Marlin 45.70
 

I have two rifles but I was thinking of getting a Marlin 45.70...

My husband has one and I've shot it before, so I'm well aware of what they can do. I love this rifle because it is so SMALL but POWERFUL....a good thing for me. My 30.06 is kinda bulky to lug thru the underbrush.

This would be my large game gun as well as protection as I cannot run nor climb a tree if things got ugly out in the mountains.

Would appreciate your thoughts on this rifle.

I love mine. If you're comfortable with the recoil, I say go for it.

I have an 1895GBL Marlin. (The "GBL" means great big loop.)

Fun? Yes!! Powerful? Yes!! At least the load I use. (I don't shoot factory ammo.)

The "RemLin" as mine is, refers to a Marlin that was made by Remington. They were bought out by Ruger and will probably be known as " RugLins" in the future. No one knows when production by Ruger will start up again. If you have a source to buy one today, you should probably buy it. They are very scarce.

Lots of people complain about "RemLin" quality. I don't. While the fit and finish is no Winchester, they do work. Very well. And will just keep working. I have had no issues with mine. I would buy one again.

This gun and caliber will hurt you if you don't approach things correctly. It will pretty much stop anything you would encounter in the bush. Self defense...? Ahh....probably not. (That's the lawyer approved answer.)

Mine has the 18.5" barrel. I believe the perfect size for this caliber. Easy to shoulder. (Not really "easy" on the shoulder.) With a peep sight, acquisition is very easy. The factory buckhorn sight is a weak point, IMHO. That's why I went with a Skinner sight.

https://i.postimg.cc/wBGFT3zf/4D42B2...7771DF8988.jpg

Here's the iddi-bitty round it fires...

https://i.postimg.cc/pXz2NjZX/B59D57...7E972A207A.jpg

300 GRAINS OF GOODNESS!!

I have owned a few 45-70 over the years and it definitely has some power. I currently have a Winchester 1886 I use .

Another gun I use and like carrying it way better than the 45-70 due to the weight is an Alberta Diamond Jubilee Winchester 94 in 38-55!Yes I use mine . It’s no slouch either . If you want to use a scope the Marlin is the way to go .

Love 1895s, and I love 45/70-even though I have no practical use for one. Well, maybe...

https://i.imgur.com/62xf0Hf.jpg?1

From this past fall. Spent an hour or so chipping away at these pumpkins with the 22, then figured I'd spend $3 and take a shot with this beauty. :) Speaking of ammo, I have dies/brass/powder/primer/bullets...but have never loaded straight wall cartridges, nor have I ever crimped. Probably over thinking it, but I'm still shooting factory ammo while I work-up the courage. lol

Gun is an original Marlin 1895G

Can't go wrong with that rifle combo.

If your buying new check the quality lately. I had issues with the fore stock screw snapping on the marlin 3030. The 45 70 is mounted differently but I’d look into it

I would try and find a JM stamped marlin 45/70. I had a beautiful 1895 cowboy with the 26” octagon barrel that I sold not to long ago. Now after not shooting it in over a year my eyes are not quite so crossed and the paralysis in my shoulder is much better. :)

Good luck finding one! I've been looking for another 336 in .35 rem. BOY have the used prices climbed. Was at a gun store today and while browsing the paltry selection the counter staff told me the top 3 sellers right now are Glock 40 in 10mm, Henry levers and Marlin levers. No clue why as it is pretty random selection but those are the thing everyone keeps asking for. Currently looking at several .35s online and waiting to see how high they go before I drop a last minute bid in.

As for the 45/70 I'd do it in a heart beat if I wasn't all set up for the .35 rem reloading and all. Great round, powerful but doesn't damage meat like you would expect. Can get light recoiling rounds or the big thumpers! Buddy shoots 405 Garrets out of his that will punch through railroad ties!

I own 5, 4570's. 2 JM's made in 1980, 1- Winchester 1886, 1- 1885, and a Remlin Guide gun. ( bought this when they started to make them a bit better). Also have a JM 444, but that has nothing to do what you asked, I just like saying it. . Needless to say I'm a fan of the caliber and I have taken deer, moose, elk, and a few bear with these. Three ways to try and find one in my opinion. Try to find a JM if you can( that will be the hardest), find a better made Remlin, (stay away from early production models) or wait and see what Ruger does with them. ( they make good guns so I think they will do it justice), but you might wait a while for production to produce numbers. Also I don't find the recoil to bad unless I load heavy, but that's not always needed for hunting, if you understand the limitations of the load.

I bought mine last year and I added a Crossfire II Riflescope. CF2-31003 2-7 x 32 DEAD-HOLD BDC (MOA)

so it is a good close range gun for just about anything. Hand loading makes it alot better than most rifles .

I don't know if the newer 336s have this problem, if you don't move the lever all the way to the stop on the down stroke they can jam. At least some of the older ones did.

Then if you try to force the lever it's possible to break off the tip of the leaver where it engages the bolt.

My boss had this problem with his 336 and did break that tip off. Fortunately I was able to rebuild it for him and it's still working to this day. That happened in the late 1980s so I believe I can call it a successful repair.

