Lever-action firearms areguns that hold multiple bullets and are loaded by pulling and pushing a lever at the bottom of the gun.
Lever-action rifles first became important weapons during theAmerican Civil War. Two rifles made during this time were theHenry andSpencerrifles. They fired much more quickly and could be loaded much faster thanmuzzleloading rifles. However, their use was limited because many generals felt that the ability to shoot manybullets without reloading would causesoldiers to shoot with less accuracy. However, after the Civil War, lever-action guns became much more popular. They were popular with not just soldiers, but also withhunters and evencivilians. They were so popular that the most famous lever-action rifle, theWinchester Model 1873, was called "the gun that won the West".
Both themilitaries of theUnited States and theRussian Empire used lever-action guns often until the beginning of the20th century. Even though lever action guns can fire much faster thanbolt-action rifles (lever-actions can fire 2 rounds a second in skilled hands,) the bolt-action rifle was chosen to be the main gun for mostinfantry. This was because bolt-action rifles could easily be fired when soldiers are lying on the ground, but lever-actions cannot do so easily.
Lever-action guns were made for many different types of bullets, bothpistol and rifle bullets. Most lever-action guns are rifles, but there are also lever-actionshotguns as well. The most famous of these are theWinchester Model 1887.