Classic American Rifles: 16 Collectible Rifles From the Henry to the M1 Garand

Last updated September 27, 2026

Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

American gunmakers built the rifles that settled the West, fed a nation and fought two world wars, and a lot of them are still for sale. Some are originals more than a century old, and some are still made today in almost the same form.

This is my guide to 16 classic American rifles, from the Henry and the Winchester 1873 to the Krag, the Springfield and the M1 Garand. For each one I’ll tell you why collectors want it, if you can buy an original, a reproduction or a new one, and what our dealers are asking, with a live price card wherever one was in stock.

Classic American Rifles at a Glance

Here are all 16 classic American rifles on this list, what kind of rifle each one is, and how you can buy one today.

Table of Contents

What Makes an American Rifle a Classic?

A classic American rifle is a rifle designed and built in the United States that shaped how Americans hunted, fought or shot, and that collectors still chase decades later. The early Winchester lever guns, the M1 Garand and the pre-64 Model 70 are among the most collectible rifles an American shooter can own. Most of the best-known ones came from Winchester, and a remarkable number were designed by one man, John Browning.

They fall into four groups: the lever actions that won the West, the big single shots, the military rifles, and the sporting bolt and semi-auto rifles of the twentieth century. Here’s how the 16 on this list break down by how you can buy one today.

How it is sold	Rifles	What to expect
New production	Winchester 1873, 1885, 1886, 1892, 1894 and 1895	Built in Japan by Miroku under the Winchester name, from about $970
Reproductions	Henry 1860, Sharps 1874	Italian and US-made replicas, from about $1,180
Originals and surplus	Marlin 39A, Remington Rolling Block, Krag, Springfield 1903, M1 Garand, pre-64 Model 70, Winchester 1907, Savage 99	Used, consignment and surplus, from about $550

---

Classic American Lever-Action Rifles

The lever action is the most American rifle there is, and Winchester built most of the classics. Nearly all of Winchester’s great lever guns are in production again, so you can shoot a new one and save the originals for the safe.

---

1. Henry 1860: The First Great Lever Action

• Caliber: .44 Henry rimfire; reproductions in .45 Colt and .44-40
• Action: Lever action, 15-round tube magazine plus one in the chamber
• Made: About 14,000, 1860 to 1866
• New or used: Originals at auction; Italian reproductions new

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	5/5
Shootability	4/5
Availability	3/5

Benjamin Tyler Henry designed the Henry in 1860, and it was a sixteen-shot .44 rimfire repeater when most soldiers still had single-shot muzzleloaders. Union soldiers carried it in the Civil War, many of them buying their own. About 14,000 were made before 1866, and it led directly to the first Winchester.

Originals are auction guns. The card below tracks Cimarron’s reproductions, with Classic Firearms at $1,513.10 and Palmetto State Armory at $1,564.99.

The brass receiver is gorgeous, and the reproductions run smoothly in .45 Colt. There’s no forend, so the barrel gets hot fast. Load it the old way, from the front of the magazine tube.

Best For: Collectors and cowboy action shooters who want the rifle that started the American lever-action story.

---

2. Winchester Model 1873: The Gun That Won the West

• Caliber: .44-40 originally; new ones in .45 Colt and .357 Magnum
• Action: Toggle-link lever action, tube magazine
• Made: About 720,000 originals, and made again today
• New or used: New Winchester production, or originals

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Availability	5/5

The 1873 put a pistol-size centerfire cartridge in a lever-action rifle, and the idea that a cowboy’s rifle and revolver could share ammunition made it the rifle of the frontier. About 720,000 originals were built.

You can buy one new today. The card below starts at $1,145.33 at Battlehawk Armory, with Palmetto State Armory at $1,206.99 for a short rifle in .45 Colt. Originals run from affordable shooters to five-figure collector guns.

Many originals left the factory with octagon barrels and simple iron sights, and collectors check that both are original. The action is short and slick, and a new 1873 in .357 Magnum is as pleasant a rifle as you’ll ever shoot. It’s the lever gun I’d pick for a day of steel plates.

Best For: Anyone who wants the rifle of the Old West, new to shoot or original to collect.

