The mid-19th century saw an explosion of arms innovation, including the birth of the modern bolt action and lever action rifle. Both platforms competed head-to-head in the sporting and military market as the world gradually embraced the self-contained metallic cartridge and the magazine-fed repeater.

Preserved in near-new condition for 140 years, this newly discovered Winchester Model 1886 .45-90 WCF lever action rifle contains its original shipping crate with a scabbard, five boxes of ammunition, and its factory letter.

We'll explore the bolt action vs lever action faceoff through the decades and look at some of the notable, rare, and intriguing examples in each firearm platform, most of which can be found at Rock Island Auction Company. Click on the images throughout this article to learn more about each model.

A documented Italian Terni M91/38 bolt action "Mannlicher-Carcano" carbine with scope, Formerly Owned by Ballistics Expert Monty C. Lutz of the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations.

Bolt Action vs Lever Action

The lever action rifle as we know it today employs a lever to move back the bolt and firing pin, lift new cartridges into the chamber, and eject spent casings. The bolt action rifle acts on the bolt directly by pushing a round into the chamber, rotating to lock the breech, and ejecting spent casings by pulling up and back again.

Find the rarest bolt action rifles for sale at Rock Island Auction Company.

In the bolt action vs lever action showdown, the bolt action platform carries a number of key advantages. Bolt actions tend to lock up tighter and offer a more durable operating system. In many cases, bolt action rifles have far fewer parts than their lever action rivals. Historically, this often meant lever action rifles were more expensive to produce, more difficult to field strip, and less tolerant to the elements.

Bolt action rifles also allow rapid follow-up shots in the prone position without the hindrance of a swinging lever underneath. Bolt action military rifles can be clip fed, whereas most lever action rifles cannot. And due to the limitations of the tube magazines employed by most lever action models, bolt action rifles can chamber more powerful and more accurate ammunition, resulting in flatter trajectories.

Rock Island Auction Company offers the finest lever action rifles in the collecting pursuit.

In the lever action's favor, the platform often wins when it comes to firing rate. Lever actions typically carry more ammunition, though this varies depending on chambering and barrel length. Lever actions in many cases are lighter and shorter than their bolt action counterparts, with flatter receivers that make them well-suited for saddle scabbards. For those looking for a fast-handling brush gun that can serve in a variety of hunting and varminting roles, the lever action platform holds its own.

Early Lever Actions

Lever action systems date to the 17th and 18th centuries. Italian armsmaker Michele Lorenzoni produced early repeating flintlocks operated by a lever, and Parisian inventor Nicolas Bouillet used a lever mechanism and tube magazine for some of his repeating air guns. Samuel Colt's Ring Lever rifle employed similar ideas, but the direct predecessor of today's lever guns was conceived in 1847 by mechanical engineer Walter Hunt.

(Top) A factor engraved Robbins & Lawrence Jennings breech loading rifle. (Bottom) A factory engraved Robbins & Lawrence Second Model Smith-Jennings repeating rifle.

The Jennings repeater combined Lewis Jenning's concept for a movable ammunition carrier with Walter Hunt's Rocket Ball cartridge. This design was refined during the 1850s with the Volcanic lever action family, but the ammunition proved woefully underpowered.

Benjamin Tyler Henry, the shop superintendent at Oliver Winchester's New Haven Arms Company, developed a .44 caliber rimfire cartridge in 1858. Henry spent the next few years upgrading the Volcanic design to chamber his new round. With a larger frame, a barrel adapted for the .44 rimfire, an ejection system, and firing pins independent from the bolt face, the Henry rifle was born, the most advanced repeating rifle platform to date.

Two exceptional early lever actions. (Top) A New Haven Arms Company Volcanic carbine. (Bottom) A New Haven Arms Co. Henry rifle.

Early Bolt Actions

Bolt action rifles were invented by Johann Nicolaus von Dreyse in 1824. The Dreyse design was adopted by the Prussian army in 1841 as a needlefire rifle employing paper-contained cartridges. Though the concept was hindered by unreliable cartridges and a weak combustion chamber that suffered from gas leakage, Dreyse's invention laid the blueprint for a generation of bolt action designs to follow.

This engraved, gold inlaid F. V. Dreyse bolt action sporting rifle sold for $7,475 in RIAC's May 2017 Premier Auction.

