Lever actions were typically issued to Cavalry because they were quick and allowed Cavalry units to be more agile, but AFAIK lever guns can't handle more powerful loads like Bolt Actions can. Bolt Actions were typically issued to Marksmen and Infantry (both position were largely interchangeable prior to World War 1) and Europeans favored marksmen over agile troops. This military orthodoxy even persisted into World War 2, and is one of the reasons why Hitler was so slow to adopt the STG over the Kar 98k