Over the decades, competition between Winchester and Marlin has produced some of the best lever action rifles on the market. For 19th century arms collectors, both platforms are iconic, with rare Winchesters like the recently discovered Model 1886 .45-90 WCF rifle with its original shipping crate pictured below representing the pinnacle of the fine arms field.

A 19th century time capsule unlike anything ever offered to the collecting public, this fresh to market Winchester Model 1886 is one of the best Winchester lever action rifle offerings from RIAC's August 2024 Premier Auction.

Despite Winchester’s market dominance, Marlin also made a respectable name for themselves in the twilight years of the American West. Sterling condition antique Marlins are often more attainable than their Winchester rivals while still carrying similar artistry and historic appeal. Rock Island Auction Company offers an assemblage of some of the best Marlin lever action rifles around.

A small sample of the fine and historic Marlin lever action rifles for sale at RIAC.

When considering the best lever action rifles for a 19th century arms collection, there are a wealth of options available. From exceptional Winchesters and Marlins to more elusive examples like the Colt Burgess, the Bullard Repeating Arms Co. lever action, the Evans New Model rifle, and the Whitney Kennedy carbine, RIAC's May auction covers every corner of this classic genre.

Though Winchester and Marlin were the kings of Old West lever action rifles, numerous competitors would also try their hand in the market.

Lever Action Rifle Evolution

The rare evolutionary predecessors to popular firearm models are often highly valued in the collecting community, and that certainly holds true for Winchester's forebearers. The Jennings repeater, based on Walter Hunt’s Rocket Ball cartridge patent in 1848 and Lewis Jennings's movable ammunition carrier patent in 1849, laid the foundation for nearly every lever action rifle model to follow.

The Volcanic design came next, produced by Smith and Wesson, Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, and finally New Haven Arms Company, a familiar name to Winchester enthusiasts.

A Second Model Smith-Jennings repeating rifle (top) and an early production New Haven Arms Company Volcanic carbine (bottom), two lever action predecessors to the Henry and Winchester.

In 1858 Oliver Winchester's shop superintendent Benjamin Tyler Henry developed a .44 caliber rimfire cartridge with a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. Over the next two years, he designed a firearm sturdy enough to handle the new round and received a patent in October of 1860.

Up to 14,000 of Henry's 16-shot lever action rifles would be produced, with 6,000 to 7,000 reportedly used by Union soldiers during the Civil War. Winchester's Henry precursor is a collecting cornerstone today, with scarce examples like the iron frame Henry below representing one of the best lever action rifles in an already rare genre.

A documented iron frame New Haven Arms Co. Henry rifle, serial number 90, manufactured during the first three months of production from April to June 1862 according to Les Quick's book, 'The Story of Benjamin Tyler Henry and His Famed Repeating Rifle.'

Winchester Lever Action Rifle Development

Though the Henry set the stage for the lever action rifle, a dispute over royalties with the weapon's inventor resulted in Oliver Winchester reorganizing into the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1866. Winchester's new factory superintendent, Nelson King, developed an “Improved Henry” design that included a more efficient cartridge loading system with a spring-steel loading gate on the right side of the receiver, a fully enclosed magazine tube, and a wooden forearm under the barrel.

The Model 1866 "Yellowboy", often hailed as the original cowboy rifle, became the first lever action rifle to bear the Winchester name. With a total production run estimated at 170,100 rifles, carbines, and muskets, the Model 1866 was also the first lever gun to see widespread use in every corner of the United States and beyond. The 1867 production example below, presented and engraved to Peruvian military officer and politician Justiniano Borgono, illustrates the international appeal of these classic lever guns.

A historic Winchester Model 1866 lever action rifle manufactured in 1867 and engraved to Peruvian military officer and politician Justiniano Borgono.

Though the Model 1866 put Winchester on the map, it was the Model 1873 that earned the company a reputation with the public as the best lever action rifle manufacturer for years to come. With its strengthened action and iron frame, the gun was designed to fire the .44 Winchester Centerfire cartridge, a notable upgrade in every respect. Later dubbed “the gun that won the West,” the Winchester 73 is a pop culture staple and is one of the most recognized firearms in history.

When ranking the best Winchester lever action rifle options available for elite arms collectors, this exceptional, documented Winchester Model 1873 One of One Thousand is a pinnacle example of its genre.

Winchester was riding high after the Model 1873. While several other lever gun brands hit the scene, like the Evans repeater in 1873 and the Whitney-Kennedy in 1880, neither presented Winchester with a meaningful challenger.

