Which Marlin 1895 variant?

[Lonegun1894]

So I have been reading this section, and y'all are a bad influence. Anyway, there have been many recent threads recommending a .45-70 over just about any other caliber in the Marlin lever-actions. Well, I can't do anything anytime soon, but figure on saving a few dollars here and there and hopefully get one before anything else exciting happens in my life. So anyway, a friend showed me his 1895 Guide Gun recently, and got me thinking, and looking. The Marlin website shows 4 variants of the Guide Gun, all with 18"ish barrels. The two basic variants are the partial magazine tube (4+1 capacity) with a straight grip and standard lever, and a full-length magazine tube (6+1) with a larger lever. And these are both available in blued and stainless. I have read all about the Remlin problems, and know to inspect everything very carefully, but all that aside, and IF I can save the cash and then find a good example, which of these variants would you choose and why? I have to admit that I tend to prefer stainless guns for the added corrosion resistance, and like the lines of the full length magazine tube, but I have several blued guns and usually don't need more than one shot while hunting, so nothing is set in stone other than the caliber and brand. I have the H&R BC in .45-70, so understand the capability and recoil of the round at the various levels, but still trying to figure out which would be best for my use. I currently live in Texas, but hope to someday get an opportunity to do some traveling so this is kind of a any-game, any-place kind of big game rifle--without any specific places or game planned, but hoping for elk, moose, bison hunting some day. So what which would you get and why?

[Fishman]

I think it boils down to what you like. They will all work just fine. I have the straight grip and short tube because I like the looks of it, no other reason. The short barrel should be a little handier for hunting but the long barrel does balance well. I recently picked up a .308 marlin express and I see what all the long barrel proponents are talking about. It just hangs there steady.

I don't like the big loop because I don't see the functional improvement. Perhaps if I were wearing mittens fashioned from an entire beaver or something. They just seem wrong to me, but hey, whatever folks want. I think it's great we still have choices.

[Keyston44]

When I first went on my 45-70 quest I wanted the SBL. Stainless, full length mag tube and large lever. I couldn't find one that wasn't a Remington that was priced fairly. I ended up buying a standard Guide Gun. I don't regret it at all. It is a JM stamped, works perfectly and shoots anything I put through it. I do still want a larger lever though. Hunting seasons get kinda cold here requiring larger than normal gloves.

Key

[bearcove]

I started with a 1895SS Plain ol Marlin. Had cowboy had GG now back to a plain ol 1895SS

[btroj]

I have, and prefer, the plain old 1895.

[bearcove]

definatly don't want a muzzle brake

[Lonegun1894]

I absolutely hate muzzle brakes on anything that gets used in the field. Now if it was a .50BMG I was trying to shoot offhand, I might consider one, but a .45-70 doesn't come close to needing one. So a muzzle-brake on a .45-70 is a deal-breaker for me unless I get a good enough deal to make it worth cutting off the brake and remount the front sight.

[Lonegun1894]

As to the big loop lever, I don't really like them, but do see the utility for much colder climates than I have here in Texas, but I don't think I would turn one down as I do want to go on a hunt or two up in Alaska or Canada someday. Like I said earlier, no set plans as I don't have the money for it right now, but it would be nice to do it someday if that changes. So the SBL does look good and functional to me, but so does the standard SS GG.

[colt1960]

I had wanted a 45/70 lever gun for years but didnt get serious till a couple of years ago. After checking out the different types of 45/70's out there I decided I liked the Marlin 1895 the best. Then I started reading about all the problems with them. My first choice was a STBL. I liked the look of the stainless with the walnut stock but could not find one other than the internet and you cant check it out by a picture. Next I choose a SBL 1895 but the ones I looked at had bad fitting furniture so I passed on them. The first I found that I really liked was a GBL 1895 and I bought it. The stock fit was nice and it funtioned well. Im very happy with it. It shoots great. Rick!

[Wasalmonslayer]

Hello and good evening
I have an 1895 guide gun that has the laminate stock, large loop, and long tube magazine. Same length as the barrel. It is a remlin and I have had no issues. I have had excellent luck with the lee 340 and 405 flat nose. The only thing I can say make sure you slug the bore. Mine is a .4575 bore and needed a little larger bullet. It is a ton of fun. You can go from very mild and fun to plink. To ring your bell and make your eyes water loads.
Wasalmonslayer

[DLCTEX]

I have been wondering if the large loop would help with my main gripe with my gg. I have not been able to grip it tight enough to keep it from knocking my fingers numb when shooting hot loads. Does the large loop have any more clearence? This is with straight grip and it does have porting.