Patented in 1863, the Palmer carbine was the first metallic cartridge firearm with a bolt action mechanism ever adopted by the U.S. Ordnance Department. The Palmer’s bolt is used to seat the cartridge and seal the breech, but does not contain a firing pin. Instead, the Palmer fires with a traditional side lock. Just over 1,000 Palmer carbines were ordered on contract with the U.S. government, but they were delivered too late to see action in the field.

An early entry in the bolt action vs lever action faceoff, a Civil War Era E. G. Lamson & Co. Palmer bolt action saddle ring carbine.

Bolt Action vs Lever Action Rifles After the Civil War

The Spencer lever action rifle became the first military-issued metallic cartridge repeating longarm when it was officially adopted by the United States Army in 1863. More than 110,000 Spencer rifles and carbines were produced for the U.S. Ordnance Department during the Civil War, where it served on the battlefield alongside the Henry lever action rifle. After the Civil War, the Army continued to employ the Spencer in the American West during the Indian Wars until the platform was replaced by the Springfield Trapdoor.

An excellent Indian Wars era U.S. inspected Spencer Model 1865 carbine.

Oliver Winchester submitted the Model 1866 "Yellowboy" lever action rifle into military trials with the British and Swiss. 5,000 Model 66s were purchased by the Japanese in 1867, the year before the Boshin War, and the French purchased 6,000 Model 66s in 1870 during the height of the Franco-Prussian War. The British and Swiss ultimately passed on the Model 66 due to cost concerns. The Swiss would instead adopt the Vetterli rifle, an important milestone in the bolt action vs lever action arms race that combined the tube magazine with the bolt action of the Dreyse needle gun.

From 1870 to 1871, the Ottoman Empire purchased 5,000 Winchester Model 1866 carbines and 45,000 of the musket variants. The musket configuration was offered in hopes of procuring military contracts and featured a 27 inch barrel and a bayonet lug. The Turkish military employed their lever action rifles to devastating effect, demonstrating the potential of repeating arms on the battlefield.

Two Winchester muskets. (Top) A Winchester Model 1866 (Bottom) A Winchester Model 1873.

The bolt action platform was improving, with new centerfire metallic rounds offering a reliable alternative to the needle fire paper cartridges. Built using the French Chassepot Model 1866 needle gun, the Norris Patent Model 67/69 bolt action rifle marked the beginning of the Mauser line and combined the efforts of brothers Peter and Wilhelm Mauser.

The single shot bolt action Mauser 1871, or Infanterie-Gewehr 71, became the first brass cartridge rifle issued by the German Empire. Peter Mauser continued to innovate his design, with repeating bolt actions like the German Spandau Arsenal Model 71/84 Mauser example below, which integrated an under-barrel tube magazine like many of its lever action counterparts.

An exceptional Imperial German Spandau Arsenal Model 71/84 Mauser bolt action rifle.

In America, the Winchester-Hotchkiss bolt action repeater was adopted in limited quantity by U.S. Navy in 1879 and the U.S. Army four years later. The First Model Hotchkiss carbine variant was built using a mix of Winchester and Springfield components and would have been used in early Army field trials. Only 501 are believed to have been manufactured.

'U.S. Military Bolt Action Rifles' by Bruce Canfield lists the Springfield/Winchester-Hotchkiss First Model Army bolt action carbine pictured below by serial number as having been shipped from Springfield Armory on June 27th, 1879. The carbine has "J.L.P" inspection initials on various components, the three-line Winchester address and Hotchkiss patent marking on the left of the action followed by the serial number, and the distinctive First Model magazine cut-off on the right.

A scarce Springfield/Winchester-Hotchkiss First Model Army bolt action saddle ring carbine.

Bolt Action Rifle Development

The late 1800s saw a renaissance in bolt action rifle development. Keenly aware of the rapidly advancing bolt action repeaters being developed and fielded in Europe, the U.S. Military conducted numerous trials with the platform in an effort to replace the single shot Trapdoor.

Produced from 1880 to 1883, the Remington-Keene magazine bolt action carbine was Remington's first attempt at producing repeating rifles to compete with Winchester lever actions. A tubular magazine and carbine style forward barrel band like those used on classic lever action saddle ring carbines are fitted below the barrel. The magazine is loaded using a loading gate at the bottom of the action much like slide action shotguns. The hammer at the back of the bolt must be manually cocked for each shot.

