#SundayGunday: Our Top 5 Guns of 2020

This Sunday, as everyone recovers from the holiday festivities, we here at American Hunter thought it would be the perfect opportunity for a look back, at five of our top #SundayGunday guns of 2020. We'd like to say the list is well rounded, but it would appear that lever-actions were far and away the most popular type of firearm this year, taking up three of the five most popular slots. Read on to see if any of your personal favorites made the cut. 

#1: #SundayGunday: Ruger AR-556 MPR in .450 Bushmaster

On this episode, we took a look at the AR-556 MPR (Multi-Purpose Rifle) from Ruger, chambered in .450 Bushmaster. Perfect for big hogs and deer alike, the .450 Bushmaster has endeared itself to shooters since its Jeff Cooper-inspired inception, and to hunters in particular since the rise of the straight-wall-only states. Centered around this beefy chambering, our test rifle boasted a detachable five-shot magazine, an 18.63-inch barrel and a free-floating handguard with M-LOK slots.

#2: #SundayGunday: Marlin Model 1895CB

This week we went Western, real Western, with theMarlin Model 1895CB. A big-bore lever-action chambered in classic .45-70 Government, the 1895CB not only packs a punch, but holds nine whole rounds of it in its tubular magazine. This combines with its 26-inch tapered octagonal barrel for superb accuracy, even at range. 

#3: #SundayGunday: Marlin Model 1894 Dark

Spot number three on our list is occupied by another traditional action, albeit with a more modern twist. Despite its classic levered action, the .357 Magnum-chambered 1894 Dark, from Marlin, comes with black-webbed hardwood furniture, a paracord-wrapped lever and a stretch of XS Lever Rail topside, for the mounting of an optic. Perfect for the hunter who wants some modern functionality, alongside that classic form.

#4: #SundayGunday: Winchester Model 1895 125th Anniversary Edition

In the fourth most popular slot we have—surprise!—another lever gun. Far and away the fanciest piece on this list, this is the Winchester Model 1895 125th Anniversary Edition. A lever-action chambered in Teddy Roosevelt's favorite caliber, .405 Winchester, the rifle is a beautiful specimen, with hand-chased engravings on both sides. Were it not such a pretty piece, it would almost make a great truck-rack gun. As it stands however, one would absolutely hate to see it scratched. 

#5: #SundayGunday: Thompson/Center Venture II

Finally, to round out our list, we diverge from the Cowboy-action craze with the Venture II from Thompson/Center—the company's flagship bolt-action hunting rifle. With a crisp, user-adjustable trigger and a 5R-rifled, threaded barrel, the Venture II is sure to put a clean shot on target when it counts. To back this up, Thompson/Center even has a 100-yard MOA guarantee on these rifles, a guarantee which our test model well outshot. 

We hope you've enjoyed this end of season roundup, and look forward to your joining us next week, for the beginning of another season of #SundayGunday.