Instead, Winchester eyed expansion, including a greater presence in the big game hunting market. While the Model 1873 was a fine weapon for self-defense, pest control, and taking medium game, a stronger model was needed to compete with big bore single-shot rifles like the Sharps and Springfield Trapdoor when it came to bringing down North America's largest quarry.

A documented, factory inscribed Winchester Deluxe Model 1876 lever action short rifle chambered in .40-60 WCF, with a factory letter.

Effectively a sized-up version of the Model 1873, the Winchester Model 1876 featured a larger and stronger receiver capable of handling cartridges like the .45-75 WCF, .50-95 Express, .45-60 WCF, and .40-60 WCF.

Theodore Roosevelt famously praised the Model 1876 for its hunting potential, considering it not only the best lever action rifle of its era, but "the best weapon I ever had." Roosevelt ordered a consecutively numbered pair of these iconic Winchesters in 1881, the same year another arms maker would introduce its first lever gun onto the market and present Winchester with its first true taste of competition.

Winchester vs Marlin

In the mid-1870s, gunsmith John Mahlon Marlin had been partnering with New York retailers August Schoverling and Charles Daly to produce the single shot Ballard sporting rifle. The experience Marlin gained manufacturing the Ballard and other firearm designs gave him the confidence to pursue a lever action rifle concept of his own.

In late 1879, John Marlin patented his first lever action rifle. His initial prototype, a short-barreled, under hammer design, was only suited for smaller cartridges. Marlin went back to the drawing board, incorporating patents from H.F. Wheeler, Andrew Burgess, and E.A.F. Toepperwein to develop what would become known as the Model 1881 lever action rifle, the first repeater sturdy enough to chamber the .45-70 Govt. caliber.

One of the best lever action rifle examples available at RIAC, this special order, deluxe factory game scene engraved Marlin Model 1881 was presented by Buffalo Bill to Western rancher and guide Jim McLaughlin and later owned by famous Wyoming dude rancher Larry Larom.

Thanks to the financial backing of Shoverling & Daly, Marlin Fire Arms Co. was incorporated, with the Model 1881 as its flagship product. The Model 1881 was a side loading, top ejection lever action that established Marlin as a premier American brand.

RIAC's selection includes a spectacular lineup featuring some of the best Marlin lever rifles in the collecting field.

Winchester 1876 vs Marlin 1881

For big game hunters in the early 1880s, the Marlin 1881 was the best lever action rifle available. First introduced in .45-70 and .40-60 chamberings, .32-40, .38-55, and 45-85 calibers were added to the lineup by the time production ended in 1892.

This documented special order Marlin Deluxe Model 1881 lever action short rifle with a 20 inch barrel is chambered in .45-70 Gov.

Both the Winchester Model 1876 and Marlin Model 1881 were comparatively expensive lever guns for their day, with each hefty rifle costing over 30 dollars in the early 1880s when they competed head-to-head. Though the Winchester Model 1876 hit the scene five years before its Marlin rival, Winchester's rifle remained in production three years longer and ultimately went on to outsell the Marlin Model 1881 63,800 to 20,000.

A special order Winchester Deluxe Model 1876 .50 Express lever action short rifle with a factory letter.

Winchester 1886 vs Marlin 1895

As the Marlin Model 1881 was gaining a modest foothold, Winchester brought in prolific inventor John Moses Browning to help develop a big game repeater that could chamber cartridges like .45-70 Govt.

Distinguished by its dual vertical locking bars designed to seal the breech bolt against the chamber, the Model 1886 was the best Winchester lever action rifle of its age in terms of sheer power, and its popularity and lengthy production run reflect the impressive quality of Browning's first repeating design.

Two consecutively serialized exhibition quality engraved Winchester Deluxe Model 1886 lever action rifles, SN 116728 (left) and SN 116729 (right).

In the years after the Model 1881's introduction, Marlin brought on accomplished rifle designer Lewis L. Hepburn to develop new lever action models. Hepburn secured some 20 patents for Marlin over his career and had a hand in everything from the Marlin Model 1888 to the Model 1897.

Features like a side ejection port, a cartridge carrier, and a firing pin system designed to prevent accidental discharge were introduced to the Marlin line, with the Marlin 1895 representing a large caliber refinement of the action Hepburn had developed in the earlier Model 1893.

While never garnering a sizable portion of the market, the Marlin 1895 did gain a reputation as an accurate and dependable big game rifle. With its nine-year headstart and arguably stronger design, it's no surprise that the Winchester 1886 substantially outsold the Marlin 1895. Both guns represented some of the finest large caliber hunting platforms of the period and are two of the best lever action rifle models of all time.

One of the best lever gun offerings for sale at RIAC, an exceptional antique factory exhibition quality game scene engraved and gold and platinum inlaid Marlin Deluxe Model 1895 rifle in .45-90.

