Lever action, Marlin Vs. Winchester.
- Thread starter savagefan
- Start date
- Location
- Stellarton NS
Since the BLR and M99 don't come in pistol calibres anyway we can eliminate them.
The 1894 Marlin is probably your best bet, but you could look for a Uberti copy of the '73 Winchester as well or you might be able to find a Browning B92 or one of the Legacy sports 1892 Winchester repros'.
Pat
The 1894 Marlin is probably your best bet, but you could look for a Uberti copy of the '73 Winchester as well or you might be able to find a Browning B92 or one of the Legacy sports 1892 Winchester repros'.Pat
Winchester!
I have an original Win '86 SRC .45-70, five '94's in .30-30 and a '94AE Trapper in .357 Mag. No Marlins. Although, I would consider a Marlin .30-30 if I was going to scope it or one of the Marlin Cowboy's in .44 Mag with the cut rifling for using cast lead... There ya go...
I have an original Win '86 SRC .45-70, five '94's in .30-30 and a '94AE Trapper in .357 Mag. No Marlins. Although, I would consider a Marlin .30-30 if I was going to scope it or one of the Marlin Cowboy's in .44 Mag with the cut rifling for using cast lead... There ya go...
gunasauras
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Western Manitoba
savagefan said:
Go for it Man.....it's a blast.....I try to use a different calibre every year.....I almost tried 9mm Para year before last. I had a Spanish Destroyer rebarrelled in 9mm Para.....never got around to using it on deer though, although it was deadly on gophers to 100M with hollow points!
I've had up to 6 Wins, and gave them all away except the one I use now, 30-30, made in 1957. I gave my last one to my bro, Huntsman, which is a pre 64, mint, and kept the one I have now because it was well worn and has a real cowboy look to it.
I've killed 8 buffalo with a win 30-30 and at least 15 steers. Never had a failure or a prob. I like the look of the win much better than the Marlin, and the feel of the win is much nicer too.
I've killed 8 buffalo with a win 30-30 and at least 15 steers. Never had a failure or a prob. I like the look of the win much better than the Marlin, and the feel of the win is much nicer too.
Unregistered
Regular
- Location
- South Ontario
As someone who has gone through exactly the same dillema as the poster, I can lend some pretty relevant advice.
I had always wanted a Winchester, thanks to shows like the Rifleman or movies containing lever actions. Winchesters ad. campaign convinced me that the 1894 was the gun that won the west, despite the fact that it was designed 6 years before 1900. I liked the look of the Winchester, especially the smooth round stocks and lever loop versus Marlin's blocky construction and hunting chequering.
I searched the internet to see what people thought. Most people liked the Marlin for the reasons discussed here. Some people hung on to Winchester, but most of them appeared to have "Pre '64" designs. Only a handful spoke highly of their new pistol calibre Winchester 1894s.
I went to the gun store and tried out a used Winchester Trapper in .44 magnum, which was basically my ideal lever at the time. I found the action to be stiff and the action did rattle, and I found the top eject disconcerting and I hated the way the action would come through the bottom of rifle when you worked the action. It did not seem like it would be a particularly fast or smooth rifle unless you yanked the lever "like you stole the thing."
After some more consultation with CGN, I finally ordered a Marlin 1894C from Williams Arms, which was a bit more pricey than any Winchester as they all are. When I picked it up out of the box it was the sweetest handling little carbine I had ever seen. [Maybe even a bit too little, as I'm not sure about the size of the stock.] Anyway, I took it to the range eventually and the rifled was pretty much zeroed right out of the box, though I shot pretty lousy against the paper with it because I find it difficult to operate a lever action from the bench. Was 100% on cans at 25 yards. And fast I might add.
But, I was still kinda P.O.ed with my choice for several reasons. First, the action was a bit stiff despite my dry firing it about 1000 times and oiling and greasing it. Second the hammer spring was too strong and made lever operation difficult - you will be surprised and pi**ed off with how these things operate if this is your first 1894. Also, the lever loop hurt my hand. And rounds were HARD to feed.
