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Posted: 3/13/2024 1:04:20 PM EDT
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I was finally able to fondle one yesterday and I really like it. I've had every common lever action ever made and think this one would be near the top of my favorites list. Anybody have one? |
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They look nice in the gun mags, and I'm thinking hard about buying one. The accuracy doesn't seem great - most write ups have been 2 inches or so at 50 yards, which doesn't seem very good. But I haven't seen what other lever actions shoot - is that similar to ones by Marlin/Ruger, Henry, etc.? |
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Originally Posted By 1stID: They look nice in the gun mags, and I'm thinking hard about buying one. The accuracy doesn't seem great - most write ups have been 2 inches or so at 50 yards, which doesn't seem very good. But I haven't seen what other lever actions shoot - is that similar to ones by Marlin/Ruger, Henry, etc.? My old JM marlin 45/70 will shoot under 2 inches fairly easily at 100 with reloads. And probably factory ammo, just never tried any. |
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Joined:
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Posts:
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EE: 100% (74)
AZ, USA
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Originally Posted By Morgan321: I was finally able to fondle one yesterday and I really like it. I've had every common lever action ever made and think this one would be near the top of my favorites list. Anybody have one? The shop got in 2 of them chambered in 44Mag a couple weeks ago, if one of them had been in 357Mag I probably would have snagged one. The barrel threading is 11/16x24 which I thought was kinda weird, why didn't they do them in 5/8x24? |
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Originally Posted By muta4warrior: The shop got in 2 of them chambered in 44Mag a couple weeks ago, if one of them had been in 357Mag I probably would have snagged one. The barrel threading is 11/16x24 which I thought was kinda weird, why didn't they do them in 5/8x24? It's my understanding that many 40 cal rifles are threaded 11/16 x 24 to keep someone from putting 30 cal, 5/8" muzzel devices or cans on the end, with exciting results! There are crossovers that'll go to standard sizes. |
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Bought one on GB today - was 1180 plus all the tax / shipping / transfer fees, etc. Should be in my hot little hands in a week or so. Looking forward to it - I don't have any lever actions, and this one seems all kitted out with what I wanted to see - stainless, plastic furniture, big loop, ghost rings with a rail, .44 mag, full length mag tube, and threaded. |
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Originally Posted By golfish: Waiting for a blued model with wood and no rail..... I doubt I'll ever see one. For a standard version, probably not, but S&W is making a blue and wood high grade version, that's 3 grand or some such, and limited numbers, if you really want that style. |
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Originally Posted By TheBeaverRetriever: I'm looking forward to reading your opinions once you've ran a few rounds through it. Should be nice, the only issue I've read about them is so/so accuracy, like 2" at 50, which isn't great, as that would be about 5 at 100, which is bordering on shotgun slug territory. One reviewer used irons and has non-working eyes like the rest of us Gen Xers, so I'll put a red dot on it. Which leads me to a question - what red dotish to use? I have a couple of Sig Romeo 5's, and they've worked well on everything I've used them on. Something like that, or should I try to keep to the slimmer profile of the rifle, and go with more of a pistol sized dot? I have a Holsun HE507C-GR on my FN 510, and I really like it. |
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Originally Posted By TheBeaverRetriever: I like the low profile red dot idea, until someone comes out with a longer rail mount - then I become a scout scope fanatic  It's my understanding from the reviews, but not verified, that the 1854 is the same footprint so to speak as the Marlin series, so the rail that's used on that one, plus stocks and foreends, can be used. |
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I picked mine up last week, just now getting around to taking pictures of it and doing a write up. Attached File |