Winchester 1892 vs Marlin 1894

John Browning provided a scaled-down version of his exceptional Model 1886 design in the Winchester Model 1892. The Model 92 offered a lever gun chambered for popular low-powered revolver cartridges like its Model 1873 predecessor and often stood in for the Model 73 in Hollywood productions.

An Ulrich signed presentation inscribed Winchester Deluxe Model 1892 lever action takedown rifle with factory letter, chambered in .44-40 WCF.

Marlin, meanwhile, advertised their Model 1894 as “the Model 1893 rifle adapted for shorter cartridges.” Like the previously mentioned Marlin Model 1895, the Model 1893 and Model 1894 represented a refinement of Lewis L. Hepburn's earlier designs.

Though the Winchester Model 1892 is often thought to be a sturdier gun than its Marlin counterpart, the solid-top Marlin Model 1894 was considered superior at resisting the elements, particularly the snow, mud, and freezing temperatures of Canada, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest.

Where the Winchester 1886 and Marlin 1895 represented two of the finest heavy-hitting lever guns of their era, the Winchester 1892 and Marlin 1894 rank among the best lever action rifle models for pistol caliber cartridges and are certainly two of the most influential designs.

A historic factory engraved Marlin Deluxe Model 1894 takedown lever action rifle inscribed and presented to Carl G. Winter, President of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Chambered in .30-20.

Marlin 1893 vs Winchester 1894

Speaking of influential designs, our next two lever gun contenders both remain popular today in their modern iterations. The Marlin Model 1893 incorporated Lewis L. Hepburn's patents for a new locking bolt system and a two-piece firing pin, both vital to the gun's ability to handle smokeless powder loads.

Initially chambered in black powder .32-­40 and .38-­55., the sturdy Marlin Model 1893 proved suited for smokeless rounds like the .30-30 that would go on to dominate the market.

An exceptional factory engraved Marlin Deluxe Model 1893 lever action takedown rifle chambered in .30-30.

John Browning's Winchester Model 1894 also turned out to be an ideal platform for chambering smokeless rounds. Employing a single rear locking bolt block in place of the Model 1892's dual rear locking bar, the Model 1894 was more than capable of handling the higher pressures and velocities found in cartridges like .30 WCF and .25-35 WCF, and Winchester offered the gun in a "nickel steel" alloy to resist barrel wear from the new smokeless ammunition.

One of the best Winchester lever action rifle examples of a classic genre, an exceptionally fine antique Winchester Deluxe Model 1894 rifle.

In terms of sales figures, the Model 1894 wins the title of best Winchester lever action hands down and remains the best-selling lever action of all time. Though Winchester's Model 1894 left the Marlin Model 1893 in the dust, the Model 1893's descendants like the Marlin Model 36 and Marlin Model 336 saw steady sales. Today, the Marlin 336 vs Winchester 94 faceoff continues, with the Marlin 336 having achieved 3.5 million units sold and counting.

Top Lever Action Rifles for Collectors

Vintage lever action rifles are one of the most popular collecting genres, with examples that exhibit high condition, scarce features, and historical significance representing some of the most sought-after arms in the field. Both platforms were particularly suited to embellishment, with engraved Winchester and Marlin lever action rifles appealing to both classic arms collectors and Western art enthusiasts today.

Find the best lever action rifles at Rock Island Auction Company.

Though Winchester dominated the 19th century lever gun market, Marlin earned a commendable reputation with hunters and shooters, with legendary Westerners like Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley further elevating the brand. Rock Island Auction Company's May 17-19 Premier Firearms Auction features some of the best lever action rifle examples offered under one roof, and the collecting public is invited to inspect, handle, and shoulder any of these exceptional firearms during RIAC's May 16th Preview Day at 3600 E Harwood Rd, Bedford, TX starting at 10:00 AM.

A one-of-a-kind H.H. Schulte, early production, documented special order Winchester Model 1873 lever action rifle.

Subscribe to the weekly Rock Island Auction newsletter to receive new gun blogs and gun videos that examine some of the best lever action rifle models in the collecting field. From popular platforms like the Savage Model 99, the Winchester Model 1895, and the Spencer rifle to historic obscurities like the Lamson & Co. Ball repeating carbine and some of the earliest revolving rifles and flintlock repeaters that employed lever action designs, every model can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.

The best Winchester lever action rifles for fine arms collectors are available at Rock Island Auction Company, including masterpieces like this factory game scene, master engraved, monogrammed, and gold and platinum inlaid Marlin Deluxe Model 1893 lever action takedown rifle.