New 1895 Guide Gun

[futura]

I share your interest in the 1895 Guide Gun. I have the stainless steel version. I smoothed out the action a little with some polishing, and ran a few hundred rounds through it. Now it feels great.

I was not a fan of the stock finish 'plastic' look of the wood though and did not like the checkering so I refinished it. I removed the checkering and finished it with pure tung oil. Now it looks and feels great.

I bought a stainless steel Skinner sight and put on a sturdy leather stap. In theory it's my grizzly gun so I practiced african carry quick draw until I felt pretty good about my speed. When I'm in bear country this is now my carry rifle.

[pricedo]

Hi, just got this new guide gun 45-70 and am working the bugs out of it, smoothed the action up and waiting on a higher rear sight from Marlin as it shot low.
Also have a one piece firing pin and spring kit on the way.
I`ve always been a Winchester nut but i`m impressed how easy the Marlins are to work on.
Nice rifle, two bad the quality is so bad for the money they cost but at the end of the with a little work ya can have a rifle you tuned up yourself and be proud of.
The rife is very accurate and will be a favorite carry gun when i`m done with it.

Looks like you got a lemon.

Not usual for Marlin.

I've owned a couple of 336Cs & a 444 model over the years & have never experienced the out of the box problems you related.

It happens from time to time that a dud gun will slip past quality control.

I can work on guns too but that's not the point.

I expect to get a reasonable product for my money & would have taken/sent it back for replacement on principle alone.

Nice wood though !!

[pricedo]

Welcome Pitchy ! I like your rifle, especially the full length mag tube

I may be slightly in the minority -- my 1998 vintage Guide Gun with the dreaded barrel ports is awesome ! (or maybe i'm just easilly amused)

Minute of clay pigeon accuracy as far as i need to shoot it, and the ports make shot to shot recovery fairly swift. Sadly, i am not much on aesthetics, so i cant comment on wood fit and so on --- i do know when something looks "pretty bad " though --- but for a 5-600 $ hunting rifle, mine seems good enough.

I won't talk about my 1894 in .44 Mag though Sheesh , what a money pit

A good hunting gun in my opinion shoots good without breaking my bank account, my shoulder or itself.
It also has to be quick pointing, well balanced & light enough to carry all day without causing fatigue.
I like the looks of the OPs rifle but functionality & dependability trump looks on my priority list, especially when the gun is used for hunting dangerous game like the great bears, but if a gun is pretty as well as functional that's a bonus.
If the barrel ports soften recoil & speed up shot recovery then I like them & they don't actually look too bad.
I own a single shot .45-70 and know that stout .45-70 loads can punish a shoulder causing accuracy destroying flinching.

[tman]

Welcome. Please continue to speak your mind. I'm one on this site who does, and while , i'm not always in the majority, they ain't showed me the door, not yet, anyway. That's only a small part of what makes this site THE BEST OF ITS' KIND. A Wealth of knowledge and some of the best people your gonna meet. Hang around awhile and you'll agree. I've learned alot here. While u might not always agree, u can learn from the opions of others.

[Pitchy]

Will do and thanks one and al
Rear sight should be here tomorrow then i`ll give it a good run through, i did install the hammer spring from the one piece firing pin kit. It`s lighter than my clipped off one but with the lightening of the firing pin spring i think it will work and makes for a nicer trigger pull. I`ll run a bunch of ammo through it and see what happens and will post results.

[Pitchy]

I tell ya i`m so pleased with the way this gun turned out, don`t know how it could be any smoother.
New rear sights came today and i installed the mid range one and took it out and shot it at 50 yards off a sand bag, the target is four inch in diameter.
The load is a 405 grain cast flat nose bullet over 43 grains of 3031, the first picture was the first volley and second the last. Pretty cold out so it wasn`t a fair test for the gun but all in all i`m happy considering my eyes are getting bad and have a hard time focusing on fixed sights.
I`m going to bump my load up to 45 grains and see how they do later.
The spring that came with the one piece firing pin was to light for the two piece firing pin and i had misfires so put the factory one that i shortened a little back in and had no misfires.
It`s been a fun project and it is a great gun now that the bugs are worked out and i can feel good that i did it myself.

[Pitchy]

Now ain`t nobody gonna say nuttin

I`d like to add that i hope nobody thinks i`ve been a smart butt by my replies, i assure you that`s not the case just the way i talk i guess.
I appreciate all the welcomes, replies and opinions.

