Hi Folks - my wife and I just got a pair of new lever action rifles under the Christmas tree and I thought I'd post a quick comparison. Here are some objective and subjective differences.
The rifles are both new production and both are chambered for .44 Mag.
Winchester 1892 Carbine
Marlin Classic Series Model 1894
The Winchester weighs 5lbs 12 oz - claimed weight is 6lbs 0 oz
The Marlin weighs 6lbs 1 oz - claimed weight is 6.4 bs, or about 6lbs 6oz
Both rifles have an overall length of 37.5" from heel of the stock to muzzle. Keep in mind that the Winchester has more curvature in butt plate than the Marlin.
LOP on Winchester is 13.125" - factory claim is 12.75"
On the Marlin it is 13.5" vs claim of 13.63"
Muzzle diameter on both are very close although the Winchester's 0.637" is ever so slightly slimmer than 0.639" for the Marlin. The magazine tube is closer to the same length as the barrel on the Winchester. On the Marlin it is recessed a bit more.
So the Winchester weighs 5oz less, which is almost 1/3 lb. To me the difference feels more, but I think that is partially because the Marlin's fore-end is quite a but thicker. Measured at the center of the checkering and roughly at the same place of the Winchester, the Marlin is 0.170" thicker at it's maximum width. It doesn't sound like much, but the Marlin gets thicker by the palm of your hand whereas the Winchester stays slim. The Winchester feels much more "dainty" in this regard.
The Winchester has a tang mounted safety and the Marlin has a crossbolt style safety. Both make similar amounts of noise but the Winchester feels smoother. The one thing to consider is that I can put the Winchester's safety on and off with the rifle shouldered and I'm holding the grip, whereas I can take the safety off on the Marlin while shouldered but have to take my hand off the grip for my thumb to reach the safety to engage it again. For left handed people it would be the opposite - i.e can put safety on but not take it off. I don't know if it makes too much of a practical difference, but I think the Winchester safety is more convenient to use.
The metal finish is very nice on both rifles. The Winchester has much more shine to it and the Marlin is quite matte and dull in comparison. The fit of the wood is better on the Marlin. You can see the wood to metal transition is very good on the Marlin and proud on the Winchester. I prefer the finish of the wood on the Winchester - it is a more natural looking oil finish. The finish on the Marlin is nice, but it looks more like a stain and is a bit unnaturally dark to me. The checkering on the Marlin is sharp and crisp with no flaws. The Winchester does not have checkering. The Marlin has a thin, firm butt pad and the Winchester has a much more curved metal butt plate. The top of the Winchester's butt plate is quite wide and rounded, unlike a crescent butt plate. The Marlin has swivel studs for mounting a sling whereas the Winchester has none.
The rear sights are both listed as semi-buckhorn, but on the Winchester it is a much taller, whereas the rear sight on the Marlin is quite a bit flatter. They both seem ok for my older eyes. The front sight on the Winchester is a gold bead and on the Marlin it is a white bead. The Marlin's bead seems a touch bigger and easier for me to see. I like it better than the Winchester's sight. The Marlin's front sight is also hooded.
The trigger guard on the Winchester's lever is quite a bit bigger, so I think it would work better than the Marlin. The lever opens approximately 90 degrees on both rifles, but the Winchester feels smoother and lighter. Both are new so that may change. The Winchester's lever is also rounded off compared to the more square opening on the Marlin. The Winchester has a smaller cross-hatched section on the hammer to aid with grip. On the Marlin the majority of the hammer has jimping, if that is what you call it.
I haven't fired them so I can't say anything about trigger or function at this point.
My overall impression is that they are both well made, but the Marlin does have better fit when transition from metal to wood. The Winchester is more of a classic look and feel. To me it is prettier and feels lighter in the hand. The Marlin seems more utilitarian, with a bit of a chunky feel compared to the lithe Winchester. The sling swivel studs, hooded front sight with larger front bead, recoil pad and drilled and tapped receiver point more to the aim of usefulness in the field versus more rigid adherence to tradition. While it's not bad at all, I hope the Marlin's action will both smoothen and lighten with use. The Winchester is better in this regard.
Tough to choose between the two. The Marlin was $150 more expensive, even though the Winchester has nicer wood and the metal finishing is more polished. If I had to, I think I would take the Marlin as I like to hunt. For nostalgia, plinking and messing around the Winchester will be much nicer IMO. Actually, I don't know, they are both nice!
