atmosphere0284 Posted January 15, 2018 at 08:26 PM Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 at 08:26 PM I love lever guns, looking at them, shooting them. Call it an addiction. Any Marlin .45-70 is a good choice. I'm not much for large loops, but they're great for hunting with gloves (I'm not a hunter). I prefer a straight grip for tradition's sake, but the trigger guard tends to whack your middle finger when you send that 405 grain slug down range. It's not a plink rifle, more something you can say you tolerate. It's easy to reload, and relatively cheap that way. The latest Marlins have cut rifling, which works better with cast bullets than the early microgroove versions. .45-70 should feed very smoothly in a Marlin, almost controlled-feed smooth. If it is even a little rough, or scrapes the chamber on entry, it needs a little work. I found it helps to bevel the bottom edge of the extractor slightly, using a stone. This done, it was not necessary to bend the extractor. The original ejector is on the weak side, and the OEM trigger is gross. I replace both with https://www.wildwestguns.com/product/trigger-happy-kit/. Instead of a rough, 6.5# pull, you get a crisp 2.5#-3.5#.without the floppy trigger effect of Marlin. It's cheaper and more fun to shoot pistol-chambered lever guns. Marlin and Winchester (Japanese) are excellent choices for fit and finish. Rossi1872 copies look good on the outside, but are really rough inside, and that slide safety looks bad and is hard to operate. You get a 300 fps boost for .357 Mag or .44 Mag compared to a revolver. .357 Mag recoil is very soft, and .44 Mag is comparable to .30-30 at both ends up to about 125 yards (.30-30 caries further, but with less energy at 100 yards). After sighting in two .45-70 rifles at the range, I had a bruise the size of an orange on my shoulder. Ten rounds is about as much fun as you need in one afternoon You know, I was looking at both the loop and pistol grip stock that when I was drooling over the 1895SBL and then I saw the 1895GS....man, that thing would be just about perfect if it had the full length tubular magazine. Why, Marlin? Why?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atmosphere0284 Posted January 15, 2018 at 08:50 PM Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 at 08:50 PM Lever guns in .44 mag are a blast to shoot, whether target/plinking, or hunting deer/hogs at reasonable distances. If you want your Marlin lever gun to shoot and operate, get familiar with Wild West Guns in Anchorage AK. I have a few Marlin bottom-shuckers and I have bought all of them from Wild West Guns with their triggers, and action modifications. The .45-70 with Buffalo Bore 500 grain rounds will pretty much kill anything you will find on 4 legs. and then this post comes along and has me wanting this..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atmosphere0284 Posted January 15, 2018 at 08:52 PM Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 at 08:52 PM i just want one of everything..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD123 Posted January 15, 2018 at 11:03 PM Share Posted January 15, 2018 at 11:03 PM Whatever you decide to get, also familiarize yourself with Skinner Sights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkroenlein Posted January 16, 2018 at 12:39 AM Share Posted January 16, 2018 at 12:39 AM I picked up a 30/30 about 3 or so years ago. Great gun, doesn't recoil much, but the ballistics are terrible outside of 150 yards. The round seems to run out of gas at that distance. The 30/30 and the pistol rounds may lead the re-introduction of centerfire rifle for taking deer in Illinois.Legislation has been introduced several times in this regards, the short flight is taken into consideration.Yeah...just need to defeat the elitist hunters that scream so loud when the bill comes up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkroenlein Posted January 16, 2018 at 12:43 AM Share Posted January 16, 2018 at 12:43 AM I love lever guns, looking at them, shooting them. Call it an addiction. Any Marlin .45-70 is a good choice. I'm not much for large loops, but they're great for hunting with gloves (I'm not a hunter). I prefer a straight grip for tradition's sake, but the trigger guard tends to whack your middle finger when you send that 405 grain slug down range. It's not a plink rifle, more something you can say you tolerate. It's easy to reload, and relatively cheap that way. The latest Marlins have cut rifling, which works better with cast bullets than the early microgroove versions. .45-70 should feed very smoothly in a Marlin, almost controlled-feed smooth. If it is even a little rough, or scrapes the chamber on entry, it needs a little work. I found it helps to bevel the bottom edge of the extractor