As a solution to all of these problems, first I toop the 1894C to a gunsmith who has smoothed and reblued all contact surfaces. He also replaced the hammer spring with a lighter spring - beware as this can reduce reliability. I haven't fired it yet in this condition, but the difference in smoothness is like night and day.
Next, I left a spent casing in the feed ramp to jam it open so that the spring would give in a little. Now it is easier to feed.
Third, I got cool gloves to operate the lever with so it doesn't hurt. You can also cover the loop lever with leather. But when the action is smoothed it doesn't hurt as much anyway.
So after getting used to my first lever rifle, I had made some changes that made it the rifle I wanted to be. The gunsmith noted how the Marlin design is well-suited to smoothing-out.
Also, and this is huge, the Marlin is the easier rifle to clean I have ever owned. You will find this not to be the case with the Winchester should you choose to field strip it.
So I am pleased with my decision to go Marlin. In fact, after owning a Marlin for a while, the Winchester looks ugly. So don't worry too much about looks. And if you get a 336 which is a very nice rifle it will complement the 1894C.
I learned a lot in this process about lever action rifles, compared at least to the nothing I knew before. I would reccommend that you get a .44 calibre lever action, no matter which type it is. Fat rounds are SO MUCH EASIER to feed. .44 is expensive and magnum loads have more recoil than the .357 but they are SO MUCH EASIER TO FEED.
Also, thinking about how I wanted a light, short, fast-handling lever action rifle, it seems that what I really wanted was an 1892. I did not know that that option was avaliable. But an 1892 would be superior to an 1894 for these purposes. Some are being imported out West, I think, and Rossi makes them too (in .45 LC which is a GREAT calibre for leverguns, I think.) So there are ways to get an 1892. Winchester stopped making the 1892 because it was cheaper for them to just making variants of the 1894. The Marlin 1894 in pistol calibres is almost an 1892, but not as smooth.
If you just want a manual repeater to blast out pistol rounds, I might suggest an IMI Timberwolf or one of those new Colt Lightning clones that's being manufactured by a different company.
I had always wanted a Winchester, thanks to shows like the Rifleman or movies containing lever actions. Winchesters ad. campaign convinced me that the 1894 was the gun that won the west, despite the fact that it was designed 6 years before 1900. I liked the look of the Winchester, especially the smooth round stocks and lever loop versus Marlin's blocky construction and hunting chequering.
I searched the internet to see what people thought. Most people liked the Marlin for the reasons discussed here. Some people hung on to Winchester, but most of them appeared to have "Pre '64" designs. Only a handful spoke highly of their new pistol calibre Winchester 1894s.
I went to the gun store and tried out a used Winchester Trapper in .44 magnum, which was basically my ideal lever at the time. I found the action to be stiff and the action did rattle, and I found the top eject disconcerting and I hated the way the action would come through the bottom of rifle when you worked the action. It did not seem like it would be a particularly fast or smooth rifle unless you yanked the lever "like you stole the thing."
After some more consultation with CGN, I finally ordered a Marlin 1894C from Williams Arms, which was a bit more pricey than any Winchester as they all are. When I picked it up out of the box it was the sweetest handling little carbine I had ever seen. [Maybe even a bit too little, as I'm not sure about the size of the stock.] Anyway, I took it to the range eventually and the rifled was pretty much zeroed right out of the box, though I shot pretty lousy against the paper with it because I find it difficult to operate a lever action from the bench. Was 100% on cans at 25 yards. And fast I might add.
But, I was still kinda P.O.ed with my choice for several reasons. First, the action was a bit stiff despite my dry firing it about 1000 times and oiling and greasing it. Second the hammer spring was too strong and made lever operation difficult - you will be surprised and pi**ed off with how these things operate if this is your first 1894. Also, the lever loop hurt my hand. And rounds were HARD to feed.
As a solution to all of these problems, first I toop the 1894C to a gunsmith who has smoothed and reblued all contact surfaces. He also replaced the hammer spring with a lighter spring - beware as this can reduce reliability. I haven't fired it yet in this condition, but the difference in smoothness is like night and day.
Next, I left a spent casing in the feed ramp to jam it open so that the spring would give in a little. Now it is easier to feed.