[Socal147]

1895 GS 45/70 because it is beautiful.

[Lead Fred]

If you wander over to the Marlin Owner's forum, you will find NO ONE is buying Remlins, those that do are returning them.
The quality control is so bad, I kiss my 2002 JM GG every time I open the safe.

If you want the best 45/70 lever on the market currently, I'd suggest you look into Henry's thumper, a lot on the Marlin board are.
Did I mention its the last 100% USA made rifle sold today?

Like Yoda said: "there is another"

http://www.henryrepeating.com/rifle-45-70.cfm

Or find a pre 2006 JM 1895

[junkpile]

People are still buying new "Marlins" up here. I see them come into the stores as few at a time, and they always sell off within a month or two. I've looked at them, and just can't do it. The fit is not very good, and the sights on some of them are off at 11 o'clock. Not terribly smooth, but I'm sure that can probably be cleaned up. If I could find one that was put together well, I'd go for it. The Henry's are very very nice. But I don't like the magazine set-up.

My personal choice is the straight stock, blued. I like the trimmer lines and the feel of it better. I really like the look of the GG, but with a full length magazine, and no porting.

[6pt-sika]

I've had the 1895 in just about all the variations . I started with the 1895CB and liked it . Next I got a couple of the 1895G version both ported and unported . The ports don't bother me as I shot skeet and trap for years with ported guns . I also had the standard 1895 and 1895XLR of recent manufacture . But I think the two I liked the most were two of the original version of the "New Model 1895" one of these was made in 1972 and the other in 1978 . hey had 22" barrels straight grip stock and a semi curved hard rubber buttplate . The 1972 rifle had ballard rifling and the 1978 rifle had Micro Groove . Only thing against them , when I had some of my hotter loads that semi curved hard rubber buttplate could be a little hard on the shoulder . I remedied that however by acquiring and extra stock and putting a KickEez pad on it , worked great at the bench .

[hicard]

I have both the 1895 GS and the 1895 cowboy. The cowboy sits in the safe and the GS goes often on hunting trips. It (GS) has done well and I enjoy shooting it.

[Groo]

Groo here
I was Lucky in that both mine are JM's.
The first is an original blued 45-70 that SSK went over for me.
K-cromed [aka metallife] tuned , barrel cut to 16in and Arrestor brake .
The brake allows the gun to shoot any load with just a t-shirt and stops all muzzle rise.
Just not for cast.
The other is a Davison limited SS 16in with full mag. Mt fave with lighter loads.
The only other one I might like is the Rifle version in SS.

[FergusonTO35]

I really like my 1978 1895. It came with the afore mentioned curved buttplate (why they thought that was a good idea I don't know) which I replaced with later Guide Gun furniture and a nice recoil pad. My rifle has unnamed Micro Groove rifling and shoots cast very well, in fact it has seen no factory ammo since I bought it 10 years ago. Paid $425.00 for it with probably 99% finish remaining!

[pietro]

.

YMMV - I've owned/shot/hunted with several different .45-70 Marlin's since the early 70's, including a Guide Gun.

The one I liked best happens to be the standard 22" round bbl/2/3 magazine rifle - although those octagon-barreled LTD's (Grade I through Grade V) are very attractive (to me).



.

[TXGunNut]

I've had a ported Guide Gun for years, it's an awesome hunting rifle and it's not going anywhere anytime soon. That said, I'm sure I could make room for a Cowboy and I like the pistol grip on the new Remlin Guide Guns. Only 1895 I don't have a hankerin' for is the stainless gun.

[Gtek]

I was diagnosed with "Marlinitis" many, many moons ago. I fully agree with not touching anything past 06', and yes I know when they moved. But I also did not just fall off the truck and I would bet the last twelve to eighteen months were full of happy, happy employees. Go touch as many as you can and find your fit inside and out and hunt for a well loved older model. I have examples of each and my hunt guns are S and SS's, some shoot lead, some shoot J's, not counting the piggy terminator 450 ported straight grip. The cowboy looking stuff is range time fun. Just be very, very careful, they are like Lay's potato chips. Bet you can't stop at one! Gtek

[pull the trigger]

Old ones are out there. I gave 425 last year for mine. The barrel was cut down 30 years ago by the gun shop I bought it at. I LOVE it and am so glad I did not settle

[btroj]

My take on the variants is this

The GG is too short.

The Cowboy is too long.

The plain 1895 is just right.

The large loop lever just doesn't do anything for me.

In the end it makes no difference if you are happy. They all shoot well

[TXGunNut]

Remember the multiple choice strategy where you eliminate the bad answers and come up with the best answer? It doesn't work with 1895's, IMHO.

