I have recently had a hankering for a 45-70 lever gun. My mate has a .357 Rossi Puma with iron sights and I really like shooting steel with it down the range so I thought I might get a lever gun too. I help another mate with culling lowland red deer in thick woodland usually at less than 100 yards and also would like to shoot running boar at some point and thought a lever gun in 45-70 would be ideal for these as well as shooting steel up to 200 yards. I reload for my .270 and .308 and quite fancy casting my own bullets so 45-70 would pose no problems around ammo availability. I want to be able to put a picatinny rail on it so I can use a scope for the deer and possibly scope or red dot for boar one day, and if I had QR mounts I could take the scope off for iron sights at the range, so I thought the Marlin 1895 would work but a Winchester which ejects out of the top wouldn't. I like wood and blue rather than plastic and stainless and I'd rather get a second hand one than new. My question is which lever gun should I look for and how much should I pay? Having a moderator would be good but does that mean I should look for a new rifle rather than second hand?
45-70 Lever Gun
- Thread starter angusb1
- Start date
Morkai
Well-Known Member
Pre Remington takeover Marlin unless the quality issues have now been resolved.
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csl
Administrator
Some models, such as the 1895SBL, only came after Remington though. There's a few things you need to do, but they do shoot OK in the end.
csl
Administrator
Yes!
So pre 2008 then?
There is one here.
Have you considered a 44 mag?
Lever action rifles also turn up regularly at the Holt’s auction so that would be worth considering
Marlin 1895 SBL .45-70
Marlin 1895 SBL, .45/70 made in North Haven, CT, USA. So one of the “Remlin” guns that seems to get a bad rep from keyboard commandos. This is a very nice rifle, I have looked after it very well and had a lot of fun with it. It has fired about 400 rounds. I’m funding a new motorcycle and so letti...
ukvarminting.com
Have you considered a 44 mag?
Marlin Dark 44 Spl/Mag
SOLD Willing to split as follows (rifle and mod need to be sold first) - Marlin Dark .44 lever action, fitted with Midwest Industries tactical free float handguard, 16” barrel, less than 300 rounds fired. With A-Tec. A-sub 5 mod (cal .45) £2195 Also available Leupold MK4 CMR2 1.5-5x20 scope with ...
ukvarminting.com
Lever action rifles also turn up regularly at the Holt’s auction so that would be worth considering
Thanks, that one on UKV is interesting. That's the kind of scope I was thinking of. I'd like to shoot reds which can be upwards of 100kg with it so a 45-70 seems like it would be better suited than a 44 magnumThere is one here.
Marlin 1895 SBL .45-70
Marlin 1895 SBL, .45/70 made in North Haven, CT, USA. So one of the “Remlin” guns that seems to get a bad rep from keyboard commandos. This is a very nice rifle, I have looked after it very well and had a lot of fun with it. It has fired about 400 rounds. I’m funding a new motorcycle and so letti...ukvarminting.com
Have you considered a 44 mag?
Marlin Dark 44 Spl/Mag
SOLD Willing to split as follows (rifle and mod need to be sold first) - Marlin Dark .44 lever action, fitted with Midwest Industries tactical free float handguard, 16” barrel, less than 300 rounds fired. With A-Tec. A-sub 5 mod (cal .45) £2195 Also available Leupold MK4 CMR2 1.5-5x20 scope with ...ukvarminting.com
Lever action rifles also turn up regularly at the Holt’s auction so that would be worth considering
alberta boy
Well-Known Member
The Henry levers are very well built guns . If you're looking at a used rifle , the older Henry's loaded through a port in the magazine tube , not through a side gate ( Kings patent ) like the Marlin and Winchester levers . It doesn't bother most people , and to be honest , it does make unloading easier , but I prefer the side gate . Early Remington production Marlins , Remlins , did have issues . The later production rifles were fine , I've had two and both are very accurate and reliable . I still have an 1895 Guide Gun that is a consistent 1 moa rifle , my other standard 1895 Remlin is now in Wales with stalker308 . He took a very nice Black Bear with it when he was out hunting with us a while back . He became a convert and took it home .
The new Ruger production rifles are very well built . They sell for about $2000 CDN here so you can expect to pay the same , or more , in pounds sterling , pricey . I'd keep an eye out for a used 1895 Marlin , even a Remlin , and go from there . There are a lot of inexpensive , and useful , upgrade parts and accessories available for them and they all ship to the UK . It's easy , and fun , to put together exactly what you want . I have no idea what the prices for a used Marlin is like in the UK , but I'm sure others on the site can help you out with that .
AB
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alberta boy
Well-Known Member
That's a good price for the SBL . One of my hunting partners has one . He didn't like the stainless finish on it so I cerakoted it for him . They are a bit flashy , and easily spotted , for a close quarters hunting rifle .There is one here.
Marlin 1895 SBL .45-70
Marlin 1895 SBL, .45/70 made in North Haven, CT, USA. So one of the “Remlin” guns that seems to get a bad rep from keyboard commandos. This is a very nice rifle, I have looked after it very well and had a lot of fun with it. It has fired about 400 rounds. I’m funding a new motorcycle and so letti...ukvarminting.com
Have you considered a 44 mag?
Marlin Dark 44 Spl/Mag
SOLD Willing to split as follows (rifle and mod need to be sold first) - Marlin Dark .44 lever action, fitted with Midwest Industries tactical free float handguard, 16” barrel, less than 300 rounds fired. With A-Tec. A-sub 5 mod (cal .45) £2195 Also available Leupold MK4 CMR2 1.5-5x20 scope with ...ukvarminting.com
Lever action rifles also turn up regularly at the Holt’s auction so that would be worth considering
The Marlin Dark is also a very handy little rifle and sell quickly around here .
AB
JSW
Well-Known Member
I have a marlin dark in 45-70 bought about 2 1/2 years ago I roll my own and put a lot down the range and other things,I do keep it clean which is easy and I can honestly say I've never had any problems (touch wood) sometimes you shouldn't listen to the negative comments and just go and have fun.
Oracle
Well-Known Member
Henry’s are well built, reliable and accurate. Loading through the tubular magazine port isn’t to everyone’s taste, but as Alberta Boy states, does make unloading very easy; plus the newer Henry models now have the option of the side loading gate.
Agree 100% - I have a Marlin 1895 in .444 and a Ruger No1 stainless laminate in .45-70 - can highly recommend both of them - both great rifles in great calibres.
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