---

3. Winchester Model 1886: The Big-Game Lever Gun

• Caliber: .45-70 Government and other big-bore cartridges
• Action: Browning lever action with vertical locking bolts
• Made: About 160,000 from 1886 to 1935, made again today
• New or used: New production, or originals

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	5/5
Shootability	4.5/5
Availability	4/5

John Browning designed the 1886 to handle the powerful black powder cartridges of the day, like the .45-70, with a strong action that locked with vertical bolts. About 160,000 were made before 1935.

The new ones are built to the same design. Kentucky Gun Co has a short rifle at $1,281.99, and Guns.com lists one at $1,402.99.

Case-colored receivers and original bluing fade fast with handling, so an 1886 that still has them sells at a real premium. It’s a lot of rifle, and the .45-70 lets you know it. The action is smooth and very strong. For a lever gun that can take anything in North America, this is the classic.

Best For: Big-game hunters who want a classic lever gun with real power.

---

4. Winchester Model 1892: The Handy Carbine

• Caliber: .44-40, .45 Colt, .357 Magnum and others
• Action: Browning lever action, tube magazine
• Made: 1,007,608 from 1892 to 1941, made again today
• New or used: New production, or originals

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4.5/5
Shootability	5/5
Availability	5/5

When Winchester asked John Browning for a stronger pistol-cartridge rifle, he promised a prototype in under a month and had one working in two weeks. More than a million 1892s were made before 1941, and it became the rifle of countless Western films.

A new 1892 carbine is $969.52 at Battlehawk Armory, and Palmetto State Armory has a short rifle at $1,049.99. Our Winchester 1892 review covers the new rifle.

It’s small, light and fast to shoulder. With .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum, it’s one of the handiest short-range rifles ever made.

Best For: Shooters who want a light, handy classic lever gun that runs revolver ammo.

---

5. Winchester Model 1894: America’s Deer Rifle

• Caliber: .30-30 Winchester, .38-55 and others
• Action: Browning lever action, tube magazine
• Made: More than 7.5 million since 1894
• New or used: New production, or originals

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4.5/5
Shootability	5/5
Availability	5/5

The 1894 launched in black-powder calibers like .38-55, and in 1895 it was chambered for the new smokeless .30-30, which became the deer round of the twentieth century. It was the first sporting rifle to sell more than seven million, and it made “Winchester” the name people use for any lever gun.

A new Model 94 carbine in .38-55 is $1,189.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse and $1,139.99 at Primary Arms. Our Winchester Model 94 review and our roundup of the best .30-30 lever-action rifles cover it in more depth.

It’s light, slim and points like a shotgun, and it has taken more deer than anyone could count. For deer hunting in thick woods, it’s still one of the best classic hunting rifles you can carry.

Best For: Deer hunters who want the classic American woods rifle.

---

6. Winchester Model 1895: The Box-Magazine Lever Gun

• Caliber: .30-06, .30-40 Krag, .405 Winchester and others
• Action: Browning lever action, box magazine
• Made: About 425,000 from 1895 to 1932, plus limited modern editions
• New or used: Limited new production, or originals

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4.5/5
Shootability	4/5
Availability	3.5/5

The 1895 was the last lever action John Browning designed and the first Winchester lever action with a box magazine instead of a tube, which let it fire pointed military cartridges like the .30-06 safely. About 425,000 were made, and many went to the army of the Russian Empire.

Winchester makes it again in limited runs. Primary Arms lists a Grade I .30-06 at $1,339.99, and Guns.com has a high-grade rifle at $1,682.99.

It’s a strange-looking rifle with the magazine hanging under the action, but it shoots flat and hits hard. In .405 Winchester, it kicks like a mule.

Best For: Lever-gun fans who want one that shoots modern rifle cartridges.

---

7. Savage Model 99: The Hammerless Lever Gun

• Caliber: .300 Savage, .250-3000 Savage, .308 and others
• Action: Hammerless lever action, rotary magazine
• Made: More than 1 million, 1899 to 1997
• New or used: Used only, and none in stock when checked

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4.5/5
Shootability	4.5/5
Availability	2/5

Arthur Savage’s hammerless lever action went into production in Utica, New York, and its rotary magazine let it fire pointed bullets that tube-fed lever guns couldn’t. The Model 1899 became the Model 99 in the early 1920s, and more than a million were made before production ended in 1997.