slightly, using a stone. This done, it was not necessary to bend the extractor. The original ejector is on the weak side, and the OEM trigger is gross. I replace both with https://www.wildwestguns.com/product/trigger-happy-kit/. Instead of a rough, 6.5# pull, you get a crisp 2.5#-3.5#.without the floppy trigger effect of Marlin. It's cheaper and more fun to shoot pistol-chambered lever guns. Marlin and Winchester (Japanese) are excellent choices for fit and finish. Rossi1872 copies look good on the outside, but are really rough inside, and that slide safety looks bad and is hard to operate. You get a 300 fps boost for .357 Mag or .44 Mag compared to a revolver. .357 Mag recoil is very soft, and .44 Mag is comparable to .30-30 at both ends up to about 125 yards (.30-30 caries further, but with less energy at 100 yards). After sighting in two .45-70 rifles at the range, I had a bruise the size of an orange on my shoulder. Ten rounds is about as much fun as you need in one afternoon You know, I was looking at both the loop and pistol grip stock that when I was drooling over the 1895SBL and then I saw the 1895GS....man, that thing would be just about perfect if it had the full length tubular magazine. Why, Marlin? Why?????? My pops has the GS. Even with the "cowboy" type loads, those 405 gr bullets will rang the heck out of steel plates. Quite a hoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokehouse Posted January 17, 2018 at 02:34 PM Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 02:34 PM I'll admit that I am looking into one myself. I'm just now getting into reloading and that's my first priority. After that...I want to dive into 44 magnum. I plan on picking up a Ruger 0814, and a Henry: https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/all-weather-big-boy/ 10 rounds, all weather model. I cannot say this as an owner, but my lifelong friend bought a Marlin 30-30 model 2 years ago...and the fit/finish of the thing is down right pathetic. There are a ton of "remlin" reviews out there that clearly state the modern offerings are not what they were. Dealing with my buddys crap trigger, sloppy action, and canted rear sight...I can say I agree with them. 44 magnum will be a fun round to play with reloading wise...and that lever action with 10 rounds is no joke, it will be a very versatile firearm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD123 Posted January 17, 2018 at 03:48 PM Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 03:48 PM I'll admit that I am looking into one myself. I'm just now getting into reloading and that's my first priority. After that...I want to dive into 44 magnum. I plan on picking up a Ruger 0814, and a Henry: https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/all-weather-big-boy/ 10 rounds, all weather model. I cannot say this as an owner, but my lifelong friend bought a Marlin 30-30 model 2 years ago...and the fit/finish of the thing is down right pathetic. There are a ton of "remlin" reviews out there that clearly state the modern offerings are not what they were. Dealing with my buddys crap trigger, sloppy action, and canted rear sight...I can say I agree with them. 44 magnum will be a fun round to play with reloading wise...and that lever action with 10 rounds is no joke, it will be a very versatile firearm. I and a few friends must've gotten good ones because aside from needing to have the action tuned, like every other factory gun, everything on it is perfect. I have a feeling that this is one of those internet lore things. I'll try to post some picks of mine later. I just bought it 2-3 years ago brand new. ETA: before buying one, I went to Cabela's and GAT to check them out in person and didn't see anything that would have caused me to second guess my decision. Wood stocks all looked good and the fit of receiver to stock was perfect on all of the Marlins I checked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokehouse Posted January 17, 2018 at 03:51 PM Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 03:51 PM I'll admit that I am looking into one myself. I'm just now getting into reloading and that's my first priority. After that...I want to dive into 44 magnum. I plan on picking up a Ruger 0814, and a Henry: https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/all-weather-big-boy/ 10 rounds, all weather model. I cannot say this as an owner, but my lifelong friend bought a Marlin 30-30 model 2 years ago...and the fit/finish of the thing is down right pathetic. There are a ton of "remlin" reviews out there that clearly state the modern offerings are not what they were. Dealing with my buddys crap trigger, sloppy action, and canted rear sight...I can say I agree with them. 44 magnum will be a fun round to play with reloading wise...and that