Using today’s advanced ammunition, and adding a scope makes   the ‘lever-gun’ as useful now as it ever was…maybe more!

Nostalgia and practicality combine to make today’s lever-action rifles — whether chambered for the venerable .30-30 Win., which remains among the most popular deer hunting calibers in North America, or the .22 Long Rifle for small game applications — a strong choice for beginning hunters, and old-timers who hunt woodlands and big timber.

They may look like “cowboy guns” but modern lever-action rifles boast modern metallurgy, computer-enhanced precision-built components and button rifling to deliver modern performance from a basic design that has been around for more than a century.

The Mossberg 464 lever-action rifle looks and feels like it has been around forever, but closer examination reveals that this is not grandpa’s deer rifle. The centerfire model is chambered for the same cartridge, but unlike grandpa’s gun, this new Mossberg is drilled and tapped for scope mounts and the top ejection port was designed to eject spent cartridges at an angle for proper clearance from the scope. The barrel has a recessed crown, which is one more enhancement that contributes to the rifle’s accuracy.

In the beginning, a lever-action rifle had what is commonly-referred to as a “half-cock safety,” meaning that the hammer, lowered to the half-cocked position behind a loaded chamber, was the safety. Over the years, various design improvements have been made, such as a cross-block safety that blocks the hammer from striking the firing pin. It may be a bit awkward, but it was an improvement over the basic “half-cock” safety position of the hammer.

Mossberg’s answer to the half-cock is simple and familiar to most shooters, especially those who have used Mossberg shotguns over the years. It has a top tang safety that is just as accessible for a left-handed shooter as it is for a right-handed shooter, and that safety is available on the rimfire model as well.

Precision machining produces a remarkably smooth action that is fast and reliable.

Mossberg’s straight grip centerfire model has a traditional hardwood stock, while the more deluxe curved-grip model has a checkered walnut stock, both finished off with a modern recoil pad. The .30-30 model’s steel barrel and receiver are finished in a deep blue.

For the beginner, a rimfire model is practical. Mossberg’s 464 smallbore rifle has a grooved receiver that accepts rimfire scope mounts, and it also features traditional metallic sights.

A close look at a rimfire lever-action rifle reveals why it is such a good choice for beginners, and how it can bea learning tool while providing hours of enjoyable recreation and small game hunting. New shooters should learn marks-manship with metallic sights, and the Mossberg 464 has basic sights, with an adjustable rear and a hooded front sight.

The tubular magazine holds 14 rounds, which encourages the shooter to practice by not having to stop as frequently to reload.

Why would someone choose a lever-action rifle? There are many reasons, not the least of which is speed. While a typical bolt-action requires four movements (up, back, forward and down) to chamber a fresh cartridge, the lever action only requires two simple movements, down and up.

A lever-action carbine is shorter, and typically a bit lighter. Thus, one can swing it fast in heavy brush, and carrying it for a few hours while still hunting is not going to tire one’s arms. Weighing only 6-3/4 pounds in the .30-30 model and 5-1/2 pounds in the .22-caliber version, the Mossberg 464 exemplifies a major reason that the lever-action rifle retains its popularity in the whitetail woods of the upper Midwest, Northeast and Northwest, while the rimfire version is a sensible choice for rabbits and other small game.

The tubular magazine is self-contained, so a hunter never needs to worry about accidentally losing the magazine.

The simplicity of design is matched by its durability. The lever-action design has proven itself for generations. The Mossberg 464 adds a few updated features.

Now, combined with modern ammunition designed to get the most out of a lever-action centerfire rifle by making it effective beyond 200 yards, the “cowboy gun” is a sensible option for today’s beginners, and even seasoned hunters who require a workhorse rifle that is chambered for a popular cartridge that can handle deer-sized game and is also effective against predators.

With the advent of modern lever-action rifles such as the Mossberg 464, this is no time to consider this type of rifle past its prime. It is just as at home with hunters today as it was more than a century ago.