atmosphere0284 Posted January 13, 2018 at 03:32 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 03:32 PM I've been tossing around the idea of picking up a lever gun in 2018 and the Marlin 1895sbl has caught my eye. Having never shot a lever gun before I'm wondering if a 45-70 is the right choice. Have any of you guys fired one of these things? Is there something in the same price range that is a better option? At the moment I've decided on this one because I just think its a beauty...so, if there is a similar looking one out there I am not opposed to taking a look at those as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kster Posted January 13, 2018 at 03:43 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 03:43 PM what are you aiming to do with it? look into a Rossi 92 in 38/357 or 44mag or 45colt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydawg13 Posted January 13, 2018 at 03:48 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 03:48 PM well if you plan to hunt big game that would be a good pick if your just looking for a good and fun cheap range gun that would be good for SHTF and HD I would look for a older Marlin with the JM stamp in 357 or 44 magnum or even a good old 30/30 that 45/70 is going to get expensive to feed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Posted January 13, 2018 at 04:49 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 04:49 PM I love my Rossi Ranchhand. Chambered for a 357. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD123 Posted January 13, 2018 at 05:08 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 05:08 PM It really depends on what you're looking to do with it. From a reloading perspective, 45/70 is one of those loads that you can hotrod and make do pretty much whatever you want depending on bullet weight. Factory ammo is rather expensive though. But, you can pretty much hunt any game on this continent with it. I have friends that carry a 45/70 when in areas where Grizzly are common. 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. 35 remington has better ballistics than the 30/30, however factory ammo is ridiculously expensive, and from a reloaders perspective, the brass is hard to come by. If you have a revolver chambered in 357 or 44, then a lever action chambered in the same caliber makes a lot of sense. When all is said and done, just ask yourself what you want out of the rifle, and then make your decision based on that. 45/70 is a great round, but if you don't reload, it'll get very expensive. Even 30/30 is up there in price....$20 or so per 20 rounds for factory. I load them for considerably less. From a shooting perspective, lever guns are a lot of fun. Unless of course you're shooting a 450 marlin lol. Then they're not as fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papa Posted January 13, 2018 at 05:33 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 05:33 PM I've been tossing around the idea of picking up a lever gun in 2018 and the Marlin 1895sbl has caught my eye. Having never shot a lever gun before I'm wondering if a 45-70 is the right choice. Have any of you guys fired one of these things? Is there something in the same price range that is a better option? At the moment I've decided on this one because I just think its a beauty...so, if there is a similar looking one out there I am not opposed to taking a look at those as well. You might want to research the Henry lever guns also. I'm not so fond of the newer Marlin firearms but I do have a 1970 model 336 in 30-30 , thanks to another forum member , that has a butter smooth action and trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman Posted January 13, 2018 at 06:18 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 06:18 PM Might want to look at Winchester too. I have a 94 in 30/30 and really like it. However, the Winchester is more $ than the Marlin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoresident Posted January 13, 2018 at 07:19 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 07:19 PM I'll agree that it's not worth it unless you reload. Just wanted to add if you go that route it gives you an excuse to build and shoot 458 SOCOM out of an AR platform. And that really is the beauty of reloading, you pick your calibers for multiple guns based on bullet, not cartridge. Otherwise as others have said get a pistol caliber or go with the most common lever load, the 30-30. Another consideration is to get the Browning BLR http://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/blr.html The BLR has standard stacked rifle magazines instead of a tubular magazine so you can get it in common calibers like 223, 308, or 300 WinMag if you want something with a lot of punch. 300 WinMag is nice if you reload because it's a standard 30cal rifle bullet, just like 308, 300blk, 7.62x39, 7.62x54r etc. It also falls in the category of common ammo found everywhere if you don't reload. Even if you reload you pay a lot more for 45-70 bullets due to the massive amount of lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragsbo Posted January 13, 2018 at 09:52 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 09:52 PM As mentioned before, what do you want it for? For all around use, you can't beat the 30/30 Marlin. I got one and like it. Will do just about anything I would ever want and you can buy 30/30 shells just about anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydawg13 Posted January 13, 2018 at 10:37 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 10:37 PM Yes being able to buy your ammo at Walmart is always a big plus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkroenlein Posted January 13, 2018 at 10:48 PM Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 10:48 PM For all "aroundness," I'd go with a 357 Mag. The 45/70 is a bit more flexible than most people give it credit for, as well as an icon, but it is spendy to shoot. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atmosphere0284 Posted January 13, 2018 at 11:39 PM Author Share Posted January 13, 2018 at 11:39 PM Wow, thanks for all the great info guys! Realistically this will be a fun gun I dont see myself shooting it all the time. I have been wanting to go on a hog hunt and i thought this might fit. It seems like you guys are a leary of newer marlin rifles....something i should know? I'll look into all of your suggestions except for the henrys... i like the loading gate on the marlin and from what ive seen the henrys all have the tubular mag that feeds from the front. I guess the load gate feels more cowboy to me. Good point on matching rifle and revolver... i have been wanting to pick up a revolver as well... thought of a ruger alaskan in .454... also able to shoot 45acp and 45 LC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoresident Posted January 14, 2018 at 12:07 AM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 12:07 AM Marlin is owned by Remington outdoor company (another name change, formerly the freedom group). They've totally shuttered anything that was left of Marlin or Remingtons lever action factory and merged it all with Remington. They exist as Marlin in name only. Remington outdoor group is owned by Cerberus capital, a distressed asset private equity firm. They're goal is to sell the cheapest products for the most money possible. So all of Remingtons quality has been awful lately. And Cerberus has publicly announced they want to get rid of them because several