lever action with 10 rounds is no joke, it will be a very versatile firearm. I and a few friends must've gotten good ones because aside from needing to have the action tuned, like every other factory gun, everything on it is perfect. I have a feeling that this is one of those internet lore things. I'll try to post some picks of mine later. I just bought it 2-3 years ago brand new. On my friend's 30-30...I can live with the action, it can be reworked to smooth things out. The horribly canted rear site? No way...I've been trying to get my thick headed buddy to sent it back in for repair ever since the first time I saw it was off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD123 Posted January 17, 2018 at 04:10 PM Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 04:10 PM I'll admit that I am looking into one myself. I'm just now getting into reloading and that's my first priority. After that...I want to dive into 44 magnum. I plan on picking up a Ruger 0814, and a Henry: https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/all-weather-big-boy/ 10 rounds, all weather model. I cannot say this as an owner, but my lifelong friend bought a Marlin 30-30 model 2 years ago...and the fit/finish of the thing is down right pathetic. There are a ton of "remlin" reviews out there that clearly state the modern offerings are not what they were. Dealing with my buddys crap trigger, sloppy action, and canted rear sight...I can say I agree with them. 44 magnum will be a fun round to play with reloading wise...and that lever action with 10 rounds is no joke, it will be a very versatile firearm. I and a few friends must've gotten good ones because aside from needing to have the action tuned, like every other factory gun, everything on it is perfect. I have a feeling that this is one of those internet lore things. I'll try to post some picks of mine later. I just bought it 2-3 years ago brand new. On my friend's 30-30...I can live with the action, it can be reworked to smooth things out. The horribly canted rear site? No way...I've been trying to get my thick headed buddy to sent it back in for repair ever since the first time I saw it was off. Give the fact that the rear sights are dovetailed into the barrel, more than likely whoever installed the sight installed it by force instead of filing it down to fit it properly, or the dovetail was cut off center. Hard to say without actually seeing it. If the front sight is straight up and down, in other words is installed correctly, then it's more than likely not the dovetail but someone beating the rear sight in. As far as actions go, you'd be hard pressed to find a factory action that feels like it's been tuned. They mainly knock off large burrs, and install everything. To get a smooth action, you really have to spend the cash on getting it tuned by someone experienced in tuning lever guns, or tuning it yourself. That outfit mentioned earlier from Alaska....if you buy one from them, they're all tuned and ready to go. Earlier this year I was able to try out a fellow ASC members lever action that had been tuned, and it was worlds better than mine, as well as other friends who own Marlins, as well as Winchesters and Henrys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybermgk Posted January 17, 2018 at 05:21 PM Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 05:21 PM Since, I wanted a brush gun, I went for a 30-30 lever action myself. I wanted something for the woods and similar, where the 30-30's long range ballistics didn't matter. Opted for a Davidson's Exclusive run of the Mossberg 464, a 464 Brush gun with Marinecoted SS and Williams Optic Fire Sight high vis sights. EXTRMELY well balanced and so easy to get up and on target in a heartbeat. I have added a quick release scope as well, but the Wilson sights are very nice. http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/Default.aspx?item=41050&mfg=Mossberg&mdl=464&cat=2&type=Rifle&cal=All&zipcode=86323 http://youtu.be/opPdqH4ElFc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianj - now in Kansas Posted January 17, 2018 at 06:16 PM Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 06:16 PM I've got an older Rossi '92 in .38/.357 that is really just like a Slinky. It brings a smile to my face. I have one of the Henry All-Weather .45-70's on my short list to acquire as well. They're fun to shoot and they'll anchor any game animal (up to and including some locomotives) in North America. I had a friend that described the .45-70 as being the 45 ACP of the lever world: a honking big chunk of lead moving fairly slowly. I'm not convinced I agree with him completely, but he has a point. Another friend has gone mobile: he and his missus have sold the home and bought a fifth-wheel Montana trailer, and are traveling the country. He grabbed one of the Henry .45-70s because they're not scary, black, magazine-fed, nor likely to get you into too much trouble anywhere in the US. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milq Posted January 22, 2018 at 12:19 AM Share Posted January 22, 2018 at 12:19 AM Oh my, lever gun discussions....I have a JM marked 336 with crossbolt safety that’ll be up for sale soon if interested. Having the wood refinished to a satin finish vs the current gloss. Having said that...I have a love of the things, typically go for Marlins but I’d love a 73 Winchester to go with my 66 (replica sadly). I used the 66 in SASS competition for a couple of years but have gotten away from it, keeping the guns though of course. I’m one of the few that does not care for the Winchester 94, they just seem like the guts are falling out of them every time I work the action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagt48 Posted January 22, 2018 at 06:05 PM Share Posted January 22, 2018 at 06:05 PM I own a couple of Rossi lever actions. 16" .357 Mag and 20" .45 Colt. I decided that I might try to get into cowboy action right after I bought the .357. I'm not sure of the market now, but a 20" .45 was almost impossible to find about a year ago. I like them both, but only put a box of .38 Golden Saber rounds through it before only shooting the .45. It's my favorite round. At this point I'm not sure what I'll do with the .357. I can't hunt deer with it, and I have other options for HD, camping, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted January 23, 2018 at 03:40 AM Share Posted January 23, 2018 at 03:40 AM Ok, nobody said it yet. My lever gun fave still is...Savage model 99... If you reload, get 300 Savage if you are going to hunt, just to be different...or something crazy (like mine) in 250-3000 for plinking, or a 243, or my original and first rifle as a kid, a 303 Savage with a peep sight (that was Savage's 30-30 basically). Strong actions. Side eject. 5-round rotary magazine. Your hunt to find one may be part of the thrill, I dunno how common they are in the used market. Read that American Rifleman article linked above for details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ S. Posted February 5, 2018 at 12:42 PM Share Posted February 5, 2018 at 12:42 PM I have the Rossi m92 in .44 mag. A little stiff and balky when new, but it has smoothed out nicely. Look up StevesGunz.com for all things Rossi 92, including tuning tips and a neat little peep sight that replaces the unnecessary safety. Don't overlook the "store brands" either. Winchester, Marlin and Savage all produced guns for Sears, Montgomery Wards, etc. My brother picked up a barely used Sears Ted Williams (Winchester 94) for $250 at a gun show last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neumann Posted February 6, 2018 at 11:48 PM Share Posted February 6, 2018 at 11:48 PM Talking about sights, probably the best replacements are made by Skinner. They mount to the top of the receiver in a Marlin, sized to fit either an 1894 (square bolt) or 1895 (round bolt) version. They have a removable insert, but the open loop is nearly as accurate as a pinhole You usually need a taller front sight too. A square blade or 3/32" bead is better than the original 1/16" bead. Peep sights like the Skinner keep the look and feel of a Western carbine, but are not legal for competition. You need a tang mounted sight consistent with what was available in 1880. Some Marlin rear sights fold out of the way and can be left in place. If you remove the OEM sight, there are blank fillers that fit the slot and cover the sharp edges. Open top receivers, like a Winchester 1892 or clone, need another accommodation. Skinner makes peep sights that fit in the same dovetail slot as the OEM sight, midway down the barrel. You use a larger orifice, or omit the insert altogether. XS makes a short rail for Marlin 1895 rifles with round barrels. It fits snugly in the rear sight dovetail and is anchored by two screws to the receiver. It's not "authentic" but helps accuracy if used with a red dot sight or a long-relief "scout" scope (10" eyeopint). Note that pistol scopes have a 16" eyeopint, and can't be mounted far enough away. I'm not sure I'd want a standard scope 2" from my eye on a .45-70. Secondly, a scout scope doesn't cove the hammer or need a hammer extension (which inevitably falls off at the wrong time). 2-1/2 power will easily keep you in the black at 100 yards. Of course you can have a gunsmith mount a rail to the receiver if it's not already drilled and tapped. They're already there in recent Marlins. If you're shooting a .45-70 with a scope, carry some bandaids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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