Like the 94, the locking lug on the 464 slips up behind the breech bolt rather than into a deep notch in the bottom of it as on the Marlin. The initial 20 degrees of downward lever movement lowers a pivoting floorplate to which the lever is cross-pinned, thus providing a longer fulcrum to the lever's forward extension.

This, in conjunction with a toggle arrangement between the lever and the floorplate, provides a mechanical advantage. This initial movement of the lever also lowers the locking bolt within its vertical mortise, allowing the breech bolt to move rearward; in so doing it passes over and cocks the exposed hammer. The last 40 degrees or so of the lever's opening stroke moves the breech bolt fully rearward, during which ejection takes place.

Unlike the Marlin and Win-chester, which employ inertia ejection (the rearward momentum of the cartridge case contacting a static ejector kicks it free of the port), the 464 uses the more modern plunger-type ejector. Located at the nine o'clock position at the left edge of the bolt face, this plunger is different from all others I've seen in that its face has an angled, projecting lip to ensure ejecting cases are precisely directed. Apparently, there's little room between a low-mounted scope and the right receiver wall, so a precise ejection path is necessary.

After ejection and just as the lever reaches its full 90-degree arc, a fresh cartridge is released from the magazine into the receiver, where on the upstroke of the lever an elevator raises it to chamber level and the closing bolt pushes it home.

The lever stops about 1/8 inch short of being fully closed. In this position a trigger block is in effect; only when the lever is gripped and squeezed so as to fully close the lever will the gun fire--and then only if the tang-mounted safety is in its forward or "fire" position. Like most exposed-hammer guns, the cocked hammer can be lowered to a half-cock position where, if the safety is engaged, the hammer cannot contact the firing pin.

The tubular six-round magazine is fed through the traditional spring-loaded gate on the right side of the receiver. The folding rear sight rides on a finely threaded screw that provides windage adjustment; elevation is adjusted by loosening a set screw and moving the notched plate up or down. A brass-beaded blade front sight completes the iron sight arrangement, which is better than most I've seen.

The hardwood buttstock is attached to the receiver via a through-bolt accessible after removing or pivoting the red rubber recoil pad out of the way. With its 20-inch barrel, the gun's overall length is a handy 381⁄2 inches; with the buttstock removed the barreled action is only 221⁄4 inches, meaning you can transport this gun, even with a scope attached, in a case that's only 24 inches long and nine inches wide. Too bad no one makes a case that small.

On my New Mexico antelope hunt I used Hornady's 160-grain LeverEvolution ammo with FlexTip bullets. With a decent bench setup provided by my guide/outfitter, Tim Barraclaugh of Kiowa Oufitters, I was able to zero in at 100 yards, then shoot at 200- and 300-yard targets. There was a good wind blowing, but my sighting-in groups averaged just over two inches at 100 yards. Zeroed three inches high at that range, I was dead-on at 200 yards and 51⁄2 inches low at 250, which was about as long a shot as I would have taken.