My Marlin 1894P

jimku · July 6, 2020, 10:12 AM

My Marlin 1894P 44 Mag ported 16" barrel.
Only made for a couple of years.
Super accurate out past 100 yards.
Kicks like a jackass in heat.

Scope is in quick-detach military grade lever mounts and scope returns to zero.
Best woods gun ever. And will handle Antifa just fine if called on.

FrankenMauser · July 6, 2020, 11:17 AM

Fun gun.
I do find the combination of the 16" P model and a scope to be odd, though. The point of that model was shorty, handy, and light, to make snap shots with iron sights. The scope kills almost all of that.

I suspect your perception of recoil is being influenced by the muzzle blast.
1894s in .44 Mag are not known to be punishing.

Between the scope and the recoil sensitivity, I think you'd be better served by a full length model.

jimku · July 6, 2020, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankenMauser

Fun gun.
I do find the combination of the 16" P model and a scope to be odd, though. The point of that model was shorty, handy, and light, to make snap shots with iron sights. The scope kills almost all of that.

I suspect your perception of recoil is being influenced by the muzzle blast.
1894s in .44 Mag are not known to be punishing.

Between the scope and the recoil sensitivity, I think you'd be better served by a full length model.

No, the scope enhances it. Remember, that scope is mounted in quick-detach mil spec lever mounts and can be removed in about two seconds and put back on in about two seconds. The gun is capable of drilling pop cans at 130 yards all day long with that scope ... but not with iron sights. It does not come with a substantial recoil pad just for looks. It is not "punishing", but you damn straight know you touched it off!

FrankenMauser · July 6, 2020, 05:20 PM

"Excuse me, Mr. Deer. Could you please freeze mid-stride, so I can detach my scope? It only takes a couple seconds."

I'm sure your rifle is still just as capable with iron sights, as it is with the scope.

On one of my very first trips with my .44 Mag Marlin 1894 (a ~'93 model), I ran it out to 200+ yards with factory irons and a hot, but sane and safe load developed for a 6.5" revolver. With a rear receiver sight of my own design, I went to max distance on that range - 390 yards - with wonderful "ping" sounds coming back from the head of a steel IPSC target.

jimku · July 6, 2020, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankenMauser

"Excuse me, Mr. Deer. Could you please freeze mid-stride, so I can detach my scope? It only takes a couple seconds."
I'm sure your rifle is still just as capable with iron sights, as it is with the scope.
On one of my very first trips with my .44 Mag Marlin 1894 (a ~'93 model), I ran it out to 200+ yards with factory irons and a hot, but sane and safe load developed for a 6.5" revolver. With a rear receiver sight of my own design, I went to max distance on that range - 390 yards - with wonderful "ping" sounds coming back from the head of a steel IPSC target.

I don't deal with absurdity. Be as absurd as you like. If I'm hunting in brush-infested woods I wouldn't have the scope attached to start with. In more open country I prefer the scope. My rifle may be as capable with iron sights, but my 71-year-old eyes are not, making my rifle's iron sight capabilities totally irrelevant. You do as you like.

bamaranger · July 7, 2020, 12:19 AM

I've posted on these very forums, "no scopes (or white line spacers) on your lever carbines" and have had to eat my own words. At least regards scopes. About age 50 I began to see a distinct difference in my ability to run iron sights of any kind, on near any type of firearm. A peep sight on rifles helped, for a while, but now, if I want to shoot as well as I used (almost so, anyhow) I need some type of optic. Simple reading glasses let me shoot certain barrel length and sight combo's, but that is not really practical afield. A trip to the eye doc's wouldn't be a bad idea, but I've not gone.

My favorite woods wandering carbine is/was a Marlin in .357. It languishes in the safe these days as I can no longer run the peep I last equipped it with to any sort of effective degree. I really need to scope it, but haven't been able to make myself do it as I love the tradition surrounding lever carbines.

But scopes work!! Not only can I shoot well, I can discern game and take shots in light conditions I could in no way do with a peep even when my eyes were good...and once upon a time they were quite good. I no longer crow "no scopes" and though I love the sleek and handy lines of a traditional lever carbine, it's not much good if you can't hit with it.

jimku · July 7, 2020, 01:44 PM

My 1894P is capable of drilling a pop can @ 150 yards. At that distance the iron sights cover up the pop can and the "half acre" it is in, even if my eyes were great (which they are not). With the mil spec quick-detach lever mounts I have on it I can remove the scope if I am in heavily forested country for close-in work very quickly and easily.

My sentiments about "looking right" and all that are totally function-oriented. If it is very functional it looks good to me. The A.R.M.S. quick-detach rings I used are rugged, solid, return the scope to zero when remounted, and they look good to me. When they are removed, all that remains on the gun is a picatinny rail with a big trough down the middle that affords a perfect view of the iron sights.

