Marlin big bores: Can I get a longer magazine tube?

[Bill_Rights]

Hey - I'm a new levergunner thinking about future Marlin big bore choices. I may have several questions, but please help me with this one first.

I notice that the Rossi M92s and Winchester 94s in large bores (say .44 and up) have the magazine tube extending all the way to the end of the barrel. The Marlin 1895 (and the Model 444 in .444 Marlin, which is the same "pattern") stop the magazine tube well short of the end of the barrel AND, consequently, only holds 4-5 rounds in the magazine. The Rossi holds 9-10 and someone can tell us how many the Win 94 holds, but it's gotta be more than 5 in a pistol-caliber rifle. Here are photos for comparison:

Marlin Model 1895 (4 rounds of .45-70 Gov't) and Model 444 (5 rounds of .444 Marlin), both 22" barrel


Winchester Model 94 Legacy in .44 Mag, 24" barrel [photo courtesy of "3T" of this forum]


Two questions:
Why won't Marlin give me what I want? A full-length mag tube.
Can I get an after-market full-length mag tube for the Marlin? And if I did, can I install it in my home shop?

Thanks, Bill

[Pete44ru]

Marlin Parts dept can sell you a Cowboy Model (.45-70) magazine tube (and spring & hanger) that fits the 26" barrel on that model.

It can be cut to any length you like, the end drilled for the end plug cross screw, and the barrel bottom inletted for a hanger you can also get from Marlin.

Whether or not it can be done in your home shop is a question only you can answer.

.

[AJMD429]

Somebody on this forum did just that (I think with a .444 XLR in stainless); he'll probably post on it if he sees this thread. Looked real nice.

[Mich Hunter]

They just did. Marlin came out with the 1895SBL and 1895GBL.

[Pisgah]

I've thought of adding a full-length tube to a 336A. It wouldn't be very hard to do. But, especially with a .45/70, I'd figure a bit on how much it would increase muzzle-heaviness. Some folks like a lot of it, some don't, but if muzzle-heavy is your cup of tea, I'd say go for it.

[Chas.]

How 'bout this - Marlin 1895CB, currently in production.

[AJMD429]

They just did. Marlin came out with the 1895SBL and 1895GBL.

Cool - just did a search:

This the 18-1/2" 1895GBL (6+1 shot .45-70)...

7 lb, 37"

Here's the 18-1/2" 1895SBL (6+1 shot .45-70)...

7 lb, 37"

Between those two, and the 26" 1895 Cowboy (9+1 shot .45-70), you have a decent range of choices...

8 lb, 44.5" (mine seems lighter)

What I find interesting is that the Guide Gun is actually shorter than the .44 Mag 1894, & only a bit heavier.

The 20" 1894SS (10+1 shot .44 Mag)...

6.5 lb, 37.5"

18-1/2" 1895GS Guide Gun (4+1 shot .45-70)...

7 lb, 37"

But none is as handy as the 18.5" 1894C (9+1 shot .357 Mag)...

6 lb, 36"

But for a full-size 'rifle' type levergun, the XLR's sure are balanced nicely:

24" 1895XLR (4+1 shot .45-70 - but 5+1 shots if you get the 444 Marlin version )...


7.5lb, 42-1/2"

[Bill_Rights]

Mich, Yeh, those 1895SBL and 1895GBLs guide guns have shorter barrels (18.5") and so even though the mag goes to the end of the barrel, it only hold 6 rounds, but that is much better! I also want to get to a modern big bore round like the .450 Marlin, when I go there, versus .45-70 Gov't....

AJMD, The GBL is the same guide gun as the SBL, but it comes in blued metal and natural wood laminate stocks. We were just talking about it on this forum, compliments of Mich: http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... f=1&t=2478.
IT IS NOT ON Marlin's web site, though....which brings me to...

Chas, Where can I get the deets on the 1895CB? I can't find it on Marlin's web site. Got a link to a review or something?

Pisgah, Yes, front heavy. What's there to say?

[Old Savage]

If you need more than 5 rounds of 45-70 might be good to think about what you are up to.

[Mich Hunter]

Well, you could take the standard 1895SS and add a full length mag tube to it. IYou would have to cut a new dovetail and get the cowboy tube. The hardest part would be the dovetail. But, it could be done. I know of one guy on this board that did it himself. Brockmans will also do the extension for around $100. There is not a whole lot the 450 Marlin can do that the 45-70 can't do. Remember that factory 45-70 ammo is not loaded to it's full potential. Most ammo makers won't do it because of all the old 45-70 floating around. There is too much liability in their minds.

