Marlin 1894S - .44 Mag

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PaulTX

New member
I've been looking for a good carbine-type to complete my "armory" of pistols and shotguns. I can't afford a Bushmaster or other AR-15 type and when it comes down to it, I don't really need something like that.

One of the alternatives under consideration is the Marlin 1894S - .44 magnum. I would think this to be easy to shoot, accurate, and deadly!

I would appreciate any opinions about this rifle. Years ago I had a Marlin 336C (30-30) and really liked it.
 
I'm admittedly biased but I personally love the 1894 Marlin .44 mag.. I have one that I shortened the bbl. to 16"'s (33 1/2"'s over all) that I've owned for years. At one time I even carried it in a patrol car. The action is shorter (faster) then the 94 Win. it's compact and obviously carries a good "punch". Accuracy is limited to about 100 to 150 yards but then again so is the Mini 14, which is commonly used. Another advantage is their innocent appearence, unlike some of the other choices. In short I'd highly recommend one.
You may also want to go back a couple of weeks and read the thread here about trunk guns.

Gunslinger
 
Gunslinger, have you chrono'd any loads in the Marlin? I've reviewed stats on a handgun, but not a carbine .44 mag. Do you know the approximate increase in velosity going from a 6" to a 16" barrel?

Thanks,
PaulTX
 
I had one of these and i loved it. accurate, fun to shoot, you could shoot 44spl's in it and it felt like shooting a 22. thought i was in a tight, sold it, and have regretted it every since....

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fiat justitia
 
Hi Paul, I have one and would second the recommendation. I would also recommend that you get one that does not have the safety. I think it makes the trigger harder to adjust and screws up an otherwise fine gun.

I have run several loads over the chrono, but the only one that stuck in my mind was the UMC 180 grain SP, sold by Wal-Mart and K-Mart for about 18 bucks a box. They were running in excess of 2100 fps. The other loads were gaining 200 - 400 fps out of the 20 inch barrel.

BTW, if you handload, the 1894 will not take as hot a load as a revolver or SS pistol. The action seems to be too "springy". Works great with all factory loads and the Marlin repair service is first rate.

Get a set of Ashley (http://www.ashleyoutdoors.com) sights for it and away you go..

Giz
 
PaulTX: You may have unstated reasons for choosing the .44 Mag. caliber in the Marlin. May I also suggest a look at the 1894C - .357? It's a good deal shorter and lighter than the .41/.44 models, with an 18 1/2" bbl, and straight stock. I think it handles better, and the .357 with a 160 gr. bullet at 1800fps or a 180gr. at 1500 is nothing in front of which to stand. I have had mine since the early 1970s, and wouldn't be without it. The safety-button version, which is the only type you can get new today, is derided by many, but I have an 1895 - .45/70 with the safety, and it has a great trigger. If you don't like the safety, you can just pretend it isn't there, and use the hammer half-cock as all us old-timers do anyway. Good Shooting: Slabsides.

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An armed man is a citizen; an unarmed man is a subject; a disarmed man is a slave.
 
Thanks for all the good information!

I am considering the .44 mag because I was thinking about the .45-70, but it's probably more gun than I need (but I still like it!).

Gizmo99 - Interesting idea about the Ashley sights. I probably wouldn't have thought about it.

I'm a little surprised the Marlin can't handle the same pressures a revolver can - but that's not a big problem for me since you gain velocity over a handgun.

I'll take a look at the .357. I've not really considered it cause I wanted the max. pistol caliber offered in a carbine type. I don't think I would enjoy a .44 mag revolver, but in a rifle it sounded very good and is a popular round.

Do you think anyone will come out with a .454 carbine!?

Good shooting to all!
PaulTX


[This message has been edited by PaulTX (edited May 31, 1999).]
 
Gizmo99 - Please elaborate on "1894 will not take as hot a load as a revolver...". I usually load .45 Colt revolver loads so they will have a certain velocity (around 800 fps)for aiming purposes. But I load for my 1894 a little hotter since the aiming problem isn't there. I certainly don't load to KB levels, but I wouldn't shoot them in a SAA.

Also, in the current issue (July) of Shooting Times there is a good article on the Marlin Cowboy 1894s (.357, .38-40, .44 Mag, .44-40, .45 Colt) including some loading and chrono data. It's by Mike Venturino.
 
Re: "454 Casull Carbines".

