Why are you a lever-action rifle fan?
I have owned and hunted with lever actions since I was a kid. I also used one in law enforcement for over 25 years.
What's your favorite lever-action rifle?
For hunting it is a pre-64 Winchester Model 94 in .30/30. For law enforcement it is a Browning Model 92, in .44 Magnum, with barrel shortened to 16 inches and a receiver sight installed.
Do you ever feel handicapped as a hunter with your lever-action rifle? Why? Why not?
No. I have always enjoyed the challenge of stalking close to game in order to collect it.
How has the lever gun impacted the hunting community? (positive and/or negative responses welcome)
The lever action is kind of America’s gun. And I think that the average hunter finds it light, easy to operate, and sufficient for most hunting. There is also something about hunting with the same sort of gun that daddy and granddaddy used.
Does the lever gun have any unique traits which makes it the gun of choice for you as a hunter?
They are relatively light, flat, and easy to handle in a vehicle or from a saddle scabbard.
Why do you think lever guns have surged in popularity over the past few years?
American gun owners may simply be getting back to their roots...ref the renewed popularity in revolvers and lever actions.
Do you expect that surge to continue?
I wish it would, but probably not
What is (or are) your fondest memories of hunting with your favorite lever action rifle?
Bringing home some venison collected with a rifle that is connected to our history & heritage
If you could only have one lever action, which one would it be?
A pre-64 Winchester model 94 carbine in .30/30
Outside of hunting, what other roles should people consider a lever action for? Are there any which are underrated?
The various lever-action guns are a good choice for personal defense & home defense
Is there anything else you'd like to add about your experience with lever actions?
I’ve owned a lever action, of one kind or another, since I was a kid. I can’t imagine keeping house without one.
About Sheriff Jim Wilson - Jim Wilson sold his first gun article in 1990 to Petersen’s Handguns magazine and thus began a gun writing career that continues to this day. His early days of writing also appeared in Guns & Ammo, before he was offered the esteemed position of handgun editor for Shooting Times magazine. His Gunsmoke column in Shooting Times cemented Jim’s reputation for sharing good stories about Texas Rangers and assorted lawmen of the Old West, a skill he continues to exercise these days on the Gun Tales online magazine. He also is on the writing staff with NRA and contributes regularly to Shooting Illustrated. Jim spent 30 years as a Texas peace officer and the last eight years of his long career were spent as Sheriff of Crockett County, Texas, therefore you will often see him referred to as “Sheriff Jim Wilson,” a title that has stuck both in his writing endeavors and by a few that still call him “Sheriff” as a form of respect, even though he has been retired for nearly three decades. Jim’s carbine of choice for rural west Texas law enforcement was not the AR-style rifle that is so common today, but a slicked-up Browning B92 lever action in .44 Magnum with a 16-inch barrel that he carried in his patrol car. This little carbine shows honest wear and has attributed to some good stories that are best heard in Jim’s voice. Next time you see him ask him about the high speed chase the 44-lever gun stopped! The gun and writing industries are filled with a variety of media platforms these days. Jim Wilson is one of the few remaining that will be known by my generation as the old-time gun scribes. Writers who earned their spurs by putting down good stories on paper. No videos, no blogs, no podcasts, just good old-fashioned writing.