How far back to get quality Marlin 1894/1895?

Dang, I keep getting happier and happier! The purchase was pure dumb luck, but It's in beautiful condition, 95%+. I was looking at .308 carbines (The Remington Scout in particular) when it caught my eye. Having owned a Winchester 94 (30-30) years ago, and being fond of the Marlin side ejector, I thought boy this could be a hoot to hunt with in a wood lot. I picked it up shouldered it, worked the action and it was romance. So, I bailed on the .308 Scout and dropped $450 on what has quickly become one of my favorite shooters. And, from the sounds of it God gave me a good one!
 
So, I guess I need to ask my question another way...

Does the manual safety on a Marlin lever rifle degrade the trigger pull? Does it make the rifle less reliable? What does it do that is so offensive?
 
No and no but they are unnecessary and the first time you drop the hammer on a deer and hear "click" you will understand.
 
They make an otherwise smooth elegant rifle ugly and are totally unnecessary PC and law suit generated crap. And what hodaka said. I can't count the times at the range I've heard CLICK. I'm very firearms safety orientated so I always put it on. I grew up shooting leaver guns in the "correct configuration" and I ALWAYS forget to disguised the darn thing because it isn't supposed to be there. With bolt guns and shot guns you can't pull the trigger and instantly know if you missed the safety or forgotten to disengage it. The NEW leaver guns go CLICK and while you're re-cocking your game has hightailed it to the next county.
 
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Jerry and Hodaka, I see your point. If someone put a safety on a double action revolver, I am sure I would consider it quite stupid.

All of my early long gun hunting and shooting was with pump shotguns and 22s, both bolt action and semi-auto. For me, it is such an ingrained habit to operate a manual safety with any long gun, that the CBS on a Marlin is just not a problem.

Based on my experience in teaching new shooters, the act of safely lowering a hammer is a skill that requires practice.... with 1911s, single action revolvers, and I suspect, lever guns with a half cock notch.

My wife has a recent vintage 336, a "Remlin", and she likes the cross bolt safety quite a bit. It gives her confidence to lower the hammer to half cock, and she also feels more confident in cycling unspent rounds out of the gun with the safety on.

Post number 500.... Woo-Hoo!
 
btmj, one really BIG problem for me is where the CBS is located. Shotguns that I use I either use the thumb (double barrels safety is right by my thumb) on my trigger hand or my trigger finger (Remington 870 safety is right behind the trigger guard) to disengage that safeties while I have a full grip on the gun. On my bolt guns I uses the thumb of my trigger hand, with a full grip. On my other lever guns I just hook the hammer with my thumb as I bring the rifle up and slide my hand into firing position, full grip. With the CBS I have to "remember" to bring my trigger finger back and up to push the safety off. It's a totally natural and awkward movement for me and I just can't seem to get used to doing it. Brain says hammers back it's ready to shoot.
 
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In my opinion a lever action rifle was designed plenty safe enough to start with. Don't cock the hammer until you have raised the gun up to your shoulder, and point the gun at the ground when you unload it. If you can't learn to safely decock it then don't use a lever action rifle. It's been said time and time again but it is so true, the best safety is between your ears.
 
As I mentioned, my 336c was produced in 1948. The fit and finish, walnut stock, and smoth action is so much better than the new Marlins. Yes, my father and I have taken very good care of it, but it was plainly a better made rifle.
 
As I mentioned, my 336c was produced in 1948. The fit and finish, walnut stock, and smoth action is so much better than the new Marlins
Click to expand...

No doubt about it, the gun makers knew how to make a fine gun back then. My 1935 Winchester Model 12 shotgun puts to shame any modern repeating shotgun. But if you adjusted the purchase price of that 1935 gun up to today, it would be the equivalent of about a $2100 gun. The current Winchester pump shotgun can't compare in terms of build quality, but it is a lot cheaper. I am sure the same is true of Marlins... Over time they have become less expensive, relatively speaking.
 
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