The lever-action just might be the quintessential American rifle and has experienced a renaissance as of late with everything from the revival of classics to modern, tactical versions. Smith & Wesson made the public aware of its heritage as one of the first lever-action manufacturers when it introduced its 1854 series in 2024. New for 2025, and just in time for whitetail season, Smith & Wesson is adding the .30-30 Win. chambering to its Model 1854 lineup.
Nearly as classic as the lever-action itself, the .30-30 Win. was introduced in 1895 as a modern, smokeless-powder cartridge for the then-new 1894 Winchester and quickly became one of the most popular hunting cartridges in the U.S., especially for eastern whitetails. By adding a .30-30 Win. chambering in its 1854 series, Smith & Wesson is splitting the difference between the magnum revolver cartridge and the .45-70 Gov’t models the company offers.
The .30-30 Win. 1854 is offered in three variants. All feature stainless-steel construction, a side-eject, solid-top receiver with a Picatinny rail optics mount, a large-loop lever, a cross-bolt hammer-block safety, an under-barrel tubular magazine and six-groove barrels with 1:10” RH twist, their muzzles threaded 5/8x24 TPI to accommodate the plethora of .30-cal. hunting suppressors on the market.
The “standard” model’s metal components are given a matte finish and come with black polymer furniture with M-Lok slots molded into the fore-end. With a 20” barrel, its magazine capacity is six rounds. Sights consist of an adjustable rear XS Sights “ghost ring” aperture with a ramped front post with a gold bead, and a 5.75” optics rail. With an overall length of 37.8”, it weighs 7.5 lbs. and has an MSRP of $1,399.
The “traditional walnut” model duplicates the features of the standard model, but all of its stainless-steel components are given a matte black Armornite finish and is stocked in checkered walnut. It has an MSRP of $1,499.
The Stealth Hunter has a 16.5” barrel and a five-round magazine capacity. It uses a polymer buttstock and has an aluminum alloy fore-end with 15 M-Lok slots. The receiver rail is extended to 10.5” to allow for more optics mounting options. All metal parts are given an Armornite finish. Sights are the XS rear aperture with a HIVIZ Litewave H3 fiber optic front sight. It has an overall length of 34.3”, weighs 6.95 lbs., and has an MSRP of $1,499.
For more information, see the company’s website.
