Smith & Wesson Model 1854: Field Review

Smith & Wesson looked to the company's long history for inspiration, and produced a lever action worthy of its legacy. Here's a full review.

July 17, 2024 By Antonio Acitelli

Firearm development rarely has a single “Aha!” moment that defines an entire operating system. Successful designs tend to be built upon the shoulders of the less-than-successful designs before them. When researching these topics, it can be easy to fall into a never-ending spiral of context. Luckily, Smith & Wesson provided a clear point in time to anchor our context with its new lever action, the Model 1854 in .44 Magnum.

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The naming of S&W’s lever gun may cause a bit of confusion. For many, the earliest “mainstream” lever action that comes to mind is the 1860 Henry, which served as the basis for the world-renowned 1866 Winchester. In this case, Smith & Wesson’s engineers gained inspiration for the 1854 project from patent number 10,535, which was submitted on Valentine’s Day 1854 by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. It was for the “Repeating Magazine Firearm,” later referred to as the “Volcanic.”

The Volcanic pistols and rifles were the commercial result of Smith & Wesson’s collaborative work on yet another lever action, the Jennings rifle. The Jennings, while a revolutionary design sporting the now-standard tube magazine, was struggling with several development troubles. Gaining inspiration firearm designs he saw during his trip to the 1851 World’s Fair in London, Smith contributed the most to its redesign. He added a rotating pellet primer magazine, which fed primers into the firing chamber to ignite the unique ammunition used by the Jennings. The rifle — and later, the Volcanic repeating pistol — utilized caseless “Rocket Ball” ammo where the powder rested inside a hollow cavity at the rear of an elongated bullet. While novel, the round was woefully underpowered, even for the time, and commercial sales suffered. Even still, 1,100 “Smith-Jennings” were produced under a new patent.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-03-1200x800 — The Volcanic did not have a formal name at the time of its patent. (Photo courtesy of the United States Patent Office)

The lifeblood of the Jennings went right into the new Volcanic Repeating Arms company, which, while short-lived, produced the aforementioned repeating pistol, as well as the Volcanic rifle. The rifle, a more refined and reliable version of the Jennings, was still weighed down by its ammunition. Poor sales forced Volcanic Arms into insolvency in 1856. Smith and Wesson departed the company to form the famous brand that still operates today. The patent for the Volcanic, however, was sold to Oliver Winchester.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-05-1200x800 — A length of rail supports the addition of a reflex sights or scope. The receiver’s topstrap shares the hole pattern of the Marlin 1894, so aftermarket mounts are cross-compatible with the 1854. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

Volcanic Arms was not wholly dissolved. Instead, it was reorganized into the New Haven Arms Company. Benjamin Tyler Henry was hired as plant superintendent for the company, where he began to experiment with rimfire ammunition and adapted the Volcanic design to use it, which brings this story back to the Henry rifle, a 16-shot rimfire levergun patented in 1860. In 1886, New Haven Arms was reorganized again, this time into Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Now that loop is closed, and we’ve established the history behind the Model 1854, let’s look at Smith & Wesson’s effort to honor its roots.

A Modern Lever Action

At a glance, the Model 1854 shares a profile with the Marlin SBL and Trapper models. Indeed, Smith & Wesson notes that the optic rail atop the rifle accepts mounts compatible with the Model 1894-hole pattern. However, the action more closely resembles that of a Marlin 336. The barrel and frame are made from 410 stainless steel, while the stock and forend are black synthetic. Of note, three M-Lok slots are at the forend, with one on each side and bottom. The muzzle is threaded 11⁄16-24, which is capped with a thread protector. A nine-round-capacity magazine tube was also given a removable cap for quick unloading.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-14-1200x800 — The traditional tang design marries the polymer stock to the receiver. Despite appearances, modern screws keep it together. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

Smith & Wesson wanted to preserve the silhouette of the classic lever action. Modern features and attachment points are present, but are not pronounced. While the rifle can be accessorized to nearly the same level as an AR-15, it also gets by just fine without any additional bells or whistles. From a distance, most at the gun counter wouldn’t be able to tell that the 1854 has the capacity to be “tactical” at all. In fact, launching alongside the polymer version is a limited-edition walnut stock model, but it’s production is restricted to just 1,854 units.

The grip panels are textured in a light sandpaper-like pattern. Those who have operated Smith & Wesson’s M&P 2.0 pistol or Response Carbine will find it familiar, though the pattern is not identical. A large loop lever is used to work the action, however, its size is closer to that of a Marlin medium loop rather than John Wayne’s. The trigger is flat-faced, producing a clean break at just more than 3 pounds. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the flat trigger on a lever, but its consistent, crisp pull won me over.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-06-1200x800 — Three recessed M-lok slots are integrated into the polymer forend, which don’t interfere with the handling of the rifle. Smith & Wesson successfully blended a traditional profile with modern treatments, expanding its utility between hunting and defense. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

Some lever-action enthusiasts may question the decision to launch the 1854 in .44 Magnum, and not .357 or .45-70. While I’m confident that these chamberings will be introduced eventually, I asked a similar question when I first got my hands on the rifle. It became clear, though, when I considered the benefits of the .44 chambering for hunters going after deer and hog, and those hunting in straight wall-restricted states.

