By Dan Larsson

William F. Cody, Chief Iron Tail, and Mike Russell (lower left front) with a hunting party of Native American and European American men holding rifles in a snow covered wooded area. Handwritten caption, "The life I love. Camp head of Shoshone river Wyo. Nov. 20th 1901. W. F. Cody." MS 6 William F. Cody Collection. P.69.1062

It is a pleasure to meet someone with a fantastic mind full of firearm information. I am ecstatic about adding Danny Michael to my short list of firearm experts. Throughout our conversation, I had the opportunity to ask questions about different guns and history. There was no hesitation, Danny answered all my questions without needing reference. He is a rare human. I learned several things I did not know about lever action rifles as it happened in our history. Maybe this is why he is the curator at the Robert W. Woodruff, Cody Firearms Museum in Wyoming.

Danny grew up on a farm and has a history with firearms. His grandfather had a Marlin model 336 lever action that Danny’s brother used so he didn’t get the time with these rifles early in life. As he has grown and learned more about historical lever guns, he has gained respect and fascination for them and specifically some of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt’s favorite hunting guns.

I learned about the early ideas and models that have led to our current designs and lever technology. That there were about 10 years where the viability of a “lever action” firearm was a bit touch-and-go. Early models included Hunt, Jennings, Smith and Wesson, and Henry lever actions. The more modern versions became the Winchester and Marlins rifles amongst a few others. John Browning played a significant part in the design process as the lever action became a history that lives to this day.

I asked Danny about his thoughts as to the lever action being America’s unique action. He agrees with this statement as the origins of this action are primarily based in the United States, even more so than the origins of the Kentucky rifles used early in our country’s history. The lever action rifle has its origins and development almost solely in the U.S.A. One exception may be Oliver Winchester’s one-off lever action shotgun he conscripted to be built in what we think was Paris, France. This shotgun now resides in the Cody Firearms Museum. One little-known fact is that Winchester depended on the Smith and Wesson toggle link technology in their early guns until 1876.

Danny’s study of history does not back up the Hollywood-promoted idea that the lever action was the “Gun that won the West.” There were many different firearms in use as non-native exploration and settlement of the West came to be. Historical photographs show many different rifles and few of them are lever actions. At the battle of the Little Big Horn, they found empty brass casings from lever action rifles, but these were more likely from the Sioux than the cavalry. The U.S. government had rejected the “new” Winchester 1895 design and opted to stick primarily with the single-shot Springfield trapdoor.

One bit of information Danny shared with me was about Winchester’s 1895 lever actions at the beginning of World War 1. As the war spun up, many countries came to the U.S. to buy firearms to take into battle. This included the Allied powers and Russia. Winchester worked out a deal with Russia to produce 300,000 1895’s in 7.62x54R. This is a bit ironic as they only sold 100,000 1895 rifles in the U.S.

Danny Michael is the curator of the Robert W. Woodruff, Cody Firearms Museum

Here are a few questions I asked Danny:

What personal lever action rifle is your favorite?

Danny is putting together a suppressed 1895 Winchester in 30-06. His inspiration for this comes from the packing list of the rifles Teddy Roosevelt took with him to Africa during his big expedition with Kermit. Teddy was a fan of suppressed rifles and had a few Winchesters that were factory-threaded for a suppressor. In those days, the rifle was roughly $40 and the Maxim suppressor cost around $7. The Maxim suppressor was offset below so the shooter could sight over it. Teddy was the first person of fame to hunt with suppressors.

What are your favorite lever actions at the Cody Museum?

Danny’s favorites include Buffalo Bill’s 1873 Winchester, Annie Oakley’s two 1892 Winchesters (one engraved and one gold plated), Roosevelt’s 1895 Winchester, and Oliver Winchester’s one-off prototype lever action shotgun built in France.

What should readers know about the Robert W. Woodruff, Cody Firearms Museum?

• The Cody Museum has over 4,000 guns on display dating from cannons to our present-day firearms.
• Plan a trip to Yellowstone and stop at the museum which is off the East edge of the park on Highway 14. The Museum is open all year round.
• There is a “Cody Firearms Experience” in Cody Wyoming where you can shoot several lever guns.
• The museum holds many of the manufacturing records for Winchester, Marlin, and Savage lever actions. If you call them, they may be able to tell you who originally sold the firearm, and possibly the date of manufacture. For the Savage 99’s, the museum holds the records somewhere until the 450,000 or 500,000 serial numbers.

Inspiring thoughts about lever action rifles?

“There is something very satisfying about working a lever action rifle. It feels good in the hand.” Danny is inspired by the history of the lever action and its uniquely American history of development. He thinks putting one to use through trigger time will inspire a love of the lever gun in you!