Which would you rather own and why? Sorry if its been asked before. I've personally owned both. I've owned an original 1886 and Marlin 1895's. The Marlins were a regular 1895 half-mag made just after they started with the safeties, an original 1895 and an 1895 Cowboy.
The 1886 was sweet. Very hard to beat. The Marlin Cowboy I would rate second. Picking between these two would be tough. The Marlin is probably a bit stronger due to it being newer and also the more modern steels. The Marlin is also lighter, which to most people would be an advantage. To me though, the greater weight made the '86 easier to shoot. I'll take the '86, but it is awfully, awfully close. You also could mount a scope on the Marlin...
