Stag Arms was founded as a premium AR maker but this year they introduced a number of guns to expand their offerings: an entry-level AR and a modernized lever action rifle modeled after the Marlin 1985. Last year they merged with Aero Precision and their designers have collaborated to create their own version of the design. Stag chose a more traditional design with some modern improvements such as a full length 1913 Picatinny rail, whilst Aero went for a more space-age tactical reinterpretation of a lever gun.