Install the eye for a sling on my Marlin 1894 Cowboy?

[DennisD]

OK guys (and gals if any are present); I ordered the detachable sling loops for my new Marlin 1894 Cowboy .44 mag. Now I have a dilemma. Do I drill the hole in the stock to install the eye? I can't make up my mind if I really want to or not. Once done it is not easily removed (I guess I could dowel it and sand smooth but it would still always be there; taunting me, "why'd you do it?"

Convince me one way or the other.

[Jeff Quinn]

If you are going to hunt with it, it needs a sling.

[jazman]

Just by asking the question tells me you really don't want to do it. Do the sling another way without drilling, see a lot of them at http://www.levergunleather.com/
Talk to Lever, he'll do one up for you and he's a great guy to do business with. Jim

[RKrodle]

I agree with Jeff, I like a sling on a rifle that is used for hunting.

[ornery]

What about on my1895CB? Do I drill wood, magazine band or what is available?


I know! PICS, PICS, PICS!

[Leverdude]

What about on my1895CB? Do I drill wood, magazine band or what is available?


I know! PICS, PICS, PICS!

Drill the buttstock & order a forend cap with a swivel stud from Marlin or Brownells.

[ornery]

Thanks, LD...sorry about yer Maw. They do say it's a better life we go to..

Be well

[Leverdude]

Thanks, LD...sorry about yer Maw. They do say it's a better life we go to..

Be well

Thanks. She had a good life. Cant really ask for more than that.

[1x2]

DennisD,

Don't drill it- you'll regret it forever; you can use a lace-on sling/pad. There's two threads on this forum that I know of within the last couple months with a bunch of alternatives, including the levergunleather mentioned above. If they're hard to find, you can search on author "1x2" to find them; I posted alternatives in both threads I was aware of. Save the stock; it's a saddle gun (even if you don't have a horse).

1x2

[aussie]

Why do you need a sling for hunting? I hunt with mine all the time....lay it in the crook of your arm.

[nemhed]

The sling comes in handy after the hunting, like when you're dragging the big one out of the woods.

[DennisD]

Just by asking the question tells me you really don't want to do it.

Yep, guess you are right. I think I'll look into the lace on pad. I kinda like the one 1x2 recommended from October Country in a previous post.
http://www.octobercountry.com/products3 ... ductid=250
Has a kinda rustic frontiersman look to it. Thanks 1x2. That way all I have to do is replace the forend band (which I can always change back if I want).

I knew someone here would have the answer.

[Old Savage]

Here, of course, is how Marlin does it.

[DennisD]

Here, of course, is how Marlin does it.

That is the kit I ordered from Marlin. The point I was discussing is if I want to drill the hole in the stock for the rear eye. I decided I like the lace on here:

http://www.octobercountry.com/products3 ... ductid=250


BTW, I like both of yours, but really nice cap gun.

[Grizz]

I took the sling studs OFF of my guide gun. I don't want my epitaph to read: "He died because his rifle was attached to his back".

I notice that real cowboys like John Wayne and Matthew Quigley weren't toting their long arms by strapping them on to themselves.

When I have a deer strapped to my back my rifle is in my hands, full-cocked, and my head is on a swivel. Every single forest noise sounds like a thousand pound brownie charging me at 45 mph. NO WAY do I want my gun attached to me at that point.

'Course, there aren't any bears or wolves or mountain lions down in the lower 48, so I guess it's appropriate to wear a long gun in the woods..,

Grizz

[Modoc ED]

Kinda gotta go along with you Grizz. There was a hunter back in GA back in the 60s that accidentally hung himself with his slung rifle. He was climbing up to his tree stand with his rifle slung across his chest, slipped, and fell. The rifle snagged a tree limb and the sling caught around his throat. Of course that's a once in a million incident but it does make you question what you do while hunting. On the other hand, a slung rifle can sure give a guy a rest from carrying a rifle on a long hike.

[DennisD]

'Course, there aren't any bears or wolves or mountain lions down in the lower 48

Actually, a couple of people that have land near my weekend property have supposedly seen a lion in the woods along the creek. Heard a rumor that it ripped up a horse pretty bad (but it survived). My Ruger .44 mag will be on my hip anytime I go out at night until I hear someone got that kitty. As for the wolves, I'm more leery of the feral dogs that run in packs. They supposedly don't have the native fear of man that wolves do.

