A modified toggle link assembly for a lever action rifle including a modified slide channel that, in at least one embodiment, produces a shorter lever stroke and smoother lever cycle. The modified toggle link may also include a modified profile which defines a hump on an upper surface of the rearward link of the toggle link and a corresponding recess on the forward link. This hump allows for the modified geometry of the slide channel. The slide channel may be a modified straight path or a compound, or non-linear path.