The .44 Magnum provides three main benefits: High foot-pounds of energy on target, a large entry hole, and moderate recoil. Additionally, the .44 Mag. will mostly stay close to or above 1,000 ft.-lbs. out to around 100 yards, whereas .357 tends to drop below that at 50 yards. The .45-70 has high energy, but the recoil from even moderate loads is more significant than a .44. While it certainly gets the job done, the .45-70 may be overkill, in terms of energy and expense, for the average whitetail or hog.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-07-1200x800 — The stainless-steel barrel is threaded 11/16-24 and capped. Underneath, the magazine can be easily unloaded. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

The perfect way to test the viability of the Model 1854 in this regard was to take it on a hunt. In December 2023, I joined some of Smith & Wesson’s staff, alongside some fellow gunwriters, in northern Tennessee for a hog hunt.

In the Field

The weather was, for the most part, cold and rainy. While not comfortable, it was a great test for how well the 1854 would fare in rougher conditions. The rifle resisted the elements admirably. It functioned smoothly through some heavy showers that visited my exposed hunting stand (and it didn’t rust). After the first day, we concluded that the hogs weren’t near the stands, and getting rained on in a box was not very productive. We decided to continue stalking hogs for the rest of the hunt. At just under 7 pounds, the rifle never burdened me while hiking, especially considering that I had opted to not use a sling.

When I had been informed of the 1854’s chambering before the hunt, I decided to bring along my S&W Model 629, also chambered in .44 Magnum. Carrying a revolver that shared the same ammo as my rifle was not only convenient, but also felt like the thematically appropriate companion to a lever gun, not to mention the sense of security offered by having a backup at the ready. With one round chambered in the rifle, I had some 16 rounds of .44 Magnum on-hand, which (if accurately placed) can dispatch most (if not all) potential worries you could find while out on the trail.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-09-1200x800 — The flat trigger is a contemporary design that worked well with the 1854. The trigger sent a cocked hammer forward after 3 pounds, on average, during G&A’s testing. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

My decision was justified when, while helping track a wounded pig, a 300-pound hog busted out of a bush to my right. While I’m told that the charge only lasted around 5 seconds, it felt much longer than that in the moment! While I was able to draw my sidearm in time, the hog had jumped from a bush that was between myself and my fellow hunters. As I did not want to flag anyone with my revolver, I opted to jump out of the way as it blitzed past me. With the line of fire clear, another of our party placed four shots into the sow in quick succession; it went down. While I did not fire my 629 in that scenario, I was sure to note the condition of my holster for the rest of that day.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-10-1200x800 — A gold-bead front sight is paired with an adjustable ghost ring rear from XS Sights. Both sights are removable. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

A half hour from sundown on the final day of the hunt, our guides discovered a drove of hogs gathered near an old barn. Crouching along a nearby fence, I managed to get within 20 yards of the group. Spotting a large razorback, I aimed and fired off a single shot from the 1854. The action was flawless, and within a second I had another round in the chamber for a follow-up, which wasn’t needed. The 340-pound sow was down right where she stood. My one shot landed just ahead of the shoulder blade.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-11-1200x800 — The hammer can be racked back or thumb cocked manually. An optional hammer extension is included with the rifle to ease its use when a scope is mounted. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

At the Range

During testing at my home range, all types of ammunition fed reliably; no issues were encountered. The best performing rounds were Hornady’s 225-grain LeverEvolution with FTX bullet, and some more traditional Winchester 240-grain jacketed soft points (JSP). Shot groups stayed around 2 inches at 50 yards for all ammo types. Again, the Tennessee weather was determined not to let me have a sunny day — and I was not under cover — but the Model 1854 was once again reliable in wet conditions. I had to wear gloves, thanks to the cold, but the large lever loop gave ample room for me to work the action and trigger. Recoil was soft, and even after firing 70 rounds back-to-back, my shoulder felt just fine. The textured grip panels did the job and helped keep the rifle firmly in my hands’ control.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-12-1200x800 — The tubular magazine is loaded through a familiar side gate. With one in the chamber, the 1854 has a capacity of 10 rounds for the .44 Magnum. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

While testing the 1854, I kept feeling as though the gun was begging for a suppressor. The already-manageable recoil could be softened further with a brake, but noise reduction is always appreciated. With the barrel threaded 11⁄16-24, it would be easy to mount either a direct-thread or one with an adapter. Lights and other attachments would also fit well on the forend and lend credit to the 1854 as a home-defense gun in restrictive states.

My main piece of feedback for Smith & Wesson would be a request for an adjustable comb, or perhaps inserts for the polymer stock. Even with the lowest possible scope rings mounted, I still had to stretch my neck to get a proper view through the Vortex scope I was using. Luckily, this is the kind of feedback that S&W can implement quickly; I’ve seen plenty of polymer and plastic molding machines at its new Tennessee headquarters. With these, polymer stocks can be designed, produced and tested in-house, greatly streamlining the concept-to-production process.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-13-1200x800 — A lowered hammer doesn’t contact the firing pin, and a crossbolt safety, which is right-hand biased, reveals red when ready to fire. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)

A Levergun's DNA

I found myself thoroughly impressed with Smith & Wesson’s Model 1854. It offers many quality-of-life features mated to a classic design that does not feel tactical or over the top. The smooth action and trigger made shooting it a breeze. Lever actions are still hot sellers, and the $1,279 MSRP price will likely place this gun closer to $1,000 when it hits a store’s gun racks. And additional chamberings are sure to come.

gaad-smi-smith-and-wesson-model-1854-15-1200x800 — The accuracy and power of the Model 1854 in .44 Magnum was proven afield. A 340-pound hog was dropped where it stood. (Photo by Antonio Acitelli)

While not a reproduction of the Volcanic, Smith & Wesson has penned a perfect love letter to the brand’s 170-year history with its Model 1854. I plan on keeping this one, and I look forward to enjoying the next deer season.