Marlin 45-70 [JM] marked

[PJ Hardtack]

Got a shot at a next to new [JM] marked Marlin 45-70 with pistol grip, checkered stock, swivel studs and Ballard rifling. Not a mark on it.

Had one with a straight grip years ago and regretted selling it.  Comments .... ?

Strange that with so many Marlins in CAS, we don't have a Marlin column.

[Coffinmaker]

Suggest you "Snap It Up."

It's cause "fish" smell bad after a day or so inna sun   

Coffinmaker

[PJ Hardtack]

I think I will. Don't NEED it, just WANT it.

I love my Browning '86, but the Marlin has factory sling swivels. Makes it a good hunting rifle.

[Gabriel Law]

Go for it!  Neat rifles!!

[PJ Hardtack]

Hey Gabe

The fires are quite far from us right now, but we have lightning predicted for tomorrow. Bad news. All the way home from Alberta we had dark skies from the smoke.

You gonna make our shoot comin' up? Travel south is OK but not comin' north, so we may not see the crew from Williams Lake and the 100 Mile area. Gonna be a small turnout.

"Whiskers" has been evacuated and won't come if he can't get home to get his guns.  Same might apply to "Doc Nowlan". Not sure about "Sassy" and "Porcupine".

We will not be using the BP Trail for obvious reasons. Fire prevention is paramount.

But - back to the 45-70 Marlin ..... it's a beaut! I believe I'll be able to get it for $750 shipped.

[Gabriel Law]

Turkey Cr. Pete and I will share a camp PJ!  Wouldn't miss it.  Congrats on your recent acquisition.

[PJ Hardtack]

Thanks, Gabe! I can predict this this rifle will become a 'keeper' based on my experience with a straight grip model years ago that had the Micro Groove rifling. Still shot good with BP. With the half mag, they balance in the hand beautifully.

Got it for a great price, shipping included.

As for our shoot, due to highway closures and the poor air quality, we are likely going to scrub the shoot or reschedule it. Somehow it just doesn't seem right to be having fun while so many are fighting to preserve their homes and property.

Some are risking their lives to rescue abandoned horses. Catastrophe brings out the best and the worst in people. God help any looters that ply their trade around here. Shoot-shovel-shut up will be the local rule. Lots of backhoes and plenty of bush to hide the bodies. Once the fire passes through, all signs will be erased.

Final decision will be made soon.

[PJ Hardtack]

 We did the right thing and cancelled our annual CAS event. Several highways are closed, towns and cities are being evacuated and a couple of fires are increasing in size and described as "out of control".

Air quality is poor at times, it appearing to be dusk in the middle of the afternoon. Homes, businesses, jobs are being lost daily. It is a firestorm of Biblical proportions.

That's the bad news. The good news is that I bought the [JM] marked Marlin 95 with Ballard rifling. Did some surfing and there is quite a lengthy history of mods, variations, riflings, barrel lengths, etc, some overlapping into upgrades.

One thing that did not change, Micro Groove or Ballard, is the ROT. It remained constant at 1x20". That should stabilize a variety of bullet weights. I'll be happy with 350 RNFPs and 420 RNFPs.

[kwilliams1876]

good choice, of all my hunting rifles the 1895 is still a favorite carry gun, on foot or in the  scabbard on my horse. as built, i don't like the package too much so i fixed the "problem". i put a full length magazine tube on, thinned out the forearm appropriately, sculptured the bottom of the pistol grip into an original style ogee profile, added a set of Brockman sights and a good leather sling. a mag tube full of shells (not in pockets) always gave comfort riding/walking around in griz country here in Montana. by the way if you really want a nice handling and shooting marlin in 45-70, get yourself a model 1881. i just love mine for the occasional hunt. when i moved tube hanger forward i put in a dovetail filler in the old cut then milled a 1/2 round slot for the tube to pass through it. its amazing how it carries and the balance is perfect
best kw

[PJ Hardtack]

I've got the Browning '86 rifle with 26" barrel. Only time I stoke up the mag tube is for team steel shoots. Hunting, I carry five rds in it.