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I'm pleased so far with the 1854, with the caveat that I haven't taken it out the range yet, and if it shoots foot groups at 50 yards and jams, I'll change my mind about it. It seems solid and well made. Nice and light, and handy. Excellent sights. I've not seen a gold bead front sight before, but it really does catch the light, even low light. The ghost ring in the back is excellent too - I'm no good anymore, or really ever, with leaf rear sights - can't really focus on where the front sight is in it, so the ghost is far better. Trigger pull is excellent. I can feel 4 distinct phases - the initial take up, then a sear engagement, then a bit of movement, then solid until the break. I don't have a trigger gauge, but others on YouTube have it 3-4 pounds. The removable tube magazine would make it easy to unload without working the action - though I don't know how often you'd use it. The action seemed smooth, and I didn't bang my finger too much on the lever. Though it's much better with the 550 cord wrapped around it. I like the scope rail that only covers the receiver, instead of the much longer one on the Marlin Ruger. Just a looks thing. One reviewer on YouTube said several of the screws holding it all together were loose, so I checked all of them. Most at T20 torque bolts (the bigger ones in the reciever), with a few T15 and T10 ones too. None of the T20 ones were loose. A few of the smaller ones, like the ones for the scope mount, the front sight, and the handguard, could be tightened up. There's no torque value given for anything so I just tightened them till it seemed they torqued up and there was good resistance. One thing that is unusual about it is the floppy trigger. Hammer up or down, the trigger isn't held in place by spring tension, so it sort of flops back and forth. It's not a big deal but it's something I've not seen before on a firearm. I set mine up with a leather shell carrier off Amazon. Lots of them list 308 and 30/06 shells, and those are about the same size in the main case as a .44. So any of those will work. I bought a buffalo hide slide off Amazon too - a model I'd bought before and works and looks nice. I had some old QD sling mounts in a drawer and used those. It has M-loc slots at the 3, 6, and 9 O'clock positions, but be aware that they are very short, and a 5 slot Magpul rail won't fit in it. Which I found out after buying one. So I ordered a 3 slot model and will see if that fits. I also bought a Hughes Precision crossover to use with .578" x 28 TPI muzzle devices and cans, and it works well. Cost like 20 bucks or so. I also got one of their muzzle brakes, threaded for the same 11/16" pattern as the rifle comes with, and it looks good on it. I'll see how much it reduces recoil when I fire it, and what the rifle sounds like with .44 Special subs. I paid $1180 for it on GB, which seems to be about the going rate you can find pretty easily, along with lots of $1500 ones too. The instruction manual talks about the .357 and .45 Colt version of it, and what ammo to use for those. So it looks like S&W will be selling versions in those caliber as well, and just went ahead and included that info in the manual, to be able to print up one version and have with all the models. |
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Originally Posted By 1stID: I'm pleased so far with the 1854, with the caveat that I haven't taken it out the range yet, and if it shoots foot groups at 50 yards and jams, I'll change my mind about it. It seems solid and well made. Nice and light, and handy. Excellent sights. I've not seen a gold bead front sight before, but it really does catch the light, even low light. The ghost ring in the back is excellent too - I'm no good anymore, or really ever, with leaf rear sights - can't really focus on where the front sight is in it, so the ghost is far better. Trigger pull is excellent. I can feel 4 distinct phases - the initial take up, then a sear engagement, then a bit of movement, then solid until the break. I don't have a trigger gauge, but others on YouTube have it 3-4 pounds. The removable tube magazine would make it easy to unload without working the action - though I don't know how often you'd use it. The action seemed smooth, and I didn't bang my finger too much on the lever. Though it's much better with the 550 cord wrapped around it. I like the scope rail that only covers the receiver, instead of the much longer one on the Marlin Ruger. Just a looks thing. One reviewer on YouTube said several of the screws holding it all together were loose, so I checked all of them. Most at T20 torque bolts (the bigger ones in the reciever), with a few T15 and T10 ones too. None of the T20 ones were loose. A few of the smaller ones, like the ones for the scope mount, the front sight, and the handguard, could be tightened up. There's no torque value given for anything so I just tightened them till it seemed they torqued up and there was good resistance. One thing that is unusual about it is the floppy trigger. Hammer up or down, the trigger isn't held in place by spring tension, so it sort of flops back and forth. It's not a big deal but it's something I've not seen before on a firearm. I set mine up with a leather shell carrier off Amazon. Lots of them list 308 