Spike Driver .454 Casull

Big Horn Armory began developing a new lever-action rifle in 2008 that became known as the Model 89 Spike Driver, with production underway in late 2012.

- Brian Pearce

It was the first production lever gun to be chambered in .500 S&W Magnum. The action is based on a scaled-down Winchester Model 1886, or an enlarged version of the Model 1892, but with additional engineering and the use of high tensile steels to obtain the necessary strength to easily handle modern, high-pressure revolver cartridges.

The next version offered was the Model 90, which was more or less identical except that it was chambered in .460 S&W Magnum. It was followed by the Model 90A .454 Casull. Additional variations have been offered in .45 Colt, .475 and .500 Linebaugh. Each of these cartridges produced substantial performance increases when fired from a rifle-length barrel as opposed to velocities when fired from a revolver.

A Model 90A carbine .454 Casull was chosen for this review because the cartridge offers certain advantages. First, if a revolver in the same caliber is selected, it is generally lighter and more compact than guns chambered for the two Smith & Wesson cartridges. Ammunition costs are less, and it has the advantage of firing and cycling .45 Colt ammunition for increased versatility. In spite of its much smaller size, the .454 can exceed the performance of standard-pressure .45-70 Government factory loads by pushing a 300grain bullet nearly 2,000 fps, which is around a 125 to 200 fps advantage. Furthermore, the .454 is adequate for hunting all game in North America, including moose and the great bears of the north.