2024 Editor’s Choice Award Winning Smith & Wesson’s 1854 Lever Gun

Smith & Wesson’s 1854 Lever Gun

Traditional with a hint of new-school, S&W gets it right the first time

Several years ago, lever-action rifles enjoyed a brief resurgence in popularity before fizzling out after the larping crowd nearly ruined the essence of the platform by bolting every imaginable accouterment to it and labeling it an AR-15 alternative. I don’t think it is, and apparently, neither does Smith & Wesson.

Highlights of the forged 416 stainless-steel receiver include a flat-faced trigger, a mid-sized lever loop for gloved hands, easy-to-operate cross-bolt safety, and a side loading gate. Machine work was outstanding, with zero burs or tooling marks. On Target’s 1854 was tested using Trijion’s Huron 1-4x24mm riflescope mounted in a set of Larue Tactical QD rings, which allowed us to co-witness the rifle’s ghost-ring rear/gold-bead front iron sights.

Earlier in the year, Big Blue introduced the 2024 On Target Editors’ Choice Award-winning 1854 with some very tasteful and pragmatic upgrades over a traditional lever gun. Conceptually, it’s nice to see that the company took the “svelte bush gun” route instead of the “over-accessorized, boat anchor” angle that’s prevalent today. Smith and Wesson put it best when they said this rifle “seamlessly melds precision engineering and timeless design with modern features.” Let’s take a closer look at what this means.

The 1854’s action, which is extremely clean and crisp right out of the box, displays no visible burs or tooling marks. Racking the slightly oversized loop forward and aft provides proof positive of precision machining. It’s not just the smoothness of the action but the 1854’s ability to reliability feed and extract cases like a high-dollar custom rifle from a boutique shop. Smith & Wesson nailed it the first time.

Compared to Marlin’s 1894 Classic chambered in the same 44 Mag cartridge, the profile of the 1854’s 19.25″ barrel stainless steel is substantially larger, necessary in part to the muzzle’s 11/16”-24 muzzle threads. A removable magazine tube allows rounds to be dumped out the front without cycling them through the action. The polymer forend is given M-LOK accessory cuts at 3,6 and 9 o’clock.

The trigger pull and hammer operation are equally smooth. Flat-face triggers are currently in vogue, but for a good reason; a trigger that breaks at 90 degrees is simply easier to shoot for most and provides greater leverage, resulting in the perception of a lighter pull — always a good thing on a lightweight rifle. A cross-bolt safety is well-placed, functional, and intuitive to use.

Synthetic furniture adds to the all-weather, hard-use capabilities of the 1854 — you won’t think twice about taking this rifle out in foul weather. Texturing, which we found to be perfect in its abrasive levels when both wet and dry, can be found on the pistol grip and forend. A soft rubber buttpad helps take the sting out of hotrod 44 Mag loads.

Another subtle modernized feature is found at the far end of the rifle’s ideally textured composite forend: three M-LOK slots, one at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, are beveled nicely into place. Should you insist on adding a white-light illuminator, you can do so with class and functionality, maintaining the smooth lines and slim feel to the forend. A far better use of the M-LOK slots, in our opinion — especially on the forend’s right side — is a Midwest Industries Universal Shell Holder that perfectly fits a pair of 44 Rem Mag cases, just in case you need 12 rounds instead of the rifles total capacity of 10.

The muzzle of the 1854’s 19.25-inch stainless-steel barrel is threaded 11/16-24 for installing a suppressor or muzzle brake. Lever rifles are excellent suppressor hosts, similar to bolt action rifles, as no additional sound or gas emits from the receiver area of the platform to negatively affect shooter comfort. Instead, everything gets pushed out the bore, leading to a very comfortable big-bore rifle to shoot for range or hunting applications.

The slightly longer barrel length also suppresses rather well compared to a shorter 16-inch and allows for that impressive 9+1 round capacity from its nearly flush-fitting extended magazine tube. The magazine tube is removable out the front, allowing you to dump ammunition without cycling it through the action.

The 1854 managed some very impressive performance from the 100-yard line, printing this sub-half MOA three-shot group using Federal’s 180-grain Power Shok JHP load. The average group size for this load was a still-remarkable 0.55 inches. A 44 Magnum precision rifle? This seems to be the case with the 1854.

The receiver is constructed of 416R stainless steel and ships with a pre-installed Picatinny optic rail from the factory. A gold bead front sight paired with an XS Sights rear ghost ring provides a fast and accurate iron sight picture. Still, we took full advantage of the Picatinny rail to mount a Trijicon Huron 1-4x24mm LPVO, which we found provided the optimum balance of weight, optical clarity, and power range for the dense cover terrain in which we expect to use this package.

Bench testing results were impressive, especially using the low-magnification Trijicon. Our best three-shot group at 100 yards was attained using Federal 180-grain Power Shok JHP’s, which clustered nicely into a .45-inch clover leaf cluster. This is a field gun, not a bench rider, which is why we opted for three-shot groups instead of five.

There’s nothing quite like the visceral experience of running a well-tuned lever gun — especially one that offers a guarantee of connection downrange if you do your part. Dead Air’s Primal suppressor — designed for big-bore, high-pressure cartridges — worked exceptionally well in reducing the sound signature and recoil impulse of 44 Magnum. Load up some subsonic 44 Special, and you have yourself an ultra-quiet big-bore hammer.

We can’t say for sure what’s going on in Springfield, Massachusetts, but the feature sets and performance found within the 1854 rifle give me hope for Big Blue’s bright future in the lever-gun world. At an MSRP of $1,279 for the synthetic stock model or $1,399 for the traditional walnut model — in either 45 Colt or our preferred 44 Rem Mag — it is an incredible bargain, considering the level of craftsmanship you get for your money. See it at your nearest dealer, or for more information, contact Smith & Wesson; Tel: (800) 331-0852; Web: www.smith-wesson.com — Chris Mudgett


Specifications:

Caliber: 44 Mag, as tested

Action Type: Lever action

Trigger: Flat-faced

Rate of twist: 1-20”

Barrel: 19.25-inch, 410 stainless steel

Finish: Matte stainless steel

Stock: Synthetic

Magazine/capacity: 9+1 rounds

Sights: Adjustable ghost ring rear / gold bead front

Overall Length: 36 inches

Weight: 6.80 pounds

MSRP: $1,279