Marlin 1894 Club

[kmrcstintn]

I've been seeing more and more postings about the Marlin 1894C lever action rifles in .357 magnum; how about we claim our own territory before the real estate runs dry!!! I guess that I'll start...sorry no pics since I do not have a digital camera...

I picked mine up at a local shop called Shyda's in Lebanon County, PA; I payed $445 + tax & PICS; I recently replaced the factory sights with a set of Williams Firesights for Lever Action Rifles; Firesights are Williams version of day glow sights; the ability to hone in on target is greatly improved over the blued factory sights, especially against dark backgrounds...

I have shot a variety of different brands and weights of .357 magnum and .38 spl cartridges; very little recoil, great accuracy, and the ability to shoot the same ammo as my .38 spl and .357 magnum revolvers make this a fun rifle that is a HOOT to SHOOT;

I bought mine to make a handgun/carbine combo and truly enjoy using it; mostly it is a plinker that moonlights for occasional home defense, hunting camp defense, and might be used by a family member for a deer rifle out to 50 yards open sights and 75 yards with optic magnification;

enough about me...who's next?!?

* I had an 'enlightened moment' after reading one of the responses and realized that I excluded too many folks by only wanting 1894C owners at first; if you have any variant of Marlin 1894/1895...welcome aboard! Kudos to Glockman19 for the idea...THANK YOU!!!

 

[pbhome71]

Marlin 1894 - Big5 edition. This is the one with 18.5" barrel, and beech/birch stock without checkering. Paid $325+tax+fee last year.

Usually fed it with 158gr LRNFP over 6gr of Uniq. No picture either. Will try to get one later on.

 

[RH822]

Here's mine, paid $200.00 at Wal-Mart in 1985. Same gun, 2 different pictures.

RH

 

[LaEscopeta]

I’ll do an early post now and come back for a fuller report after I can get to the range.

Brought new 2 weeks ago from www.sportingarms.com for $434 + $16 shipping + $20 FFL = $470. Photos are in post 25 of this thread:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=290401

…on wood quality on modern Marlins. (You all know what a stock 1894 looks like so why waste band width re-posting photos here?)

I got this rifle for plinking and to teach the kids, and also for back up HD or any sort of SHTF fantasy scenario. Being able to shoot .38s for the kids and also more effective .357s was a big selling point. I also try to buy American when possible. Intend to shoot it a few times before I mess with it, but am considering a peep sight and maybe getting it shortened. Right now I’m thinking shortening the barrel to the 16” minimum and taking 2” off the stock for a total length of 32"+/-, to make it handier for the kids. I’m hoping a slip-on recoil pad will put the LOP back to the original 14” for me to shoot.

 

[dbernie5]

I'll join. I have an 1894c .38/.357 that I bought new last year. $449 + tax. I love it. The grandkids shoot it occasionally when they want to try something a little more powerful than the 10/22 they usually shoot. I put Williams sights on it and enjoy tearing up paper targets and frozen water jugs with it.

 

[scubie02]

well, I'll join the club if I ever GET mine...ordered one almost a month ago now and still haven't heard anything. I'm going to call later today and see what the status is. Guess the distributor claimed they couldn't keep them in stock.

 

[MrBorland]

I'm in!! Man, I love that thing!! I put a peep sight on it and use it for plinking, but it's nice to know I have a great all-arounder. A .357 lever, a .22 revolver, (or a .22 lever and a .357 revolver) and a 12gauge - the combo's got all your bases covered.

The hardest part seems to be finding them. I bought mine last year for around $350 at Gander Mtn. At the time I didn't reallize they were hard to find, until I started calling around locally. On a whim, I called a Gander that's about an hour away and the guy seemed to recall there was one stuffed waaaay in the back "under some stuff". He went to check, and "yup, it's still h.....". At this point, he was talking to dial tone, since I was already in the car. I see the prices now, and now feel good about the price I paid.

 

[glockman19]

I'll pick my 1894SS in .44mag up Saturday.

You should also change the thread name to 1894 club why limit it to the "C" 1894's come chambered in many calibers.

 

[miko]

I was looking for them for half a year, so when I saw them at a gun show, I got a couple.
I mounted 1-4x32 shotgun scope on them on QD rings in place of red-dot sights. This way I can aquire target and see clearly even without glasses and if I need to take that 150 yards shot I can dial to x4.

miko

 

[ArmedBear]

I'm planning to join soon...

Anyone want to buy a box of assorted milsurps?

