Lever-action rifles have experienced a massive resurgence in popularity over the last few years, and it's not hard to see why. While they're obviously not as combat-effective as modern semi-auto rifles like the AR-15, lever guns can be used very effectively for hunting anything from varmints (in pistol-caliber form) to big game (in rifle calibers such as .30-30 and .45-70). Also, in states and countries where semi-auto rifles are heavily restricted, lever-action rifles usually aren't subject to the same invasive rules, even when equipped with modern features. Above all, they're simply fun to shoot, as evidenced every time we take our Marlin 336 Dark Series project to the range. POF USA has announced its own entry into the modernized lever-action rifle market with the new Tombstone 9mm carbine.

POF USA Tombstone 9mm Carbine

The new POF USA Tombstone is a modern, lever-action, pistol caliber carbine (PCC). POF says it's “initially offered” in 9mm, but this language tells us other pistol calibers may be available in the future. From front to back, it features a free-float, fluted, 16.5-inch barrel with a two-chamber muzzle brake over standard 1/2×28 threads. The barrel is surrounded by a 10.5-inch Modular Receiver Rail (M.R.R.) which includes M-LOK slots, Picatinny rail sections, and QD sockets for a sling.

Ghost ring sights are built into the rail system, but we suspect most users will install a red dot sight as shown in these photos.

Magazines & Controls

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The receiver features a magwell and button release for the detachable 9mm magazines, which are a proprietary POF USA design compatible with the Tombstone and Phoenix series. Standard Tombstone models include one 20-round mag; Colorado-compliant models include a 10-round mag instead. Additional 35-round magazines are also available separately.

This rifle's manual of arms should be somewhat familiar to anyone who has used lever guns in the past. It starts with a proprietary 3.5-pound, single-stage, flat-face trigger. The Tombstone's hammer has the half-cocked position many lever-gun users will already be familiar with. There's also a shotgun-style cross-bolt safety at the rear of the aluminum receiver. The lever is contoured to fit a standard Magpul SGA shotgun stock, which offers the ability to accept length of pull spacers, cheekpieces, and QD sockets from Magpul.

Total weight of the Tombstone is 5.75 pounds, and total length is 36 inches. MSRP is firmly positioned in the premium end of the spectrum — $1,962 for black variants and $2,097 for FDE tan variants. Additional magazines are $35 each.

Teaser Video

We're interested to get our hands on the new POF USA Tombstone later this month at SHOT Show, and we hope to review one in the future as well. In the meantime, check out the video below from POF's YouTube to see the Tombstone in action.

Written by Patrick McCarthy