Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Which Marlin 1895?

Pulled this pic off the the Marlin site and is representative of what mine looks like although mine is the earlier 1895 SS version with Micro-Groove rather than Ballard rifling.Carries and shoots well. 1 1/2 inches @150yds.

PM me and I'll give anyone the load.

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http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/bigbore/1895.asp

I have an early, ported, guide gun. I always use muffs at the range so didn't realize how loud it was until the first time I shot a deer with it. First time I ever noticed how loud a rifle was when shooting game. Now I wear ear protection when I hunt with it. I've seriously considered getting it rebarrelled with a non-ported barrel. That's the only thing I don't like about it. It is very accurate. 400 grain Speer FNSP's over 54 grains of Varget kill deer as dead as I want them killed but are not much fun for plinking, etc.

Dang, go outta town for a few days and miss all the 45-70/Marlin threads.....

I've got a guide gun. It's a ported one that I bought in 2003. I love it, and have shot a lot of game with it, including plains game in South Africa. That being said, if it were me, go handle both. I personaly think the pistol grip is easier to deal with, from a control standpoint, on the bench, with top end loads. My go to load for the guide gun is the 300 gr. nosler partition @ 1950 fps. Matter a fact, this is what I was doing last week with the ole girl...



maddog

Dang, maddog, is that an Indiana hog?

- Tom

Nope, the boy and I went to Wilderness Hunting lodge, down by Monterey, TN. We had a ball.

maddog

maddog--That is an outstanding hog! Congratulations.

I am probably not too objective since I bought my 1895 in 1972 (with the 22" Ballard barrel an a straight stock). I've loved it from the first day.

I've hunted with and carried other versions since then and never found one I like better.

I tend to like longer barrels on almost all of my guns and never found the 22" barrel to be any harder to use or a handicap than an 18" version (except when used in the cab of a truck.....but most can't hunt fron a truck like we can here in Texas on private land).

I'd personally never own any rifle with holes in the barrel (ported) as I don't find it helps with recoil at all and DOES add much more muzzle blast.

As far as the straight grip.......I just don't find the pistol grip Marlins to be as comfortable or fast to mount. That is a bit strange since I normally "like" a pistol grip on other lever actions such as the Savage 99. Maybe that's because the typical Savage pistol grip is more "laid back" than the newer Marlins (haven't tried the Cowboy series that seems to be the most "gentle" curve like the Savage 99).

To me, the pistol grip is better because I can use it to hold the butt against my shoulder firmer. The "Savage" style allows this without "constricting" my hand or getting in the way during recoil. The "original" style Marlin lever (1972) is the perfect length to allow holding the buttstock against my shoulder with my little finger, but recoils away with heavy loads so it doesn't jar me.

As far as the straight grip and hard, curved buttplate with heavy loads....I never have seen a problem with "normal" loads (405 grain @ 1500 fps) but with some of the newer loads from Buffalo Bore (405 @ 2000+) I am beginning to think a buttpad might be in order......not too surprising since those loads are almost within spitting distance of a .458 Mag.) The straight lever, however is not a problem even with the heaviest loads.

So......maybe I got lucky or maybe I'me just used to it, but if I was going to get a "new" Marlin lever gun in .45-70 it would be with a 22" barrel (definitely non-ported), straight grip and....if it were me....an older model before they stuck that ugly, useless button through the action that some call a "safety" (what the hell is half-cock if not a safety).

Ladder sights on a light hard kicking rifle is not a good idea.

If I didn't have this one I'd be all over an SBL, may not be abel to resist anyway. I'd like to run a pistol grip to see how I like it.