 

[jacobhh]

WINCHESTER! WINCHESTER! WINCHESTER!

Just wanted to watch you guys hold up your crosses and garland
your necks with garlic.

 

[MrBorland]

WINCHESTER! WINCHESTER! WINCHESTER!

Just wanted to watch you guys hold up your crosses and garland
your necks with garlic.

Nah - I'm not tied to a Marlin (though I do like them). For as hard as it was to find a Marlin .357, though, I've yet to find the Winchester version. Plus, even if I did, a new 1894 would likely be cheaper than a used 94 nowadays. I saw a Model 94 Trapper carbine 30-30 in so-so shape at Cabela's last year, and they wanted over $600. Had it been a .357 or .44mag, I would've thought about it harder. Any lever carbine chambered for .357/.44mag is pretty sweet in my book.

 

[Top_Gunn]

Got mine a couple of weeks ago for about $450. It's my first rifle, except for a couple I've borrowed from my son (I'm a pistol guy). I love it! Questions: (1) how accurate is it supposed to be? From a standing position, with iron sights, at 50 yards, I'm putting 6 out of ten shots in a 4" diameter circle. Is that reasonably good? (2) For plinking, any reason to shoot .357 magnums rather than .38 specials? The latter are somewhat cheaper and easier to load. (3) Any good URLs for tips on basic rifle shooting? I'm mostly playing it by ear.

 

[Fatelvis]

What are the best groups you guys have shot with them?

 

[LaEscopeta]

(2) For plinking, any reason to shoot .357 magnums rather than .38 specials? The latter are somewhat cheaper and easier to load.

The owner’s manual and my gunsmith tell me .38s are likely to cause lead build up in the forcing cone (part of the barrel right in front of where the round sits in the chamber.) Vigorous scrubbing with a stiff wire brush after shooting .38s (preferably while the barrel is still warm) will “get the lead out.” Theoretically copper jacket .38s will avoid this problem, but some round or pointed nose jacketed ammo can go off in the tube magazine under recoil (point of one round hits the primer of the round in front.) Sometimes it causes a chain reaction with each fired bullet setting off the next one. This is a very bad thing.

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I looked all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area for one; finally ended up ordering one. Great rifle. Took it to the range; my wife shot it and decided it was the greatest thing ever "and cute, too".

A few weeks later, in Wichita Falls, found a Big 5 hardwood special for $299.

How could I resist?

 

[336A]

Yup the Marlin 1894 series rifle are great I have a 1894SS .44 mag. I can get 1 1/2" groups at 100yd with mine. And they can turn a serious a trick or two on deer in very short order.

 

[kmrcstintn]

We're off to a great start; I didn't mean to exclude other 1894/1895 variant, so I edited the first posting to reflect the change...

 

[MrDig]

Bought one last winter used at a place called Frontiersman in the Mpls Area.
Needed a carbine to match my GP100 in .357 magnum and found one in excellent condition.
May have pics soon, need to do some checking

 

[Anotherguy]

Here's mine which I bought in early July of this year. Took a while to find a shop that had a new one in stock. These are not that easy to find new for some reason. Contrary to a recent thread about the poor quality and fit of wood stocks on these particular guns, I am very satisfied with the quality on this one. It's got some nice wood.

 

[kmrcstintn]

nice pics so far everyone...

Anotherguy...what scope, ring, and base combo do you have on that?

 

[glockman19]

Does anyone know where I can get or if they even ever made a 1894C in Stainless steel?

 

[JT'sDad]

For those looking to join the club... just for reference if you are looking used.
I sold this last month my Marlin 1894CS, 38/357 Lever Action. Bought in 1991, had the safety, smooth stock. Sold it for $350 FTF in California. Hope this helps if your checking around for used ones.

 

[molonlabetn]

I've got one... a .357/.38 1984CB, with the octagonal barrel and smooth walnut stock. Very nice. Probably my favorite plinker.

 

[Anotherguy]

nice pics so far everyone...

Anotherguy...what scope, ring, and base combo do you have on that?

That's a Weaver one piece base, #63B.
Weaver Quick Detach 1" rings, medium height. The scope is a Pentax "Gameseeker" 3-9 power, 40mm. It's not a high dollar scope but it's very sharp, clear and bright. Cost about $100. Works great.

It also has the Wild West Guns "trigger happy" one piece trigger which IMO is a vast improvement over the factory two piece trigger. I installed it in about twenty minutes. It does everything they claim it will. Well worth the $90.