[lumpy grits]

Marlin's were first made with 1 piece FP.
It's because of STUPID people doing STUPID things, that forced Marlin to build a 2 piece and I have seen many of them break in two different places due to poor design.
Respectfully,
LG

[tman]

Now ain`t nobody gonna say nuttin

I`d like to add that i hope nobody thinks i`ve been a smart butt by my replies, i assure you that`s not the case just the way i talk i guess.
I appreciate all the welcomes, replies and opinions.

We need to see an 8 gauge blunderrbuss. Then all your sins will be forgiven

[Pitchy]

By the looks of my groups that`s what i used.

[pricedo]

By the looks of my groups that`s what i used.

Nothing wrong with your shooting.

Your groups look a lot like mine shooting over iron sights with these old eyes & glasses hanging off the bridge of my nose.

I can still do it with my peepers on.

A buck standing where that target was would definitely be a "hurting unit".

[Pitchy]

By the looks of my groups that`s what i used.

Nothing wrong with your shooting.

Your groups look a lot like mine shooting over iron sights with these old eyes & glasses hanging off the bridge of my nose.

I can still do it with my peepers on.

A buck standing where that target was would definitely be a "hurting unit".

Thank you Sir
I`ve carried it on a few snowshoe walks and it carries pretty good and nice to have the fire power but not as light and slim as the 92.
I think it may be a favorite and might put a peep on it.

[pokey]

uh oh, looks like you done shot up the new garage door.

[Pitchy]

Close, the old garage door.

[pricedo]

Hi, just got this new guide gun 45-70 and am working the bugs out of it, smoothed the action up and waiting on a higher rear sight from Marlin as it shot low.
Also have a one piece firing pin and spring kit on the way.
I`ve always been a Winchester nut but i`m impressed how easy the Marlins are to work on.
Nice rifle, two bad the quality is so bad for the money they cost but at the end of the with a little work ya can have a rifle you tuned up yourself and be proud of.
The rife is very accurate and will be a favorite carry gun when i`m done with it.

I like a bush gun to be as light as a feather & where I go there aren't any Grizzlies so rather than drag around a 7 pound 1895 I pack a 4.5 pound 16" bbl. Rossi Trapper in .44 Mag with the Hornady 225 grain LEVERevolution ammo that'll drop deer, wolves or Black Bear which are the 3 biggest criters around here.

The OPs gun is a nice gun but too much iron for my liking.

[pricedo]

Pitchy,

You are doing much better than I am. I hate being sick, sometime I just don't know when to stay in bed.

My ratio of good to bad Marlins is 50-50.
>The first one was an 1894 CS .357 carbine. Fun, Fun, Fun little gun.
Had to sell it to pay bills
>The second one was an 1894 S (I think) 20" carbine in .45 Colt. That one was a sour lemon. The chamber was so huge when the firing pin hit the primer it would push the entire cartridge, including the rim into the chamber. I took that one back to the dealer and got my trade in back.
>The third one was an 1894 Cowboy. One of the early 24" barreled ones in .45 Colt. Oh how sweet it was. Perfect fit and finish. Perfect functioning. .............. But there was zero accuracy to it. Constant key holed bullets at 25 yards, might maybe hit the target at 50 and I almost never saw a bullet make it to the 100 yd line. I was really trying to diagnose the problems but that financial situation came up and it went bye bye.
>The fourth one is (present tense) an 1894 Cowboy Limited with the 20" octagon barrel, also in .45 Colt. The stock fit isn't near as good as the previous one, the front sight was WAY too tall, but it functions perfectly and shoot up a storm.

Yeah I know, I got a thing about Marlin and Winchester 1894s and the .45 Colt cartridge.

I'll be 59 this August and I too have seen and done a thing or two.

Joe

Maybe Marlin was trying to take the next step & make a lever in .500 S&W.
I don't see a .480 Ruger in the new line of Braztech Rossi 92s so maybe the lever 92 Monster Super Magnum experiment is over.
They do offer a 16" bbl. Rossi 92 carbine in .454 Casull.
Don't expect that there are that many out there willing to subject their shoulders to the kick from a .454 fired from a 4.8 pound rifle.
It seems to me that the kick generated by a large pistol cartridge burning fast powders like H110 or W296 is a sharper jab than the recoil from guns burning much slower rifle powders like H4831 or RX22.
Marlins like the OPs can handle hot .45-70 loads so .500 S&W shouldn't be a problem.

