Manedwolf said:
It's right on their website...
Yeah thats the 1895GS (stainless). It is a great little gun, I bought one last month right here in the THR rifle forum.
The OP says he saw one with laminated stock, which is the XLR pictured here.
Problem is the XLR doesn't come with the short barrel. What he
probably saw was an XLR that someone had cut down. That is getting to be VERY popular.
The XLR has a pistol grip stock where the 1895G/S has a straight stock.
From asking many folks about this, and about why Marlin doesn't make a short XLR, the general concensus was that the guide gun purpose is to be compact and easily carried and the pistol grip is too bulky, so Marlin decided not to make one. Funny that the gun they stole this idea from, the Co-Pilot, has a pistol grip stock. Maybe they were afraid of being sued?
MANY people (me included until I priced it) wanted the XLR laminate, pistol grip, but with short barrel.
Only way to get one currently is to have a 'smith cut it, and I didnt' want to spend the money on it. The fact that the OP said the one he saw had fiber optic sights also leads me to believe it was built up.
I'm hoping maybe Marlin will see the light and announce one at SHOT.
Unless of course the OP has seen a new model, which is doubtful. He probably saw a homemade XLR guide gun, which would be a GREAT thing to have.
As for the title "best", here's what Jeff Cooper had to say about this type. I agree with him 100%, but the price of the Jim West knocked me down.
This article was one of the Col's online commentaries in 1999.
We mention again that the annual award granted to the Marlin Guide Gun as "Gun of the Year," should properly have gone to Jim West's "Co-pilot." That abbreviated 45-70 lever gun is a grand idea for certain special uses, but the Marlin people evidently lifted the idea directly from Jim West of Anchorage without acknowledging it or paying him a cent. Interestingly enough, the Marlin people claim to be back-ordered on the Guide Gun. You have to wait. Jim West commences work on yours right now, or at least he could when I committed this to paper. The "Co-pilot" offers several features which are absent from the Guide Gun. It is a better deal all around.
It is a better deal all around.
If you have upwards of $2000 and a year to wait.......