snowman748
New member
Ok, I recently picked up a Marlin 1895 GBL (in 45/70) online for around $555...after shipping, tax and transfer fee I'm in it $597...
I first want to start this off by saying this is my first lever action "Rifle", I have owned a Rossi Ranchhand lever action "pistol" in the past and have shot a few lever action rifles (mostly 357 Magnum or .22LR) however I have owned many guns and written quite a few gun reviews about them BUT take what I say with a grain of salt because again this is my first lever action to own myself...If I missed something or you have a question about something specific that I didn't cover please feel free to ask and I will answer to the best of my ability.
I was worried about picking up a new Marlin online because of the recent talk about how quality was not the best so instead I looked local. A local gun shop had a 1895 Guide Gun (in 45/70) for $650, it seemed nice enough but I kept looking. Next I found a local Academy had a 1895 (in 45/70) with a 22" barrel for $600 but and first inspection it didn't look or feel very tight or well finished and my gut told me not to buy so I didn't (more later about an Academy purchase I made, buyer beware). I finally found the 1895 GBL on Buds Gunshop.com and took the gamble (I've bought from them in the past with no problems) after a surprisingly short wait I got the gun in the local shop and on first inspection it actually looked very nice so I took it home.
When I got it home I broke down and went over the gun with a fine tooth comb, mounted a scope and replaced the magazine follower; here's what I found starting from barrel to recoil pad...
1.) The barrel crown was good, no dents, dings and looks centered to my naked eye.
2.) The front sight was missing the hood but is centered, square and very easy to pick up with the gold dot. I later found the hood inside the box where it appears to have shipped separate, it went on very easy and *snapped* into place where I wasn't able to simply push it back off.
3.) The barrel and mag tube. Even though the finish isn't up to the "Colt Royal Blue" quality
it is still very nice, uniform and a pleasure to look at. It is a gloss finish like all other parts on the gun and matches up well to each other and the rest of the gun.
4.) The front hand guard is laminated wood and to be honest when I bought the gun I just knew I was going to replace it and the stock. However, after actually seeing this rifle in person "IF" I replace the wood I'm not in a hurry to do so. it fits the gun extremely well, has absolutely no movement or play. The finish doesn't leave much to be desired for laminate wood and the checkering adds a nice touch.
5.) The receiver is kinda where I can start to have a complaint be it rather small...first I want to say the finish is very nice, again for what it is and what I paid it leaves little to nothing in my eyes that needs "improving". Parts seem to fit and function together well, no binding or felt grittiness. However, I've found that when I opened the chamber and ran my finger inside, it came out kinda black and almost felt like there was sand inside the gun (note I haven't cleaned this gun AT ALL) this seems a simple fix in that I just need to clean the gun but I thought it something at least worth mentioning.
6.) The bolt and hammer seem well finished enough. I will say the bolt has a polished finish but something about it just screams "this was done by a machine not by hand". don't get me wrong, you can really expect a gun built in the U.S. and hitting the $550 mark to have hand polished and fitted parts also it should be noted that it doesn't look bad. It's really nothing to complain about but on very close inspecting just something about it lacks soul I guess. I will so it is a very smooth finish though. also it should be noted the hammer DOESN'T come with a "offset" spur, for some reason I was under the impression it did but honestly this is a $21 part at Brownells so I'm not hurt or disappointed. I just want to clear up any confusion myself included
7.) the magazine loading process & loading gate/spring seem easy enough, personally it is a bit tight and I have pinched my thumb twice now so I'm probably going to look for a replacement with less tension if I can find it. However this might wear in over time and it should be noted I'm a 6'7" 260lbs man with HUGE hands to match so my experience here is probably not something everyone else will experience but maybe you will.
8.) The rear sight was NOT canted at all and lined up with the front sight post very naturally. It flips down to make room for a scope which is where mine is right now so I have little experience with it.
9.) The trigger and action lever both are very smooth and have zero grit to them. The lever is a little stiff but I know this is something that will wear into place and feel great; I'm very happy that I opted for the large loop. Ok, I'm going to get very nit picky on the trigger (note my AR has a flat face CMC 3.5# trigger and my S&W M&P and a flat face Apex 3# trigger so I'm very picky)...I got to say this trigger definitely needs some work, However it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. There is some forward play in the trigger where the return spring ends but the triggers movement does not. I didn't feel any creep and the take up is excellent for a stock trigger. The break is very heavy but very clean. My guess would be about 6#-7# stock trigger pull weight but I don't own a trigger gauge to be exact. For most people that's not a big deal at all especially for what this rifle is but personally I'm going to try and reduce it. there also is a slight bit of over travel but this is a lever gun not a semi so it doesn't bother me in the slightest.
