Legacy Sports Citadel LEVTAC-92 Review: Tactical Lever Action

It’s official. Tactical lever-action rifles are a thing. Whether you call it dark, paint it black, or put an X in the model name, lever-actions are evolving into more practical versions of what our great-grandfathers used. And like an AR-15, lever actions are being equipped with M-LOK rails and muzzle devices to enhance usability. Perhaps it’s a way to thumb your nose at tradition, or maybe just a way to save a tree by using a polymer stock and aluminum rail in place of wood. The LEVTAC-92 is an excellent example of this new breed of lever-action rifles. It’s a Winchester Model 1892 clone reconfigured with modern and more practical features.

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The LEVTAC-92 fits in under the Citadel brand from Legacy Sports, and it’s a clone of the classic Winchester Model 1892. It is made in Brazil by CBC, which is a large ammunition and firearms company. They own Taurus and Rossi. When you pick up the LEVTAC, the first thing you notice is the aluminum rail and threaded muzzle. You might also notice how compact the rifle is and how fast it shoulders. The balance is toward the muzzle. It weighs less than five pounds unloaded and is less than a yard long; 33.7 inches to be exact. 

It’s equipped with a 16.5-inch barrel that is threaded for a suppressor, compensator, or muzzle brake. An aluminum rail with M-LOK slots replaces what would have been a wood forend on a traditional ’92. The stock is polymer and lightweight, so that’s why the rifle is muzzle heavy. I figured the weight at the muzzle end would help with recoil recovery. The recoil pad is rubber with rounded edges so it doesn’t snag on clothing when shouldering it.

The length of pull (LOP) is 13 inches, which is on the short side, but because the lever loop is oversized, it has a longer arc to cycle. The shorter LOP ensures the user doesn’t have to reach during the opening stroke of the lever. This makes the rifle more shooter-friendly. In colder weather, the shorter LOP also allows for bulkier clothing. The drop on the stock is not steep either. Some lever actions have a steep drop on the heel, which makes using an optic difficult because you can’t get a good cheek weld when aiming with the red dot. The LEVTAC’s stock was designed for use with optics. Sling studs are fixed to the rail and stock. 

Open sights consist of a brass bead post front that’s dovetailed into the barrel and is adjustable for windage by way of a tap from a brass or nylon hammer. The rear sight is a useful peep sight that’s fully adjustable via a ramp to slide up and down depending on where you need to zero. The peep is mounted to a Picatinny-style rail. The way the sights are situated on the barrel, they provide a maximum sight radius, and therefore are super easy to acquire and fast on the follow-up shot. Nice sights for close to medium range shots. The rail itself is ideal for a scout-style scope or a red dot optic. I chose to mount a Steiner MSP micro pistol sight.

The large lever loop looks cool and is glove-friendly. Like all Model ’92s, it has an exposed hammer with a half-cock hammer position that blocks the trigger. And like all ‘92s from Brazil, the LEVTAC-92 has a manual safety on the top of the bolt that blocks the hammer from hitting the firing pin. With the safety on and the hammer fully cocked, you can pull the trigger and the hammer will drop. You might think you had a misfire if you aren’t paying attention. It is the safety doing its job. For me, the safety of the LEVTAC stands out like a wart. It’s good to have the added safety, but common sense should prevail.  

Both the stock and the rail on my gun wear Legacy Sports Vector Camo. You can get a finish called Respect, which is a pattern of the American flag. And—you guessed it—you can get it in all black. Caliber choices are 22 WRM, 357 Magnum, 45 Colt, and 44 Magnum. My gun is chambered in 357 Magnum.

The Steiner MPS is a compact, closed-emitter red dot designed for pistols, offering 1x magnification and protection against water, snow, and debris. Its 3.3 MOA dot has eight brightness settings, adjustable via side buttons. The MPS clamps to a pistol plate, but for the LEVTAC’s Picatinny rail, you used the Reptilia Low Mount. Also compatible with the Aimpoint Acro, this mount keeps the optic low, ideal for cheek weld and alignment on a lever-action, unlike the higher mount needed for an AR-15. The setup worked perfectly.

The trigger pull measured 5.7 pounds. It had a slight amount of creep and broke fairly crisp. It was, however, predictable, and at 50 yards, I can’t argue with 3-shot groups that ranged from less than an inch to under 2 inches. I tested three brands of .357 Magnum ammo: Hornady Critical Defense with a 125-grain FTX bullet, Blazer Brass with a 158-grain JHP, and Armcor with a 158-grain FMJ. Some .38 Special also went through the LEVTAC—Speer Gold Dot 125-grain GDHP. It seemed like a good mix, maybe a bit heavy on defense ammo, but this is a tactical lever-action, right?

At the bench and using a rest, the 38 Special Gold Dot gave me a best 3-shot group that measured 0.80 inches; the average was 0.82. Now that’s some fine shooting with a proven defense load. The Gold Dot had 1127 fps muzzle energy and 381 ft-lb. Recoil was nil. 

The best 50-yard group with 357 Mag ammo came from Hornady Critical Defense; it measured 1.3 inches and averaged 1.5 inches. The Hornady was the hottest 357 Mag loads, too, with a muzzle velocity of 1696 fps and muzzle energy of 798 ft-lb. Next best was Blazer Brass with a best of 1.4 inches and an average of 1.6 inches. Armscor training ammo had a best of 1.6 and an average of 1.8 inches. Overall accuracy was good from the bench. However, shooting a lever-action from the bench is like riding a horse inside a stall.

At 15 yards, I fired off-hand, running the LEVTAC as fast as I could while aiming at USPSA targets. The LEVTAC cycled smoothly, and I was able to squirt lead down range with speed and accuracy. The weight at the muzzle helped to reduce recoil, and the red dot allowed for easy aiming with both eyes open.
Loading the LEVTAC was smooth. Cartridges pushed fairly easily into the magazine tube. Recoil was more noticeable with the 357 Mag ammo, but very tolerable.

READ MORE ABOUT TACTICAL LEVER ACTIONS HERE: Tactical Lever Action Rifles

This rifle was a lot of fun to shoot, and it is easy to shoot well. Not only is it compact and easy to operate, but it also packs a punch with 357 Mag ammo. The long barrel on the LEVTAC enhances the 357 Mag round’s speed and power. I would not think twice about hunting deer or pigs with the LEVTAC as long as I used the right bullet and the range was under 100 yards. If I used this rifle for defense or a truck gun, I’d add a tactical light to the rail in a heartbeat. For all its modern looks, the LEVTAC is outfitted with practical features. The tactical lever-action is here. 

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