Description
The Smith Wesson 1854 44 Magnum Walnut is Smith and Wesson returning to lever guns for the first time in generations, in a blued finish with a walnut stock and a large loop lever. The 1854 name looks back to the Volcanic repeaters the company built in the 1850s, but the rifle itself is thoroughly modern underneath the traditional wood.
Smith Wesson 1854 44 Magnum Walnut Barrel, Threading and Magazine
The 19.25 inch barrel carries eight groove rifling with a 1:20 twist for 44 Magnum, and the muzzle is threaded 11/16×24 for a suppressor or brake. That last point matters more on a lever gun than people expect: 44 Magnum from a rifle length barrel is loud, and a threaded muzzle from the factory means no gunsmithing to do anything about it.
The magazine tube holds nine rounds and is removable, which is the genuinely useful departure from traditional lever design. On a conventional lever gun, unloading means cycling every live round through the action one at a time. Here the tube comes out and the cartridges come with it, so a loaded rifle can be made safe without working live ammunition through a chamber.
Sights, Trigger and Handling
The sights are XS units: an adjustable ghost ring aperture at the rear and a gold bead up front. That combination is quick to pick up and genuinely usable at speed, which suits how a lever gun in a magnum handgun cartridge actually gets used. A Picatinny rail is fitted for anyone who prefers an optic, and the hammer spur takes an extension so it stays reachable with a scope mounted.
The trigger is a single stage unit adjustable down to around four pounds six ounces, which is considerably better than lever guns traditionally offered. The large loop lever gives room for a gloved hand and is the version most buyers reach for in cold country.
Ammunition Notes
Two things worth knowing about running 44 Magnum through a lever gun. First, the tube magazine means flat or round nosed bullets rather than sharp pointed ones, because cartridges sit nose to primer in the tube. Most 44 Magnum ammunition is already flat nosed or hollow point so this rarely restricts anything, but it rules out the occasional spitzer style load.
Second, the rifle will also chamber and feed 44 Special. That is a genuinely mild, pleasant load to shoot and considerably cheaper than magnum ammunition, which makes practice affordable. Worth confirming your particular rifle feeds the shorter cases reliably, since overall length can affect how they cycle through a tube fed action.
Specifications
- Model: 1854 Large Loop
- Caliber: 44 Magnum
- Capacity: 9 round removable tube magazine
- Barrel: 19.25 in., eight groove, 1:20 twist
- Muzzle threads: 11/16×24
- Overall length: 36 in.
- Weight: approximately 6 lbs 13 oz
- Sights: XS adjustable ghost ring rear, gold bead front
- Optics: Picatinny rail
- Trigger: Single stage, adjustable to approximately 4 lbs 6 oz
- Stock: Walnut
- Finish: Blued
- UPC: 022188895421
Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 1854 44 Magnum Walnut
Lever guns have had a resurgence, and most of the modern ones are polymer stocked and covered in rail. This one keeps the wood and the blued steel that make a lever action look like a lever action, while quietly including the threaded muzzle, removable magazine tube and adjustable trigger that make a modern one worth owning.
44 Magnum from a 19 inch barrel is also a different cartridge than it is from a revolver. Velocity climbs substantially with the extra barrel length, which turns a handgun round into a genuinely capable hundred and fifty yard proposition on deer sized game.
Who Should Buy It
The Smith Wesson 1854 44 Magnum Walnut suits the hunter who wants a handy woods rifle in a cartridge they may already load for, the shooter who owns a 44 Magnum revolver and likes sharing ammunition between the two, and anyone who wants a modern lever gun without giving up walnut and blue.
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