Another Marlin...Already????

[Kentucky Rifle]

Well, as most of you know, my wife just gave me a brand new Marlin 1894C, .357 Magnum lever action carbine. Although I haven't taken it out to the range yet due to my wife's upcoming surgery, I can just *feel that it's going to be a great rifle. 1894C's have an 18.5 inch barrel, I like the sights as they came from the factory, so the only addition this one gets is a sling.
However, yesterday I stopped by my gun shop "just to look". It turns out that the owner had been to an estate sale and had picked up several guns. One being a blue 1894 with a 20 inch barrel, chambered for .44 special/magnum with a Redfield scope on top. It looks great! Hardly a mark on it and the off-set hammer spur already attached, PLUS a nice sling. I tried the action a couple times to clear the rifle and see how it felt. Nice! It's what I expect my .357 will feel like after some Militec and working the action a couple hundred times.
This one is hard to resist. Does anyone (I KNOW you do!) have one and are you satisfied? Plus, regarding the Redfield scope~pretty good?? When I held it up to my eye, it seemed great. Very clear. Quickly, I gave it back. Being somewhat weak when it comes to nice firearms, I knew that if I held it any longer~I couldn't have let it go.
Opinions on the rifle and the scope please???

Thanks,
KR

 

[cratz2]

I only have the two 336s. Very pleased with them both. Also had an 1895CB with the
long octagon barrel. All very nice guns. My 30-30 is of 1963 vintage... The action
is so smooth it would make you wanna throw the new ones away. But they shoot
just fine. I put a Williams sight on the 30-30 but haven't shot much with it since.

I'd love to get one of the shorter, handier 44 Magnums someday... Probably an
older Winchester as they usually seem 'quicker' though less sturdy than the Marlins.

 

[swingcatt]

Yes, I have one of the 1894s in .44 Mag. Sweet shooting gun, accurate out to about 100 yards. Tames some very heavy .44 loads that are absolute hand bruisers. I have a plain jane Tasco 4x on mine, but am considering taking it off. It sorta ruins the lines of the gun, you know? I'd like to replace them with a set of reciever tang sights, eventually.

Got it for $200 off of one of my college profs about 10 years ago in perfect condition.

SC

 

[Scoob]

I have got the 1894 with 20 inch barrel in 44. I have only shot it a couple times so far, but I'm very pleased. The action is nice, and should loosen up with use. It barely recoils at all!

 

[Preacherman]

I have one, and like it. I've owned several Marlins in pistol calibers over the years, and while the 24-inch Cowboy versions with octagonal barrels were very nice to look at, in a pistol caliber, the extra length didn't add much to the velocity or improve the accuracy to speak of. The 18½" .357 and 20" .44 are about the best compromise between handiness and velocity. I still wish they'd bring out the .357 in a 20" barrel, though, so as to get the magazine capacity up to 10 rounds... at the moment the only way to do that is to go to the Cowboy model.