Speaking of lever guns and cartridges, I'll throw my hat into the ring and say that the Winchester 1886 is arguably the finest big bore lever rifle around. It was the first lever rifle available in large rifle cartridges like .45-70 Govt. and .50-110 WCF. It was designed by none other than God's own gunsmith John Moses Browning. It's still one of the strongest lever action designs made, especially when you take into account modern steels. And it gave birth to one of the finest brush guns ever made, the Winchester Model 71 in .348 Winchester (a rifle I desperately want). Modern examples are being made by Winchester again for a very competitive price in both .45-70 Govt. and .45-90 Win, and there are several Italian companies making fine clones. Chiappa/Taylors and Co. even make more modern guide gun style versions with large loops, ghost ring sights, optic rails, synthetic stocks, and harsh conditions finishes that are also take-down rifles.
That said, if Marlin ever offers the 1895 Guide Gun in .450 Marlin again I'd definitely love to get one. The .450 Marlin is a helluva bear gun round, basically the .45-70 Govt on steroids with a stronger, belted case. Essentially a cut down .458 Win Mag for lever rifles. Even better would be a Winchester 1886 in .450 Marlin, but I doubt that would ever happen. Then again, they have offered the Winchester 94 in both .444 Marlin and .450 Marlin, so you never know.
On a personal note, I'm FINALLY moving down on the waiting list for my Auto Mag, and since I ordered mine with the high polish finish I'm basically on a different waiting list than those who ordered the standard brushed satin finish. So I'll hopefully be getting mine soon.