and 30/06 shells, and those are about the same size in the main case as a .44. So any of those will work. I bought a buffalo hide slide off Amazon too - a model I'd bought before and works and looks nice. I had some old QD sling mounts in a drawer and used those. It has M-loc slots at the 3, 6, and 9 O'clock positions, but be aware that they are very short, and a 5 slot Magpul rail won't fit in it. Which I found out after buying one. So I ordered a 3 slot model and will see if that fits. I also bought a Hughes Precision crossover to use with .578" x 28 TPI muzzle devices and cans, and it works well. Cost like 20 bucks or so. I also got one of their muzzle brakes, threaded for the same 11/16" pattern as the rifle comes with, and it looks good on it. I'll see how much it reduces recoil when I fire it, and what the rifle sounds like with .44 Special subs. I paid $1180 for it on GB, which seems to be about the going rate you can find pretty easily, along with lots of $1500 ones too. The instruction manual talks about the .357 and .45 Colt version of it, and what ammo to use for those. So it looks like S&W will be selling versions in those caliber as well, and just went ahead and included that info in the manual, to be able to print up one version and have with all the models. Have you shot it yet? |
De Oppresso Liber
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22,23,24'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11',14',17',18',19',20'&21'
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22,23,24'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11',14',17',18',19',20'&21'
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Originally Posted By 1stID: I picked mine up last week, just now getting around to taking pictures of it and doing a write up. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/105421/S_W_1854_jpg-3185353.JPG Looks like a nice shooter. S&W seems to do a great job with their newer entries on all fronts and back it up with a great warranty, if need be. |
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Originally Posted By 1stID: I'm pleased so far with the 1854, with the caveat that I haven't taken it out the range yet, and if it shoots foot groups at 50 yards and jams, I'll change my mind about it. It seems solid and well made. Nice and light, and handy. Excellent sights. I've not seen a gold bead front sight before, but it really does catch the light, even low light. The ghost ring in the back is excellent too - I'm no good anymore, or really ever, with leaf rear sights - can't really focus on where the front sight is in it, so the ghost is far better. Trigger pull is excellent. I can feel 4 distinct phases - the initial take up, then a sear engagement, then a bit of movement, then solid until the break. I don't have a trigger gauge, but others on YouTube have it 3-4 pounds. The removable tube magazine would make it easy to unload without working the action - though I don't know how often you'd use it. The action seemed smooth, and I didn't bang my finger too much on the lever. Though it's much better with the 550 cord wrapped around it. I like the scope rail that only covers the receiver, instead of the much longer one on the Marlin Ruger. Just a looks thing. One reviewer on YouTube said several of the screws holding it all together were loose, so I checked all of them. Most at T20 torque bolts (the bigger ones in the reciever), with a few T15 and T10 ones too. None of the T20 ones were loose. A few of the smaller ones, like the ones for the scope mount, the front sight, and the handguard, could be tightened up. There's no torque value given for anything so I just tightened them till it seemed they torqued up and there was good resistance. One thing that is unusual about it is the floppy trigger. Hammer up or down, the trigger isn't held in place by spring tension, so it sort of flops back and forth. It's not a big deal but it's something I've not seen before on a firearm. I set mine up with a leather shell carrier off Amazon. Lots of them list 308 and 30/06 shells, and those are about the same size in the main case as a .44. So any of those will work. I bought a buffalo hide slide off Amazon too - a model I'd bought before and works and looks nice. I had some old QD sling mounts in a drawer and used those. It has M-loc slots at the 3, 6, and 9 O'clock positions, but be aware that they are very short, and a 5 slot Magpul rail won't fit in it. Which I found out after buying one. So I ordered a 3 slot model and will see if that fits. I also bought a Hughes Precision crossover to use with .578" x 28 TPI muzzle devices and cans, and it works well. Cost like 20 bucks or so. I also got one of their muzzle brakes, threaded for the same 11/16" pattern as the rifle comes with, and it looks good on it. I'll see how much it reduces recoil when I fire it, and what the rifle sounds like with .44 Special subs. I paid $1180 for it on GB, which seems