My foster brother had a 336 in 45-70 and his 336 would also jam if one cycled the lever fast and didn't take the lever to the stop on the down stroke.

But again, i don't know if that was just older rifles of if they all have this problem.
Either way the solution is simple, move the lever through it's entire cycle each time and you won't have that problem.

BTW The Marlin 45-70 carries the 1895 model number but it is really just a large bore 336.

the recoil with factory loads is very manageable. I believe its better to reload the 4570 to get a true powerful cartridge. I really like my guide gun, very versatile

You don’t have to load em up full house, unless of course you enjoy headaches. A forum member lent me his to try when I was gonna buy one. He gave me 50 hand loads, and said shoot em all if I want cuz they are a bit on the powerful side. Holy smokes. Cleared your sinuses. I got over my desire to buy one in a hurry. LOL.

However, I later was bear hunting with Dean2, and he let me take a couples shots with his loads which were quite manageable. A big big difference.

The full house, kick yo azz into next week loads are not really necessary from talking with a bunch of guys who use that cartridge.

Good luck, Nikanit.

A couple of years back I bought one of Winchester's 1885 Trapper carbine's in 45-70, my reasoning was that I wanted something compact with adequate power for defense when out hiking. I fits perfectly in my Eberlstock day pack. While working up loads I found that the 405 grain jacketed bullets were more than I could handle but the 325's were manageable and very accurate, I had hoped to do a lot of shooting with this gun just for target practice but to be honest the recoil is such that after a dozen or so shots I had to stop. In retrospect I might have been wiser to buy the same rifle in 38-55, Clay still has a couple in stock and I should be able to shoot the lighter chambering all day long if desired. Hind sight as they say is 20-20 but if I use the 45-70 for its original intention I will have the correct rifle with me if I find myself in a tight spot when out on the trail. D.H.

I use my GBL as a dedicated bush gun whenever I can! It’s accurate and I’ve never lost an animal once with it. However, I have experienced issues with feeding. I find that I have to point the barrel down in order to cycle another round otherwise it’ll get caught. Not sure if others have this problem?

http://i.imgur.com/qBiVIwEl.jpg
L-R: Ruger No.1 .303Brit, Win M1895 .270Win, WinM1895 .30-06, Win M1895 .405Win, Win M1894 .375Win, Marlin M1895GS .45-70, Marlin M1895XLR .45-70 and Marlin M39A .22LR


Picture is just for comparison between the stubby 18-1/2" barrel Marlin M1895 Guide Gun, and the Marlin 1895XLR.

I have fired many, many rounds at the shooting range, and some on big game with the 2 Marlins.

The XLR is just a far superior shooting rifle, due to the longer barrel. "From my cold dead hands" applies to it (and that beautiful Win M1894 .375Win, my favourite walk-about rifle).

If Ruger is re-producing the M1895XLR, that is the rifle to get, in my opinion.


Another plus for the Marlin is that you can scope it. Low power variable, say 1-5x, 1.5-6x, 2.5-8x are perfect in the timber.


One thing about the Marlin M1895's, they have a Cross-Bolt safety. It's just a small 'button' that protrudes out the left side of the receiver, and when pushed in to the right, it blocks the hammer from striking the primer.

I missed on a big black bear one time due to that damn thing!!

Some people get all crazy and take the action apart to remove that, but there is a far easier solution.
Just get the correct size (I forget exactly) Snap Ring, that cross-bolt safety actually has a small groove in it, just for that purpose.
Just put your snap ring on it, into that groove and you can easily disable that.
Some people will put a small O-ring on that, and while that works, over time the O-ring will deteriorate and eventually will crack and fall off.

Needless to say, after missing on the black bear, mine are disabled!


If you handload for the M1895, make sure to chronograph your loads. Make sure the bullets you get, in .458 are intended for the .45-70, not something like a .458Win.

Then you should understand that bullets designed for the .45-70 are not intended for high velocity, most are meant to be loaded to max' velocities in the 1500-1600fps range. And I would recommend you load in that range, 1500-1600fps.

I loaded some Speer 400gr bullets, for bear hunting. I had them at ~1850fps and I shot a 6-1/2' bear at point blank range.
Those Speer bullets absolutely vaporized!
I couldn't even recover fragments from the wound channel.

http://i.imgur.com/TXgml6hl.jpg
May 21, 2005, Swan Hills Alberta.

A couple of great bullets are the Hornady 350gr IL and the 405gr Woodleigh Weldcore, if you can get those.
Remington 405gr Interlok is also very good.


Stock .45-70 is supposed to be ~1300fps, but certain manufactures (PNC factory 350gr Hornady IL is loaded to damn near 1900fps, I have Chrony'd that load!), so if you buy factory see if the box indicates muzzle velocity and if you have a chronograph I would suggest you test actual velocities with a Chrony.

Last spring I picked up a JM stamped marlin 1894 pre cross bolt safety in 44mag.

A heck of a brush gun, close range, light, fast handling and due to low recoil if needed follow up shots are quick.

