Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin Talk Marlin 1894 SBL 44

How is the quality of these things, fit, finish, function and accuracy?

I haven't seen a standard off the shelf model to inspect closely.
I had an 1895 SBL, and the fit and finish were very good. Did a simple action tuning/ deburring and put a Wild West Trigger on it. Accuracy was incredible at 100 yards with my loads.
Ended up selling it only cause it was more gun than I needed for the hunting I do.

This year I bought an 1894 SBL out of the Marlin custom shop from First Stop Gun. Cerakoted tactical gray metal, same laminate stock as the regular one. Wild west trigger. Custom shop did the action polishing, tuning, and accurizing. I put a 2-7 scope on it in the normal position using the rail and detachable rings.
Only thing I wish was different is the twist rate, but that is typical Marlin for a 44. They need to go to 1 in 20".
I found a load it likes and I get as good of accuracy as the 1895. 3 shots touching in a little cluster at 100 yards is all I need it to do.
Action is buttery smooth. I'm sure much of that is credited to the work the custom shop did on it.
Neat little gun if you don't really need a 45-70.
If I was ever going to hunt bear I would have kept the 45-70.

Thanks, thought of getting one, heard everything 7nder he sun good and bad about them. How does the chamber and rifling look?

I just picked mine up today. I haven't gotten a chance to shoot it yet, the trigger feels pretty good but the manual safety doesn't work as it will drop the hammer on safe. Other than that, it seems pretty smooth and I'm liking the short barrel. I have the 1895 SBL and have been wanting one of these to go with it.

The safety isn't supposed to keep the hammer from dropping. It is supposed to block it from dropping all the way and contacting the firing pin.

Yep. It won't go boom with the safety on. You'll find out. I hate the damned things.

The safeties are super easy to disable if you don't like them.

A simple trigger fix is a drop in Wild West. Usually makes it 2.5# like glass.
The safety comes in really handy for when ejecting all the cartridges after hunting, especially with a lighter trigger.
Every time that action closes, the hammer is ready to fire.
Just make sure to take the safety off when hunting.

I keep planning to take the action apart and do just that. Maybe this winter, when I'll have more space to work and more time.

No reason to take the action apart.

I have yet to understand the kerfuffle around the safety. I've several, and never minded them. As noted earlier, nice for unloading. I'd love to get my mitts on one of these 1894 SBLs. Just to check it out at least.

I'll tell you about the safety. I didn't think it was a big deal either. I was wrong. One day I was minding my own business walking an abandoned road / cat trail up through some oaks looking for a deer. I ran into an old sow bear with 2 cubs. Everything was fine at the beginning, they took off running .. then those stupid cubs decided to go up a tree so momma bear had to take a stand. She was huffing and popping her teeth with her hackles up making couple-of-step "starts" in my direction like she was working up nerve to try to "take" me. I had the chamber hot and the hammer back on my Marlin for probably about 5 minutes of that [bleep] before the cubs came back down and ran off.

When all was done, they left, I eased the hammer back down, and saw that somewhere along the way that stupid cross bolt safety had moved from fire to safe. That would have been the loudest click in world history.

I sold the rifle the next day.

A couple years went by and I heard about a replacement made by a guy named Clyde Ludwig .. might have that spelled right or wrong .. so I ordered a half dozen. Gave a couple to friends who shot Marlins. We all grew up on old Winchesters and Marlins. Nobody had any problem with the old guns not having a push button safety, that's a bit of lawyer-proofing and retard-proofing some of us non-retards don't need. I like to keep my guns simple, with features that are needed and none that are not. Lot less to go wrong.

If someone wants that safety, I guess more power to them, but you won't ever find one on my lever action.

Tom

Find you a rubber o-ring of the right size and
put that on the safety.
It'll hold it off or on or however you want it to be

So you weren't familiar enough with your weapon to know the status on the safety. Or you engaged it without knowing. That's operator error, plain and simple.

If they came without them I wouldn't put it on. But since it's there, it allows me peace of mind to keep one in the tube when I'd otherwise not. And no I don't always run around hot chamber. Typically I keep chamber empty, safety off, mag loaded hammer at half cock. But having the safety allows other options when situation calls for it or I get a wild hair.

Different strokes man that's all.

I've hunted every season for the last 28 years with a Marlin 336 equipped with a functional cross bolt safety and not once had a click when I wanted a boom. For those who can't handle a functional safety, a simple removal of the butt stock and tightening of the safety detent screw is all it takes to lock the safety in the "off" position.

Thanks, Blackheart. I'll give that a try. I believe I know exactly what you are talking about, though I haven't had the stock off in about 4 years.