Lever action

A lever action is a type of action for repeating firearms that uses a manually operated cocking handle located around the trigger guard area (often incorporating it) that pivots forward to move the bolt via internal linkages which will feed and extract cartridges into and out of the chamber and cock the hammer or firing pin mechanism. Traditionally, the safety mechanism for a lever action is known as the "half-back" or "half-cock", which involves the hammer being pulled about a quarter to half the way back (depending on manufacturer) from its forward position, holding the hammer off the firing pin, preventing accidental discharge if the rifle is dropped; in more recent lever-action firearms made since the mid-20th century, the hammer in half-cock also engages a transfer bar that prevents the trigger from being pulled. Most modern lever-action firearms made since the 1990s have additional safety features, such as a crossbar safety in the rear of the receiver that prevents the hammer from falling forward onto the firing pin when engaged, or a tang safety that prevents the trigger from being pulled. Lever action contrasts with other types of repeating actions, including manual actions like break action, bolt-action, & pump-action, and automatic actions like semi-automatic, burst fire & fully automatic. A firearm using this operating mechanism is colloquially referred to as a levergun.

Most lever-action firearms are rifles, but some lever-actions have been shotguns, and a few have been pistols. The Winchester Repeating Arms Company is arguably the most famous manufacturer of lever-action firearms; other notable manufacturers include Henry Repeating Arms, Marlin Firearms, Mossberg, Rossi, Savage Arms, and Smith & Wesson. Manufacturers like Chiappa Firearms, Norinco, and Uberti are known for making high quality replicas of antique lever-action firearms such as the Henry Model 1860, Winchester Model 1866, & Winchester Model 1873 rifles and the Winchester Model 1887 shotgun, among other models.