to be about the going rate you can find pretty easily, along with lots of $1500 ones too. The instruction manual talks about the .357 and .45 Colt version of it, and what ammo to use for those. So it looks like S&W will be selling versions in those caliber as well, and just went ahead and included that info in the manual, to be able to print up one version and have with all the models. Nice post. My LGS had one on the rack all summer. I was shooting with some Arfcommers yesterday, and when a .45 Colt lever gun came out, I couldn’t suppress my desire for a .44. (I reload for it and have a bunch of .44spcl brass) So today I find myself at the gun shop and there is the 1854…marked down to dealer cost. Well, she showed me her cost, she made $10 off me.  Can’t wait for my next range opportunity! |
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Originally Posted By 1stID: Too lazy! Bought a house last year and been whipping that into shape, plus haven't joined a range yet. Need to get in gear before the heat drops down and people start coming to the range again. Florida, summer, range, and you have the place to yourself. Very true about summer range time. I don’t miss that suck |
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I shot mine today. A bunch of powder puff special loads and then a few of my hunting loads, a 240 grain jsp over 23.3 grains of W-296. Very fun. I’m not confident about consistent sight alignment with that large peep, so I tried a red dot on it. I’ll try some different loads for best accuracy. The above hunting load was chrony’d a few years back out of a Ruger semiauto carbine with a velocity of 1720 fps. |
| I picked up one of the synthetic/ stainless versions in 44 magnum a couple of weeks ago. the weather and family stuff kept me off the range for a week or so, as well as a lack of plinking grade 44 magnum ammo. Kept taking the gun to my range as I was dealing with estate related tasks and time kept running out. Finally got a few rounds off early this week. I'm pretty happy with it. Going to keep it pretty basic in terms of any accessories. A sling, maybe a small red dot. |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
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Originally Posted By 1stID: One thing that is unusual about it is the floppy trigger. Hammer up or down, the trigger isn't held in place by spring tension, so it sort of flops back and forth. It's not a big deal but it's something I've not seen before on a firearm. Just posted in another thread about this. Glad to know I'm not the only one experiencing this. Seem's odd it wouldn't be under spring tension. The rattling annoys the hell out of me considering I plan on using this for a deer rifle in Michigan's straight wall cartridge restriction zone. Other than that, I love the thing. Lightest rifle I have currently, feels really well balanced, even with a can on the end of it. I was getting 1" groups at 50 yds using Federal Hammer Down 357 consistently. Probably would be tighter but seemed to get a flyer in each group, probably my doing. |
 NEW Smith & Wesson® Model 1854 Chambered in .45-70 Gov’t |
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Looks threaded too |
De Oppresso Liber
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22,23,24&25'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11,14,17,18,19,20&21'
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22,23,24&25'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11,14,17,18,19,20&21'
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Well ain't that somethin'.... giving Henry a run for their all-weather rifles it seems. FFL's on Gunbroker have three up for sale between $1299 and $1399. |
I got the angry crack whore with a knife, compliance bite, alligator/other large reptile, and only need a dildo to make my night. - Paul
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Originally Posted By TheBeaverRetriever: Well ain't that somethin'.... giving Henry a run for their all-weather rifles it seems. FFL's on Gunbroker have three up for sale between $1299 and $1399. Or you can buy an 1895 SBL or Trapper for under $1200 that’s proven itself as a reliable and rugged design over 130 years vs a company that’s only been making lever guns a couple years and another company that hasn’t even been in business for 30 years. I like the new smiths a lot and some of the Henry’s, but the Marlin is the superior rifle for less money. |
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Yeah because a company that was in business for a whole year 170 years ago means anything... The 1895 is a 130 year old design and is extremely proven and the only questionable rifles are the Remlins except for the later years. Or a few year old design that uses a bunch of MIM parts even if they are good quality MIM parts. Spending more money for an inferior product is stupid. |
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