A friend of mine likes to say that any American worth his salt has an existential knowledge of the .30-30 cartridge. As far as American cartridges go, the .30-30 is a classic. It’s a deer hunter’s best friend, known for its ability to down deer with efficiency. It’s best known for its presence in lever-action rifles, and S&W didn’t waste any time producing its new 1854 in .30-30.
The S&W 1854 and the .30-30 are best friends. In fact, amongst the assembled gun writers at our recent Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, everyone remarked how much they enjoyed shooting the 1854 in .30-30. The S&W rifle had a few things going for it that made it more than just another rifle to shoot; it was something to experience.
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The S&W 1854 – The Magic of Lever Actions
Lever-action rifles have been around for more than a century and are still beloved. Enough so that companies like S&W, which isn’t known for lever guns, have jumped into the game. Realistically, it doesn’t make much sense.
We have tons of accurate, reliable, and semi-automatic rifles. We have cartridges that outperform anything you can put in a lever gun. Lever guns are expensive because they are fairly complicated to make, making them more expensive than something like a bolt action.
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So why do they persist? Why did so many gun writers who have access to the most modern and high-tech rifles on the civilian market love the S&W 1854 so much? It’s because there is a wonderful feeling of moving a lever forward and backward, ejecting a spent cartridge, and loading the next.
That tactile sensation is why lever guns persist in the modern market. It’s why they haven’t been reduced to extremely niche use cases. That forward-and-backward movement of the action delivers an absolutely wonderful experience.
More Than The Lever
Beyond the lever, the folks at S&W also own lauded suppressor company Gemtech. They wisely attached the Gemtech Neutron DT. This .30-caliber can is quite light, keeping the rifle handy and well-balanced. The suppressor cut a chunk of noise from the gun, making it easy to hear shots on steel with every trigger pull.
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The suppressor also removed a fair bit of recoil from the .30-30. The .30-30 isn’t a shoulder bruiser, but it still packs a little whallop to it. With the neutron DT, the recoil gets cut, making the S&W 1854 even more pleasant and enjoyable to shoot.
The ammo we were using wasn’t particularly light. It was Leverlution ammo, which is a dedicated hunting load designed to down game quickly and humanely. The GemTech took the S&W 1854 to the next level of fun.
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More Than A Can and a Lever
A good suppressor and a lever action are always a lot of fun, but the two alone can’t make for a good gun. They help, but you still need something that’s accurate, reliable, and capable. The S&W 1854 proved to be all three.
The gun threw those big .30 caliber pills wherever I wanted them. The gun is side-ejecting and comes with a rail for optics, but also includes a fantastic set of iron sights. The rear peep and high-visibility front were easy to use, and we were hitting targets out to 200 yards. The little .30 can drop quickly compared to modern rounds, but the Leverlution loads help.
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I still held to the top of the target, and every suppressed trigger pull resulted in a loud ding of steel. The hefty .30 cal rounds certainly make an impact on the steel targets.
The action was smooth and slick. Cases ejected with some oomph and did so reliably. Working the action fast was a breeze. The trigger was light with a hair take-up before a crisp wall. That was my first time shooting a S&W 1854, and I’m a fan.
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My plan is to get a mix of the S&W 1854 and a Gemtech neutron DT to both replicate this lovely experience and see how it holds up for a full review.
