Marlin straight stock vs. pistol grip...why?

[LooseGrouper]

Looking at the Marlin catalogue recently has me wondering why they offer only straight stocks on some models of their lever guns, and only pistol grips on others. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.

39A...pistol grip only.

Pistol caliber 1894...straight only (with the exception of the .41 mag...why???)

.30 / .35 rifle cartridge 336...pistol grip only.

"Big bore" .45-70/.444/.450 cartridge 1895...a mix of both.

It sort of follows along the lines of "long barrels get pistol grips; short barrels get straight," but not completely.

So what's the deal? Does it have something to do with intended use and the supposed benefits of either style? If so, what are those benefits?

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but not being able to get an 1894 in .357 that feels the same as my 336 annoyed me a little.

LG

 

[grimjaw]

You can find the 336 in a straight grip, but it's rare. I don't know the reason for the decision to go that way, though.

jm

 

[Brian Williams]

Find a 41 mag 1894 with the PG stock, swap the stock and lower trigger group and you will be in fine shape. Many folks out there are looking for a 1894 41 mag with the straight stock. You could probably make some money on this swap.

 

[Shawnee]

On rifles, the straight grip was mostly to accomodate use in a simple scabbard. It was/is also easier/cheaper to make a straight-grip stock using stockmaking tools and techniques circa 1860s and before.

On shotguns, the straight (or "English") stock was first intended to accomodate a slight shift in the shooter's hand as they reached for the second trigger and thus later it became ingrained in the traditional English school of wingshooting even after the advent of the reliable barrel selectors and single trigger.

HTH

 

[rockstar.esq]

I'd noticed the weirdness with the .41mag myself. Due to a badly reset broken arm I find straight grip stocks painful. Although they "exist" I haven't actually manhandled a .45-70 Marlin with a pistol grip. The closest I got was a .450 marlin in their quasi long range / long barrel setup.

 

[Slugless]

I have a 39A Mountie with a straight stock. I don't like shooting it compared to a friends 39A with a pistol grip.

I'd like to get a pistol grip stock for it but will probably just try to shoot it a bunch more to get used to it.

 

[byf43]

Find a 41 mag 1894 with the PG stock, swap the stock and lower trigger group and you will be in fine shape. Many folks out there are looking for a 1894 41 mag with the straight stock. You could probably make some money on this swap.

At a local gunshow last weekend, one gunshop (vendor) had an 1894CB in .41 magnum.
It was marked down to less than $550.

(This guy is notoriously HIGH. It WAS $769.00!)