[desertdog]

Ok Marlin Brothers. I remember wanting to order the 1894 CB Limited in .357 after the turn of the century but couldn't fathom the $500 price tag and I was living off of student loans at the time. For the last three years I have been able to afford one but can't seem to find one locally. Going again to the Gunshow here in AZ but like before, I will probably not even see ONE marlin Lever except for .30-30's. I'm contemplating Gunbroker, although I hate the fact of buying a gun I cant handle first. There are several used 1895 CB's in town and I am tempted to buy one of those as I do have a 1894css in .357 and a Winchester Trapper in .45.

 

[gyrhed]

Totally a matter of prefernce. I see a 45-70 as a working gun. I have it to do a specific task. I am not a cowboy action shooter and will never be. It is a tool. The 26" barrel is a waste on a smokeless 45-70, as is paying the extra money for the octagonal barrell. The extra lenght makes the thing a real hassel in a deer stand or in thich brush. So in my little world the 45-70CB is basically a good looking toy that kicks like a mule. I might buy one if I got it right but its not on my list of must haves.

The 357 CB on the other hand is more of a toy. In the 20" octagonal barrel it is a very good field gun. It is balanced well and is very short and handy. I will shoot it and carry it from time to time to shoot deer or hogs. But it gets carried only to certian deers stands where I know the range will be short and normally when I am meat hunting. So it is more of a plinker than a hnter. In my opinion they are so much more fun to shoot that the 45-70 that it not even a comparison.

Unfortunately my 357 CB fills the same bill as another working gun. I have an AR15 in 6.8 SPC. If not for it I would carry the CBa lot more than I do. It is ballistically superior to the 357, in a lighter, shorter, package, and a heck of a lot more firepower for when I need to deal with multiple hogs. It is always in the truck on the ranch and gets carried to every deerstand where I expect shots out to but not to exceed 300 yards. I have one deer stand where I can justify carrying teh CB.

All that being said its still like a coin flip dependant upon how you will use the rifle. If you want a plinker athat doubles as a short range hunter then the 357 is it. Most people actually do not give up much range using the 357 over the 45-70 due to the rainbow like tragectory of the 45-70. But the 45-70 is a good accurate long range rifle and if you learn how it is easy to make kills on deer to 300 yards.

 

[Eli Chaps]

You do understand that 1894CB's in .357 are going for waaaaaay more than $500 these days right?

I respectfully disagree gyrhed on the 26" bbl'd 1895CB as being a waste. I have Marlins that range from 16-26" and the 26" CB has the best handling and balance of any of them. The long sight plane is also very nice for iron sight shooting as we ALL KNOW putting a scope on a Cowboy is pure blasphemy! I drag a 24" bbl'd Mossy 835 around in the turkey woods and don't give it any thought as I bet a whole lot of other folks do too (Mossy or otherwise).

My CB certainly isn't my first choice for hitting with the woods with but it wouldn't be all that bad for the task either. And for desert work it might be real nice.

At ~8lbs with factory (or equal) loads I find it is pretty easy to shoot. I'm not a big fan of shooting any 45/70 from the bench for more than a few rounds and off hand the CB really shines.

 

[desertdog]

Thanks for the advice. I did find an 1894 CB today at the Phoenix Gun Show. It was a .44 mag. Not what I was looking for, but some how that rifle ended up going home with me.

Thought I had posted this in the Cowboy Rifle Section, so if a mod can please move it there.


Here are some pics. Might trade it to someone with a .45 but once I shoot it I might want to keep it. I like that the .44 mag can get into the 1500 fps range. Love the way these rifles look and how they feel. GREAT Balance like all of you have been writing for the past three years I have been reading about these. I am just unfamilar with the .44 Mag. Anyone have this rifle in different calibers and can chime in on the pro's and cons of the .44 versus the other. 03XXXXX Serial..so I'm assuming 97 . Few safe dings, but looks to be in real good shape. if I keep it, I'll refinish the stock with oil, HATE the stock looking finish or will order the crecent stock from Treebone. Really excited to have a 24 Inch...still deciding on the .44 mag.

I

 

[eaglesnest]

Make mine a 45/70 Cowboy, I just love those long octagon barrels! Second choice would be an 1894 CB with a 24" barrel in 45 Colt.. Either would do... ;D

 

[buckeyeshooter]

for casual shooting the pistol caliber will be more economical and will have less recoil. If you bought it to hunt with, hard to fault the 45/70.
I own several of both---- maybe that is the best way to go?

 

[gyrhed]

I think I said for me the 26" barrel in a 45-70 is a pure waste, you can have them all. I did also say I liked the way they looked though didn't I. If I didn't I meant to.