A Remington-Keene magazine bolt action carbine in .45-70, Remington's first attempt to combat Winchester in the bolt action vs lever action arms race.

The Remington-Lee competed with both the Winchester-Hotchkiss and Remington-Keene bolt action designs in U.S. military trials. The example pictured below is one of approximately 750 Remington-Lee Model 1882 bolt action rifles manufactured on U.S. Army contract. The breech end of the barrel is marked "U.S." and "V/P". David F. Clark’s "D.F.C" inspection initials are stamped on the left breech end of the barrel, bolt, right receiver rail, behind the trigger guard, and a boxed script cartouche on the right rear of the stock. The "US" marked buttplate and barrel bands were furnished by Springfield Armory.

A U.S. Army contract Remington-Lee Model 1882 bolt action rifle in .45-70.

Springfield Armory manufactured 753 Chaffee-Reece Model 1882 magazine bolt action trials rifles in 1884, one of the armory’s rarest production lines. Based on the designs of General James Reece and Reuben Chaffee, the Chaffee-Reece bolt action rifle developed an innovative solution to the problem of a bullet nose contacting the primer in front of it that came with the use of spring-driven tube magazines. A double ratchet was employed to move a cartridge forward one space each time the bolt was cycled. A cutoff switch on the right side of the receiver allowed for single shots while keeping the magazine fully loaded.

An exceptional U.S. Springfield Chaffee-Reece Model 1882 magazine bolt action trials rifle. A boxed script "SWP/1884" (Samuel W. Porter) inspection cartouche is stamped on the left of the butt.

In 1886, Chief of Ordnance Brigadier General Stephen Vincent Benet made the following remarks on the subject. "I have been and am an advocate for a magazine gun, but it would seem part of the reason to postpone for the present any further efforts towards the adoption of a suitable magazine arm for the service. The Springfield rifle (Trapdoor) gives such general satisfaction to the Army that we can safely wait a reasonable time for further development of magazine systems."

Lever Action Military Service

Near the turn of the 20th century, ammunition was evolving just as rapidly as the bolt action design. In addition to high-pressure smokeless powder and stronger casings, pointed Spitzer bullets allowed greater range and accuracy. European bolt action rifles moved away from horizontal tube magazines in favor of stacked vertical magazines to accommodate these new cartridges.

John Moses Browning decided to apply some of the same design sensibilities to the Winchester Model 1895, the first lever action rifle to use a box magazine and capable of chambering Spitzer rounds. Theodore Roosevelt carried a Winchester 1895 in .30 Army while leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War and later sported a Model 1895 in .405 Winchester during his African expedition and many other hunts.

The Model 1895 lever action became an immediate hit with hunters like Buffalo Bill. This historic Winchester Deluxe Model 1895 saddle ring carbine was presented by Buffalo Bill to Deadwood businessman and friend M.R. "Gold Nugget Mike/Deadwood Mike" Russell.

The Winchester Model 1895 found favor with the Texas Rangers, Arizona Rangers, and irregular military forces like Pancho Villa's Conventionists fighters. More than two-thirds of the 425,000 Winchester Model 1895s produced were musket variants commissioned for the Russian military and chambered in the 7.62x54R cartridge.

The Winchester 1895 made a case for itself in the bolt action vs lever action faceoff, widely fielded by the Russian military.

Another favorite lever action rifle carried during the Texas Border Wars and Mexican Revolution was the Winchester 1894. The Model 1894 saw limited military service with the United States Army Signal Corps, the British Royal Navy, and French support troops and personnel during WW1, and with the Canadian Pacific Coast Militia Rangers and the British Home Guard during WW2.

An early production, documented Special Order Winchester Deluxe Model 1894 rifle with an extremely rare casehardened receiver.

Even Browning's first lever action rifle, the 1886, saw limited service in wartime. in WW1, members of the British Royal Flying Corps employed incendiary cartridges in their Winchester 1886 rifles chambered in .45-90 Sharps in order to ignite hydrogen airships commonly used by the Germans. In 1940, numerous Winchester lever guns were sent from America to the United Kingdom after the fall of France.