None of our dealers had an original Savage 99 when I checked, and searches for one kept returning modern Savage bolt guns instead. Collectors hunt them at gun shows and online auctions.

It’s slim, balanced and shoots a scope far better than a top-eject Winchester. The rotary magazine even has a round counter on the side on many models. If you see a clean one, buy it.

Best For: Hunters who want a classic lever gun that handles modern bullets and scopes.

---

8. Marlin 39A: The Longest-Running Rifle Design

• Caliber: .22 Short, Long and Long Rifle
• Action: Lever action, tube magazine
• Made: About 2.2 million from 1922 to 2007, descended from the 1891
• New or used: Used and trade-in

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4/5
Shootability	5/5
Availability	4/5

The 39 line is often called the longest continuously produced shoulder firearm design in the world. It started as the Marlin Model 1891, and on March 10, 1893, Annie Oakley used one to put 25 shots through one ragged hole in 27 seconds at 36 feet.

A Marlin 39A is listed at $549.99 on Guns.com, and Sportsman’s Outdoor Superstore has a police trade-in Golden 39A at $649.99.

It’s the most satisfying .22 I know. The action is smooth, the trigger is good and it’s accurate enough to embarrass bigger rifles. Every shooter should own one.

Best For: Anyone who wants a classic .22 they can shoot every weekend and pass down.

---

Classic American Single-Shot Rifles

Big single-shot rifles took buffalo, won long-range matches and armed dozens of armies in the 1870s. Today they’re reproduced by specialist makers, and originals are serious collector pieces.

---

9. Sharps 1874: The Buffalo Rifle

• Caliber: .45-70, .50-90 and other big-bore cartridges
• Action: Falling-block single shot
• Made: More than 120,000 Sharps rifles, 1849 to 1881
• New or used: Originals at auction; reproductions new

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	5/5
Shootability	4.5/5
Availability	4/5

Christian Sharps designed his falling-block rifle in 1848, and by 1874 it had been adapted to big metallic cartridges. It became the rifle of the buffalo hunters and one of the most accurate long-range rifles of its age.

Reproductions are easy to find. The card below starts at $1,176.02 for a Pedersoli Little Betsy at Battlehawk Armory, with a Cimarron at $1,632.99 on Guns.com. Our full Sharps rifle guide covers originals and reproductions.

Shooting a Sharps at long range with open sights is a lesson in patience. The rifles are heavy, which helps with the recoil, and the triggers can be superb.

Best For: Long-range shooters and anyone who loves the buffalo era.

---

10. Remington Rolling Block: The Rifle That Armed the World

• Caliber: 7mm Mauser, .50-70 and many military and sporting rounds
• Action: Rolling-block single shot
• Designed: 1864 to 1865 by Joseph Rider at Remington
• New or used: Used, surplus and trade-in

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4/5
Shootability	4/5
Availability	3.5/5

Remington engineer Joseph Rider developed the rolling-block action in 1864 or 1865, and the Remington System went on to arm armies across Europe and Latin America. Sweden built its m/1867, shown here, on the same action.

Surplus and sporting rolling blocks still turn up. The card below shows a police trade-in in 7mm at $599.99 from Sportsman’s Outdoor Superstore and a No. 3 sporting rifle at $880.99 on Guns.com.

The action is simple and nearly unbreakable. Check the chambering carefully, because rolling blocks were made in dozens of cartridges, and some were converted over the years.

Best For: Collectors who want an affordable piece of nineteenth-century military history.

---

11. Winchester Model 1885: Browning’s First Winchester

• Caliber: From .22 LR to big-bore rifle cartridges
• Action: Falling-block single shot, Low Wall or High Wall
• Designed: Principally by John Browning
• New or used: New production, reproductions and originals

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4.5/5
Shootability	4.5/5
Availability	4/5

The 1885 was principally designed by John Browning, and it started his long partnership with Winchester. It came in two frames: the Low Wall, with an exposed hammer, for lighter cartridges, and the High Wall, whose frame covers most of the hammer, for stronger ones.