The Marlin 95 with a 5 rd capacity will be just fine as I'm comfortable packing my Shiloh 50-70 carbine with 6 rds on a belt slide. My wife and I have been charged by both black bears and a really PO's cow moose when I've been carrying the 50-70.

On one occasion, the bear charged 3 times, getting as close as 12 yds. The Sharps was cocked and on his nose. He thought about it and this times the dogs let him go in peace. Smart dogs, lucky bear.

Not too much I can do about the stock wood on the Marlin as the forestock and butt are checkered. I can live with it. Reminds me of the stock configuration of the Winchester M64.

[PJ Hardtack]

My 'new to me' Marlin 95 arrived yesterday - beautiful! Not a mark on it. Original owner claims only 40 rds of factory ammo fired.

Got curious about it's date of manufacture with all the brouhaha re": re: "Remilns" and quality control. If I understand the gobble-de-gook about decoding the serial number, my rifle was made in 2007.

It is marked [JM] on the left of the barrel ahead of the receiver. It's serial number begins with the numbers 93. Subtracting that from 2100 gives a manufacturing date of 2007.

The stock is a tad long for me in a T-shirt, so it might need shortening for hunting clothes.Just getting rid of the red rubber butt pad might be enough.

I noticed that the scope mount screws were loose, so I tightened them down and learned a lesson. Three of the screw holes are bored right through the top of the receiver. If you tighten them, they bear on the bolt, locking it.

I'll back them of flush and put a drop of lacquer on the screw heads.

[kwilliams1876]

just wondering........why not shorten screws by grinding some of the length off?  use loctite medium strength not lacquer, and you problem will be remedied.
best
kw

[PJ Hardtack]

Too late. I installed them just below flush and and 'timed' them. No bolt binding.

If the lacquer doesn't hold, Lock Tite is next. In years past, I've used clear nail polish. Held pretty well.

Grinding those little screws didn't hold much appeal.

A short cut method is to subtract the first two digits of the serial # from 100. In the case of my rifle: 100 - 93 = 07.

The guy I bought it from said he bought it from the original owner who seldom fired it and it spent it's time as a 'safe queen'. That would explain it's pristine condition for a rifle made in 2007.

[PJ Hardtack]

The factory LOP was too long so I removed the butt pad and spacer. Now it fits. Same LOP as my Browming '86.

Ordered a lace on butt bucket from BACO for it. All of my Shilohs wear these as well.

[PJ Hardtack]

Range report on the 95 Marlin ....

before our CAS practice last night, I shot the 95 for the first time.

The 100m gong was missing, so it went for the 150m gong from the military sitting position. The front sight bead completely covered the gong. It hit low, so I kept upping the rear sight to the 7th notch - Bang! Clang! Bang! Clang!  Bang! Clang! Easy peasy.

Load was the RCBS 350 RNFP and 36 grs of Varget, SPG lube. I'm going to like this rifle..

[Blackpowder Burn]

I love the Marlin big bores.  I have a '95 Cowboy in 45-70 with 26" barrel and Ballard rifling - holds 8 rounds.  I also have a 336 Cowboy in 38-55.  It has a 24" barrel and also hold 8 rounds.  I replaced the front sight with the smallest bead Marbles makes (1/16"?) and put a Marbles tang sight on them.  Both will shoot between 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" at 100 yards with my black powder ammo.  The 45-70 shoots equally well with anything from 55 to 65 grains of FFg Olde Eynsford and a 405 grain bullet.

I love to stoke it up with 6 rounds and shoot our Cody Dixon category at Texas CAS matches.  That's plates at 75 to 100 yards instead of the normal CAS pistol caliber rifles.  We have several folks at our club that shoot the category and it's a hoot to hear one of them cut loose with 6 rounds of BP 45-70 in "rapid fire" mode.  

[PJ Hardtack]

Lookin' forward to puttin' lots of rds downrange with mine. I may replace the front sight with a smaller bead in time.

I'm going to have to have 1/2" cut of the butt and the pad reinstalled as it's just that much too long to be comfortable, even in a T-shirt.