His whole question boils down to a matter of taste and use. Not to any hard and fast rules.

I do agree whole heartedly that any scope on a CB is just wrong, and I will extend it to most lever guns, especially the 1894 calibers.

That is of course until my eyes get worse and I can no longer use the tang sites.

 

[lever addict]

Thanks for the advice. I did find an 1894 CB today at the Phoenix Gun Show. It was a .44 mag. Not what I was looking for, but some how that rifle ended up going home with me.

Thought I had posted this in the Cowboy Rifle Section, so if a mod can please move it there.


Here are some pics. Might trade it to someone with a .45 but once I shoot it I might want to keep it. I like that the .44 mag can get into the 1500 fps range. Love the way these rifles look and how they feel. GREAT Balance like all of you have been writing for the past three years I have been reading about these. I am just unfamilar with the .44 Mag. Anyone have this rifle in different calibers and can chime in on the pro's and cons of the .44 versus the other. 03XXXXX Serial..so I'm assuming 97 . Few safe dings, but looks to be in real good shape. if I keep it, I'll refinish the stock with oil, HATE the stock looking finish or will order the crecent stock from Treebone. Really excited to have a 24 Inch...still deciding on the .44 mag.

I

Desertdog I don't know what you paid for your 24" Cowboy in .44 mag, but that is becoming a RARE one! After one went on Gunbroker in a bidding war in the $1600 range I let mine go for $975! Do what you want, but that is one very sought after Cowboy you have there in the .44 mag! Hold on to it, sell it for a pile of money, but trade it!!!!!! You might be able to sell it for enough cash to buy two Marlins! Though i'm not sure what the gun market is like now.

 

[T-Bone]

I respectfully disagree gyrhed on the 26" bbl'd 1895CB as being a waste. I have Marlins that range from 16-26" and the 26" CB has the best handling and balance of any of them.

+1

The long sight plane is also very nice for iron sight shooting as we ALL KNOW putting a scope on a Cowboy is pure blasphemy!

-1. I suck at iron sights past 50 yards. I just can't seem to manage them with progressive bi-focals. :-[

I drag a 24" bbl'd Mossy 835 around in the turkey woods and don't give it any thought as I bet a whole lot of other folks do too (Mossy or otherwise).

+1

My CB certainly isn't my first choice for hitting with the woods with but it wouldn't be all that bad for the task either. [snip]

At ~8lbs with factory (or equal) loads I find it is pretty easy to shoot. I'm not a big fan of shooting any 45/70 from the bench for more than a few rounds and off hand the CB really shines.

+1

Eli, you did a good defense. ;D

Gyrhed,

I know you feel you were only expressing your opinion, but if you don't want to get called on something you may want to avoid calling something as fine as a Marlin cowboy a "toy rifle" and "a waste". Besides, you may want to reconsider your thoughts on the 1895CB. You will find that the extra length gives some powders more time to burn and correspondingly adds as much as 400 fps to your load! As to balance I have never shot a rifle that pointed as naturally as a 26" cowboy. Add to that the extra capacity, it can come in pretty handy in feral hog country where they can run in herds of 20 or more.

Just something to think about.

 

[drjjpdc]

Desertdog,

I understand about your trepidation about GB, but this is the way I feel. I live in NJ with virtually no gun shows, unless I travel into PA or upstate NY. If I did not use GB I would be stuck buying all new guns or used guns locally where the selection for non-standard calibers (stuff other than .30-06 or .30-.30) is limited at best.

I can truthfully say in 3 years I have never gotten stuck by GB or even EB. Of course I only buy domestically (USA), use only large sellers with lots of feedback, and pictures are a must. I am not saying that this eliminates unsavory transactions, but it goes a long way to reducing them!

John

 

[MOUNTAIN WILLIAM]

I'll second the need for lots of pics but it's essential to make sure that the pics are of the Actual gun being bid on, not just a representative type. Try to get a pic showing the actual serial number too. If you itemize your questions that will help ensure that you receive replies to each one, otherwise some may go unanswered. I always pay with a Postal Money order and send everything by Priority Mail with confirmation of delivery. If nothing else it's good for your peace of mind.
Good luck!

 

[gyrhed]

+1

-1. I suck at iron sights past 50 yards. I just can't seem to manage them with progressive bi-focals. :-[

+1

+1

Eli, you did a good defense. ;D

Gyrhed,

I know you feel you were only expressing your opinion, but if you don't want to get called on something you may want to avoid calling something as fine as a Marlin cowboy a "toy rifle" and "a waste". Besides, you may want to reconsider your thoughts on the 1895CB. You will find that the extra length gives some powders more time to burn and correspondingly adds as much as 400 fps to your load! As to balance I have never shot a rifle that pointed as naturally as a 26" cowboy. Add to that the extra capacity, it can come in pretty handy in feral hog country where they can run in herds of 20 or more.