The Savage Model 1895 and its successors is another intriguing design in the bolt action vs lever action arms race.  Employing a rotary stacked magazine to chamber Spitzer cartridges, the Savage Model 1899 became a popular hunting platform and was carried by the Montreal Home Guard during WW1.

The Savage 1899's predecessor, the Model 1892 lever action musket, was submitted to America's Ordnance Department in July 1891, but was rejected in favor of the Krag-Jorgenson rifle, the first widely-issued U.S. Military bolt action.

An exhibition quality, factory engraved Savage Rival Grade Model 1899 takedown rifle.

The Bolt Action Dominates the Battlefield

By the time America had adopted the Norwegan-designed Krag-Jorgensen rifle in 1892, every major European military had already embraced the bolt action magazine platform. The French Lebel Model 1886, the British Lee-Metford, the Russian Mosin Nagant, and the Gewehr 88 demonstrated the effectiveness and durability of the bolt action design, which became the infantry standard for the next five decades.

An exceptional 1902 dated U.S. Springfield Armory Model 1898 Krag-Jorgensen rifle.

While turn-of-the-20th century bolt action repeaters had a slower rate of fire than most lever actions of the era, their long-range accuracy and lower pricepoint were among a host of advantages offered by the platform. Perhaps most importantly, bolt action rifles displayed a durability advantage in the brutal hand-to-hand fighting common in late 19th century and early 20th century warfare.

Lever action rifles like the Winchester Model 1894 and 1895 continued to serve in the limited roles discussed in the previous section, with the Russian contract Winchester 1895 muskets serving the Finns and Soviet forces as late as WW2 whenever there were weapon shortages. These were the exceptions, however, and the bolt action rifle reigned supreme as the infantry standard around the globe.

An antique, Second Boer War era, unit marked British Lee-Enfield L.E.C. Mk I bolt action cavalry carbine manufactured in 1898.

Bolt Action vs Lever Action Hunting Rifles

The bolt action vs lever action showdown proved more competitive in the American sporting market. Whitetail guns like the Winchester Model 1894 and Marlin Model 1893 dominated in the early decades of the 20th century.

Two lever action hunting staples. (Top) A signed, engraved, and highly embellished Winchester Model 1894 rifle with gold wire filled borders and a hand carved deluxe walnut stock and forend. (Bottom) A special order factory panel scene engraved Marlin Deluxe Model 1893 takedown Rifle.

After WW1, surplus bolt action rifles like the Model 1903 were cheap and abundant. New platforms like the Winchester Model 70 offered a bolt action repeater that could be chambered in nearly any game cartridge imaginable, including rounds capable of tackling the largest North American quarry from a distance.

An extraordinary documented Alden George Ulrich factory engraved and gold inlaid Winchester pre-64 Model 70 bolt action rifle in .220 Swift with scope.

For African big game hunters, the bolt action magazine rifle provided a more affordable alternative to the double rifle. The early 1900s saw the introduction of big game cartridges like .404 Jeffery, .425 Westley Richards, .416 Rigby, and .375 H&H Magnum. The latter cartridge, dubbed the "Queen of the Medium Bores," by writer and sportsman Jack O’Connor, is widely chambered by modern rifle manufacturers and has inspired numerous offshoots.

A massive W. J. Jeffery & Co. Ltd. Magnum Mauser bolt action rifle in .500 Jeffery Magnum.

The lever action continues to enjoy popularity with hunters in numerous niches. Lever action carbines are often lighter than bolt actions and offer an ideal walking gun, truck gun, saddle gun, or varminting option. Today's hunters can find lever action rifles and carbines in all manner of chamberings, including modern cartridges like .338 Federal and 6.5 Creedmoor capable of taking elk and moose.

A cased, limited production, engraved and gold inlaid Winchester Model 94 One of One Thousand lever action rifle.

Bolt Action vs Lever Action Face-Off

Today, the bolt action rifle continues to serve as a marksman and sniper military standard and is fielded in nearly every hunting role. The lever action holds its own as a sporting and shooting platform, and the rarest and most collectible antique, curio, and modern examples of each firearm class can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.

A factory gold plated Winchester Deluxe First Model 1873 lever action rifle commissioned as a factory exhibition display piece for the Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition of 1876.

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A U.S. Army contract Remington-Lee Model 1882 bolt action rifle in .45-70.