of their investors (California teachers union specifically) are antigun. There's a funny/sad story. They shuttered the old lever action factory not realizing that all the manufacturing techniques weren't documented, they were passed down through generations of all the workers they laid off. So when they set up the lever gun line again it was from scratch, and the quality was a joke. It's gotten a little better, but it's debatable by how much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papa Posted January 14, 2018 at 01:18 AM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 01:18 AM Wow, thanks for all the great info guys! Realistically this will be a fun gun I dont see myself shooting it all the time. I have been wanting to go on a hog hunt and i thought this might fit. It seems like you guys are a leary of newer marlin rifles....something i should know? I'll look into all of your suggestions except for the henrys... i like the loading gate on the marlin and from what ive seen the henrys all have the tubular mag that feeds from the front. I guess the load gate feels more cowboy to me. Good point on matching rifle and revolver... i have been wanting to pick up a revolver as well... thought of a ruger alaskan in .454... also able to shoot 45acp and 45 LC. I will say that I have shot the 45-70 several different times and loved it each time. I have often wondered why I never bought one years ago but for some reason just never did. If it is just going to be a fun toy for every once in a while I say go for it. I also understand your thoughts on the Henry rifles loading style. You could always look around and find a good used Marlin in 45-70. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anonymous One Posted January 14, 2018 at 01:21 AM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 01:21 AM Here's a video of that 45/70: https://www.full30.com/video/ceb408df5db9d2bacffbfece95ad3737 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD123 Posted January 14, 2018 at 03:08 AM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 03:08 AM I think that a lot of the hate towards new Marlins is unwarranted. I own a new 336 and know of a few others who own new ones and they haven't experienced any issues with them. As with most guns these days, they can all stand to be tuned up by an expert gunsmith. I haven't had mine done yet, but will at some point. I just don't shoot mine enough, so it's pretty low on the tuning priority list. If you don't reload, pick a caliber you don't mind spending money on to shoot, throw on some cowboy accessories (leather buttstock covers, wraps for the lever, etc.) and have fun with it. They're fun to shoot, and great to have around. I love my hillbilly assault rifle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman Posted January 14, 2018 at 03:28 AM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 03:28 AM Hillbilly assault rifle? How does a full auto lever gun work anyway? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydawg13 Posted January 14, 2018 at 02:07 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 02:07 PM Hillbilly assault rifle? How does a full auto lever gun work anyway? lollike this one http://www.guns.com/review/gun-review-mossberg-464-spx-tactical-lever-action-30-30-video/ not full auto but tackdacool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atmosphere0284 Posted January 14, 2018 at 02:08 PM Author Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 02:08 PM Here's a video of that 45/70: https://www.full30.com/video/ceb408df5db9d2bacffbfece95ad3737Cool vid... Hickok45 is my favorite gun reviewer. Wish he was my grandpa. This model is the STP though with the 16" barrel. Limited production on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeckler Posted January 14, 2018 at 02:09 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 02:09 PM .22 lever is always an option. Lots of fun to shoot and obviously cissy effective to feed. Both Winchester and Marlin also do a .410 version. Something different and fun to shoot. Winchester 9410Winchester 9422 Both more expensive, but the quality is great on those made in New Haven prior to the closing (2006). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydawg13 Posted January 14, 2018 at 02:59 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 02:59 PM I have a few lever guns and as above the 22 gets a lot of trigger time I have a ithaca saddle gun model 72 that sees a lot or range time just a fun rifle and cheap to shoot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atmosphere0284 Posted January 14, 2018 at 03:22 PM Author Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 03:22 PM 45/70 hunting rifle.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InterestedBystander Posted January 14, 2018 at 03:27 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 03:27 PM Hillbilly assault rifle? How does a full auto lever gun work anyway? lollike this one http://www.guns.com/review/gun-review-mossberg-464-spx-tactical-lever-action-30-30-video/not full auto but tackdacoolor just the Rifleman with old school trigger screw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikew Posted January 14, 2018 at 05:34 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 05:34 PM My second rifle was a USRAC Winchester 94AE in .44 Mag, it also shoots .44 Special. It's a great gun. it also became the favorite gun of my sister to shoot when we went to the range, so I gifted it one year for her birthday. I since acquired one in .357 Mag with a short reach stock for youth/ladies, as it fits in a mission of having newbies along on range trips.I found that it does not like .38 special with a truncated nose (ie. below a certain overall length), they do not feed correctly./Still a great gun. My tastes have since changed. The USRAC models have the hammer-block safety that would set itself when laying the gun down on its side.I found I liked the original 1894 design better, and its first smokeless round, the 30/30. I now have a couple of 1894s in 30/30.I like the clean lines, the half-**** safety and the iron sights.I appreciate the Marlin design, it's smoother and stronger, but aesthetically, I prefer the Winchester.To each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikew Posted January 14, 2018 at 05:38 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 05:38 PM 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydawg13 Posted January 14, 2018 at 05:53 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 05:53 PM 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. That would be so Awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD123 Posted January 14, 2018 at 05:54 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 05:54 PM 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. I'd get into hunting if that were the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neumann Posted January 14, 2018 at 07:42 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 07:42 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chislinger Posted January 14, 2018 at 09:24 PM Share Posted January 14, 2018 at 09:24 PM I got to shoot a .444 Marlin last fall, it's a load of fun but kicks hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoYouFeelLucky Posted January 15, 2018 at 02:20 AM Share Posted January 15, 2018 at 02:20 AM 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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