Just something to think about.

I will say it again this type stuff is a matter of prefernce. I hate to write this out loud but some people think cowboy action shooters are just a bunch of little children that never grew up. Some people think lever actions are useless relics. Some people even think the 45-70 is a waste of powder brass and lead. I am also willing to bet that the extra 4" of bearrel is a waste with ALL Factory loads and probably amounts to arround 100FPS in total velocity increase, and until you start playing with intentionally slow powders you never see any real difference.

Maybe you people shouldn't take yourselves so seriously. I have toy guns and I have working guns. The working guns are my 700 Rem, my AR, my red label, etc. They are beat up and shows all the signs of heavy heavy field use. My toy guns include the M1 garand, most of my handguns, and my very own 357 1894 CB. I tend to be very careful with these guns and they rarely see inclement weather. They are toys in that the only reason I even own them is for the enjoyment of having and shooting something different. When push comes to shove and something has to go. The toys go first and only the working guns will remain Geez get a life.

I will call BS on 4" of extra barrel giving you 400 FPS more in a 45-70. ROTFLMAO Come on!! Even it it happens with some stupid @$$ slow powder that wasn't even appropriate for the short barrel, it don't mean anything unless you can crank up a 300 grain loading that I get 2350 out of my 22" to to like 2800 fps in a 26" barrel and that ain't happening.

 

[desertdog]

Thanks DRJ and Mountain M on the GB stuff. I think sending a MO for about $1000 to someone hoping they send back a gun is kind of scary, but it sounds like most of you have no worries.


Thanks for the info Leveraddict. A dealer had come over from Kaliforniastan and had a $695 price tag on it. He said he had to charge tax. It was the first "1894 Cowboy" I had seen at an AZ gun show in the past 3 years I had been looking. I told him I was looking for another caliber and said I'd think about it. I went through the entire gunshow and kept thinking I couldn't go wrong for the price and I could always get .44 mag dies or trade it. So I got him down to $700 out the door. I figured if Remington does start making them again they will be be in the $800 range and they wont' be as good of quality. I was kind of regretting the buy as I searched for .44 ammo as I now used up my funds is a .45 or .357 Limited pops up locally...but your post makes me feel like I made the right move.

Gyrhead, I see your point. The smaller pistol calibers do feel more like toys when you you hold that 1895 beast and the 45-70 round in your hand. But I'm not so sure I'd shoot it that much as I will shoot this. does the 44 mag kick any more than hot loaded .357's out of the rifle? Have only shot . 44 mag in a handgun!!! I'm assuming it won't kick. My 1894css does feel like a toy when I'm at the range.

Also though you cowboy fans would like to know that I after I bought the Marlin I found piece of Elk Antler for $15 at the show. I find sheds, but they are never big enough for single action grips.

Spent today making a scabbard for the the New Marlin and grips for one of my .45 vaqueros. Went to fast on the grips, but I don't think I will every put Polymer or plastic on any gun I carry, this ELK looks and feels solid. Made the scabbard out of a $5 of Bucksin scrap I picked up at a SASS event out there in AZ a month ago. Going to do some beadwork on it. So for $20 in materials and $5 for the escutcheon and sinews, I've spiced up my firearms in about 6 hours time with a break for some Red Chile and stopping to watch certain scenes from "El Dorado" that was on. Life is good. Thanks to everyone for the advice, just need to shoot this now.

 

[desertdog]

You do understand that 1894CB's in .357 are going for waaaaaay more than $500 these days right?

My CB certainly isn't my first choice for hitting with the woods with but it wouldn't be all that bad for the task either. And for desert work it might be real nice.

At ~8lbs with factory (or equal) loads I find it is pretty easy to shoot. I'm not a big fan of shooting any 45/70 from the bench for more than a few rounds and off hand the CB really shines.

Eli, I'll take some pics of it out in the desert for you. Excited to see what the longer barrell can do, it balances so much better than my 1894. Any advice on sites? Was thinking a skinner peep but really like the look of the tank sites. Does the tang site get in the way of your shooting hand???????