[Lunarphase]

If you gunna go 45-70 get the big boy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/Broadbill/Guns/IMGP2823.jpg

[Fishman]

My Marlin 45/70 is a so called Remlin and it is a fine gun. I have owned and shot quite a few JM Marlins so I feel competent to judge its merits. I have seen some bad ones too so like any gun purchase it pays to look it over well. Don't let the marlin owners site keep you from shopping a new one. If you read all of the vocal minorities posts over there you will believe Remington makes the stocks from old pallets, hammers the levers from tin cans, and has dumb monkeys assemble them. The smarter monkeys run the company. I ask, All my other Remington guns are great, so why shouldn't they be able to make a lever gun?

[btroj]

If you gunna go 45-70 get the big boy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/Broadbill/Guns/IMGP2823.jpg

Somebody done bent your lever up guy......[smilie=1:

Straight lever is all I need. Those big ones just look silly to me.

[6pt-sika]

Somebody done bent your lever up guy......[smilie=1:

Straight lever is all I need. Those big ones just look silly to me.


I'm not an advocate of big levers either !

However as the old saying goes , "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" .

Hence the reason they make women in blonde , brunette , etc etc etc :wink:

[Queso Cabeza]

Depends on the size of your meat hook. The smaller loops just don't fit me. The nice thing about the Marlin 1895 is it's fairly easy to customize. I liked the 1895GS but wanted a pistol grip. So I converted it.
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/mtm408/1895-2_zps2f4e095d.jpg

[MT Chambers]

My fav. is a Marlin made '95 Cowboy, with a Firesite front, lyman peep, leather recoil pad, large loop lever added. The large loop is necessary as hunting in my area requires mitts or big gloves starting in Nov.

[BABore]

Some of the best, most accurate 1895, 45-70 Marlin's were the LTD series produced for Davidson's IIRC. I believe the LTD III or IV was one of the best. Besides that, the first year "B0" serial # prefix guns were outstanding. During the first six months of production Marlin used real cut rifled barrels that were said to be outsourced to one of the better barrel makers. I managed to lay my mitts on a BO a couple years back.

[bearcove]

The later 1895SS's, not stainless, SS was a model, were not microgroove.

[6pt-sika]

The later 1895SS's, not stainless, SS was a model, were not microgroove.

The big bores all went Ballard in 1998 !

444 , 450 and 45-70 !
Of course the 450 didn't come out until 2000/2001 .

[foxtrapper]

Sometimes ya have to massage them to your liking:-)http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy345/smackythefrog/100_0228-1.jpg

[foxtrapper]

definatly don't want a muzzle brake
A brake was needed or I would need a golf bag full of stocks!
http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy345/smackythefrog/100_0190.jpg

[6pt-sika]

A brake was needed or I would need a golf bag full of stocks!
http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy345/smackythefrog/100_0190.jpg

I frequent a British Hunting Forum . And on one thread folks were posting pics of their guns as one might expect . I had several cannons posted and a few were factory ported . Those guys gave me grief about the ports and asked why I did't have suppressors on them all . As the old saying goes different strokes for different folks . Personally I don't want a hunting gun with a suppressor , comps and ports don't bother me although I am sure they would bother a bystander when I fired the gun .

[6pt-sika]

Some of the best, most accurate 1895, 45-70 Marlin's were the LTD series produced for Davidson's IIRC. I believe the LTD III or IV was one of the best. Besides that, the first year "B0" serial # prefix guns were outstanding. During the first six months of production Marlin used real cut rifled barrels that were said to be outsourced to one of the better barrel makers. I managed to lay my mitts on a BO a couple years back.


I used to have a circa 1972 "BO" seriel number gun that LOVED your BRP 462-465GC bullet pushed with a goodly amount of H322 . That gun also liked the RD 460-350GC and RD 460-425GC .

I had an extra stock for this gun fitted with a nice thick KickEez pad for shooting from the bench . Some of those loads with that semi curved hard plastic buttplate could get you a little touchy after a dozen or so shots .

That 72 "BO" gun is one of the ones I wish I hadn't parted with after the fact . Would have loved to have tried it with your BRP 462-520GC bullet I believe it was . I did try the BallistiCast 462-550GC and it did way better then I thought I could hold it from the bench !

[jetsfan-24]

I just got a 1895 SBL after looking for one for 15 months it,s a rem barrel model it,s looks real nice the only thing I could find wrong so far with it and I looked it over a lot before I laid the cash out is some sharp edges at the loading gate so maybe they r getting better