16" barrelled 45-70. any out there?

driller212

driller212

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Just curious if anyone knows of any 45-70 cal rifle models that have a 16" barrel? I know marlin made a few marlin stp rifles with a 16" barrel, but they are rare and I have never heard of one in Canada.

I feel like it would be an all around great rifle to have.
 
With you all the way, I've been looking for one for years. The 18.5 is fine and dandy but I still find it's too long for heavy brush, the muzzle of my Guide Gun is noticeably more worn than the rest of it for that reason. It sticks out just that much farther past myself and does catch on/bang against stuff.
 
yea, I mean there is the "co-pilot" from wild west guns in alaska, but the price is quite steep and importing it could be a pain. It is a nice rifle worth a look though http://wildwestguns.com/copilot.html

but yea if rossi or marlin started making them I bet they would sell like crazy.

Also I am unsure if what they do at wild west would even be legal here... They are modifying barrels to be less than 18.5 inches...
 
Yup I've seen those wild west ones too - and didn't pursue for the same reasons. Hadn't considered that they are shortening those barrels, good catch they likely wouldn't fly here.

I'd sign up for one tomorrow, and don't understand either why nobody seems to offer a .45-70 in that length. Looking at how popular the Mare's Leg seems to be; and the .30-30 trapper & .44 mag carbines are.

Yup I've considered going the custom route before...maybe now that this made fresh in my mind again I'll follow up on that.
 
might consider a tc encore with a pistol brl (15") in that caliber and the whole gun would be under 31" in length. Only thing is it would be a single shot.
 
I know marlin made a few marlin stp rifles with a 16" barrel, but they are rare and I have never heard of one in Canada.
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Yes the Marlin 1895 STP "Trapper" .45-70 are rare but a few made it to Canada I know. A CGNer imported two here himself and has reported on them here a few times with pics. Never heard of any dealers importing that model.
 
I'm sure there is an advantage for someone who spends much of his time flying in helicopters, but other than that I don't see the very short .45/70 being of much of an advantage. On the down side both muzzle blast and recoil increase without any ballistic gain, although the loss in velocity would be at worse minimal. But the sight radius is shorter, so hitting at distance becomes more challenging. Would a 16" barreled rifle allow you to respond quicker if a bear stuck his head in your tent? Maybe, but if I was the bear I wouldn't my life to depend on the difference. A more important question might be how the abbreviated barrel might effect the handling characteristics of the rifle. If the rifle is very butt heavy, getting on target quickly, and getting the sights to settle down on target might prove difficult.
 
I have yet to handle a marlin 45-70 so I dont know about the balance of the rifle. However the intended use you outlined boomer is exactly what I am looking for. Something that fits in the helicopter, and would make a great camp gun for animal defense. But I also want to use it for hunting large game. I think I might just cave and get the 18.5" version at this point.
 
Boomer said:
I'm sure there is an advantage for someone who spends much of his time flying in helicopters, but other than that I don't see the very short .45/70 being of much of an advantage. On the down side both muzzle blast and recoil increase without any ballistic gain, although the loss in velocity would be at worse minimal. But the sight radius is shorter, so hitting at distance becomes more challenging. Would a 16" barreled rifle allow you to respond quicker if a bear stuck his head in your tent? Maybe, but if I was the bear I wouldn't my life to depend on the difference. A more important question might be how the abbreviated barrel might effect the handling characteristics of the rifle. If the rifle is very butt heavy, getting on target quickly, and getting the sights to settle down on target might prove difficult.
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They're not butt-heavy by design due to the tube mag. Sight radius is no problem on a Marlin, just mount your peep-sight on the receiver and do away with the factory buckhorns way out on the barrel. Lever actions chambered in pistol cartridges are fantastic in "trapper-length" configuration, but I don't know about 45-70 for most of the reasons Boomer stated above.
 
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@Driller212
I carried the 45-70 for a few seasons as an heli-engineer in the north. It is a sturdy, reliable, and powerful carbine. If it had a box mag it would be the perfect tool for getting in and out of the helicopter without having to cycle your ammo out of the tube.

For that reason alone, I now carry a Valtro PM5 12ga. I still take the Marlin when I go for a walk in the woods, just in case an elk should follow me back to the truck or something.
 
Nice! Gotta love you heli engineers! haha. Never seen one of you guys with a gun. Yea, I just seem to have 3 illnesses right now, 45-70 bug, lever bug, and the trapper length bug...
 
Ya you and me both...45-70 is still my favourite rifle, hands down. And for carrying them great distances through challenging terrain, every inch counts.

x2 for a detachable in a helicopter, I do (or was doing until this past year) a lot of heliwork and if you're getting bumped around a lot throughout the day, the constant unloading/loading does get tiresome real fast.
 
With regards to a detachable mag...
With practice one can load a break action single shot pretty quick...just saying.
 
All good points, boys, but I had concerns about cycling the ammo through the tube mag ten times a day. I love my Marlin guide gun, and would never want to be down range of the beast, but it isn't practical for my work.

Hunting, however, is another matter. When I take a rifle form a walk in the woods, I take the 45-70 for the safety, the reliability, and the stopping power of a heavy bulklet at high speed. I don't even mount a scope because after 150m I can neither see an animal nor can I judge the drop.

My little carbine is going into the woods this spring for a griz hunt. I'm the backup for my hunting partner of near 30 years; if he screws up annd P-Os a bear I get free drinks and a new rug.
 
driller212 said:
yea, I mean there is the "co-pilot" from wild west guns in alaska, but the price is quite steep and importing it could be a pain. It is a nice rifle worth a look though http://wildwestguns.com/copilot.html

but yea if rossi or marlin started making them I bet they would sell like crazy.

Also I am unsure if what they do at wild west would even be legal here... They are modifying barrels to be less than 18.5 inches...
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I just ordered a Wild West Co-Pilot they are legal in Canada, they have an exporter that they use to ship here. You need to get a import permit, which you can get your self our get a importer such as Prophit River to do it for you, if you don't want to do the paper work.i went for a 50 Alaskan not the 45/70, don't know if this makes a difference
 
DRC Firearms makes a takedown system for their lever guns that includes a cartridge retention system. This allows the magazine to remain loaded as the two parts of the rifle are separated. Might be a solution for the heli-guys.
 
driller212 said:
is brass etc for that caliber (50 alaskan) available?

by the way do you mind me asking the overall price of the rifle?
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Double Tap sells Starline brass,RCBS from Bullseye Reloading and Hornady or Cast bullets. Cost are $2600 for the stainless, $2400 for the parkerized, plus import cost. Expensive yes but I want something heavier for hiking in Grizzly country.
 
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