Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Remlin 1894 .357's?

Brian Pearce wrote an excellent article on the new Remington produced Marlin M-1894 .357's early this year. He's been a big fan of these little guns for a long time now, and his enthusiasm has transferred over to me. I've been looking for one for the past 3 years, with no luck. Folks who have them tend to keep them around here. Even on the internet, they are rare, and very pricey when you DO find one for sale. Pearce's article was good enough to make me decide to wait, rather than get a Rossi M-92, or pay through the nose for a used one. In his article, he said that the then current schedule was for them to be available in April, I think it was. Here we are in Nov. and still no production.

It may or may not be "fair," but I'm really getting chapped at Remington. First they treat the old long term employees at Marlin like dirt, and now, they can't seem to get anything right! It's not something that would tend to stimulate faith in their final product, for sure! I am not privy to the REASONS for all this, but it surely appears that Remington is "the gang that couldn't shoot straight." First they muff the original production so egregiously that they sent out guns that wouldn't even function for you writers to test, and THEN, can't seem to find or fix the problems! This is "incompetence" according to my Webster's collegiate dictionary, and I am NOT pleased with the management at Remington. I simply don't believe they can be trusted any more. I've seen actual first hand instances of young lions just out of college with all sorts of degrees believe they can do anything just because they can think it up in their minds, only to be extremely humbled when a line worker tells them it can't be done. These college whizzes insist, things fall apart, and it winds up COSTING the company they work for. That particular whiz got humbled rather effectively, and from then on, consulted the line workers on his grand ideas and designs before even mentioning them to upper mgt.

I don't know what's really going on at Remington, but I know it's not working, whatever it is. Can anyone here hazzard yet another guess as to when these neat little guns will actually become availablle .... if ever??? Thanks for any insight you can provide. I'm sitting here with my lips pooched out, sulking right now, and need a light of some sort at the end of the tunnel. And just so this post isn't totally gloomy, I DO at least thank them for NOT putting out guns with problems. So I'm NOT "against Remington," at all, really. Just want what we were promised about 5 years ago. That's all.

I’m not sure what Marlin 1894 .357 model Brian wrote about, but there are 45 new Marlin 1894 .357’s on GunBroker. Seven of which are the CB model with the 20” Octogan barrel; I want one in .45 Colt

This particular one is beautiful.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/788891548

Thanks, 257, but that $895 price tag is a bit too high. I'd do without rather than pay THAT much for one. I get some pretty good deals at my LGS because I tend to do a good volume of business there. For $895 I can get a LOT of other guns, and not feel I've been taken to the cleaners. I have no problem with rarity bringing high prices. I just won't generally pay them. Frugality ought to be my middle name. But there are a LOT of us like that out here. Looks to me like Remington and others ought to know that, or at least it looks that way to me.

It's interesting how little the overloads of Remington are minded toward their customers. I speak top level management here.

One detail that is indicative of how little they care about customers is the massive number of requests for them to rifle their 44s in a "revolver twist" (and this goes back to the days before Remington bought Marlin) and the fact is that even their sales reps admit openly the 1-38" twist in their 44s makes no sense at all, and it not popular with shooters. Yet no change.
Why?
Because they don't care.

This is not hyperbole. I have personally spoken with 5 Reps, 2 in the "Marlin days" and 3 since Remington bought them. Brain Peirce even did an article and focused on the issue. The last 2 reps both told me that they get this request every single day they meet with jobbers and dealers and One told me he hears it "10 times every day" .

Remington has made it very clear (to the point of rudeness) they don't care what buyers want. And that attitude has been rather obvious about their powers-that-be for many many years.

I get you on the price! What I don’t get it is why the 1894 CB is $200-300 more than the 1895 CB or CBA. I sure would like an 1894 CB to go along with my 1895 CBA

I would imagine they sell a whole lot more 1895s so have much better economies of scale.

Most people who quote ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems will understand what I am about to say........

The International Standards Organization does not dictate the content of the Standard, when these Standards come up for review and revision every 5 years the signatory counties that participate propose the changes and ISO consolidates the requests in usually 3 drafts over 1-2 years for review by member countries.

In the recent ISO 9001:2015 version, the 175 member countries stated that Top Management was the number 1 non conformance on earth.
The current Standard was revised to reflect this and all middle management responsibilities were removed and included in the Management Review, Management Commitment elements.

The sad part that can still make an ISO program fail is that many certification registrars are whores and want the check and next booking, so turn a blind eye to what is NOT happening in using the Standard as it was written and intended.

What all this means is that Top Management is what is wrong with any company that does not provide the best product for its customers. The bigger the company and the more diverse the products, the greater failings.

SZIHN above is correct in his initial comment.

John

I hope they have changed the internals on the Marlin 1894 sometime in the last ten years.

