Apples
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 31
|
Post by Apples on Mar 18, 2019 23:17:12 GMT -5
Haven't been around much lately what with work, reloading .44 and putting this new Marlin right. Lately it seems that when it comes to handguns I don't want to shoot much other than my Ruger .44 Special flat tops or 1911s. Lever carbines, on the other hand, I enjoy in several different chamberings: .357, .41 and .44 Magnums. I have had the good fortune of owning two out of three, but when the time came to fill the .44 Mag Marlin 1894 slot with an older, blued round-barrel, I discovered the newly-released 1894 SBL and purchased it instead.
Cartridge on the left consists of a 270 grain Speer Deep Curl over 18 grains of Viht N110 in Magnum brass for an estimated 1463 fps from the 16" Marlin
Cartridge on the right wears a 255 grain MBW Keith over 7.5 grains Unique in Special brass for 940 fps from the 4-5/8" Ruger .44 Special NMBlackhawk
I'll be around more often in the future because I'm about to tackle some issues with nearly all of my revolvers: thread choke on a couple of them, a muzzle restriction in a 3-screw Super and some rough forcing cone machining that likes to gather some lead.
I just love shooting my sixguns! I am a sixgunner, and my name is Apples.
|
|
|
Post by zeus on Mar 18, 2019 23:23:44 GMT -5
Love the lever gun!
|
|
|
Post by matt56 on Mar 19, 2019 9:17:22 GMT -5
That lever is really nice. I’m partial to the Rossi 92 but I’m always looking for a nice Marlin. I’m thinking a 45-70 and get the barrel threaded. Looks like they’re leaving the barrel a little long so they’re easier to thread
|
|
|
Post by ezekiel38 on Mar 19, 2019 10:47:58 GMT -5
Hey, Apples; love your choices in firearms and the pleasure and service they give. 44 Special Rugers are just cool. The Carbine works all the time here in Ideeho.
|
|
|
Post by taffin on Mar 19, 2019 13:50:36 GMT -5
I REALLY LIKE THE WEATHER BEATING QUALITIES OF THAT MARLIN. HAVING A ROSSI STAINLESS .357 M92 GIVEN THE SAME TREATMENT. MY NAME IS SIXGUNNER AND I LOVE APPLES (with cinnamon and peanut butter)
|
|
|
Post by majorKAP on Mar 19, 2019 14:29:36 GMT -5
I REALLY LIKE THE WEATHER BEATING QUALITIES OF THAT MARLIN. HAVING A ROSSI STAINLESS .357 M92 GIVEN THE SAME TREATMENT. MY NAME IS SIXGUNNER AND I LOVE APPLES (with cinnamon and peanut butter) 😁😂🤣
|
|
|
Post by rjm52 on Mar 19, 2019 15:17:05 GMT -5
Nice gun...something Marlin should have been doing years ago instead of just special runs....
I have one of the 16.5" .41s, the 1894LTD...only 251 were made... Basically the same gun but with a straight stock and standard lever... Were also made in .357, .44 and .45 Colt....
Bob
|
|
bones
.30 Stingray
Posts: 142
|
Post by bones on Mar 19, 2019 16:16:44 GMT -5
Basically the same gun but with a straight stock and standard lever... Were also made in .357, .44 and .45 Colt.... Bob A straight stock version would really trip my trigger. I've been lusting after a 1894 csbl since I first learned of them a few months ago. I've really been hoping to find one "in the flesh" to handle and check quality/fit/finish of an individual rifle before buying. But...finding one has been tough to stumble upon.
|
|
Apples
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 31
|
Post by Apples on Mar 19, 2019 19:43:32 GMT -5
Thank you, zeus! :-)Thank you Matt. There are few shoulder-fired small arms sweeter than a Browning-designed Winchester 1892... I have three examples; one Miroku Browning B92 in .44 and two Rossis in .357... and the design was hands down my favorite UNTIL... I started shooting Marlin 1894s. I own three of these, now, too. Next to being far easier to strip and clean from the breech, a Marlin 1894 simply shoulders well. It fits. My absolute favorite for it's balance is my 20" FG. Well, dagnabbit! I'm still stuck here in Cal-ee-forn-eye-aye. I long for the day in the near future when I may stroll my property in Free America with these great firearms. I envy you! sir, and I thank you for the compliment. You know what they say: An apple a day (and of course, peanut butter!) keeps the doctor away. I own few stainless firearms because I am drawn more to walnut and blued steel. The '94 SBL shown here is my only stainless long gun, but I am glad to have an all-weather rifle/pistol combo, guns that can get rained on, even dunked crossin' a crick, and not be too worse off for it. Fwiw, my favorite apple is a Fuji. Always juicy, crisp and sweet. I suppose if I were MORE of an apple aficionado, I'd know more of the sheer variety of apples, and what they are best suited to. But, I digress... Thank you for your reply, my good man. I hear you, Bob. I've longed for a short, handy, stainless .45-70 but put it farther down the list, favoring instead the whirlenpopper-caliber levers. A Model 1895 is next, perhaps midsummer. Bob, I envy you your short, straight-stocked, stainless '41! A wise idea. I was so smitten with this '94 SBL when I became aware of it. I had been pondering a blued, round-barrel .44. I was crushed when my dealer informed me it may be months before they saw one. They had just placed their order with Marlin, and the next order wasn't to be for quite some time yet. Point being that when I arrived home from my visit there, I received a phone call from the store telling me that RIGHT AFTER I LEFT the UPS feller dropped off their previous