Winchester 94 vs. Marlin 1894...

J

J.T.King

New member
My father says one of these is the way to go for a quality lever gun... My questions are:

1. The Marlin seems more expensive than the Winchester; is it worth it? What do you get for your ducats?

2. I want a pistol caliber. How does .45colt fire compared to 44mag?

3. What barrel length is ideal for these two cartriges? I am not really looking for a long barrel, I just kind of want to know if there is a point of diminishing returns that makes for a natural selection in barrels...

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!

JT
 
Well, I went shopping today...

Since no-one has responded yet, I thought I would mention that I went shopping today and handled both the Win94 Legacy in 44mag and a Trailmaster(?) in 45LC...

Also handled an 1894 cowboy... sweet gun!

Still not sure if the $$$ is worth it for the difference.. any ideas?

JT
 
Haven't owned either one, but have shot both, plus an original 73 Winchester in 44-40 and an 92 Winchester worked over into 357.All were reliable,
reasonably accurate and fun.

It's a Win/Win situation here. I suggest buying one in whatever handgun caliber you've on hand.

If that doesn't apply, I'd go for the 44 Mag.
 
J.T.,
I have a Winchester Trapper in .45 Colt, and one in .44Mag, as well as a Marlin Cowboy II in .357Mag. From my experience, the Winchester is more comfortable to shoot if you shoot more than 30 rounds at a session. The squared shape of the Marlin lever digs into the back of my fingers after 10 or 20 rounds and I have to drop down and use my thumb to work the lever. Not a big deal, but it's about the only drawback I can think of about the Marlin.

If you handload, the .45 Colt is the way to go. It can be loaded up to surpass the .44mag, but at far lower working presures than the .44. Even stiff .45Colt (255-260 gr bullet)loads feel more like a "push" than the sharp "shove" of the .44 Mag.(240 gr bullet).
If you don't handload, then the .44 mag offers a wider selection of factory loads.
 
Marlin pros: Smoother action, better ejection setup
Marlin cons: "Micro Groove" rifling sucks if you use lead bullets. It leads up fast and ruins accuracy.
Winchester pros: looks cool and historical, lots of variants, angle eject isn't too bad
Winchester cons: stiffer action than the Marlin
 
The new Winchesters have squishy, spring-loaded slack in the triggers for some reason. Not terrible, but crappy trigger. The Marlins have sling loops, too, if you're into that.

I like the way the Marlin's lock up better, but have not used a Marlin extensively and cannot comment on the smoothness of the action.

Both can be scoped, too, though if you wanna scope the Winnie, make sure you get the 94AE (Angled Eject) model, which is drilled and tapped.
 
Thanks for the posts!

Couple of follow-up questions...

1. The 24", octagonal barrel cowboy edition: Is this worth anything in 44mag compared to the 20" standard 1894?

Dave 3006:
Now that you have had them for a while, do you agree or disagree with RAE's experience of the squarish Marlin lever geting a bit uncomfortable with extensive shooting?

RAE:
Yes, I handload, and I will also be shooting this cartrige out of a Ruger Bisley. I still havent made a decision about 45LC vs 44mag. I currently load for 45ACP, 223 and 9mm. I have read that several people do not recommend pushing the 45LC to 44mag levels. Any thoughts in these two guns? (marlin/win94)

Nightcrawler:
I will not be using a scope on either the carbine or the matching pistol that I buy. I am looking for a reasonably priced, durable, reliable carbine. I think that one of these two should do it. My main question is whether or not I go with 45LC (which restricts me to the 24" cowboy in marlin or one of the winchesters) or the 44mag, which lets me go to the 20" 1984 (its not offered in 45LC).

Poodle:
The new MArlins have a different 6 deep groove rifling they call "ballard type rifling" - would that change your mind?

Thanks again!

JT
 
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JT,

I may be mistaken, but I believe that the "Ballard type rifling" only comes on the Cowboy guns. The standard 1894's still have the "micro grove" rifling.

David
 
Many new, noncowboy Marlins have Ballard rifling. Go to www.marlinfirearms.com and see.

I'd choose a Win. 94' in .44 mag. Powerful, common cartridge, powerful, easy to use, powerful, accurate, and powerful.

Only reason I do not choose Marlin in .44 mag is their record of jamming with this round.

Kilgor
 
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I have not had jamming problems with my 1894P. They list the acceptable OAL's. I think if the round is not too long, you will be fine.
 
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