[Tycer]

There is not a whole lot the 450 Marlin can do that the 45-70 can't do. Remember that factory 45-70 ammo is not loaded to it's full potential.

There is a whole lot the 45-70 can do that the 450 Marlin can't and Factories like Buffalo Bore, Grizzly and Garrett make ammo that matches the 450.

[6pt-sika]

If you need more than 5 rounds of 45-70 might be good to think about what you are up to.

Anytime I hunted with the Marlin 1895CB I had I NEVER carried extra ammo in my pocket !

The 8 or 9 in the mag tube and chamber were way more then I ever used !

[AJMD429]

If you need more than 5 rounds of 45-70 might be good to think about what you are up to.

- - -

I suppose in a 'ranch' rifle that got drafted for 'home defense' it would be nice to have something with more capacity. . .
. . . weren't there Gatlings in .45-70? . . .

[Chas.]

Chas, Where can I get the deets on the 1895CB? I can't find it on Marlin's web site. Got a link to a review or something?

Go to Marlin's website. On the left, select "Lever Action Rifles", then on the left under "Lever Action Cowboy Rifles", select "1895 Cowboy".

[AJMD429]

Another general resource on Marlin rifles - http://www.leverguns.com/articles/fryxe ... istory.htm

There IS a "Marlin Owners" website, but threads aren't as varied or as active (or so I think), or maybe it's just the site is broken up into so many 'sub-forums' you have to do more searching than I have time for. For instance, they have a separate "cowboy rifles" section, a ".45-70" section, a "336" section (the '1895' is essentially a '336'), a "NRA Cowboy Lever Action Silhouette " section, and finally a "Marlin Collectors" section... - http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/

A website for Marlin Collectors - http://www.marlin-collectors.com/

Anyhow, the .45-70 Marlin 'cowboy' has a good reputation. Not a gun to 'hot-rod' like a Ruger No. 1, but loaded up to pressures similar to the .450 Marlin or .444 Marlin (my favorite ), there isn't much it won't make a big hole in.

Mine is going to soon try a Lyman Globe front sight and a Williams FP-336 receiver sight with target knobs, to see if it is as fun and accurate as my vintage 10x Weaver scope.

[Bill_Rights]

Thanks, Chas - Another noob goof --> I didn't find it when I looked 'cause I didn't know "CB" = "cowboy"

[Buck Elliott]

Yes, there WERE Gatlings in .45-70...

[Adobe Walls]

Howdy.

I agree that if you are "hittin' what yore shootin' at" with a .45/70, it's unlikely to take more than 5 shells to do the deed; BUT if you are packing big bore guns for bear or other dangerous animal defense, then just maybe you might use more than 5 shells. I recall a "bears in the hog pen" incident some folks had about 10 years ago that ended up with several dead pigs and about 3 dead bears before it was completely sorted out. (that involved an SKS, .40 Glock, and maybe a .30/06 bolt gun if I recall the tale correctly) I also personally was involved in a nightime "bear in the chicken house" incident years ago that left me with an empty .45/70 Marlin in less time than it took to type this sentence. (IMR 3031 burns real orange in the dark; and it's hard to get a sight picture when you can't see anything) Of course I did have a pair of .357's on my belt for backup so I wasn't completely out of action. That particular 300 lb bear made it almost 100 yards up the side of the hill before he collapsed and was found the next morning; dead from a ricochet.AW

P.S.

I don't think a Gatling gun would have done anything but put even more big wide streaks in the dirt along the bear's escape path! AW

[AJMD429]

I also personally was involved in a nightime "bear in the chicken house" incident years ago that left me with an empty .45/70 Marlin in less time than it took to type this sentence.

I suppose a .454 Casull Puma might be just the ticket. 'They' say not to hot-load them, but an 80%-Casull load is STILL on par with the average .45-70 load people are using, and it holds 10 rounds in the 20" barrel version, which is still a fairly compact gun.

[Bill_Rights]

AJMD,

Yes, the Rossi M92 in .454 Casull/.45LC was what I actually bought, but I got questioned as to why not buy an American-made Marlin. I like American-made and I like Marlin (though I don't own one), so I started this thread to sort out what I could'a bought in a Marlin or what I hope to buy in a Marlin in the future.

Along those same lines, the Rossi has its own resident gunsmith (Steve Young/Nate Kiowah Jones) on our forum here, so that is one reason I went with the Rossi to start with (cheap price is another, though it turns out the Marlins are not as expensive as I ignorantly feared). Do we have a Marlin expert to show us how (Stee sells a DVD video) to loosen up the action (slick it)? To take care of the misfeed problem (or does that not affect the models that shoot .45-70 and .450 Marlin?)?