Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General JM Marlin 94 vs. Winchester 94

Been looking at a few JM Marlin 94s in .45 Colt, 20" or 24" octagon barrel. Also like the Winchester, but I'm leaning towards the Marlin.

What can you tell me about each and which do you prefer and why?

Edit: The Marlin 1894S Trapper w/ 16" Barrel is also pretty cool.

I prefer the Marlin because it is some much simpler to take-down. Removing the lever and bolt on the Winchester is much, much, more difficult.
But I would leave that up to you to decide based on balance and feel. I do think the action is smoother on the Winchester,

Between the the 94s I would take the Marlin.Throw the Win. 92 in and it would be a lot tougher choice.Never planned to scope it I'd get the 92

I prefer my pistol caliber carbines with 16" barrels, so mine are Winchesters. 357 and 44.

Never come across a Marlin 94 with 16" barrel.

Rimfire is a different story. Prefer the Marlin 39 there, 16" TDS and 20" D.

As mentioned......Marlin is much easier to pull down & polish action

Along with keeping barrel clean

If you find one, the Winchester 94 Legacy in 24" long barrel and pistol grip stock is my favorite.

i have both and prefer the marlins. i like a small scope on most of my hunting guns and the marlin seems more suited for that. plus the marlin seems sturdier. it feels like i'm tearing the guts out of a 94 when i eject shells. kind of like a winchester 97 shotgun. but i also like my 94's. my timber carbine 450 with a scout scope is a sweet little package. the winchesters seem lighter too. you can just about one hand those things.

You are talking 2 totally different guns. The Winchester is generally thought of as being for 30-30 etc. the 1894 marlin for pistol cartridges. The marlin 1894. Will feel easier to lever and a bit handier at least the 1894c. But the Winchester 94 is only 2 oz heavier and you are shooting 30-30. Way more horsepower. I prefer both the above guns over the marlin 336 by quite a bit

I have one of these sweet gun bought it knew several years ago....why is it they were discontinued? Today's used prices if you can find one are just insane.

Way more power..yeah right the 45 Colt was never meant to be a 150 yard cartridge, can it be sure though it is meant as a pistol round first and foremost. Does it excel in a 20" barrel out to 100 yards sure it does. I own a dozen of both calibers shoot approx.3000 rounds a month out of both calibers the 45 Colt at practical 45 Colt ranges will knock the snot out of a 30-30. ? would you call a 12 ga shotgun a poor option against a 30-30 at shotgun normal use ranges? Can they be scoped and kill out to 200 yards sure they can but a slug shotgun was meant to be used at 75 yards maybe 100.
A 30-30 is a fine cartridge but is it meant to be so at <200 yards but when compared to say a 30-06, no it is not.
The appeal of a pistol cartridge in a 20" barrel to most guys that want a hunting round is a powerful short range deer/hog rifle, not one to compete at distances outside that.
I would hazard I guess I put more rounds out of both a 45 Colt and a 30-30 than anyone posting on this forum month in and month out for several years now. They are both fine at what they are meant for both fail at the fringe of their purpose, to claim WAY MORE POWER is just that a claim. Quoting printed ballistics is not the same as using proper bullets for the intent of each ,i.e. load up a .458 soft lead bullet into a .458 WM then claiming it is better than a .458 hard cast from a 45-70 when used for hunting buffalo is an example.

I'm biased, I prefer about any Winchester lever to pretty near any other option but the Winchester 94 was designed around .30-30 length cartridges, I've never been a fan of them in pistol calibers (that's what the 92 is for).

THIS...

From a "carry" point of view, I prefer the way the M94 Winchester carries in the hand without the protrusion for the lever, the general slimness of the rifle, and its excellent handling. The rifle is a natural pointer for me. To my eye, it is the better looking of the two.

The practical side of me really appreciates how the 336 lends itself to detailed disassembly. In my experience, the Marlins have also been, on average, more accurate than their Winchester counterpart.

Not saying one is better than another just different uses. I have both myself. Depends on my mood as to which I shoot

no you said it has "way more power" where at 50 yds or 150 yds?

I’m not sure whether it’s typical of the breed, but at one point JM Marlins in 45LC had quite large chambers and barrel dimensions. They were also equipped with a fairly fast twist barrel (1 in 16” IIRC).

The upshot was accuracy with normal 45LC cast loads was poor. One rifle I had experience with responded well to using 350 gr cast pills designed for the 45/70 (they were 0.458 diameter). The loads using the cast 45/70 pills were a big improvement in accuracy.

Wow that is loose. I have 20,000 .452 Hornady cowboy lead on hand cheaper in bulk than to pour my own. When loaded over 16.0 gr of H110 they perform well out of every gun I ever owned.

I will take 30-30 as more power at all ranges. None of it really matters I shoot all these guns for fun, mainly rabbits and varmints. Not for larger game. So for me 357 gets it done anyways normally for my uses. Sometimes I am in the mood for brass on my head and grab the Winchester. I would like to shoot a 92 one day. Wish they made them in a modernized form factor like the marlins. Ie not with rounded butts etc

Thanks for all the replies, fellas. I’m mainly looking for a carryin’ around, general blaster that’s fun to shoot. I’ll probably use it for blastin’ hogs, the occasional varmint – the 2 & 4 legged varieties, plinking and maybe the occasional short-range white-tail.

Also, what’s the skinny on the micro-groove vs. the cut rifling?

*****

WStrayer: Simple take-down is certainly desirable, but not a deal breaker.

willycc: I’ll take a look at the Win 92s.

winchester70: I found a Marlin 1894S Trapper w a 16” barrel in very good condition It’s very tempting & yep a 39 has been on my list for a while.

Why do you like 16” barrels for pistol calibers and why the Winchester over Marlin?

tikkanut: Yep, I’ve read that slicking up a Marlin action is a relatively simple DIY process, in fact, it may have been you that posted an article entitled “Tuning Marlin Lever Actions.”

I also really liked the photo you posted of your .45 Colt Marlin ‘94 w/ the 16” barrel - the one you had worked over by Ranger Point Precision, which is why I like Marlin 1894S Trapper 16" Barrel in .45 Colt I found so much, but it has the round barrel rather than the octagon barrel I’d prefer and I’m not sure if the $750.00 asking price is reasonable.

WStrayer: I’m not a big fan of the pistol grip, but thanks.

rem141r: Good to know. My eyes aren’t what they used to be, but I can still use iron sights reliably.

cumminscowboy: Thanks for the info.

Hectortwsp: I found a Marlin 1894 Cowboy w/ a 24” octagon barrel, which is rather nice.

HawkCreek: Thanks.

Vic_in_Va: Good info. Thanks.

JFE: Was this the case with pre “Remlin” rifles?

The heavy barrel 1894 has no appeal to me. It defeats the fast handling of the whole outfit Think of an 1894c in say 357 as having the handling of a 22 lr but it shoots a brick. The last year or so my 1894c has been my funnest gun to shoot. I throw a 40 round leather cartridge belt over my shoulder and go for a sage walk pretty simple to pluck out a shell And keep the gun topped off. Get one !