 

[JEB308]

Desertdog, I think you done very well getting a CB rifle for that price. Your lucky someone didn't come behind you and buy that thing while you was making your mind up. This is usually what happens to me when i hezitate on a purchase. Also, your lucky to live in an area that the CB's seem popular in. I myself recently purchased a CB 24''er in 357 from a gentleman there in AZ for 650.00. Here they just don't seem to very popular and about all i see at the shows is the 336 30/30's. I too rely a lot on GB for finding firearms i'm interested in, nock on wood i havn't been burnt yet. One thing is I have to be very carful or I will get caught up bidding and pay way too much. I think you will really like the 44mag,

 

[AINT NO FISH]

Desertdog,
I have purchased several Marlins from GB. So far, all great, but kinda of pricey ( no where close to $1600.00). I buy from sellers having multiple positive feedback scores, been lucky. I do have both .357 and .44 in '94 CB's with the 24" barrel. I recently asked about the twist rate in the .44 being slower that the other cowboys, you might want to check out my post in 1894s. Eaglesnest provided some really good info. As to finishing, you plan to chemically strip it? How are you going to deal with the checkering, nylon bristle brush with stripper? What kind of oil are you planning to use? I totally relate to your disregard for the unsavory look of the Marlin plastic finish.
Hey, what's up with "Kaliforniastan" anyway, looks like you're mixing your metaphors real good. Is there a problem with gun dealers from California??
Oh, also, a point of interest: the three rifles I bought from GB were advertised as "No sales to California"
For some reason there seems to be some paranoid, knee jerk, response about fantom, resrtrictive gunlaws in California, that DON'T exist. I educated all three as to reality of California DOJ regulations and bought the guns. No one was spirited away in the night nor thrown a gulag in the Mojave desert.
Just for the record, I am also old enough to remember when a kid could shoot anywhere out in the open (formerly) spaces in southern California, 365 days out of the year. That was before everybody from the rest of the country moved out here an wrecked it good for the second and third generation dwellers!!

 

[Bruiser]

Desertdog,

I saw you asked about the kick of the .44 mag so I thought I'd post my experience with it.

Back when I was stationed in Las Vegas I stumbled on a 1894 in .44 Mag. It had one of those new crossbolt safeties that I had heard about and I wasn't to keen on that but it did have some really nice looking wood on it so I did the deal.

A week later I headed out to one of my favorite shootin' spots on the back side of Sunrise Mountain and fired it for the first time. OMG, I hated it! It felt like it kicked like a mule. Much more than the .35 Remington I had. It had a scope on it and I'd lose sight of my target after every shot. Boy, I was not a happy camper.

I was talking about it with a fella i worked with later that week and he asked me if I shot it without the scope and I said no. He suggested I take the scope off and try it again. He told me that some guns just "feel" better without a scope and that since I had never shot a scoped rifle before he thought I might like it better with out the scope.

Well it was a few weeks before I got to try that out and all I can say is what a difference. That rifle was the sweetest shooting rifle I had once that scope was off. There's some recoil, but not bad at all. I think you will really like it. We'll be waiting for the field report.


-Bob George

 

[lever addict]

I had the 44 mag in a Marlin with a 24" and 20" barrel and I don't think they kick bad at all. I would shoot near max Ruger/Marlin loads out of them with 250 gr bullets! Now those loads out of my Ruger Super Blackhawk with 10.5" barrel now that kicked like a muel, but my 18 yr old 110 lb daughter shot it and loved it!

 

[desertdog]

As to finishing, you plan to chemically strip it? How are you going to deal with the checkering, nylon bristle brush with stripper? What kind of oil are you planning to use? I totally relate to your disregard for the unsavory look of the Marlin plastic finish.
Hey, what's up with "Kaliforniastan" anyway, looks like you're mixing your metaphors real good. Is there a problem with gun dealers from California??

Fish, I'm think I've settled on buying a repro crecent stock and forarm and just saving the checkered MARLIN stock. Then I wonder do I really need an extra stock sitting in a box? Do I really want to be inletted 5%-10% of the stock myself and then the crecent buttplate??? But the brush and stripper in the checkering sounds tedious as well. I'm torn, but that Old Tyme Crecent Look is really what I want. I think as soon as I shoot it, and decided if I'm keeping the Mag, then I'll make a stock decision.


Ha, I have alot of issues with Kalifornia. It's probably more the immigrants coming to AZ by the Escalade and Hummer load that really gets, me or that Senator who shall not be named.

 

[desertdog]

Hmmmm...seems the recoil is different to all. Interested to see how it is for me. especially since I just bought Carbide Dies for the 44 mag and some Brass :0 I know my 77 Winchester 94, .30-.30 with a crecent stock kicks like a Mule. One reason I decided NOT to get the 45-70. I'm going to load up some Plinking Rounds with. SNS 240 Grain LRNFP's over light powder and I bought A Box of 240 grn XTP's and I'll use 296 with for some kick. Hopefully shooting this SUnday and I'll post some pics and feedback.