Gone Hunting! New S&W Model 1854 Stealth Hunter

Everyone else is doing it, and now Smith & Wesson is too. In an age where the lever-action is making an unexpected comeback, Smith & Wesson has joined its competitors in offering an updated version for modern sportsmen. It’s called the Model 1854 Stealth Hunter.

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What’s new?

You might think that a lever gun should be made of deep-blued steel and walnut, with maybe a bit of brass thrown in. That’s all very classic, but modern materials make more sense in the hunting field. To that end, Smith & Wesson gives the Model 1854 Stealth Hunter a black synthetic buttstock and an aluminum forend, with M-LOK slots cut in for easy accessory attachment. Other Model 1854 variants might have flashy metal on the receiver, but the Stealth Hunter is blacked-out (even though it’s stainless under that finish, on receiver and barrel); all the better for skulking in a treestand or a pop-up blind.

Instead of a classic bead-style front sight, the Stealth Hunter gets a Hiviz H3 fiber-optic front sight combined with a combo peep sight/Picatinny rail at the rear of the receiver. The factory irons should be much better than old-school buckhorns, and you can easily put a scope or red dot on this rifle. That 10.5-inch rail should be able to mount just about anything you want.

The barrel itself is only 16.5 inches long, making this fast-handling in tight, brushy conditions or inside a cramped stand. The muzzle is threaded, so you can easily attach a device, even a suppressor if you have your paperwork done. A flat trigger is supposed to help you shoot more accurately, and unlike old-school lever guns that require you to jack every round through the action when unloading, the S&W action has a removable mag tube, so you can empty the gun quickly. Just twist the tube, slide it forward, clear your action/feeding path, and you’re done.

If you really want that old-school look, you can buy a version of the gun with walnut furniture and slightly longer barrel and mag tube, but otherwise, the features are the same.

The blacked-out version is currently listed on the S&W website in .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum and .45 Long Colt, with eight-round capacity for $1,399 MSRP. The wood-stocked version is currently only listed in .45 Long Colt, with nine-round capacity for the same price. See more details here.

Photos: Smith & Wesson