The card below shows a new 1885 Hunter in .22 LR at $1,369.99 from Primary Arms and Winchester 1885s on Guns.com from $1,567.99.

A High Wall in a classic cartridge is one of the most satisfying rifles to shoot carefully. The action is slick and strong, and the trigger on a good one is excellent.

Best For: Single-shot fans and anyone who wants John Browning at his most elegant.

---

Classic American Military Rifles

Three rifles carried the US Army from the Spanish-American War to Korea, and all three are some of the most collected American rifles today.

---

12. Krag-Jorgensen: America’s First Smokeless Rifle

• Caliber: .30-40 Krag
• Action: Bolt action, side-loading 5-round magazine
• Made: US Krags at Springfield Armory from the 1890s to about 1904
• New or used: Surplus and collector only

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4.5/5
Shootability	4/5
Availability	3/5

The US Army adopted the Norwegian-designed Krag in the 1890s as its first smokeless-powder rifle, and it served in the Spanish-American War. Its side-mounted magazine can be topped off without opening the bolt.

Classic Firearms has a US 1898 Krag made at Springfield Armory for $799.99.

The Krag’s bolt is the smoothest of any military rifle I’ve shot. Ammo is the catch: there were 21 listings of .30-40 Krag across our dealers when I checked.

Best For: Collectors who want the rifle that came before the Springfield.

---

13. Springfield M1903: The Rifle of Two World Wars

• Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
• Action: Mauser-pattern bolt action, 5 rounds
• Made: 3,004,079 from 1903 to 1949
• New or used: Originals only

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	5/5
Shootability	4.5/5
Availability	3.5/5

The M1903 replaced the Krag, carried American troops through WW1, served again in WW2 and stayed in use as a sniper rifle through Vietnam. More than three million were made.

The card below starts at $1,600 for a Springfield Model 1903 from Classic Firearms. Our guides to WW1 guns and US service rifles cover its service history.

It’s one of the most accurate iron-sighted military rifles ever made. Just check the serial number, because early low-number receivers were heat-treated in a way that can leave them brittle, so keep those for display or light loads.

Best For: Collectors of American military rifles, and shooters who like a precise bolt gun.

---

14. M1 Garand: The Greatest Battle Implement

• Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
• Action: Gas-operated semi-auto, 8-round en-bloc clip
• Made: 5,468,772 from 1934 to 1957
• New or used: Originals and surplus

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Availability	4.5/5

The M1 Garand made the US the only major army to go into WW2 with a semi-automatic rifle as standard issue, and more than 5.4 million were built. It’s one of the most collected American rifles of all.

The card below starts at $1,599.99 for an original Springfield from Classic Firearms. Our M1 Garand guide covers makers, grades and where to buy.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program has long sold surplus Garands to qualified buyers. The ping of the empty clip is part of the fun. It’s heavy, soft-shooting and accurate. Feed it ammo made for the M1 to protect the operating rod.

Best For: Anyone who wants the most famous American military rifle to shoot and keep.

---

Classic American Sporting Rifles

The twentieth century brought the bolt-action hunting rifle and the first successful semi-automatic sporting rifles, and two of them are still benchmarks for collectors.

---

15. Pre-64 Winchester Model 70: The Rifleman’s Rifle

• Caliber: .30-06, .270 Winchester and many others
• Action: Controlled round feed bolt action
• Made: 1936 to 1963; serial numbers below 700,000
• New or used: Used only

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Availability	3.5/5

The Model 70 came out in 1936 and earned the nickname the Rifleman’s Rifle. The rifles made before the 1964 redesign have Mauser-type controlled round feed and cut checkering, and they have carried a premium ever since.

The card below shows a pre-64 Model 70 at $1,939.99 on Guns.com. Our Winchester Model 70 review covers the current rifle, and the pre-64 is also on our list of grail guns.

A good pre-64 feeds like silk. Check whether it’s been drilled for a scope or refinished, because each changes what it’s worth.

Best For: Hunters and collectors who want the bolt-action rifle others are measured against.

