1895SBL vs Model 94

Good choice op.




Give these guys a try for ammo. Good prices and they use new Starline brass.


https://www.steinelammo.com/

Get some good gun leather makes for better cheekweld.........https://rlocustomleather.com/products

jmr40 said:

In the 1890's 30-30 killed off the 45-70 because hunters found it to be the more effective cartridge, even for moose. 45-70 was basically dead from the 1890's to 1973 when revived by Marlin with colorful advertising. I've had both, neither would be my choice for what you want to do, but I'd choose 30-30 for your uses.

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You still regurgitating this baseless nonsense and then not responding to any retort??? I have never heard of anyone who owns a bunch of leverguns hate on them the way you do.

Jbird45 said:

Krusty,

I see you own the same rifle. I was reading the manual and familiarizing myself with the rifle tonight and I noticed at full cock that the trigger can move forward and is loose. It does not affect trigger pull and still functions. It does not mention this in the manual. Is this normal or should I bring it in to get looked at? None of my other firearms do this but this is my first marlin and my first lever.

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It's funny but I had never payed attention to that. Mine does the same thing but functions normally.

Just don't push it forward.

Jbird45 said:

Thanks for looking. I won't worry about it. It seems like a wonderful fun. The fit and finish are pretty nice. My only complaint is how stiff the loading gate is

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I went and looked it up. Marlin Trigger Flop. While some are bothered by it they are like that by design. If it bothers you a Wild West Guns "Happy Trigger" or a trigger from Ranger Point Precision will correct it.

Ranger Point also has a loading gate that corrects the stiffness.

https://www.rangerpointstore.com/marlin-loading-gate-spring-flyweight-fast-easy-smooth/

One nice advantage of a .45-70 Marlin over a .30-30 Marlin is that the cartridge does not depend on velocity for it's stopping power. A .45-70-405 grain cast lead bullet will do more at 1300 FPS than a .30-30-170 grain JSP will at 2200 FPS. Trajectory isn't as good though, but good enough.
Slug your bore and order a bullet mold .002" oversize and you can crank out wheel-weight alloy slugs for hunting and target shooting for much less than factory loads, even if you have to buy scrap lead.

Such loads dropped bison in the 19th century, and moose, elk, and black bear well into the 20th century. And still does today.

Jbird45 said:

My only complaint is how stiff the loading gate is

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While this is a common complaint, it might also be your technique. I usually press firmly inward against the bullet of the cartridge with my index finger tip to open the gate, and then push the base inward and home with my thumb.

I am personally not the greatest fan of the SBL configuration. The full rail adds a little weight that is not welcome for me. Nonetheless, you can’t go wrong and made an excellent choice with the 1895SBL.

My ideal 1895 would be the SBL barrel and magazine configuration with a straight grip stock and thinned out forend like is on a CB Model. At that point the user could option it to their tastes with whichever rails or sights they wanted.

Basically an 1895 STP with 18” barrel.

I have a Winchester (Pre 64) Model 94 in .32 WS and a Marlin CL in .45lc. The throw and action of the Marlin is much smoother. Given equal calibers it would seem to be an easier gun to cycle when hunting - but, that is not the case. The .45lc is in my mind not up to the job. The Marlin is for fun, the Winny for deer. I have never owned a 45-70. I can say that you do see .30-30 for sale everywhere, 45-70 not so much although I think it would not be that hard to find. I used to, but no longer reload so I don't know how that goes.

Late to the table but my 94 in 30-30 is my favorite stalking rifle. Light slim and the 30-30 is plenty. It's killed a lot of everything in North America. I can't comment on the Marlin or 45-70.