I've had a regular 1895 since the 90's. I got mine in Alaska for bears and as such used the Buffalo Bore ammo that was 430 gr. L.B.T.-L.F.N. I decided it would be handier to have the barrel cut down, I had a Pachmayer decelerator pad added and kept the same OAL. I had the bear extractor added, and tuned. Later I had it sent to Metalife for a matt chrome finish, and then I added the XS Sights which made a world of difference. It is a very quick sight. If a guy is going to stick with just the standard load 45-70 or maybe even lightened up I dont think it matters. But I can tell you for a fact the pistol grip makes a big difference (to me) with the recoil. The straight grip has never felt right for me. Just something to consider. I would NEVER use one with porting. Montana Marines is a nice rifle, but I haven't seen one for a while.
