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S&W is entering the lever gun market.
Sure looks like a Marlin from here.
None of the articles I've seen, so far, talk about how the action works, so I'm going with, "looks like a Marlin, works like a Marlin," until proven otherwise.
Copying a Marlin is not a bad plan. They're good guns.
Pity no one could get Remington to take full advantage of their Marlin patent holdings before they too went bankrupt.
ReplyDeleteI have two Marlin lever guns. The first is a gently used 1971 vintage 336 in .30-30 set up with a Bushnell Trophy scope zeroed at 100 yards I purpose bought in 2007 for a mere $265 with the mount but no scope. That was the year I started raising chickens and realized I did not have an appropriate rifle to dispatch any predators up to the size of a black bear. Federal 150gr or 170gr softpoints are the ammo. I would use the 170's for reported bear sightings. At 100 yards I use a 2" hold over for zero with 170gr.
ReplyDeleteThe second is an 1894CB in .38SPL/.357MAG. It has the 20" octogon barrel, 10 round mag, a Skinner peep sight, and the lever is leather wrapped for speed cycling. It does duty as a non-scary looking truck rifle. I made a dump pouch out of a black military style AR mag pouch on a dedicated black pistol belt. The pouch holds 100 rounds. I can easily top off the tubular magazine from behind cover. Henry's are finally offering their rifles that way. I chose the Marlin over Henry, Rossi, Winchester, and Uberti for several reasons. Side gate loading was the big one, side ejection allowing for top center optics mount, the action and feed mechanism, price, etc. Henry's are nice for sure, but they don't feed properly if held at an angle or God forbid, upside down. Winchesters are made in Japan 🙄 and have to have optics mounted on the side. The same with Ubertis plus those are stupid expensive. Rossi's have a smooth lever action, but the lever is too small, they have that dumb toggle switch safety, and they feel like toys. Modern Marlin lever rifles have a cross-bolt safety. My 336 does not, and more often than not because of muscle memory I find myself trying to pull the trigger and dropping the hammer on the safety of the 1894, making me reset the shot. So, I bought a kit that eliminates the safety going back to traditional half cock, and puts a cavalry saddle ring on the left side of the rifle. I actually have a single point sling that attaches to it securely.
I hear that the newer Ruger made Marlins have a better fit and finish than the Remington made version I have. I sent the 1894 back for a magazine loading issue that I ended up fixing myself because they did not.
Firearms used to come with nomenclature and exploded diagrams. Too bad that has been replaced by owner manuals which are mostly safety warnings.
ReplyDeleteI have been known to buy time with a gunsmith if I had doubt (of my ability) about a certain firearm. That doesn't mean I walk in with a handful of parts and tell him to fix it.
I mean that I watch and listen while he works on a more difficult part of dis- and assembly. The gunsmith I use does appreciate that business.
I still miss my Marlin 1895 in .45-70. If I wasn't so DAMNED poor and the prices on guns weren't so DAMNED high (thank you, Democrats!) I'd replace it.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I am an unrepentant Smith and Wesson fan boy.
ReplyDeleteI think the 1854 with the wood stocks looks really really nice.
I have briefly handled one with the synthetic stock at my local gun shop. For me, it pointed and handled well in the very brief time I spent with it.
My problem is, I just can't find room in my life for a pistol caliber lever gun. I just don't know what my use case for one would be. It feels like everything I would use one for, I can use a Scout rifle shooting a full-sized cartridge, or an AR-pattern rifle, or an actual pistol.
But if S&W introduces the 1854 in .45-70, I absolutely will show up for that. And I will probably bring at least one friend.
==Dwight Brown
stainles@mac.com
https://www.sportsfirings.com
My only pistol caliber lever gun is my Uberti clone of an 1873 Winchester in the, anachronistic, .45 Colt.
DeleteThe Marlin 30AS is in .30-30 and the Savage 99 is in .300 Savage.
Harvey has a Win 92 Clone in .357 Magnum, to match her .357 cowboy SAA clone.
I guess you could say we're lever gun fans here too!
I'm wanting a .45-70 lever gun, but I keep doing stupid things like paying bills, eating, keeping the cars running...