M14 Forum

Sunnyb

I was looking for a little while for a 45-70 Marlin and finally decided on a SBL model. Now there's a lot negative information on the web about Marlins after Remington took them over. So I was a little hesitate to buy without looking first. I ended up finding one at Cabelas with a 91 serial number but with a "REP" on the barrel, which indicates its a post Rem gun. The finish was wasn't too bad so I ended up buying it.

I took it out a week later and fired it with factory FTX bullets. Here's the bummer part. The gun jammed every time I shot it and I had enough after 3 rounds. Every time I tried to reload the next round it would get stuck have way out of the magazine tube and I had to dig it out with a screwdriver. So needless to say I took it back to Cabelas which offered to either return, exchange or repair it.

I decided to have it repaired since the finish was pretty good on it. They did have another one but the finish was absolutely horrendous. I strongly suggest if you buy a new Marlin you look at it first. The gun ended up being fixed within two weeks and shoots like a champ. It even shot my first time reloads without a problem. This is my 2nd favorite gun right behind my M1A and its a hell of a lot of fun to shoot.

TheTinMan

Thanks for that report. The specs on the 1895 SBL are really attractive, but I'm not interested in fooling with the potential quality issues.

Seventh Fleet

http://www.uticaod.com/highlight/x19...Remington-Arms

In a post made by John Taffin (gun writter) he indicated that Freedom group is shutting down their Marlin plant that makes leverguns. Apparently, they have had a hard time getting a handle on some quality issues.

From what I gather from scuttlebutt, a letter has been sent out to dealers indicating that no more Marlin leverguns will be shipped in 2011.

7th

TheTinMan

That is just sad.

Sunnyb

That is sad, it's not like Remington is new at making guns.

Setters4life

I believe the memo circulated last week. It's been rumored that quality at the Marlin plant has been suspect since the Freedom Group took them over (2008) and merged them with Remington. I've never had an issue with either of my older Marlin's. Remington has struggled with QC issues for almost two decades now.

When Freedom closed the New Haven, CT plant, 265 Marlin employees lost their jobs. That made for more than 110,000 manufacturing jobs lost in CT since 1990. Sad.

There are some good links to be found and read on the Marlinowners forum on this topic.

washington

That is a beautiful rifle. I've been contemplating one for a long time. I hope they are not shutting down, that would be a real bummer.

MesaRifle

I've been struggling with a customer's Remlin™ 1895 Cowboy for over 6 months. It went back to Marlin and was there for 3 weeks, then back with some improvements (at least the dovetailed sights no longer fall out, but the once 8" 100yd accuracy "issue" has been "reduced" (cough) by that factory trip to 3" @ 50 yds (their factory target). Still NFG in IMHO. Should be capable of about 5 rounds into ≈1.5" @ 100 yds, worst case.

I'm going out tomorrow with some incremental "Ladder Loads" running one of my own past Marlin 45-70 favorite powders, IMR 3031, but loaded waaaayyy back of book to see if light or medium loads will make this "puppy" shoot.

Specificially, with both 300gr Hornady jacketed HPs and 300 gr Montana Bullet Co hardcasts (Brnl 18), I will run a series of 3-round sets using between 46 and 51 gr of 3031, all well within the lower limits.

Thing is, this rifle WILL NOT SHOOT those hot 2300 fps LeverEvo 325gr loads. It acts like an un-choked shotgun, spraying them all over the target @ 100 yd (8 - 9"!) and this being a mere 7.5# rifle, it also punches a hole in your shoulder!

I used to use those 300gr Hornadys on black (& even a grizzly...) bears in my older (1978 vintage! Glad I own one of those!) 1895 Marlin, quite decisively, with ≈56gr of 3031 for about 1900 fps. This owner wants to use the 1895 Cowboy, with iron ghost-ring sights, on a black bear in the spring of 2012.

We'll see. I'll let you all know. If this doesn't work, I'm gonna have to ship it to the owner in it's sorry shape.

Shame on you, Remington!.

Sunnyb

I haven't tried shooting mine for accuracy yet. I was still on a function mission the last time I took it out. But I do know that is was not even close to 9' inch spread. There's something really wrong with that gun. I check to see if the barrel was straight, seriously.

howardhughes

Im selling off a collection of winchesters and marlins...all older manufacture (1980 to 1880's). Quality was first class for over a 100 years. I quit buying marlins after the safety button was installed. Quality on a 1980's manufacture rifle as compaired to todays production is a stark contrast....its sad to see American hall marks....winchester Marlin, Savage...GoneIm selling off a collection of winchesters and marlins...all older manufacture (1980 to 1880's). Quality was first class for over a 100 years. I quit buying marlins after the safety button was installed. Quality on a 1980's manufacture rifle as compaired to todays production is a stark contrast....its sad to see American hall marks....winchester Marlin, Savage...Gone...sad that China is the only place to have high quality machine work done...we have done this to our selfs as a country. As a foot note the marlin 1936 (case color), 36, 336 early has fine machined waves on top of the receiver to reduce glair and nice walnut stocks along with that fluid script MARLIN SAFETY....

MesaRifle

Have any earlier model 1895s in 45-70? As in: about 1978 vintage up to about 1995?