45-70 guide gun.

08 June 2021, 15:58

p dog shooter

45-70 guide gun.

Years ago I helped a friend load for his.

At the time I said I want one of these.

I buy 99 percent of my guns on the free market.

So the wait can be long.

Well a free market stainless marlin/Remington came available. Priced right.

The seller let me shoot and handle it over a couple of days.

This model had the large loop. rail on the top, ghost ring sights.

I passed on the sale. It handled like a pig the forend was fat and bulky.

The pistol grip was fat and felt wrong in my hands. Making it hard to get proper finger placement on the trigger.

Then trigger was stiff and gritty.

There was a noticeable lag time in the next round feeding from the mag. One could hear and feel it moving in the mag.

My other marlin levers are a lot slimmer and point better.

I was not impressed with this particular model.

08 June 2021, 19:13

Uncle Grinch

Can’t agree with you more... my experience with a “Remlin” was not good, I sold it to my HVAC guy. I do have an older JM 45-70CB that even with its long octagon barrel, feels handy due to its trim straight grip and slim forearm.

You may take a look at one of these.

09 June 2021, 00:36

Atkinson

Buffalo Arms has some of the most interesting 45-70 and 45-90s Ive seen..Im presently lusting for fancy knock off of a Win mod. 71 in 45-70 caliber, and they have a plain Jane carbine version also, and a catalog full of different stuff in lever actions and single shot rifles some of ya'll like..Anyone have any experience with these guns in neat calibers like 38-55, 438 Win, 22 Hornet, 44-40, 38-40, 405 Win., 30/40 Krag, and 45 colt to name a few...and a bunch of other stuff..Its an awesome outfit.

09 June 2021, 00:36

dpcd

The design of this rifle is not for traditionalists; not sure who it is for. Certainly not for "guides".
Large loops and picatinny rails, and even checkering is not what we want in a lever action.
As for recent Marlin quality; when they moved the factory; that is like starting all over with new machines and personnel.

09 June 2021, 03:55

p dog shooter

quote:
The design of this rifle is not for traditionalists

I wouldn't say I am a traditionalist by any means.

But I know what a well handling rifle or shotgun feels like.

This isn't one.

09 June 2021, 03:58

dpcd

You like traditionally shaped stocks. As does every AR member.
No one here likes the Guide Gun stocks. In my limited survey.
I don't even like checkered lever action stocks. It's wrong.
That's called traditional feel and looks.

09 June 2021, 04:22

Rick R

quote:
Originally posted by p dog shooter:
Years ago I helped a friend load for his.

At the time I said I want one of these.

I buy 99 percent of my guns on the free market.

So the wait can be long.

Well a free market stainless marlin/Remington came available. Priced right.

The seller let me shoot and handle it over a couple of days.

This model had the large loop. rail on the top, ghost ring sights.

I passed on the sale. It handled like a pig the forend was fat and bulky.

The pistol grip was fat and felt wrong in my hands. Making it hard to get proper finger placement on the trigger.

Then trigger was stiff and gritty.

There was a noticeable lag time in the next round feeding from the mag. One could hear and feel it moving in the mag.

My other marlin levers are a lot slimmer and point better.

I was not impressed with this particular model.

I believe the model you test drove is an 1895 SBL (Stainless Big Lever). The “Guide Gun” is a straight stock 1895 with an 18” barrel, four round magazine, barrel mounted sights, no scope rail, and a pudgy fore end.

The 1895SBL was basically the co-star of the movie Wind River and Marlin couldn’t make them fast enough after that. Never a good thing for quality.

I believe Wild West Guns makes an upgraded trigger but my Scout Scoped Guide Gun has put a lot of venison in the freezer with the OEM BANG switch.

09 June 2021, 06:03

p dog shooter

quote:
Originally posted by dpcd:
You like traditionally shaped stocks. As does every AR member.
No one here likes the Guide Gun stocks. In my limited survey.
I don't even like checkered lever action stocks. It's wrong.
That's called traditional feel and looks.

My Savage 99 with its 24 inch barrel is wand compared to this model marlin.

I like slim and trim.

09 June 2021, 06:04

p dog shooter

quote:
I believe the model you test drove is an 1895 SBL (Stainless Big Lever). The “Guide Gun” is a straight stock 1895 with an 18” barrel, four round magazine, barrel mounted sights, no scope rail, and a pudgy fore end.

The 1895SBL was basically the co-star of the movie Wind River and Marlin couldn’t make them fast enough after that. Never a good thing for quality.

I believe Wild West Guns makes an upgraded trigger but my Scout Scoped Guide Gun has put a lot of venison in the freezer with the OEM BANG switch.

Could very well be.

10 June 2021, 17:25

Bill/Oregon

With you on this, p dog. Those things handle like green 2X4s, but they sold.
Really eager to see what Ruger does with its "20 truckloads of Marlin inventory, parts and machinery." They say they'll have a Marlin back on the market by the end of this year.

10 June 2021, 20:38

packrattusnongratus

I have a JM pre guide gun 45-70 and its handling is rough. I haven't yet "fixed" the fore end and butt stock but WWG trigger and extractor are in it. A blued gun with stainless parts is well accented. It does shoot well for a 2x4 stock. It will get slimmed down and the Buttstock fixed for a short person. Should be a good handling gun. The stainless saddlering, lawyer safety is awaiting installation as well. As usual be well, Packy.

