Of course, the lever-action is an iconic American design, and the basic principles go back to the 1860s when Benjamin Tyler Henry developed one of the earliest functional designs. Later versions from Winchester were the guns that won the American West, and the design continued to evolve into the 20th century. However, the FightLite Herring Model 2024 takes the lever-action concept into an entirely new era. Watch our video above to see this modern lever-action repeater in use on the range.
The Model 2024 looks in many ways like that of Eugene Stoner’s AR-15 design. The gun is built with a similar set of forged aluminum receivers that come apart to access the gun’s internals, and along with the lever on the outside, the inside of the gun is where we see some key differences. Of course, there is no gas system, and the bolt carrier group has been redesigned to work with the lever-action mechanism, although the carrier does use standard, AR-style bolts. The Herring Model 2024 feeds from all AR-15-type magazines. Although this model we have on the range is chambered for .300 Blackout, 5.56 NATO versions are available.
No fully modernized lever-action carbine comes complete without a Picatinny rail and a tactical handguard, both of which are standard on the Herring. M-Lok slots adorn the free-floating aluminum for accessories, and the rail along the top allows for sights and optics. Even the 16.25” barrel is threaded, which in the case of this Herring, makes for a great candidate to add a sound suppressor because of the locked breech and manually operated action.
For a gun with dual aluminum receivers like those of the AR, most would expect a castle nut, buffer tube and some sort of adjustable buttstock, however, the Herring is different in that it provides a fixed polymer buttstock reminiscent to those found on shotguns. A rubber recoil pad caps the stock and two flush-cup sockets for a sling are included. And unlike Stoner’s AR platform, the Herring Model 2024 comes with a crossbolt type safety instead of a selector switch.
Our testers thoroughly enjoyed using the Herring Model 2024. The classic feel of the underlever harkens back to the “olden” days while the exterior of the gun contains modernity at every corner. This masterful blending of old-school functionality and new-school engineering creates an easy-to-use longarm that can be shot all week, too, and accessorized in ways grandpa’s wood-stocked rifle over the mantle just can’t.
FightLite Herring Model 2024 Specifications
Manufacturer: FightLite Industries
Action Type: lever-action, repeating, centerfire rifle
Chambering: .300 Blackout
Receiver: forged 7075-T6 aluminum; Class 2 hardcoat anodized
Barrel: 16.25″; threaded 5/8×24 TPI
Magazine: five-round detachable box
Stock: polymer
Sights: none; Picatinny rail
Overall Length: 36.63″
Weight: 5 lbs., 11 ozs.
MSRP: $1,700
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