Marlin order. Two '94 SBLs were in it! Needless to say I hopped straight back into my truck to go grab one of 'em. In spite of there being several minor issues with the gun upon initial inspection, I didn't want to send it back to Marlin for fear of having to WAIT! and only while they made it worse so I tackled the issues myself. The bore was atrocious, with tool chatter on top of two of the lands... burrs from machining were stuck to various facets of the receiver interior, polishing rouge and wheel detritus had been left deposited upon the hammer spring and strut (quite a bit of it), the laminate stock was ill-fitted and poorly-finished, and the front sight was mounted at 12:30 rather than where it should be sitting, at high noon. I'll use a 'smith to correct that issue because he has better tools and equipment for the job. A few hours' work detailing the interior of the receiver with small files and then a good cleaning and reassembly fixed those issues, but I sought the experienced eye of my local gunsmith for the bore issues. I asked him if he thought pressure-lapping may help to which he responded, "Good grief. Absolutely. If you were to send this back to Marlin they're likely to tell you it's 'fine' but we both know this is unacceptable." I assembled 60 cartridges using Beartooth's 380-grit compound and their .44 lapping bullets, headed out to the desert and made a day of it (and I thank my two shooting buddies that day for their patience to stand by while I cleaned the bore every five rounds to make an appraisal of it's improving condition). This is what I mean when I say I had to put this thing "right", and it's one reason why, if you are able to, bring the appropriate hollow-ground driver bit and driver, remove the lever, the bolt and the ejector and have a look inside the CSBL you might purchase. She's a real sweet shooter, now, though! and even when shooting fast, heavy-bullet loads the factory recoil pad works very well. It's far nicer to shoot with than the steel buttplate on my B92. Heehaw.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2019 20:36:41 GMT -5
That's a great looking, tough hunting combo. Luv me a good 44 levergun!
|
|
|
Post by rjm52 on Mar 20, 2019 20:37:07 GMT -5
The short Trapper style carbines are neat little rifles but I actually like the balance of the 18" guns better...
It is too bad Marlin only made a handful of the LTDs... I had two .41s when they first came out but later sold one. One of my friends bought a .357 at the same time and I put a XS Levergun scout mount on it for him with a 60s vintage Leupold M8-2X scope. He passed away three years ago tomorrow and I put the gun on GB for his widow...it was LNIB as it had only been shot a few times. Sold for $3400....highest amount I have ever seen one bring regardless of caliber.
Only wish he was still around to shoot it....Bob
|
|
Apples
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 31
|
Post by Apples on Mar 20, 2019 23:34:42 GMT -5
Which 1894 .357 was it? I'm not clear on your description.
I do appreciate you telling us that story. I'll light up one of my vintage Coleman lanterns tomorrow in his memory.
|
|
|
Post by ezekiel38 on Mar 21, 2019 11:44:43 GMT -5
Apples, thanks for joining the forum. I find myself wanting a Marlin "trapper" style carbine like the one you have. Can't wait for a range report and pics. I'm assuming that is an XS sight system on the Marlin?
|
|
Apples
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 31
|
Post by Apples on Mar 21, 2019 12:35:31 GMT -5
This is a great place, thanks to folks like yourself.
I do have some new handloads to zero. I'll try to get some photos then. May be another few weeks, yet.
It is an XS sight system on my SBL. Marlin sells the new CST (16.5" stainless .357, threaded barrel, black furniture, XS sights (no picatinny rail), the CSBL (16.5" stainless .357, laminate stock, XS sights with picatinny rail) and the SBL 16.5" stainless .44, laminate stock, XS sights with pic rail). I removed the rail from my gun and filled the barrel's rear dovetail with a blued dovetail blank (didn't have a stainless blank).
Since I removed the rail from my gun, I could use a shorter front sight (since the rear ghost ring pedestal sandwiches the rail to the receiver), but I first need to shorten the ghost ring threaded stud perhaps .050" to retain the same zero with the shorter .125" front sight used on the CST that has no rail. I was able to see all three guns first hand at my dealer so I was able to ascertain the differences in the sights setups.
I called XS and ordered the shorter front sight used on the CST, however I may simply reinstall the rail and throw 2.5 X 28 optic on it now that my eyes are older. We'll see.
|
|
|
Post by squawberryman on Mar 21, 2019 15:46:07 GMT -5
The limiteds were 1894SS357-LTD, I've got one. They came in 357, 41(?), 44, 45, 45-70, 308 Marlin. Obviously different part number for the larger calibers. I also have one of the 45-70's that went to Clements for bedding, action, stronger tube, loop lever, bear on the side. The sights are terrible, flimsy. Someday it'll turn into a takedown. I had a NIB 44 mag I paid 1,200 for, a guy drove 2 1/2 hours south to pay cash for quite a bit more. I got the 357 and 44 from a guy that had one of each. Bob are you gunnerbucksdad on GB? Here's one for 3,200 www.gunbroker.com/item/798884822
|
|