Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin Talk Help on 1894 identification

Recently acquired an 1894 carbine in .357. The serial number would indicate it was manufactured in 1983. Based on what little I have read 1983 was when the crossbolt safety was introduced yet this rifle does not have one. Does this make it some type of "transitional" model or is my information skewed? Possibly just the tail end of older receivers? The right side of the barrel has a stamped warning that my 1977 mnfg 1894 in .44 doesn't have,

83/84 was about the time the crossbolt safety was added. Yours is obviously a pre bolt.

Must have been one of the last. Was a good find, pawn shops have been pretty good to me of late.

One of the most fun guns I own. Have you a 357 revolver to go with it?

I do, a couple of S&W's & one Ruger. If the rain/snow/slop lets up today am hoping to get the Marlin out & see how it shoots. Have you had any trouble feeding .38's through yours?

simply one of the last non X/bolt safety receivers assembled......

good deal..........the warning stamp started in that era also

clean 'er up & go shoot !

I only shoot 357 cases through my 357's, including the 1894 and it eats em up. Great gun

all this talk about '94 357's................1979

have to get mine out & warm 'er up...............

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38 Specials will shoot in the 94C with no issues. However, you will need to clean the chamber well after shooting 38s. The reason is the shorter case of the Special. Carbon will build up in the chamber just ahead of the case mouth which will cause problems when you change back to 357 Mag ammo

the 1894's tend to eat up ammo pretty quick. a walk about through the sage and rocks its easy to blow through 50 rounds.

Started dumping snow around 10:00 AM, didn't get a chance to shoot the 1894 today. Hoping for later in the week.

Great little rifles. Mine is super accurate.

Congratulations on your new rifle!

T.S.

So much for shooting later in the week, snow is still piling up. Marlin & several other guns are really, really clean...… Darn down time in the winter.

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I have 3 of those 1894 carbines. Fun little guns. However, shooting Specials in them will destroy accuracy if the chamber is allowed to get a carbon build up. I have one designated as a Special rifle and the others as magnum rifles. Even so , the Special rifle will build up carbon and need cleaning after about 100 rounds, otherwise accuracy begins to suffer.