I really had my heart set on an 1886 and had the bug pretty bad. Then I stumbled upon an first year production JM Marlin 45-70 that I picked up for just a little over $400. It was used, but not abused, with good honest wear on the outside and a pristine bore. It shoots great and is slicker than snot.
I doubt that you’ll find one that cheap, but a JM Marlin is worth at least as much as a new unfired current production model. I would look for one of those.
