Smith & Wesson Model 1854 (.45-70 Govt)

The Model 1854 in .45-70 Government is the big-bore version of Smith & Wesson's lever gun, aimed at the same buyer who shops a Marlin 1895 or a Henry X Model. It runs a 20-inch threaded 410 stainless barrel, a forged stainless receiver, and a 6+1 tubular magazine, at 37.8 inches overall and 7.1 pounds bare. That is a half pound lighter than the .30-30 version of the same rifle because the .45-70 barrel is bored larger.

.45-70 out of a 20-inch tube is a 150-yard cartridge that hits far harder than any handgun chambering the 1854 was originally built around, which makes this the configuration for elk, hogs, black bear, and anywhere a heavy flat-nose bullet at close range is the point. Run ammunition marked for modern lever actions and follow the owner's manual; the heaviest .45-70 handloads are built for single-shot actions, not tubular-magazine lever guns.

The integrated Picatinny rail is the practical argument for this rifle over its competition. A 1-6x or a 2-7x mounts directly to the receiver with standard rings, no scout base or side mount required, and the gold-bead front sight remains usable underneath. Three M-LOK slots on the forend handle a sling or a light. The factory Scoped Combo version pairs the same rifle with a Vortex Crossfire HD 2-7x32 in Vortex Pro rings for $1,479 MSRP.