leveraction

Lever-action is a firearm action design in which a curved lever linked to the bolt cycles the action. The lever is usually mounted beneath the receiver and pivots to unlock the bolt, eject the spent cartridge, cock the hammer, and feed a fresh cartridge from a magazine into the chamber, before locking the bolt as the lever returns to the closed position. Most lever-actions feed from a tubular magazine under the barrel, though some designs use different magazine configurations or side-mounted ejection ports. The action is primarily associated with rifles but has also been adapted to shotguns.

Operation: The shooter moves the lever downward and forward, the internal parts retract the bolt and unlock; as the lever moves, the extractor pulls out the spent shell and ejects it, the hammer is cocked, and a cartridge is pushed from the magazine into the chamber. When the lever is brought back to its normal position, the bolt locks and the next round is ready to be fired. This cycle must be completed for each shot.

History: The lever-action emerged in the 19th century, with early successes such as the Henry rifle and the Winchester rifles based on patent designs by lever-action developers; these firearms were widely used in North America during the Civil War and the subsequent frontier era. The design offered relatively high rate of fire for the time, smooth operation, and reliable performance with rimmed cartridges. The most famous is the Winchester Model 1873.

Design and variants: Lever actions come in rifle and shotgun forms. Popular calibers include .30-30 Winchester, .45-70 Government, and .357 Magnum in some carbines. Modern examples include Henry, Rossi, and Winchester-branded models. Many use a tubular magazine under the barrel; some employ different feed arrangements. The action remains popular in cowboy action shooting and hunting.