Hickok45 on the Evolution of Winchester Lever-Action Rifles

Can you think of a better way to spend 37 minutes than watching Hickok45 tell the world about Winchester lever-action rifles, from their roots in the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, through Henry’s first successful lever-action rifle, and on through the 1895 Winchester with numerous stops in between?

Me, neither.

It’s a fun video, and at first I wondered whether it would hold my attention, considering that I already knew a good bit about these guns and their development. The answer is definitely “Yes,” and who but Hickok45 could do it all in one take? Pretty sweet.

The series begins with the original Henry toggle-link design and proceeds through the 1866, 1873, 1876, 1886, 1892, 1894, and 1895 — the last four of which were designed by the legendary John Browning, whose innovation greatly improved the strength of the lever guns Winchester was making.

What more is there to say? Get to watching. You can thank me later.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.