11 June 2021, 06:24

Atkinson

Yep, me too, Im almost fanatical on lean and mean in any rifle, even my varmint rifles are African/English...Guess dad brain washed me on saddle guns growing up with a mod 94 25-35 and a 99f in 250-3000, still hunt with both from time to time, love both the 94 and 99 for cow elk draw hunts, behind my house for cows in the alfalfa at 100 to 200 yards as a rule.

11 June 2021, 06:27

Atkinson

I suppose a mod. 71 in 348 could be openned up to a 45-90?? or not?

Cimmeron used to make a 71 knock off in 45-70 and I suspect they still do? beautiful wood and looks geat in the Buffalo Arms catalog. Wondering if it could be punched out to the 45-90..The also have some hiwalls in 45-90 and 401, not to mention 38-55 and 30-40 krag..Low walls in Hornet and bee and the old pistol rounds like 38-40, 44-40 45 colt..All kinds of neat goodies and pistols also..

14 June 2021, 13:37

buckeyeshooter

quote:
Originally posted by dpcd:
The design of this rifle is not for traditionalists; not sure who it is for. Certainly not for "guides".
Large loops and picatinny rails, and even checkering is not what we want in a lever action.
As for recent Marlin quality; when they moved the factory; that is like starting all over with new machines and personnel.

And certainly losing the employees who had been making them 25+ years and moving to a system where the gun was 'assembly line' finished instead of being make by 1 person had a negative effect.

15 June 2021, 20:38

JFE

With the Marlin 1895 I doubt you can get away with a much slimmer forend. When they shoehorned a 45/70 into the 336 action, one of the mods Marlin had to make was put a sizeable bulge in the mag tube diagonally opposite the loading gate to allow the wide 45/70 shell enough room to swing around. It’s an ingenious mod, but as a result a wider forend was required. No doubt the move to a laminate necessitated a slightly wider one.

The straight grip model that Marlin originally released in 1972 was somewhat lighter and has good handling characteristics IMO.

15 June 2021, 23:49

Atkinson

The Marlin mod 93 suited me best in 30-30 or 25-36..Its a winner anyway you cut it.

16 June 2021, 11:57

Cougarz

As mentioned the earlier 95's had a slimmer forend as do the newer Cowboys. The fatter forend is on all guide guns whether they are plain wood or a laminate. It's just a thing with Marlin throughout their history on various models.

I've seen quite a few guide guns in the hands of guides, mostly in northern Canada. Compact, tough, not too heavy and effective.

A guides guide gun. vvvvv

01 July 2021, 03:14

medved

where i guided a 300 savage was very useful but in northwest canada yes a lot are using it as well as the 375 ruger.

28 July 2021, 22:12

jkingrph

I have one of the first year ported models. I did replace the factory square lever with a larger lever, not one of the big loop types, but bigger and rounded. The square one really hurt my hand in recoil. I have Leupold scout scope mounted on a XS scout rail mount( fastens in rear sight dovetail and front scope mount screw. The scope is in QD rings, and I have a Lyman receiver sight as a backup. Very handy. I wanted the scout scope due the harsh, fast recoil and no desire for a scope eye.

13 September 2022, 04:16

2th doc

I have a first year GG , it kicks like a mule but hits where it should. The comment ," no one here likes a GG" is BS.

07 October 2022, 14:44

groundtender

Replaced the trigger on my ported Marlin Guide Gun with a Wild West trigger. Replaced the lever with a Dave Clay “glove lever”, not showy, about 15% bigger opening. Like both.

02 February 2023, 10:03

ColoradoMatt

I have never been a fan of guide guns, but then again, I’ve never shot or carried one in the field. Having noticed the incredible skyrocket in the price of marlin lever action rifles, and especially the “JM” stamped pre-Remington guns, I picked up a like new non-ported 2006 guide gun last night for right at $1K. I did not exactly steal it, but it’s at least a couple hundred dollars under the current going rate. I bought it as an investment, but I’m afraid I might end up shooting it and liking it. Worse things could happen, I guess.

Matt
FISH!!

Heed the words of Winston Smith in Orwell's 1984:

"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right."

03 February 2023, 18:20

Uncle Grinch

Watched a few videos on the new Ruger made Marlins and it looks like they may be putting out a product that will be what most of us really want; good fit and finish, nice bluing and wood, and traditional rifling.

07 February 2023, 16:44

2th doc

quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Grinch:
Watched a few videos on the new Ruger made Marlins and it looks like they may be putting out a product that will be what most of us really want; good fit and finish, nice bluing and wood, and traditional rifling.

Whom ever thought lever guns...mostly Marlins an Winchesters, would bring scalpers prices. Here in the northeast a good guess would be 75% of us as kids started hunting with one of them either 30-30,.32 Special or .35 Rem. . I always have a couple in the safe an all my grandkids started out passing them from kid to kid.
Currently I have .357, .45Colt, .30-30, .35 Rem,45-70,and a 300 Savage doubt I paid more than $250 for either of them.