Marlin 1895 Cowboy

[buck]

Has anyone tried the Marlin 1895 Cowboy in 45-70 ?  Ive been thinkin about gettin one for long range lever action shootin.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

I have, and its a fine-shooting rifle.  With a rear tang sight and front globe sight, its awesomely accurate.  The only "drawback", if you will, is its relatively light weight as compared to single-shot 45-70s like the Sharps and the Rolling Block.  Lighter weight = more recoil, ya see.  So you have to be careful what you feed it.  I'm sure others will chime in here.

Good luck, and good shooting.

-- Nighteyes

[Marshal Deadwood]

I have have one and dearly LOVE it. You wont be disappointed

MD

[Dirty Brass]

As a matter of fact I just gave my 1985CB a good workout over the weekend. Shot BP 405 gr bullet loads, and some hotter smokeless fodder with 350 gr. GC bullets. Yes - 45/70 caliber. Put about 60 rounds through it in two days.

Just a great gun and fun to shoot, but a tad light for stiffer smokeless loads. My shoulder is still a little "stiff" too! 

[Blackpowder Burn]

You might also consider a Marlin 336 Cowboy in 38-55.  While they haven't been produced for a few years, you can still find new ones on Gunbroker, etc.  I bought one and it is a real pleasure to shoot.  Not nearly as punishing as the 45-70 and still a period correct cartridge.  I've been able to shoot 1-1/2" groups with BP ammo at 100 yards with a Marbles tang sight.

[buck]

Recoil ? Whats that?    I aint afraid of no stinkin recoil !    

Thanks for the replies    appreciate them.  I would like to cast my own boolits for it and have been smelting my lead into ingots. I have been looking for a boolit mold and havent decided which one yet.  Does anyone know what diameter boolit would be good for the Marlin?  I would like to shoot a 405gr. boolit.


Howdy Aggie , you were posting the same time I was  . Yes the 38-55 is another good caliber, but I have all the reloading dies and components for 45-70 already.  Maybe down the road I might feel the need for another caliber rifle. 

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Recoil ? Whats that?    I aint afraid of no stinkin recoil !    

The other side of the recoil coin is how much the Marlin's lever action mechanism can tolerate.  I have had my Marlin 1895's action kick open due to the recoil, and a pard has experienced the same thing with his.  Any way you slice it, that's not a good thing.

Long story short, don't expect Marlin's lever action to stand up to the power and recoil that single shot 45-70 rifles (Sharps and Rolling blocks to name two) will handle.

As long as you're careful in what you feed it, the Marlin 1895 should give you accuracy and good service.

-- Nighteyes

[buck]

Thanks for the warning, Mr. Nighteyes...I always follow published reloading data from the reloading manuals.  I wont be shooting any "hot" loads out of the Marlin.

I plan on putting a Marble's tang site on it  for those long range lever action shoots.  Maybe a Beech's combination site on the front.

[Shotgun Franklin]

I owned one some years back. It shot great but kicked pretty good too. I never fired one round of factory ammo though it. I did have some reloading data listed for Marlin, it was lighter than for my RB but hotter than a Trapdoor.  There's nothing in South Texas that I can't kill with a .38-55 so I switched.

[Dirty Brass]

Thanks for the warning, Mr. Nighteyes...I always follow published reloading data from the reloading manuals.  I wont be shooting any "hot" loads out of the Marlin.

I plan on putting a Marble's tang site on it  for those long range lever action shoots.  Maybe a Beech's combination site on the front.

Just to be clear - the hot loads I mentioned were well within the limits for the 1895 Marlin, as published in various Reloading manuals. They have different loads for these guns as apposed to a trapdoor, especially with the "heathan" powders.....I guess what I should have said was hotter than the BP loads listed for older TD type guns.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Just to be clear - the hot loads I mentioned were well within the limits for the 1895 Marlin, as published in various Reloading manuals.

As were the ones I was talking about.

[Jamie]

Relative to the recoil issue, there are lots of really good shoulder pads out there, and I can personally recommend the PAST recoil shield.  The steel military style buttplate on my Shiloh 45-70 will get your attention instantly, even in a 10 lb plus gun.  With the PAST, the results are very different.  It still shoves back, regardless of bullet weight or powder used, but it is immensely different, and after 50 shots, you still feel very human.
A friend bought a Marlin 1895, and with some stout loads, that thing was made for three shot groups.  One per day please.  Swapping the pad back and forth we went through over two twenty round boxes and were wishing for more.  I'm not overly sensative to recoil, but that pad is a delight and for the sake of bursitis, arthritis and joint wear and tear in general, they are the cat's meow.  As to the CB in 45-70, I've known two people that have them, and while I haven't had the privilege to shoot one yet, they tear up in heart felt love at the very mention of them.  Having shot several 1895's  I suspect that the CB is more of the same only betterer. (If possible)  The only issue is overall cartridge length affecting function.  The first time you have to dismantle the gun to remove a load that won't load all the way - and they all fit in the tube... - you will sigh repeatedly.
Jamie

[litl rooster]

I like my Marlin loaded with 390 grain pill over some ffg for "squirrel" hunting...when they's in season of course.  Recoil not to bad with it.

[Dirty Brass]

I like my Marlin loaded with 390 grain pill over some ffg for "squirrel" hunting...when they's in season of course.  Recoil not to bad with it.

Yup - some of mine were close to that (405gr) and I thought they were relatively mild for a 45/70. Would have been much milder feeling in, say, a Trapdoor Rifle though 

[WyrTwister]

Recoil ? Whats that?    I aint afraid of no stinkin recoil !    

Thanks for the replies    appreciate them.  I would like to cast my own boolits for it and have been smelting my lead into ingots. I have been looking for a boolit mold and havent decided which one yet.  Does anyone know what diameter boolit would be good for the Marlin?  I would like to shoot a 405gr. boolit.


Howdy Aggie , you were posting the same time I was  . Yes the 38-55 is another good caliber, but I have all the reloading dies and components for 45-70 already.  Maybe down the road I might feel the need for another caliber rifle. 

     I have 2 of the " standard " length Marlin .45-70's .

     Marlins like big bullets .  I cast the Lee 405 grain hollow bsae bullet and size to .460" .

     The Marlins can be loaded from mild to WILD !   :-)

God bless
Wyr

[Shotgun Franklin]

I had my right shoulder rebuilt in 1989. Along with other things they removed most of the padding off of the front of my right shoulder. It left me fairly recoil sensitivel.  My .38-55 is OK but a .45-70 in a light rifle is just to much.