[1886]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned but I recently bought a 336 CB .30-30 that had a stud drilled through the Marlin bullseye. I did not like this and promptly removed the old bullseye and ordered a replacement from Marlin. I replaced the buggered bullseye with the new one and viola. What I mean to communicate is if you must drill, drill through the replaceable plastic bullseye. It can be replaced and no one is the wiser. Regards. 1886.

[DennisD]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned but I recently bought a 336 CB .30-30 that had a stud drilled through the Marlin bullseye. I did not like this and promptly removed the old bullseye and ordered a replacement from Marlin. I replaced the buggered bullseye with the new one and viola. What I mean to communicate is if you must drill, drill through the replaceable plastic bullseye. It can be replaced and no one is the wiser. Regards. 1886.

I had thought about doing just that. Only thing I wasn't sure about is if I would get enough thread in the wood. The threads on the stud are only .5 inch. How thick is the plastic bulls eye?

I did order the leather butt cover/sling mentioned above from October Country. I think I'll like that look better anyway. I never liked the plastic butt plate on the Marlin. I would like to see a metal butt plate; at least on their cowboy version.

[Cocked & Locked]

I wouldn't, I did this instead on a Winchester Wrangler .44.

[DennisD]

I wouldn't, I did this instead on a Winchester Wrangler .44.

I also considered that. I saw a picture you posted in a previous post (or else someone else did a similar set up).

Thanks but like I said I want to cover the plastic butt plate anyway. I thought about ordering a metal butt plate but it has to be fitted and I don't want to go through that much work right now. Maybe sometime in the future.

[1x2]

Old Savage,

That's a darn sneaky way to show off that Sharps carbine- man, that's great-looking! What caliber is it?

1x2

[Swampman]

The leather lace on things ruin the stock finish in no time. Take it to a gunsmith and have it done right. Use the kit that Marlin offers. It will look professional (not tacky.) Every hunting rifle needs a properly installed sling and a scope.

[Modoc ED]

I wouldn't, I did this instead on a Winchester Wrangler .44.

That's one way to mount a sling BUT eventually it is likely that the strain of the sling against the toe of the stock (when a sling is attached) will break the toe of the stock off. It would be better if you moved the leather strip to the outside of the butt plate.

Of course that's just my opinion but I think worth a thought none-the-less.

[DennisD]

The leather lace on things ruin the stock finish in no time. Take it to a gunsmith and have it done right. Use the kit that Marlin offers. It will look professional (not tacky.) Every hunting rifle needs a properly installed sling and a scope.

darn, now you've gone and thrown another monkey wrench into the works...

[Leverdude]

Is this a museum piece?
I mean your going to use it right? I'd just put a swivel stud in the butstock.
Buy another buttstock if you want from Marlin. Get a Guide gun stock with the swivel & you can swap back.

[1x2]

The leather lace on things ruin the stock finish in no time.

My stocks aren't ruined, or even smudged. The lace-on also allows me to slip a kickeez recoil insert between the butt plate and the lace-on; super comfortable to shoot through the summer.

1x2

[RSY]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned but I recently bought a 336 CB .30-30 that had a stud drilled through the Marlin bullseye. I did not like this and promptly removed the old bullseye and ordered a replacement from Marlin. I replaced the buggered bullseye with the new one and viola. What I mean to communicate is if you must drill, drill through the replaceable plastic bullseye. It can be replaced and no one is the wiser. Regards. 1886.

That is NOT what the "bullseye" is for. It is merely a decorative Marlin trademark, of sorts. In fact, if you put it there, it improperly places the swivel stud WAY too far up, anyway. See Old Savage's picture for how it should be done. Do a little research on how to mount a sling, and you'll see the "bullseye" is really not in the right spot for such duty.

scott

[Swampman]

"The leather lace on things ruin the stock finish in no time."

Seen it happen on several guns.

I picked up yet another 336 today that Bubba had installed a swivel stud into the bullseye. I'll get another new bullseye to repair his work and install the stud where it's supposed to go, or get a gunsmith to do it.

Bubba sure likes 336 Marlins. When he pawns them, I get them cheap. This was a clean .35 Remington made in 1980.

[DennisD]

Is this a museum piece?

Yep, I'm adding to the collection.

I mean your going to use it right? I'd just put a swivel stud in the butstock.

If I don't like the lace on leather butt cover/sling I ordered, I probably will drill. I do think I'll like the leather however, like I said in a previous post; I think it will add a rustic frontiersman look. I'll just have to decide which is the lesser of two evils; drilling the hole or the possibility of scuffing the finish. I can't imagine I'll get a lot of scuffing if I keep dirt out. I clean my guns after every outing anyway.