Third, I got cool gloves to operate the lever with so it doesn't hurt. You can also cover the loop lever with leather. But when the action is smoothed it doesn't hurt as much anyway.
So after getting used to my first lever rifle, I had made some changes that made it the rifle I wanted to be. The gunsmith noted how the Marlin design is well-suited to smoothing-out.
Also, and this is huge, the Marlin is the easier rifle to clean I have ever owned. You will find this not to be the case with the Winchester should you choose to field strip it.
So I am pleased with my decision to go Marlin. In fact, after owning a Marlin for a while, the Winchester looks ugly. So don't worry too much about looks. And if you get a 336 which is a very nice rifle it will complement the 1894C.
I learned a lot in this process about lever action rifles, compared at least to the nothing I knew before. I would reccommend that you get a .44 calibre lever action, no matter which type it is. Fat rounds are SO MUCH EASIER to feed. .44 is expensive and magnum loads have more recoil than the .357 but they are SO MUCH EASIER TO FEED.
Also, thinking about how I wanted a light, short, fast-handling lever action rifle, it seems that what I really wanted was an 1892. I did not know that that option was avaliable. But an 1892 would be superior to an 1894 for these purposes. Some are being imported out West, I think, and Rossi makes them too (in .45 LC which is a GREAT calibre for leverguns, I think.) So there are ways to get an 1892. Winchester stopped making the 1892 because it was cheaper for them to just making variants of the 1894. The Marlin 1894 in pistol calibres is almost an 1892, but not as smooth.
If you just want a manual repeater to blast out pistol rounds, I might suggest an IMI Timberwolf or one of those new Colt Lightning clones that's being manufactured by a different company.
NAA said:I have an original Win '86 SRC .45-70, five '94's in .30-30 and a '94AE Trapper in .357 Mag.There ya go...
You have way too many of those stupid Winchesters and everybody says Marlins are better anyway. You should get rid of that SRC and buy 1 of those good Marlins, anyway 45-70 is way too powerful for the Cowboy action shooting.
enough said
Meanea
Otherwise having much respect for the Winchester 94 designer, the great John Moses Browning, and always wanted to know the difference between the Marlin 94 and Winchester 94, I truely enjoyed reading this post's answers, and will therefore continue to enjoy the very fine shooting qualities of my gold plate triggered, Micro rifled, .44 magnum, side ejecting Marlin.
Happy New Year !
Happy New Year !
Yes, I have have bagged several deer and two black bears with the .44 Magnum Marlin. Lately, I have been loading 180 Hornady "XLC" bulet for the .44, and find these bullets to shoot very accurately in my Marlin, but still have to shoot any game with that load. I used 240 grain bullet on all the game I bagged with the my, open sighted Marlin.
Also found out that it was difficult to load, long and very flat pointed, 300 grain bullet from the Marlin loading tube, and solved this problem by removing some metal from the top of the tube in order to avoid these long 300 grain bullet to "hang up" and jam the loading process of my Marlin. All other bullet, up to the 265 grain bullets, worked very well in my Marlin.
I love the leight weight and the fast handling qualities of the .44 Magnum Marlin.
Also found out that it was difficult to load, long and very flat pointed, 300 grain bullet from the Marlin loading tube, and solved this problem by removing some metal from the top of the tube in order to avoid these long 300 grain bullet to "hang up" and jam the loading process of my Marlin. All other bullet, up to the 265 grain bullets, worked very well in my Marlin.
I love the leight weight and the fast handling qualities of the .44 Magnum Marlin.
Unregistered
Regular
- Location
- South Ontario
savagefan said:
Hi,
You can buy IMI Timberwolf used on the forums sometimes, and the latest clone of the Lightning I know about is the Taurus Thunderbolt,
http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus_Thunderbolt.htm
though it is a bit long for my tastes.
One thing I learned though is that while short levers are handy, and you should buy a short lever for that purpose, long, heavy levers are more authentic. So a 20-26" barreled lever is not a bad idea if you're just shooting for fun.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
gold plated triggers..... ewwww