I used it this year deer hunting and it was a one shot bang flop on my buck...just another rifle/caliber to throw into the mix.

Demonical

Nice collection of levers. I will however differ with you on the short barrelled Marlins. The ones I have had will shoot every bit as good as my pre-crossbolt 1982 made JM 22".

This is from a 2016 18" Remlin at 100 yards. I don't think a 45-70 needs to shoot any better than that.:)

Load is hotter than normal at 1900 fps because I wanted to see what the groups look like. I usually shoot the 350 RN at 15-1600 fps, which is lots fast enough to get the job done and kicks a lot less. Have never had a bullet to recover even on a great many bears shot from chest out the tail pipe.

https://i.imgur.com/l1NNAA1.jpg

Same gun shooting 405 grain Bullet Barn Cast Lead 405 grain slugs.

https://i.imgur.com/KCkqgZr.jpg

Love the 45-70, especially in the Marlin. Got 5 of them at the moment. SBL, GS, CBA, XLR & SS. (35 Remington in a 336 also).

It's not power so much as penetration. 45 caliber holes leave a good blood trail and in weights 0f 350gr to 450gr they will penetrate almost end to end if the bullet is of proper construction. Soft cast bullets are the exception when the game gets larger. Hot rodded velocity isn't required if you handload as you'll never make it a flat shooter. In fact some studies have shown that penetration can suffer a little bit at upper end velocities.

The early JM's only used the half cock safety but since about 1990 they also have the cross bolt safety. Not to worry though either a tight o-ring on the cross bolt or a delete kit with render the cross bolt function less if that's they way you want to go. I have kits in two of mine and o-rings on a couple others. Handloading is the way to go if you want the most out the cartridge.

I have a 38-55, 375 Win and a couple of 45-70s. You can load the 45-70 down to 12-1300 FPS, still kills great, the350 grain Horn RN will go clear through a moose at that speed, and kicks about the same as the 38-55, and less than the 375 Win. I would suggest trying the lighter load before switching.

I had a JM stamped marlin 1895 Cowboy with the 26” octagon barrel. When I bought it I was told not to use factory ammo cause it was lame. This was before I was reloading and my buddy worked up a load with 350gr RN and a stout load of varget. After about 10 shots my shoulder felt like I had been repeatedly smashed with a post pounder. I probably only put a couple hundred rounds through it and sold it to my nephew a couple years ago.

After reading Deans posts I wish I had thought to try reduced loads, then I probably would have kept it.

Factory loaded Remington 405 grain loads are very light recoiling. They are a great option for guys that don't reload and want a 45-70. The 45-70 killed millions of Bison with a 405 grain bullet at 1100 fps. All that happens when you make them go really fast is they kick the snot out of the shooter, they do not kill any better.

A lot of factory loads are pretty anemic due largely to the fact there are various types of rifles out there of varying strength actions. From vintage "trapdoors" to bolt actions, to modern levers, to Ruger no. 1's.

Older vintage rifles can't handle the loads a modern Marlin lever can and the Ruger's are a level above.

Some of the bear defense factory loads carry warnings as to what rifle type they are acceptable for. Most reloading manuals will break down their data by trapdoor, modern levers and Ruger's too.

Nice collection. But you have 3 Win 1895’s and I don’t have any, but I do have 2 extra Win 1885’s .. have you ever done any horse trading Dem.:sHa_shakeshout:

^ Sorry not trading, lol.

Admitting this: sold the .270Win and .30-06 M1895's + the M1895 Guide Gun. So couldn't trade even if I wanted to!

@ Dean2, noting against the Marlin Guide Gun, but it simply isn't as nice to shoot as the XLR.

The recoil cycle is vastly different!

The most violent recoil of any gun I've ever fired, is that Guide Gun, with hot loads.

And I own .338WM, 9.3x62, .375H&H, .416RM and .458Lott.

None of them beat you up like a hopped up load out of that Marlin Guide Gun.


Having said all that, obviously the sensible thing is to just load these .45-70's to the proper velocity range, which I consider to be 1500-1600fps, for most bullets.

My current load for the XLR, I'm using the Woodleigh Weldcore, and those bullets are designed for velocities between 1700-2000fps.
At the moment my load is avg 1830fps.

Because of the Woodleigh design, I want to stay within the target muzzle velocity that Woodleigh built into the Weldcore.

So for the record I intend to work on that, to reduce it to something between 1700-1750fps.
So that is pending some spring time range work...


Jim

I purchased a Marlin Stainless Laminate in 45-70 a couple years ago - love the gun and it's more accurate than I had expected. I shoot the Hornady LeverEvolution 325 GR and they group about 1.5" at 100 yards. I also have some HSM Bear loads which are 435 GR hardcast solids loaded a bit hotter and I think would absolutely crush anything they hit.

Well ruger started shipping the new marlins today! Cant wait to see one in a shop. Already told the wife I’ll probably end up buying one!

https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/mar...le-review/?amp

I read that last night, they said the price is going to be around $1395.00 US, is that right I wonder? That would make it a pricey gun here in Canada.

Only problem with a Remlin
 

if you have one that actually works is trying to sell it.