I hear current production Marlin levers are garbage. Who is producing the smoothest, most accurate 45/70 currently? How does that rifle compare to the JM Marlin guns?

Current production are fine so far as I can tell, it's the transition guns that you want to avoid. I picked up a GBL a few weeks back ... feeds good, shoots good (1.5 MOA or better with several powders with Hornady 350 RN and FP), no issues with wood-metal fit.

Tom

There are many, many used Marlin 45/70's out there - worth looking for - in my experience they shoot great.

Yesterday I went to Sportsmans Warehouse for something and ended up looking at some new Marlins. To me anyway they looked pretty good. Much smoother and better fit & finish then they had been in the last few years. They had an 1895 cowboy that I had to pry my hands off of.

Find a Marlin made from 1972 to about 2000. I have handled a couple of the new ones, and they are getting the bugs worked out, but still look like they have a barely sanded 2x4 for a fore end. Wood is simply atrocious. The Henry's seem like decent rifles, but just weird to me for some reason. If you really want to treat yourself find a Miroku Browning 1886 SRC.

Best and Marlin are 2 different things. If you really want the best and smoothest, find a Browning. Even though they were both made by Miroku, the Brownings are better made and no rebounding hammer like the current Winchesters...

yes on the Browning SRC...

next to my 1891 manufactured Win 1886



but this Marlin is my all time favorite lever gun. it's not as pretty or refined as the Browning, but it is so light and handy that it's hard to leave behind.

Not all JM Marlins are good BTW. After the Rem takeover was announced Marlin were still selling JM marked guns, so even if buying used you should check serial numbers. Personally I like the older 1895's, the pre-side safety models made back in 70's and early 80's. Not much choice in model range but good quality rifles.

Lately the Marlins being produced seem to have few, if any, QC and functioning problems.

I'd avoid anything Marlin from about 2008-2013. The last of the JM Marlins were not good, and the first several years of the Remlins were worse. Now, they have machinery that way outclasses what the JM guns were built on, and they have skilled operators running it.

I don't know if my Marlin is the best but i like it. Cowboy Version

Nice Cowboy rifle. A Marine buddy of mine in WV has one, he let me shoot it a little some years ago when we were at Camp Lejeune.

I've had a couple Marlins along the way. Both were/are nice rifles.

The first was a late 1970s 1895 with the microgroove bbl, pre-safety.

Now I've got one of the 1895GBL. It's a JM rifle. Smooth action, no complaints. I did firelap the barrel early on as it was catching a lot of lead as issued.

Like bea175 said, I'm not claiming it's the 'best', but I sure like it.

I like to shoot cast bullets in mine. The Marlins are a little too short. I like a 1886 Win.

as mentioned...many real Marlin 45-70's out there.....

just what do you want....? 26" Cowboy ? 18" Guide Gun ?

here's a NIB 26" Cowboy I scored on GB last month

2006....NIB..unfired....not for sale.......

I do have a GS SS ported Guide Gun I'll part with...

Best, for what? Accuracy, one that shoots the best for you.

There really isn't one better or "best". Find the features you like and go for it.

I have a number of different bullets, both Jacketed and Cast but at the moment I'm using H4198 and the Hornady 300 gr HP for Whitetail

I had a Marlin Cowboy model in 45-70 and liked it, though after shooting it a bunch, traded it towards a Winchester 1886 repro. I had my gunsmith disable the rebounding hammer and add a half cock notch so now it functions the same as the Browning version. A tang sight covers the notch where the tang safety used to be and all is well. The Marlin shot as well or better than the Winchester, but I enjoy shooting the 1886 more and prefer it. I've since added another Marlin Cowboy but in 38-55 to scratch another itch...

I have a later remlin 1895GBL, no real complaints. Not sure I like the looks of the laminated stock, and the lever will pop loose on "sporty" loads (430 gr @ 1800 fps) but not on standard loads.

I hope to acquire a Winchester '86 in the near future, but I have no complaints about both my Marlin 1895's. One is a JM stamped Guide Gun, and the other is a Remlin Standard model 22 inch barreled version.

Both are smooth and very accurate with most ammo I've run through them.