I purchased a lovely little 1894 FG in 41 mag back in the day when they were being produced. I shot two magazines through it, 20 rounds, and it started double feeding and jamming.

I did a bit of internet research and discovered it is a VERY common problem with this model. The details for modification and repair were easy to find and print out. I took the print out and the rifle to a local old time gunsmith with much experience, and who had proven to be very dependable on prior jobs.

He had the rifle a couple weeks and said he was done. I got less than ten rounds through it before it jammed again.

This time he had it a few more weeks, and THOUGHT he had it fixed. It jammed again within thirty rounds.

I took it back again, along with ten rounds of dummy handloads. The 'Smith had it for almost a year this time. He did not charge me anything for the rework, but did ask to keep the dummy cartridges for future occasions.

I have not watched the internet chatter to see if such an issue is still prevalent with new model Marlin 1894. But while I do really like mine now that it functions properly. My next purchase will be branded Henry as I understand it will function right out of the box.

I imagine the reason they ask so much for the .357s is that they think they can get it. Check the prices and availability of used ones on GB, and it should become clear. Economy of scale may also play a part. $895 is pricey, but not out of reason. 77/.357s run over $700 everywhere. Browning and Winchester also futzed the twist on their 92s in .44, but thankfully not the 1885s, which is 1-20.

The stubby little SS model with the black stock is very compelling, but I've yet to see one actually for sale. Probably just as well. About $375 will get you a Henry single-shot, which may be what I do at some point.

Be prepared to pony up for a trigger job as well if you get one. Brian Pearce had covered the new and better Remlins at some length, and all of them need the triggers worked. Same goes for other reviews I've seen.

If its hard to find you want, that makes it rare. If you really want it I imagine you'll end up paying $700 or more. This is the world of valuable, durable goods, sometimes you find a great deal, and sometimes you buy exactly what you want because the "need" justifies the investment. Luck!

Poppy, I think you're probably right. They DO believe they can get it, and maybe from some, but NOT from me. When they start making Rossi's again, I'll probably get one of those. The last one of those I handled was a SS Trapper model, and it was one of the slickest working actions I've ever experienced on a NIB levergun. I'd really rather have a Marlin, but I'm used to not always getting what I really want. I'd love to have a Westley Richards or H&H, too, but the reason I don't have one is the same as why I don't (and may never) have another Marlin.

I don't know where some of upper mgt. gets their ideas, but I DO know they seem to just ASSUME whatever suits them for the moment, and go with it, unless and until their wares won't sell. For my part, and I realize there's more than one way to look at these things, I'll be one of the "resistance" rather than just take whatever they decide to try to foist off on us. Business ain't a touchy-feely operation, and WE have a part in business, too, which includes NOT buying defective or overpriced goods. It's just such a useless proposition to try to just keep knuckling under to the big wigs' depredationns. I can't do it in good conscience, so .... I just won't. C'est la' vie, I guess?

Remington does have a lengthy track record of taking great ideas and ruining them. .244, .280, 6.8 spc, 6.5 mag........

I'll go one better: I think they will. Some will pay the price to get what they want, even if it's more than seems reasonable to others, or even most. If I'm wrong, expect to pick one up cheap at CDNN in a couple of years.

There were new Marlin 1894's in 357 around here (NH) last fall for $650+/-. I bought mine for $630; in limited use, it has been great so far and am now waiting for XS sights to arrive.

I have a new one, I will sell you for $650. It has about 50 rounds through it. It feeds, thirty eights and 357's fine. I have only shot 158 grain factory through it. The action is smooth except the hammer spring appears quite stiff which makes the lever hard at the end of the stroke. If you interested PM me and we can talk about it on the phone. It shoots accurate enough, I have only shot it with the factory irons. I thought I would like this gun, but I think I will try to get something bigger. The wood is pretty nice as well as fit and finish - no gripes on that. I will pay ship my ffl to yours. If your near Michigan maybe we can do face to face.

Offer stands to others as well.

Best Regards

I just can't get passed the canted sights on $650-700 rifle, and they let them out of the factory that way. Are QC people sleeping? Are they just sabotaging the company or what. Someone needs to be fired, for letting stuff like that out the door.

In my experience, .357 Marlin 1894s have always been in short supply. The rifle-making business is driven by deer and big game hunting, and the .357 1894 just barely qualifies as a deer rifle in the opinion of many folks. Here in Illinois you can't legally shoot a deer with a breech-loading rifle of any kind, but there are almost always plenty of Marlin 336s, .444s and 1895s, as well as .44 mag 94s available at retail.That's not to mention various high powered bolt guns by other makers. Small game/utility carbines chambered for rounds like .357 just don't seem to be popular enough for gun makers to put much effort into selling them.

A lot of emotional generalizations...

Not looking for a 1894 357 anymore ...I picked up an older (1978) one in 44 mag used just a bit, for $460 at a gun show it's the tits! MB