[Pitchy]

Hi, just got this new guide gun 45-70 and am working the bugs out of it, smoothed the action up and waiting on a higher rear sight from Marlin as it shot low.
Also have a one piece firing pin and spring kit on the way.
I`ve always been a Winchester nut but i`m impressed how easy the Marlins are to work on.
Nice rifle, two bad the quality is so bad for the money they cost but at the end of the with a little work ya can have a rifle you tuned up yourself and be proud of.
The rife is very accurate and will be a favorite carry gun when i`m done with it.

I like a bush gun to be as light as a feather & where I go there aren't any Grizzlies so rather than drag around a 7 pound 1895 I pack a 4.5 pound 16" bbl. Rossi Trapper in .44 Mag with the Hornady 225 grain LEVERevolution ammo that'll drop deer, wolves or Black Bear which are the 3 biggest criters around here.

The OPs gun is a nice gun but too much iron for my liking.

Truth being said in Minnesota we could probably be good with a 22 pistol, but these guns are kinda addicting and we like to carry things that are attractive to us at the time.

[pricedo]

Hi, just got this new guide gun 45-70 and am working the bugs out of it, smoothed the action up and waiting on a higher rear sight from Marlin as it shot low.
Also have a one piece firing pin and spring kit on the way.
I`ve always been a Winchester nut but i`m impressed how easy the Marlins are to work on.
Nice rifle, two bad the quality is so bad for the money they cost but at the end of the with a little work ya can have a rifle you tuned up yourself and be proud of.
The rife is very accurate and will be a favorite carry gun when i`m done with it.

I like a bush gun to be as light as a feather & where I go there aren't any Grizzlies so rather than drag around a 7 pound 1895 I pack a 4.5 pound 16" bbl. Rossi Trapper in .44 Mag with the Hornady 225 grain LEVERevolution ammo that'll drop deer, wolves or Black Bear which are the 3 biggest criters around here.

The OPs gun is a nice gun but too much iron for my liking.

Truth being said in Minnesota we could probably be good with a 22 pistol, but these guns are kinda addicting and we like to carry things that are attractive to us at the time.

I've used guns that were eye candy in the morning but looked & felt more like a blacksmiths anvil through exhausted eyes after a hard days slugging up & down hills through the rough stuff in July heat.
To a mountain man an extra pound on the shoulder X 12 hours in the heat & humidity is a lot of weight.
The School of Hard Knocks teaches that the choice of a working gun depends more on the application than its aesthetic qualities.

[Pitchy]

Depends on what your using it for and how far your going no doubt about it, my Quigley sharps don`t get carried very far but i sure do love the gun.
Back in the day i used to ride ridgid frame Harley choppers and everyone would ask how could i ride something so uncomfortable and rough, my reply was ya gotta be cool

[Pitchy]

Well guys and gals i`ve had enough, barrel isn`t indexed right put a peep sight on it and had to adjust it all the way to the right to hit POA.
Shipping lable is on the way.

[txpete]

over at "another" lever action forum there are pages of people ranting on the new marlins.the last new marlin I bought a 1894C 357 NIB wouldn't feed anything factory or my handloads.I called marlin and they wouldn't send a shipping label they told me to find a box and mail it back and they would see what they could do. this was BEFORE the move.I ended up taking it apart de burring everything and got it to feed and shoot.at that time I had several marlins in the safe today there isn't one.I sold them all and won't own another one.poor workmanship/poor QC and NO customer support. I am not sorry they closed the plant or for the workers they were turning out the junk they built....and now they said its worse .

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/sh ... p?t=382033

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/inde ... oard=179.0

[Pitchy]

It`s a shame but i`m hoping that Remington gets caught up and turns out a good product and i think they will, Remington has always been good guns.
I was friendly and so was custumer service and very helpful, not saying you wern`t or anyone else maybe i got lucky. And i`m a long ways from getting a fixed gun back, time will tell.
Seems to be the way of things now days, pay more and get less I recently bought a Rossi 92 rifle that i had to work on as soon as i got home, the mag tube cap screw was way to long and had the tube pushed way away from the barrel.
You would think someone would spot that but we have assemblers nowdays not craftsman that stand there and throw parts together.
All we can do is let them know about it and demand it gets better, just like politics.

[txpete]

Pitchy when I called marlin I was nice on the phone.to the point of telling them I had several marlins and this was the first time I had a problem.they just didn't care.

[Pitchy]

Pitchy when I called marlin I was nice on the phone.to the point of telling them I had several marlins and this was the first time I had a problem.they just didn't care.

I believe ya and wasn`t insinuating otherwise, it`s a bad deal all around and i may be cussing before it`s all said and done.
Hope you get satisfaction.