10.) The wood to receiver fit are very nice. I'm under no illusion that someone at Marlin hand fitted the stock to the receiver but to be 100% honest it's really damn close. Absolutely no gaps, seams, ect which means it looks and feels nice.
11.) The rear stock is a "pistol grip" style and actually what I prefer, I understand it's not for everyone but I like it very much. again the checkering is a nice touch and the laminate is VERY pretty. I didn't find one blemish I'm very sure happened in the actual laminating process which is pictured below (hopefully, if I can get the pictures to work). personally though I don't mind it at all because I personally believe it adds character BUT I know some people wouldn't care for it.
12.) The recoil pad is an anomaly to me, it's very soft when I use targeted/direct pressure (my thumb) but when I non-targeted/indirect pressure (the palm of my hand) it seems very tough and doesn't have a lot of give. Again I haven't shot the gun so I'm not sure exactly how much it will dampen recoil. I will say it fits my shoulder nicely & the rubber like texture sure does get a hold of you so no worries about it moving on your shoulder when trying to get a sight picture.
13.) Mounting a scope is very simple, I included this because I've seen a lot of guys complaining about the tapped holes in the receiver and mentioning how the stripped or almost stripped the screws that plug those holes. I've also heard someone say they found a loctite like substance on them. This was not my experience at all, instead I found the screws very easy to remove and using the DNZ Products "Game Reaper" one piece mount fit to the receiver like a glove BUT because of my scope choice I had to mount it backwards to give me the ability to get a proper eye relief. This might be something I alone experience because of my great size but wanted to note it.
Note I currently set the gun up with the DNZ Products "Game Reaper" one piece scope mount with 1" rings, topped with a Redfield Revenge 2-7x34 scope and I installed a Brass magazine follower for Beartooth Mercantile and plan to install a saddle ring safety delete. I have the parts and tools to delete the safety but waiting to see how it shoots before I install since that will void the warranty.
I first want to start this off by saying this is my first lever action "Rifle", I have owned a Rossi Ranchhand lever action "pistol" in the past and have shot a few lever action rifles (mostly 357 Magnum or .22LR) however I have owned many guns and written quite a few gun reviews about them BUT take what I say with a grain of salt because again this is my first lever action to own myself...If I missed something or you have a question about something specific that I didn't cover please feel free to ask and I will answer to the best of my ability.
I was worried about picking up a new Marlin online because of the recent talk about how quality was not the best so instead I looked local. A local gun shop had a 1895 Guide Gun (in 45/70) for $650, it seemed nice enough but I kept looking. Next I found a local Academy had a 1895 (in 45/70) with a 22" barrel for $600 but and first inspection it didn't look or feel very tight or well finished and my gut told me not to buy so I didn't (more later about an Academy purchase I made, buyer beware). I finally found the 1895 GBL on Buds Gunshop.com and took the gamble (I've bought from them in the past with no problems) after a surprisingly short wait I got the gun in the local shop and on first inspection it actually looked very nice so I took it home.
When I got it home I broke down and went over the gun with a fine tooth comb, mounted a scope and replaced the magazine follower; here's what I found starting from barrel to recoil pad...
1.) The barrel crown was good, no dents, dings and looks centered to my naked eye.
2.) The front sight was missing the hood but is centered, square and very easy to pick up with the gold dot. I later found the hood inside the box where it appears to have shipped separate, it went on very easy and *snapped* into place where I wasn't able to simply push it back off.
3.) The barrel and mag tube. Even though the finish isn't up to the "Colt Royal Blue" quality
it is still very nice, uniform and a pleasure to look at. It is a gloss finish like all other parts on the gun and matches up well to each other and the rest of the gun.4.) The front hand guard is laminated wood and to be honest when I bought the gun I just knew I was going to replace it and the stock. However, after actually seeing this rifle in person "IF" I replace the wood I'm not in a hurry to do so. it fits the gun extremely well, has absolutely no movement or play. The finish doesn't leave much to be desired for laminate wood and the checkering adds a nice touch.
