Marlin 1895 SBL
- Thread starter StG58
- Start date
OP
ohiopatriot
TJ Enthusiast
I have the 1895 Guide Gun I just picked up a few months ago. Same gun with walnut stock, blued barrel, no picatiny rail, different sights and a shorter mag tube
OP
How's the fit and finish? How do they shoot? I'm in the market for a Jeep rifle, and it's killing me. Spend enough on a rifle to add gears, lockers and axles or the Marlin Guide Gun in stainless. It really only needs to be hunting accurate, say 3" at 100 yards or better. It needs to be stone cold reliable and tougher than bankers's heart though.
What do you folks think, will it do that in your experience?
ohiopatriot
TJ Enthusiast
In my experience the fit and finish is good. I shoot 3-4" groups at 135 yards (home range, 100 yards is under water lol). That's off a picnic table and sand bag with iron sights, I bet with the rail on the one your looking at and a decent scope 2-3 inch is doable easily all day.
I think they had an issue 10 years ago, give or take a few years. They moved factories and made some bad ones.
Reliable and tough as an anvil, it's a 125 year old design used by cowboys, ranchers and the like as a daily tool. Don't baby it when cycling the lever, you won't break it and they like it rough.
They are handy, easy to carry and I think fun to shoot. I bet in 45/70 it's going to kick pretty damn hard though, like a single shot 12 with Turkey loads.
YMMV, but I would think it would be a great Jeep gun. I carry my 357 model 336 with me on the 4 wheeler in a scabbard around the property for coyote, ground hog, rabid coons and the like.
OP
That's the kind of feedback I was looking for! I've handled a couple in the last six months or so, and they are a handy size and shape. Some feel tighter and smoother than others. It’s going to be a "shop wisely" thing, I guess. "Tough as an anvil"? That's what I'm looking for. The accuracy sounds in line with what I need as well.
For everyday loads, I can tailor something up, and for hunting loads, well, I don't shoot enough of those to worry too much about it. That's the nice thing about casting and reloading your own. A 45-70 doesn't need to be hot rodded to do what it needs to. 1,300 to 1,600 fps impact velocity is the sweet spot.
Thanks again for your observations!
ohiopatriot
TJ Enthusiast
The lever actions get better with age, or use I guess. I got my Pops old Winchester that's 95 years old and it is a smooth operator from all the years of use, better than my Marlins will ever be in my lifetime.
They are definitely minute of deer accurate to 100+ yards.
I love to cast and load too. That's one reason for the 357. I can pair it with a Ruger Blackhawk and throw some extra rounds in my pocket and be good to go.
I save all the wheel weights from the shop so my cost to reload is about 7 cents a round for primer and powder. Save on ammo, buy more guns!
They are definitely minute of deer accurate to 100+ yards.
I love to cast and load too. That's one reason for the 357. I can pair it with a Ruger Blackhawk and throw some extra rounds in my pocket and be good to go.
I save all the wheel weights from the shop so my cost to reload is about 7 cents a round for primer and powder. Save on ammo, buy more guns!
OP
That cracks me up! I never saved any money casting and reloading...just ended up shooting a whole lot more and different stuff. I mine my lead out of the berms and alloy to hardness. Add a little junk shop pewter and go for it.
It just seems that lever guns and TJ's go together like steak and eggs.
OP
Well, the wife made the decision for me last night. She bought me this for my birthday:
It's on lay away right now at the local sporting goods store, but I did get to fondle it and look at the fit and finish. It's tight, smooth - for a new lever gun, the muzzle crown is even, and none of the screw heads are buggered up. The only defects that i could find were the edges of the lever aren't broke. A little paracord will fix that. There's a gap between the butt stock and the frame about the width of a business card. It's an even gap though, so we'll see what can be done with that. Now to load up a range of loads with 350 and 405 grain bullets to see what it likes to eat.
It's on lay away right now at the local sporting goods store, but I did get to fondle it and look at the fit and finish. It's tight, smooth - for a new lever gun, the muzzle crown is even, and none of the screw heads are buggered up. The only defects that i could find were the edges of the lever aren't broke. A little paracord will fix that. There's a gap between the butt stock and the frame about the width of a business card. It's an even gap though, so we'll see what can be done with that. Now to load up a range of loads with 350 and 405 grain bullets to see what it likes to eat.
OP
Thank you. I'm hoping it shoots as well as it looks. If not...
The two molds that I have for it now are a Saeco #017 round nose flat point with gas check (RNFP-GC) in 350 grain:
A Saeco #018 RNFP-PB (plain base) in 405 grains:
...and I'm looking at an NOE 460-405 FPHP-GC 365 grain hollow point for hunting:
I'll use the Saeco #017 as a general purpose load. Kinda a kickin' around pinking load at about 1,300 - 1,400 fps. The NOE (@365 grains) is going to be loaded to 1,800 fps with a soft(er) alloy. It should be good out to 200 yards and have an impact velocity between 1,600 to 1,300 fps between 50 and 200 yards. That aughtta' put the smack down on anything I'll ever run across out here.
That particular rifle fits very nicely behind the the front seat, upright under the roll bar. Looking at putting a mount on the roll bar upright to tie it to the TJ. Flip the seat back forward, pull the hand guard from the mount, and away you go. That's the plan anyway. We'll see how practical it actually is. Plan B is a scabbard on the fender well and tied to the roll bar upright. I know that will work.
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sgtjdgelinas
TJ Enthusiast
Awesome! Idk how I managed to lose this thread to give my insight on the 1895. But it would have been all good! I shoot a couple inch groups at 100 yds. Haven't put it through much abuse to see if it's "tough as nails", but I love the gun. One thing is you'll probably run out of elevation adjustment with the ghost ring sight that comes on your gun. Especially if you play with different reloads. I did with the standard semi buckhorn with ramp type adjustment. You will love that gun tho! Congrats!
OP
Wife has the uncanny ability to pick a gem out of the manure pile. Oh man, I've got stories.
This is my first Marlin, but I understand that if you have / get a good one they essentially last forever. Keep'm clean and oiled and all they do is improve with age. Like an old Mauser.
I'm sighting the ghost ring in for 100 yards and leaving it alone. I've got an older Leapold VX7 to go on it. A 1.5 x 6 with a 30mm tube. It came off my Safari rifle. Where I shoot and hunt, 150 yards is a long shot. Getting pretty excited about it. First lever gun, first Marlin and first 45-70. The wife has a #3 in 45-70 that she just loves. I reload cast for that already, so we're all set up.
BendLarry
TJ Addict
I bought my wife a marlin 30-30 stainless. It’s a great rifle. I’m not sure I like the look of the pic rail on that lever gun.
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OP
I know, that Picatinny rail is kinda obnoxious, but it seems to work for other folks, so we'll see. Worst case, four screws and it's outta there!