I have a Marlin 1895, what do I buy next?

[BIG45-70]

I got my Marlin last year. Not only has it become my favorite rifle and go to hunter but it has also gotten me into handloading and cast boolits. I'm thinking about picking up another lever but keep flip flopping between a pistol cartridge or 30-30. Im looking for somthing smaller the my 22ich 1895 and under 500 if at all possible. What should I get?

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Welcome to the forum. I'd think that a pistol caliber 92 or 73 clone would be the answer. Or a Marlin 1894 in a pistol caliber. You'll get no shortage of opinions on this subject I'm sure.

[Hobie]

Are you going to hunt with it? Do you want to reload for it?

[3leggedturtle]

A 16" SS Puma in 45 colt or 44 Mag

[MrMurphy]

.44 Marlin.

If you can't kill it with the .44, get the .45-70.

[gamekeeper]

Winchester 94 30/30 or Rossi .357 and welcome to the fire.

[firefuzz]

A lever gun designed by J.M.B. I would think a pistol cartridge gun and a pistol to go with it.

Rob

[TedH]

I'd also say a pistol caliber of your desired brand, then the 30-30 after that.

[AJMD429]

I'd also say a pistol caliber of your desired brand, then the 30-30 after that.

Yep.

Since the .45 Colt and .45-70 don't share bullet diameters anyway, just pick the caliber based on what handgun you have or like to have - .45 Colt, .44 Mag, .357 Mag., or even .32-20 are all good options. Consider a .22 LR for the same reasons.

Get a Marlin if you'll want a scope for your 'light' gun, or want to put peeps on it without drilling & tapping (although it's easy to do yourself, and cheap to hire done). Get a Rossi if you want one 'as is', sight-wise.

Between a .45-70 and a .32-20 there isn't anything you couldn't 'deal with' hunting-wise, from squirrels to moose, and a .32-20 can be almost as cheap to reload as buying .22 LR. Problem is, the .32-20 GUNS will set you back quite a bit. So, .357 Mag would fill much the same niche, just cost a bit more lead-wise (not that much more).

Despite living in the midwest all my life, I didn't get a .30-30 until I was 30 years into my levergun-buying years - fortunately, one of my friends who owns a gun-shop finally informed me that it is actually a felony in Indiana to NOT own a .30-30 levergun, and so I bought the one he had for sale. It's good to have friends like that to keep you out of trouble; at least that's what I told my wife...

[fisheadgib]

I'd say something in .45colt or .44mag. No levergun collection is complete without a few model 94's and there's quite a few out there in the price range that you specified.

[RIHMFIRE]

Are you going to hunt with it? Do you want to reload for it?

You need to answer the first question....
and you need to start reloading no matter what......because of $$$$$

[BIG45-70]

thanks for all the great replies, this is an extremely informative forum.

I'll be handloading and shooting cast no matter what caliber I go with. I have had this infatuation with the 45 colt cartridge, it jus seems cool. 357 was my obvious choice but for whatever reason I just don't find it that interesting. 32-20 is a new one for me, how do this ballistics compare to something like a .357? I've seen a win 94 in this caliber but they don't seem so popular are there any other manufactures that make a lever in this caliber?

My 1895 will stay my hunting rifle for now so the next lever is more like a hobby/plinker.

[Rusty]

Well if you have a .45-70 the next logical thing to be on the look out for would be a .22. That would call for a Marlin M39. Just using logic you know... cover both ends then fill up the middle.

[gary rice]

I got my Marlin last year. Not only has it become my favorite rifle and go to hunter but it has also gotten me into handloading and cast boolits. I'm thinking about picking up another lever but keep flip flopping between a pistol cartridge or 30-30. Im looking for somthing smaller the my 22ich 1895 and under 500 if at all possible. What should I get?

You could do what I did, buy an 1886, darn i love that rifle.

[AJMD429]

32-20 is a new one for me, how do this ballistics compare to something like a .357? I've seen a win 94 in this caliber but they don't seem so popular are there any other manufactures that make a lever in this caliber?