We had quite a little discussion about this a while back on another thread. The Marlin and Winchester lever guns just won't handle the pressures of the .454.
You can load up to about 30,000 cup with the .45 Colt. Considering the extra barrel length, you'd probably match Casull velocities from a revolver (Casull loads exceed 50,000 cup).
After that discussion, I corresponded with a friend in the gun industry who told me that Winchester at least, had tried to create a .454 carbine based on their Trapper model. They failed completely. The gun would have to be completely redesigned to before it would handle such a load. They considered the market, looked at the front-end costs and abandoned the project.
I still think a .45 Colt in a carbine loaded with slower rifle powders would far exceed both the .44 mag or the .454 in velocity and terminal energy without excess pressures. You have at least 16 inches of barrel, so why waste it on pistol fast powders? I think a powder like 3031 would take full advantage of the barrel length and be an awesome weapon indeed!
One of these days, I'll turn up a cheap .45 Colt Trapper and experiment a bit.
 
Keith, I agree with your point about using slower powders in the 1894. My favorite powder in it is IMR4227. This takes full advantage of the barrel and is very accurate. I keep my .45 Colt loads carefully marked so I won't shoot 1894 rounds in my revolver. Using 4227 in a revolver won't hurt anything, but a good deal of it would burn as it left the muzzle which is simply wasting it.

If the friend you spoke with is CP, we can depend on his prediction, we won't see a .454 Casull 1894 any time in the future.
 
Reply for Mal H - Mal, I had a Redhawk that I shot a bunch, worked up a great load and decided to see how they shot in the 1894. After the shot the lever would not extract the case. I had to get a hardwood dowell, insert it through the barrel to apply pressure to the bolt while pulling on the lever. Bent the extractor and had to send it to Marlin. I talked to a CSR and he confirmed that due to the rear lock up, the rifle will not handle hot loads. This load was not excessive in my Redhawk. (Accurate Arms had one for a couple of years that the 10% below max load would blow primers - another reason to start low and work up.)

Caveat - I don't remember the load or even the bullet. Research at that time indicated that the top loads for the .44 Mag rifles were (maybe is - don't reload much now) consistantly a grain or three less than the max load for a revolver.

I do think that each gun is a little individualistic, (spelling?), and we/I usually think of a rifle as having more strength that a handgun. This load in this rifle was too hot. I wanted to tell Paul about my experiance in hopes that he could learn from my goof.

Hope this cleared things up -

Giz
 
Howdy again Paul,
No I've never ran any over a chrono but as you can see from the others the increase can be significant.
I won't get into the "hot or not to hot" discussion too deeply because I don't really have specific figures but............
I too fire loads through my Rugers I'd not fire in the Marlin, or my S&W's. (It really pains me to say that because first and fore most I'm a big S&W fan. :( But I build the Ruger single actions and KNOW how tough they are. :))
Now having said that of all that the 1894 Marlin .44s I've shot (probably a dozen over the years) they have all preferred "hot" loads. Not "Oh my God" loads mind you. Just something with some good bang to it. (No, I don't have figures but would say anything as hot as you could safely fire in a S&W.) With mild loads in the Marlins I've never been able to hit a bull in the......well where the brand goes on. They group much tighter with the hotter loads.

Slabside. Old timers!!! Who you callin' old timers? ;) (I'm just being sensitive. Saturday while picking up a new Mini 14 at a local gun shop I commented that the M16 had a habit of not functioning if not spotlessly clean and olied when I was in the service. The ower looked indignant and said they've been improved since THEN. I wanted to tell him the reproduction muzzle loaders weren't as good as the originals we used we I fought in the revolutionary war. :D)
 
Thanks Gizmo, Yes that does clear it up. I don't load at the max for any powder/bullet combo for the '94 so I think I'm on safe ground. But it's definitely something to be aware of.
 
Another thing to watch out for in shooting the 1894 .44 is not to shoot many 300 gr. or heavier loads. I've probably put a couple hundred 300 gr. rounds through mine over the years, mostly in a single summer while experimenting, and mine started to get loose after that summer. Also Sierra and Hornady used to put a warning label in their bullet boxes warning against using that bullet a rifle.
Also when levering the action on the 1894, make sure you use a smooth stroke and don't jerk at all. That will cause a jam. Another thing to watch out for in any levergun, but especially the 1894, is shortstroking the lever.

[This message has been edited by fal308 (edited June 01, 1999).]
 
Shortstroking the lever! Yeah, I hate when that happens. I usually end up with a cartridge below the follower and it's the devil to remove quickly.
 
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