Marlin Model 1895 Classic-quality and desirability of original JM model over later Remington and Ruger production

[albertacowboy]

This is my first post in a number of years after just reading the forums. I am getting back into collecting and I have always wanted a classic Marlin 1895 .45-70 Govt with 22-inch barrel, walnut stock, and open sights with 3/4 magazine. My question is: are the original JM production models sufficiently better in quality to prefer them to the later Remington models? Ruger does not currently produce the 1895 Classic.

In addition to the 1895, I am going to replace previously-sold Remington 700 BDL .300 WM, Winchester 94 Canadian Centennial commemorative .30-30, and Winchester Model 70 Alaskan .375 H&H Magnum. The fun of collecting for me is searching out a mint blued metal/wood example to match my military collection, which took many years of selective selling and replacement buying to assemble. I am 72 now after 35 years of collecting and shooting and want to leave a nice legacy for my son.

Many thanks,

Albertacowboy in Edmonton

 

[elKrusto]

My opinion is that the JM marlins are the best of the bunch. Lemington ones are crap and the new Ruglin ones are not as fantastic as everyone is saying. I have had several JM marlins and ALL were accurate and well made. My friend had a Lemington trapper 45-70 jammer, and I have had a Ruglin trapper 45-70, which was very good, and two Ruglin 1894 sbl 44 magnums. I sent one back to the store I bought it from as it was total garbage, and the other one was alright, but nothing exceptional. See picture of the crown on the one I sent back...... so much for Ruglin quality control....
I am dumb enough though that I will likely try a 336 trapper when enough come that I don't have to deal with all the scalpers out there wanting $3250 for them.....

 

[bearhunter]

OP, most of what you're going to get from these folks is their "opion" based on personal bias.

They would be correct when they tell you the JM Marlin rifles have superior finish and fit, but it ends there.

The later Marlins, Remington/Ruger clones are not fitted, nor finished as well, however I've never seen one fail to function in any manner, including loading, feeding, accuracy over the original JM when factory ammunition is being utilized.

There are lemons with all manufacturers, it happens.

It's like my dislike for Savage bolt action rifles of any model. They're fugly. I don't like looking at them, let alone carrying one. That doesn't mean, they aren't good, reliable rifles.

They had some issues a decade or so back with accuracy, but once they upgraded their equipment to new CNC, those issues were mostly fixed, except they're still fugly.

 

[LeverLane]

I agree with the post above. I purchased a remlin 1895 GBL and ABL for my daughters when they were born and have kept them unfired. The GBL's mag tube is not 100 percent straight but otherwise the fitting isn't bad on either. I also have a remlin 1895 dark series and GSBL that I have fired and both work flawlessly and are accurate. If I were to add another to my collection I would be looking for a JM stamped as the ones iv come across were very nice quality

 

[MosinMan13]

I’ve owned 4 Marlins now, 3 Remington and 1 JM.

The JM was an 1894 for the record, not an 1895, but it was a fine example, definitely reeked of craftsmanship.

I owned a 336, another 1894 (45LC) and my current 1895 (4570) all Remington. The 336 was clean, tight, the wood was presentable and the overall fit was acceptable. The 1894 was loose, I did have one extraction issue which may have been ammonia related but I had a strange groove forming in the bore. I never did figure it out and eventually sold it for parts. My 1895 is as nice to me anyways, in both fit and finish, function and material as the JM I previously owned, and nobody could convince me otherwise.

That said I’m not a collector, and the JM period weren’t all built equal so I’d sum it up with QC in the Remlin era is spotty at best.

 

[Canada1812]

Just got a replacement ruger 1894 sbl in 357 back from a warranty claim. Cartridges were jamming about halfway from the magtube onto the lifter and the whole gun was seizing up. Factory .38spl and 357. Gravel agency said the carrier assembly, finger lever, loading, gate, and lock were all parts needing replacement on the origional before they decided to just sent a replacement instead....

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

I bought an 1895 JM Marlin back in '77 that I used to get me one & only moose back then using Rem 405gr jacketed SP ammo.
T'was a nice shooting rifle & well made. Only bugga-boo with 'er for me was the Micro-Groove rifling which didn't work well with cast boolits
so I moved 'er on soon after,

 

[mephisto002]

Over time I owned probably 10+ Marlins, original JM, Remington and the new Ruger made ones.

Without any doubt, the JM Marlins are the best, fit, finish and performance.
I didn't like their micro groove rifling in the 1894 44 magnum, like others said this type of rifling is not well suited for cast bullets.

I had a couple of Remington for a short time, one was a Cowboy in 45/70, the wood stock finish was completely different on the butt stock to the fore arm, also the stocks where lose and couldn't be tightened.
The dealer, one of the "sponsors", blamed me, because I didn't mention that I wanted a rifle with matching stocks which are tight.
Some Remington 336 had enormous gaps between the wood and metal, sharp edges everywhere and gritty actions.

Recently I owned a Ruger Marlin 1894, and the quality is Meh...
The Rossi 92 i owned at the same time had superior workmanship, so did the Morrison I checked out last week.

The only Marlin I own today is a JM 1895 XLR stainless in 45/70, this rifle is excellent in every respect, cycles very smoothly and is very accurate.
Killed two buffalos.

 

[mkrnel]

I had heard or read that Marlin had started to notice that their very old and tired manufacturing machinery was getting excessively worn out and causing more frequent QC problems by the 1980's and early 1990's before they started to gradually replace or rebuild these old machines as time and money allowed.

They never quite got the work finished before they started to have big financing problems and then got bought out and taken over by Remington's parent company.

So it was claimed the best made and most trouble free Marlins were the pre-1960's up to early 1970's made ones.