5.) The receiver is kinda where I can start to have a complaint be it rather small...first I want to say the finish is very nice, again for what it is and what I paid it leaves little to nothing in my eyes that needs "improving". Parts seem to fit and function together well, no binding or felt grittiness. However, I've found that when I opened the chamber and ran my finger inside, it came out kinda black and almost felt like there was sand inside the gun (note I haven't cleaned this gun AT ALL) this seems a simple fix in that I just need to clean the gun but I thought it something at least worth mentioning.
6.) The bolt and hammer seem well finished enough. I will say the bolt has a polished finish but something about it just screams "this was done by a machine not by hand". don't get me wrong, you can really expect a gun built in the U.S. and hitting the $550 mark to have hand polished and fitted parts also it should be noted that it doesn't look bad. It's really nothing to complain about but on very close inspecting just something about it lacks soul I guess. I will so it is a very smooth finish though. also it should be noted the hammer DOESN'T come with a "offset" spur, for some reason I was under the impression it did but honestly this is a $21 part at Brownells so I'm not hurt or disappointed. I just want to clear up any confusion myself included
7.) the magazine loading process & loading gate/spring seem easy enough, personally it is a bit tight and I have pinched my thumb twice now so I'm probably going to look for a replacement with less tension if I can find it. However this might wear in over time and it should be noted I'm a 6'7" 260lbs man with HUGE hands to match so my experience here is probably not something everyone else will experience but maybe you will.
8.) The rear sight was NOT canted at all and lined up with the front sight post very naturally. It flips down to make room for a scope which is where mine is right now so I have little experience with it.
9.) The trigger and action lever both are very smooth and have zero grit to them. The lever is a little stiff but I know this is something that will wear into place and feel great; I'm very happy that I opted for the large loop. Ok, I'm going to get very nit picky on the trigger (note my AR has a flat face CMC 3.5# trigger and my S&W M&P and a flat face Apex 3# trigger so I'm very picky)...I got to say this trigger definitely needs some work, However it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. There is some forward play in the trigger where the return spring ends but the triggers movement does not. I didn't feel any creep and the take up is excellent for a stock trigger. The break is very heavy but very clean. My guess would be about 6#-7# stock trigger pull weight but I don't own a trigger gauge to be exact. For most people that's not a big deal at all especially for what this rifle is but personally I'm going to try and reduce it. there also is a slight bit of over travel but this is a lever gun not a semi so it doesn't bother me in the slightest.
10.) The wood to receiver fit are very nice. I'm under no illusion that someone at Marlin hand fitted the stock to the receiver but to be 100% honest it's really damn close. Absolutely no gaps, seams, ect which means it looks and feels nice.
11.) The rear stock is a "pistol grip" style and actually what I prefer, I understand it's not for everyone but I like it very much. again the checkering is a nice touch and the laminate is VERY pretty. I didn't find one blemish I'm very sure happened in the actual laminating process which is pictured below (hopefully, if I can get the pictures to work). personally though I don't mind it at all because I personally believe it adds character BUT I know some people wouldn't care for it.
12.) The recoil pad is an anomaly to me, it's very soft when I use targeted/direct pressure (my thumb) but when I non-targeted/indirect pressure (the palm of my hand) it seems very tough and doesn't have a lot of give. Again I haven't shot the gun so I'm not sure exactly how much it will dampen recoil. I will say it fits my shoulder nicely & the rubber like texture sure does get a hold of you so no worries about it moving on your shoulder when trying to get a sight picture.
13.) Mounting a scope is very simple, I included this because I've seen a lot of guys complaining about the tapped holes in the receiver and mentioning how the stripped or almost stripped the screws that plug those holes. I've also heard someone say they found a loctite like substance on them. This was not my experience at all, instead I found the screws very easy to remove and using the DNZ Products "Game Reaper" one piece mount fit to the receiver like a glove BUT because of my scope choice I had to mount it backwards to give me the ability to get a proper eye relief. This might be something I alone experience because of my great size but wanted to note it.
Note I currently set the gun up with the DNZ Products "Game Reaper" one piece scope mount with 1" rings, topped with a Redfield Revenge 2-7x34 scope and I installed a Brass magazine follower for Beartooth Mercantile and plan to install a saddle ring safety delete. I have the parts and tools to delete the safety but waiting to see how it shoots before I install since that will void the warranty.
and not your thumb pad 
.