Who doesn’t love a good lever gun? The lever action design is one of those near-purely American designs that’s often associated with the Old West. A Winchester rifle was the gun that truly tamed the West. Even though lever guns are fairly old designs, they remain popular, not just for gun guys and gals, but in T.V. and film. Today we are going to cover some of my favorite lever guns in movies that aren’t westerns.
It would be way too easy to throw out a list of classic westerns featuring lever-action rifles. We’d spend all day with the Rifleman and ignore some of the more contemporary films to show the lever gun in action. I’ve picked five that highlight the lever gun and make it a true hero gun.
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The Dark Valley
It’s easy to argue that the Dark Valley is a western, but my definition is cowboys and the American West. The Dark Valley takes place in the Austrian Alps. A mysterious stranger wanders into a town controlled by a criminal family, and that stranger has vengeance on his mind. If you don’t mind subtitles, Dark Valley is a fantastic, downright beautiful film.
The stranger’s weapon of choice is the Winchester Model 1873. He’s come back to Austria after spending decades in America, and he brought a slice of America with him. What’s amazing about this film is that the Stranger’s Winchester is a part of the plot. He’s facing threats that are wielding double-barreled shotguns and breech-loading rifles.
The bad guys have never seen a rifle like this before, and he uses it to his advantage. He completely overwhelms the bad guys with fire and can handle multiple threats thanks to his significant technological upgrade. I won’t give much away, but it’s one of the rare movies where the gun and its performance drive the plot.
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Streets of Fire
The words neo-noir always get my attention. I distinctly remember Streets of Fire being a film I watched as a kid, and I could never remember what it was called. It wasn’t until I was a grown man that I rewatched it and got hit with a wave of nostalgia. Streets of Fire follows a former soldier hired to rescue his ex-girlfriend from a criminal biker gang.
It’s a bit of a fantastical film, and I hold it responsible for my love of stainless steel firearms. Our hero faces the evil biker gang wielding a stainless steel Marlin 336. The old Marlin 336 spent decades as the working man’s lever-action rifle, and while it was available in quite a few calibers, I’d argue the most popular was .30-30.
The .30-30 is not a weak duck, but our hero is such a good shot that he makes motorcycles explode while wielding it. Not just stationary bikes, but bikes driving up and down the road, and each shot gets that kachunk we all know and love from lever guns. Also, props to whoever decided to use some hot blanks cause the muzzle flash is brilliant.
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Wind River
Okay, again, you can argue Wind River is a western, but I see neo-westerns as a distinct genre. The film mostly deals with modern weapons, Glocks, ARs, and the like. However, our main character carries a stainless Marlin 1895SBL in .45-70. His day job is with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Animal Damage Control, so the big, powerful gun is a necessity.
In one part of the film, he’s shown loading his own ammo, and the projectile weight is 500 grains. He’s tossing some heavy slugs from his pretty lever gun. In the climactic gun battle, he appears out of nowhere, saving the life of our other protagonist using stealth, guile, and a big f$%#(*&g rifle.
Admittedly, the scene gets a little silly as it throws bad guys backward. However, it’s also used to punch through light cover, something the .45-70 could do with ease. It shows that you don’t need a modern gun when you have camouflage, an advantageous position, and a gun that makes you believe in stopping power.
John Wick 4
The John Wick films typically feature the latest guns on the block. Typically, some form of Taran Tactical rifle, pistol, or shotgun. Oftentimes it’s cool; sometimes it’s silly, like picking a full-sized PCC when there are so many other options out there. Other times, we get something from Mad Pig customs, Marlin model 1894.
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This isn’t a rifle that belongs to Mr. Wick, but to the bounty hunter named Mr. Nobody. It’s a takedown rifle, something Mr. Nobody uses to his advantage while carrying the gun. It’s often disassembled and concealed. As the 1894 moniker implies, this isn’t a super modern gun, but you couldn’t tell after Mad Pig had their way with it.
The gun has an M-LOK rail; it’s suppressor-ready, uses XS sights, and just looks amazing. It’s used to great effect throughout the film and fits a character known as a bounty hunter. While it’s not Mare’s Leg, it does remind me of Steve McQueen from Wanted: Dead or Alive.
Terminator 2
I’ve purposefully used the term lever gun instead of lever-action rifle. I used a lever gun so I could include one of, if not my favorite, action movies, Terminator 2. Our Hero Terminator wields a Winchester Model 1887. Specifically, one with a trimmed barrel and stock cut into a pistol grip.
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Terminator 2 isn’t a western or even a Neo-Western, but there are certainly some western throwbacks. The Terminator rides a motorcycle and shoots the one-handed man from his saddle. The famous flip-cock maneuver reminds us that it’s a lever-action rifle with every shot. The gun lacks a trigger guard; it is some form of lever-action Fitz special.
There were two guns made for the film. One is the classic Rosebox shotgun we see most often. There was also a large lever gun for the flip-cock effect. There was also a rubber prop made for stunt work. It’s easily one of the most legendary movie guns and one I need to get around to making.
Lever Guns In Modern Movies
There are other movies out there; someone will mention Jurassic World, I’m sure. While there are certainly other lever guns in movies, I feel these movies really make good use of the lever gun. It doesn’t blend in but stands out, and that’s what I consider important when it comes to movie guns.
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