What was the most popular Lever Gun?

[Nighthawk]

Anyone know of the most common Lever action Rifle in the old west?Just guessing I would think it was the .45 colt,or the 32-40?

[surbat6]

Arguably the most common lever action repeater in the old west was the .44-40 Model 1873 Winchester (also available in .32-20, .38-40 and .22 RF). The Colt Single Action Army was also chambered in those calibers, meaning that one type of ammo served both handgun and rifle. Original Winchesters were never chambered for .45 Long Colt (that chambering has only been available since Cowboy Action Shooting became popular).
Other popular lever action repeaters included the Spencer (.56-50 rimfire), the Henry (.44 rimfire...BTW, some Colts were also chambered for the .44 Henry), the 1866 Winchester (also .44 RF), the 1886 Winchester (in a variety of relatively high-powered cartridges including .45-70), the 1881 Marlin (also chambered for .45-70 and other high-powered cartridges), the Whitney-Kennedy rifles (two frame sizes - large for .45-75 and others, and small in the same chamberings as the Win. M73), and the Winchester M1876 (an early attempt to put more powerful cartridges in a repeater).
Single shot rifles like the Sharps, Ballard, surplus Springfield "trap door" and Remington were also popular, particularly among big game hunters needing longer range or more knockdown power, and folks who couldn't afford the latest up-to-date hardware
The .32-40 arrived on the scene in 1884, chambered in single-shot Marlin-Ballard target rifles. It wasn't chambered in a lever action repeater until Marlin's M1893 and Winchester M1894 were offered in that caliber, so it's a bit late for the old west (when loaded in a repeater), along with the .30-30, .38-55, .30-40 Krag and .32 Winchester Special. When they arrived, however, the advantages of high velocity and smokeless powder made the new cartridges VERY popular. It's been said that more deer have been taken with the .30-30 than any other cartridge. The newer models 1894 and 1895 Winchester and the 1893 Marlin were very much in demand after they were introduced.
Ironically, the lever action Model 1892 Winchester (the model commonly used in western movies and TV shows) was never very popular in the west, due to the availability of the more powerful Marlins and Winchesters shortly after its introduction (if a westerner wanted a .44-40, the 1873 Win. was already available).

[Old Judge Creek]

Well stated Surbat6.... and right as the mail, too.