Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Best 45-70 Lever Gun

True story.

I vote for a newer 1886. Owned 3 JM Marlins from the early 2000's and all were crap. I did buy 2 Marlins since Remington took over Marlin and am pleased with the rifles.
But the 1886 is the best choice.

I have owned most of them, and I will ad this caveat, I won't own a Henry, but the rest I have. The best 45-70 is not an original or a modern Winchester that they are making now. The absolute best is the older Browning rifles from the 1980's. It may be hard to believe, but they are superior to the originals and certainly the modern Winchester versions...

Shrap, is that better overall, or mostly because the new ones have that dumbass safety?

I have two of the Browning Low Walls, and haven't seen any of the "Winchesters" with wood that even comes close to what's on those. The metal polishing seems sub-par as well. The shotgun butts on some of the new new ones would be my choice though, having been thoroughly tomahawked by a B78 .45/70.

Don't know about the best, but my favorite lever rifle would be the original ported barrel guide gun



loaded the 400 gr. Speers in it over 53 gr. IMR 3031



It popped on both ends but the barrel porting helped on the back end.



Don't know if they were all like this one but it was amazingly accurate, zero'd at 120 yds.



1st two cloverleaf, then third shot after zero.


ya!

GWB

Shrap, I'd take your word for that. You've been there, done that with those type guns.

DF

+1

I have owned most of them and the Browning 1886 SRC was the best I ever owned. Fit and finish near perfect and function was flawless. The only downside is the sights which are hard to see in anything but good light.

Look at the fit and finish without the consideration of the safety and the Browning is superior. I have had all of them, even the earlier Winchesters that they made previous to the later ones with the tang safety. Marlins are tools compared to the Browning...

Me too. My guide gun (along with a .450 Marlin) has not let me down in any way, shape or form.

I don't shoot them a lot, but they're accurate, especially with the 325 flex tips. I have carried them a lot in a scabbards on horseback and they've worked better than fine.

There are .45-70 loads, 'Modern .45-70' (Marlin) loads and 'Ruger #1' loads. If I get another #1 or #1, it will be a .45-70.

Love my JM Marlin 1895 with 22" barrel, though,

Ranger Point Precision has pointed out that the Marlin 1895's in 45-70 have a thin web in the receiver where the magazine tube slides in and the receiver commonly cracks there from hot loads. Only way to see if yours is cracked is to remove the magazine tube. They say because of this the .444 is a more suitable cartridge for the Marlin because the smaller case rim allows that web to be thicker.

I agree fully with Shrapnel. My Browning M71 Carbine is flawlessly executed and finely accurate. Same for my Browning M53. Better steel, better fit and finish and more accurate than the originals. Yes, better overall.

This is the 1895 weak weak spot, especially with the 45-70, because of it's large base.

This is what it looks like when it goes. Not mine, photo on line. If one is careful with loads, this won't happen.

DF

Damn!

Yeah, for sure...

Picture like that will tend to tighten ones pucker strings...

DF

Another believer in the Browning SRC. The action sounds and feels like a bank vault door opening and closing. Just a well made piece of equipment. My only gripe is that my eyes just can't handle open sights very well any more.....darn it!

Your picture does do an excellent job of showing how thin the web is between the barrel threads and the magazine tube on an 1895. That's right where they get the hairline crack.

Or get a BLR IN 450

Yep, this one went one step beyond just a crack.

Have never seen an 1886 come apart. That old JMB design is uber strong, much stronger than the Marlin. I think a modern 1886 (Miroku) should be about as strong as a #1 Ruger.

DF