the silhouette from the standing position. Despite the relatively high power of the Norma .38, it felt like I was shooting a pleasant plinking round. No wonder all the kids enjoyed it. I put four rounds into a 3-inch group in the head area, with one flyer landing just above eye level.

A Versatile .357 Magnum Lever-Action Rifle

After the initial rounds of shooting, there were no malfunctions, and cycling was smooth. When shooting a centerfire lever-action rifle, you need to make sure to cycle the action more firmly than you would with a .22 rimfire lever-action. In addition, regardless of rifle brand, you must ensure that you complete the full-stroke movement of the lever through both the chambering and ejection portions of the cycle.

My neighbors and I live in an area where coyotes are plentiful and where, from time to time, questionable folks drive by without fully understanding where they are. While any of the Smith & Wesson 1854 lever-action rifles in any of the three chamberings would work well for home-defense rifles, I feel the .357 Magnum version is best suited for our environment.

This modern lever-action carbine more than powerful enough for any two-or four-legged predator in the area, and the ability to chamber and fire .38 Special ammunition makes it family-friendly. Its 10-round tubular magazine won’t run afoul of misguided magazine-capacity laws. It also makes a fine deer hunting rifle in broken terrain areas like ours, where long-range shots aren’t always possible.

And as I discovered, it’s an excellent tool for introducing family and friends not only to centerfire rifles, but also to the original and still-thriving “American rifle.”

Sources
BOG: BOGHunt.com
Magtech: MagtechAmmunition.com
Norma: Norma-Ammunition.com
Smith & Wesson: Smith-Wesson.com
XS Sights: XSSights.com

S&W Model 1854 Lever-Action Rifle .357 Magnum — Specs

Model: Smith & Wesson 1854 Lever-Action Carbine
Caliber: .357 Magnum/.38 Special
Action: Lever-Action
Safety: Cross-bolt manual safety
Capacity: 10 rounds (tubular magazine)
Overall Length: 36 inches
Barrel Length: 19.25 inches (threaded and capped)
Weight: 112.5 ounces (7 pounds, 0.5 ounces)
Width: 1.6 inches
Barrel Material: Matte finish 410 stainless steel
Stock/Grip: Black synthetic with textured grip panels
Trigger: Flat-faced trigger with crisp 4-pound, 3-ounce break
Sights: Adjustable XS Sights ghost-ring rear sight with gold-bead front sight
MSRP: $1,279

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Smith & Wesson 1854 fire both .357 Magnum and .38 Special ammunition?
Yes. The Model 1854 chambered in .357 Magnum can also fire .38 Special rounds. This makes it versatile for both powerful self-defense applications and softer-shooting practice or youth instruction.

Is the 1854 a good lever-action rifle for beginners or younger shooters?
Absolutely. With .38 Special ammunition and a stable shooting rest, even a young shooter was able to hit bullseyes consistently during testing. The low recoil and intuitive XS ghost ring sights make it highly beginner-friendly.

What modern features does the Smith & Wesson 1854 offer compared to traditional lever guns?
While retaining a classic lever-action design, the 1854 includes upgraded features such as M-LOK slots for accessories, a threaded barrel for suppressors or brakes, a Picatinny rail for optics and a stainless steel finish for added durability.