Lever Guns Before 1900: The Wild History You’ve Never Heard

While Logan and Allen are off-site this week, we're flashing back to one of the most requested segments from our trip to LeverFest at Range Ready Studios in Louisiana. In this special presentation, Logan Metesh of High Caliber History takes center stage to walk through the surprisingly weird and brilliant early history of lever-action rifles — including the names, designs, and ammo you've never heard of. In this episode: • Rocket Ball ammo? The caseless wonder that started it all • Walter Hunt, Horace Smith, and D.B. Wesson: the inventors before the brands • Why a shirtmaker named Winchester became a firearms icon • Volcanics, Henrys, and the origin of the repeating rifle • The Civil War’s private purchase problem — and who carried a Henry rifle into battle • How the Model 1866 “Yellow Boy” changed everything • The rise of iconic Winchesters: 1873, 1886, 1894 and beyond • Savage’s early entries and why the Model 1899 stood out • Spitzer bullets, tubular mags and why design mattered more than firepower • Spencer rifles: smart for cavalry, fragile in the field ⚙️ From underpowered ammo and oddball mechanics to timeless classics still in production today, this episode traces the wild, winding trail that brought lever guns from fringe innovation to center stage in American firearms history. 👉 Here’s the important part: If you're already subscribed to our audio feeds, you’ll need to re-subscribe using the new links below to keep getting episodes. Spotify: Apple: Amazon: iHeart: Castbox: Rumble: No Lowballers home page: Nothing else is changing. You’ll still get the same unfiltered stories, sharp insights, and hot takes—but with a bigger platform to back it up. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes content, episode drops, and more. New episodes every Thursday.