---

16. Winchester Model 1907: The Early Semi-Auto

• Caliber: .351 Winchester Self-Loading
• Action: Blowback semi-auto, detachable box magazine
• Made: 58,733, 1907 to 1957
• New or used: Used only

Category	Rating
Collector Appeal	4/5
Shootability	2.5/5
Availability	3/5

The Model 1907 was one of the first successful semi-automatic sporting rifles, a blowback gun chambered only for the .351 Winchester Self-Loading cartridge. Winchester made 58,733 over fifty years, and police versions were offered with a bayonet mount.

A Winchester 1907 was listed at $899.99 on Guns.com when I checked.

It’s a fascinating piece of engineering, but there were no listings of .351 Winchester ammo across our dealers, so it’s a handloader’s rifle or a display piece.

Best For: Collectors of early semi-automatic rifles.

---

Which Classic American Rifles Can You Still Feed?

Here’s how many listings each cartridge had across our dealer network on September 27, 2026, and how many dealers carried it. It tells you which classics you’ll shoot every season and which will spend more time on the wall.

Cartridge	Rifles on this list	Ammo listings	Dealers carrying it
.30-06 Springfield	Springfield 1903, M1 Garand, Winchester 1895, pre-64 Model 70	824	16
.30-30 Winchester	Winchester 1894	278	14
.45-70 Government	Winchester 1886, Sharps 1874 reproductions	273	15
.45 Colt	Winchester 1873 and 1892, Henry reproductions	252	14
.22 LR	Marlin 39A, Winchester 1885 Hunter	149	15
.44-40 Winchester	Winchester 1873 and 1892 originals	48	12
.300 Savage	Savage 99	40	8
.30-40 Krag	Krag-Jorgensen, some Winchester 1895s	21	10
.38-55 Winchester	Winchester 1894, Winchester 1885	14	7
.405 Winchester	Winchester 1895	8	7
.351 Winchester	Winchester 1907	0	0

The .30-06, .30-30, .45-70 and .45 Colt rifles are easy to feed. The Krag, the .38-55 guns and the .405 need some planning, and the Winchester 1907’s .351 had no listings at all.

---

Original, Reproduction or New: Which Should You Buy?

Most of the famous Winchester lever guns are made again today, built in Japan by Miroku, and the Henry and Sharps are reproduced by Italian makers like Uberti, Pedersoli and Chiappa, while Shiloh builds its Sharps in Montana. That gives you three ways into most of these rifles, and they suit different buyers.

• Buy new if you want to shoot a lot. A new Winchester 1873 or 1892 costs less than a nice original and you won’t wear out history.
• Buy a reproduction for guns like the Henry and Sharps, where originals are too valuable to shoot.
• Buy an original if you want to collect. Collectible rifles keep their value best when nothing has been changed, so never refinish one. Look for original finish, matching parts and, for most Winchester models, a factory letter from the Cody Firearms Museum records, which confirms how the rifle left the factory. Documented provenance, like a letter, a photo or a sales record, makes an heirloom rifle worth more.
• Check the date. A rifle made in or before 1898 is an antique under federal law, and most others over 50 years old in original condition are curios or relics.

---

How I Picked These 16 Classic American Rifles

I started with the American rifles that changed how the country hunted and fought, most of them from Winchester and many from John Browning, then checked what our 200+ retailers had for sale on September 27, 2026. Every rifle in stock has a live price card. The Savage 99 had none, and I say so.

I left out the Remington Model 8, the Browning-designed semi-auto used in the 1934 ambush of Bonnie and Clyde, only because none were listed. I’ve shot most of these rifles over the years, and the history comes from the makers’ records and the armories that built them.

Featured image: a scene built around a photo of an original Winchester Model 1873 by Hmaag, released CC0.

---

The Bottom Line

If you want one classic American rifle to shoot, a new Winchester 1873 or 1892 is the easiest place to start, for about $1,000 to $1,200. For classic hunting rifles you can still carry in the field, a Winchester 94 or a pre-64 Model 70 is hard to beat. And for pure collecting, a Springfield 1903 or an M1 Garand is the heart of any American military collection.

Frequently Asked Questions