Just Bought A Marlin 1895GBL .45-70 Government I Need Advice On Multiple Things?

My impressions of the parts seem sound and the gun lever etc. seems to be fine and relatively smooth but not too smooth. (normal).

What should I do haha?
Shoot it.


If it feeds, you'll be on the right track.
If it fires, even better.
If it hits the target, make some adjustments to dial it in.

And then just break it in.


It sounds solid. Shoot it and find out.
 
One more post, and I don't think we'll be derailing the original topic...

Salmoneye said:
FrankenMauser said:
I have read that countless times, and there's never any note of anything but "MR"; but I have to wonder how many other prefixes are in use. ...Because the X7s were supposed to be "MR" rifles, as well; but I have two Remlin X7s that both have "MM" prefixes.
What does the roll stamp on the barrel say, and is there a date code on the barrel?
I'm not really worried about it. It is what it is.
It's just the whole "everything is MR" theory that makes me question whether or not some of the people spreading the 'information' have even looked at their own rifles.

I don't have one of the X7s in my possession right now, so I can't check it.
The other, however...
The letter date code on this barrel is indecipherable. It was stamped off-axis, with one letter being over-struck and the other being very very lightly struck. So, what should be a date code just looks sort of like a duck having coitus with a boomerang. :rolleyes:

There is the obvious "14" on the left side, which could be a production year (makes sense for date of purchase), but I don't know.
Here's the MM:
attachment.php

Ignore the fingerprints, dirt, lint, and general dirtiness. That particular X7 is a project rifle and won't get the 5-star treatment until it's finished.
 

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The 94C I have here that was built last May or June is an MR, if that helps.
Or even if it doesn't.
Denis
 
bear load

I have used the Speer 400 gr. soft point at about 1800 fps. out of the 22 inch barrel of my old 1895. Expands a little and penetrates a lot. The 400 to 400+ gr. bullets would be the way to go for bear repellant. The Marlin 1895 has a following in Alaska for just that purpose.
 
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All I can add is that game animals have become much, much harder to kill than a hundred years ago. At one time a .44-40 lever action was considered perfectly adequate for bear (black bear, that is). These days, one would be advised to never go to the woods with anything less than a .300 magnum.

I bought my first .45-70 around 1969 when I was still in college. At the time, a 405-grain bullet, if memory serves, was just about all that was available. If there were other loads, I never noticed them. I bought my ammunition at Mountaineer Sport Shop on High Street in Morgantown, WV, next door to the Dairy Queen and the dry cleaners. I thought the ammunition was awfully expensive.

Not many years later I actually saw some army surplus .45-70. Really old stuff.

I've never seen any need to hotrod any given cartridge, although I understand perfectly the desire and have done so myself. But I was younger then.
 
But I'm just wondering if ammo like that is safer is a newer 1895gbl? It's gas checked too and that ammo seems quality but I don't know if it's acceptable to use in newer Marlin 1895 Firearms like that.
 
Ammo like what?
What are you specifically referring to & why would it not be safe to shoot in a modern Marlin?
Denis
 
I'm Ass-U-Ming he meant the old 1890's/cordite-like "strand"** powder rounds -- which
some have noted are either balloon-head and/or **crumbled composition.

That said, the SAAMI spec for commercial 45-70 is a low Trapdor/28,000 CUP.
`95 Marlins are routinely listed/rated at 38-40,000 CUP.

The SHOOTER is going to break before the Marlin. ;)
 
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That's a new one on me. :)
Had not heard of anything resembling cordite used in military or civilian .45-70 loads of the 1890s.

Balloon heads, yes; cordite-like strands, no.

You also have me lost on "crumbled composition" cases. :)

Never heard of any lead loads from that era using gas checks, neither.

Where have I been?

ADN- where are you & what are you referring to?
Denis
 
"...Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Circa 1890. 500-Grain bullet loaded with smokless powder. It looked like small tubular macaroni....
...Eventally many years later the powder disintegrated."
Post #3 HERE:
 
Thanks!
Learned something old today. :)
Don't recall ever reading or hearing about that UMC "powder".

Denis
 
Glad to hear its a shooter :)

Also glad you did a full inspect and cleaning...many forget that part in all the
"New Gun Excitement"...been guilty of that a time or six ;)

The action will smooth with time, if you are in a hurry, valve lapping compound
and working the lever hundreds of times while watching TV or listening to music
will make it smoother quicker...but with a good ole Marlin i'd rather just wear it in the fun way...
by shooting it as often as possible :D

IIRC the GBL came with a standard ventillated recoil pad...
Might want to do yourself a favor and order an 1895SBL deluxe recoil pad,
as your shoulder will thank you ;)
 
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