The rifles are both new production and both are chambered for .44 Mag.
Winchester 1892 Carbine
Marlin Classic Series Model 1894
The Winchester weighs 5lbs 12 oz - claimed weight is 6lbs 0 oz
The Marlin weighs 6lbs 1 oz - claimed weight is 6.4 bs, or about 6lbs 6oz
Both rifles have an overall length of 37.5" from heel of the stock to muzzle. Keep in mind that the Winchester has more curvature in butt plate than the Marlin.
LOP on Winchester is 13.125" - factory claim is 12.75"
On the Marlin it is 13.5" vs claim of 13.63"
Muzzle diameter on both are very close although the Winchester's 0.637" is ever so slightly slimmer than 0.639" for the Marlin. The magazine tube is closer to the same length as the barrel on the Winchester. On the Marlin it is recessed a bit more.
So the Winchester weighs 5oz less, which is almost 1/3 lb. To me the difference feels more, but I think that is partially because the Marlin's fore-end is quite a but thicker. Measured at the center of the checkering and roughly at the same place of the Winchester, the Marlin is 0.170" thicker at it's maximum width. It doesn't sound like much, but the Marlin gets thicker by the palm of your hand whereas the Winchester stays slim. The Winchester feels much more "dainty" in this regard.
The Winchester has a tang mounted safety and the Marlin has a crossbolt style safety. Both make similar amounts of noise but the Winchester feels smoother. The one thing to consider is that I can put the Winchester's safety on and off with the rifle shouldered and I'm holding the grip, whereas I can take the safety off on the Marlin while shouldered but have to take my hand off the grip for my thumb to reach the safety to engage it again. For left handed people it would be the opposite - i.e can put safety on but not take it off. I don't know if it makes too much of a practical difference, but I think the Winchester safety is more convenient to use.
The metal finish is very nice on both rifles. The Winchester has much more shine to it and the Marlin is quite matte and dull in comparison. The fit of the wood is better on the Marlin. You can see the wood to metal transition is very good on the Marlin and proud on the Winchester. I prefer the finish of the wood on the Winchester - it is a more natural looking oil finish. The finish on the Marlin is nice, but it looks more like a stain and is a bit unnaturally dark to me. The checkering on the Marlin is sharp and crisp with no flaws. The Winchester does not have checkering. The Marlin has a thin, firm butt pad and the Winchester has a much more curved metal butt plate. The top of the Winchester's butt plate is quite wide and rounded, unlike a crescent butt plate. The Marlin has swivel studs for mounting a sling whereas the Winchester has none.
The rear sights are both listed as semi-buckhorn, but on the Winchester it is a much taller, whereas the rear sight on the Marlin is quite a bit flatter. They both seem ok for my older eyes. The front sight on the Winchester is a gold bead and on the Marlin it is a white bead. The Marlin's bead seems a touch bigger and easier for me to see. I like it better than the Winchester's sight. The Marlin's front sight is also hooded.
The trigger guard on the Winchester's lever is quite a bit bigger, so I think it would work better than the Marlin. The lever opens approximately 90 degrees on both rifles, but the Winchester feels smoother and lighter. Both are new so that may change. The Winchester's lever is also rounded off compared to the more square opening on the Marlin. The Winchester has a smaller cross-hatched section on the hammer to aid with grip. On the Marlin the majority of the hammer has jimping, if that is what you call it.
I haven't fired them so I can't say anything about trigger or function at this point.
My overall impression is that they are both well made, but the Marlin does have better fit when transition from metal to wood. The Winchester is more of a classic look and feel. To me it is prettier and feels lighter in the hand. The Marlin seems more utilitarian, with a bit of a chunky feel compared to the lithe Winchester. The sling swivel studs, hooded front sight with larger front bead, recoil pad and drilled and tapped receiver point more to the aim of usefulness in the field versus more rigid adherence to tradition. While it's not bad at all, I hope the Marlin's action will both smoothen and lighten with use. The Winchester is better in this regard.
Tough to choose between the two. The Marlin was $150 more expensive, even though the Winchester has nicer wood and the metal finishing is more polished. If I had to, I think I would take the Marlin as I like to hunt. For nostalgia, plinking and messing around the Winchester will be much nicer IMO. Actually, I don't know, they are both nice!
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