Marlin made an 1894 in it called the "1894-CL"; you'll find them on GunBroker or GunsAmerica online fairly often if you keep looking.

Ballistics from the factory ammo are pretty tame, but I think something on the order of a .410 shotgun slug load (only about 100 times more accurate). Loaded in a "modern" gun they sizzle along in the neighborhood of what you get from a .30 Carbine! I have an 1889 blackpowder-era Marlin I use the really tame, cast-lead factory ammo in (around 1,000 fps for a 100 grain bullet), but a few years ago got an 1894-CL (1980's production), and handloads eaily push the same bullet to 1,500 fps. The bullets of only 100 grain size are CHEAP to buy in bulk, (even jacketed ones, much less 'plated' ones, or plain old lead ones), and if you're CAREFUL with the brass (Starline brand is strongest, but all has somewhat fragile thin necks), you can get a dozen loadings each. Brass isn't all that expensive, either, due to the small case size, but is sometimes made in 'batches' so once in awhile is hard to find for a month or so.
Powder 'doses' are also small and therefore cheap, and as a low-pressure, almost-straight-walled, pistol/rifle case, it can use a WIDE variety of powders.

Some folks on the forum are .32-20 'experts', and may chime in as well.

Anyway, despite the GUNS being a bit hard to find and pricey, most folks who have a .32-20 are likely never to part with it. "Cat sneeze" loads for that cartridge are quiet yet powerful, and "hot" loads can humanely kill a whitetail with proper shot placement and at a reasonable range. The .357 Magnum (in a 'rifle' vs. a 'carbine' levergun) with .38 Specials in it is a close contender for an inexpensive, yet 'potent enough' plinker, with virtually no recoil.

There are two other very similar levergun cartridges - the .32 H&R Magnum, which is essentially a straight-wall, thicker-brass .32-20, and ONLY available in 'modern' guns (so 'factory' ammo is all fairly potent, vs. watered-down for the old .32-20's still around), and the .327 Federal Magnum, which so far is ONLY available in revolvers or breakopens like Handi's and Encore's. The .32 H&R Marlins are modern, strong, and you see them now and then used (no longer made), but they used a 'tube loading' system like tube-magazine .22's, which turns off some traditionalists (I like it, as it facilitates faster loading, faster and safer unloading, and less damage to the brass from scratching through a 'loading port'). Unlike the Rossi's and Henry's with tube-loading, the Marlin .32 H&R Magnums do NOT have a side-port in the receiver, which sends some traditionalist levergunners into grand-mal seizures. Whatever ... Someday no-doubt Marlin/Remington or someone else WILL make a .327 Federal Magnum levergun, and when they do, IT will eclipse and render obsolete any of the other ".32" caliber leverguns, in my opinion, save for historic/sentimental reasons to still favor the .32-20.

Here's the .32-20's:



I found (on this forum) a .32-20 Ruger Blackhawk from "Buckeye Conversions" to go with my Marlin 1894-CL, so it's pretty hard NOT to love that combination.

I like "families" of leverguns & revolvers...

.44's - including the .44 Special CCW Charter Bulldog, .44 Mags from Ruger and Marlin, and a .444 Marlin XLR from Marlin:


and

.357's - including a .38 Special CCW Ruger Sp-101, .357 Mags from Ruger and Marlin, and a .35 Remington XLR from Marlin:

[Hobie]

Are you going to hunt with it? Do you want to reload for it?

You need to answer the first question....
and you need to start reloading no matter what......because of $$$$$

With a handle like yours and you don't think a Mountie might be a good option?

[El Chivo]

if it's a lighter, handier gun you want, the Marlin 1894c in .357 is about a pound lighter and what, 6" shorter than your 1895? Barrel is 18.5" and stock is shorter too. Can be a nice change.

The .44 version is back to the 20" barrel but it is still a little shorter and lighter than your 1895.

[MrMurphy]

As a plinker, emergency defensive piece and general fun gun, the .357 will be cheaper to shoot.

I got a .44 because it's an all-around piece.

[crystal river charli]

Kinda partial to the 357 myself.



Charlie