This may derail this thread, but the only hunting I will do with this little rifle are the two-legged variety. This is MY idea of an assault rifle, you can keep your AR and electronic optics with dead batteries just when you need them. The large apertures on this scope gather light VERY well, I can easily see the cross hairs under a half moon. I can easily keep the magazine topped off, never wondering how many rounds I have in my magazine. If some ANTIFA thug is firing at me from behind a barricade he better not stick his head up or it will have a 44 caliber hole in it.

https://www.mountsplus.com/arms-22-scope-rings.html

bamaranger · July 7, 2020, 07:44 PM

Avoiding the obvious side tracks.....what type of scope/reticle is on your carbine?

I've got several Leupold 1-4x scopes with the big German #1 reticles (the 3 post numbers) that work very well within the effective range of the guns I have them on, and the reticles are surprisingly easy to see in poor light. Basically, if I can see a target, I can see the reticle.

Also, the utility of a moderately powered lever carbine cannot be argued. The M94/.30-30 did not hang on all those years just due to nostalgia. And the popularity of the magnum pistol carbines from Marlin continues as well.

jimku · July 7, 2020, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamaranger

Avoiding the obvious side tracks.....what type of scope/reticle is on your carbine?

It is a Leupold 3 -9 with a TMOA reticle.

FTG-05 · July 9, 2020, 06:15 PM

My Marlin 1894 in .44 Mag is one of my favorite rifles - right after my 336Y with it's 16" barrel!

July 6, 2020, 11:17 AM	#2
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Fun gun. I do find the combination of the 16" P model and a scope to be odd, though. The point of that model was shorty, handy, and light, to make snap shots with iron sights. The scope kills almost all of that. I suspect your perception of recoil is being influenced by the muzzle blast. 1894s in .44 Mag are not known to be punishing. Between the scope and the recoil sensitivity, I think you'd be better served by a full length model. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

July 6, 2020, 05:20 PM	#4
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	"Excuse me, Mr. Deer. Could you please freeze mid-stride, so I can detach my scope? It only takes a couple seconds." I'm sure your rifle is still just as capable with iron sights, as it is with the scope. On one of my very first trips with my .44 Mag Marlin 1894 (a ~'93 model), I ran it out to 200+ yards with factory irons and a hot, but sane and safe load developed for a 6.5" revolver. With a rear receiver sight of my own design, I went to max distance on that range - 390 yards - with wonderful "ping" sounds coming back from the head of a steel IPSC target. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

July 7, 2020, 12:19 AM	#6
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,312	me too! I've posted on these very forums, "no scopes (or white line spacers) on your lever carbines" and have had to eat my own words. At least regards scopes. About age 50 I began to see a distinct difference in my ability to run iron sights of any kind, on near any type of firearm. A peep sight on rifles helped, for a while, but now, if I want to shoot as well as I used (almost so, anyhow) I need some type of optic. Simple reading glasses let me shoot certain barrel length and sight combo's, but that is not really practical afield. A trip to the eye doc's wouldn't be a bad idea, but I've not gone. My favorite woods wandering carbine is/was a Marlin in .357. It languishes in the safe these days as I can no longer run the peep I last equipped it with to any sort of effective degree. I really need to scope it, but haven't been able to make myself do it as I love the tradition surrounding lever carbines. But scopes work!! Not only can I shoot well, I can discern game and take shots in light conditions I could in no way do with a peep even when my eyes were good...and once upon a time they were quite good. I no longer crow "no scopes" and though I love the sleek and handy lines of a traditional lever carbine, it's not much good if you can't hit with it.

July 7, 2020, 07:44 PM	#8
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,312	So...... Avoiding the obvious side tracks.....what type of scope/reticle is on your carbine? I've got several Leupold 1-4x scopes with the big German #1 reticles (the 3 post numbers) that work very well within the effective range of the guns I have them on, and the reticles are surprisingly easy to see in poor light. Basically, if I can see a target, I can see the reticle. Also, the utility of a moderately powered lever carbine cannot be argued. The M94/.30-30 did not hang on all those years just due to nostalgia. And the popularity of the magnum pistol carbines from Marlin continues as well.

July 6, 2020, 10:12 AM	#1
jimku Junior member Join Date: January 2, 2017 Posts: 291	My Marlin 1894P My Marlin 1894P 44 Mag ported 16" barrel. Only made for a couple of years. Super accurate out past 100 yards. Kicks like a jackass in heat. Scope is in quick-detach military grade lever mounts and scope returns to zero. Best woods gun ever. And will handle Antifa just fine if called on. Last edited by jimku; July 6, 2020 at 10:21 AM.

July 9, 2020, 06:15 PM	#10
FTG-05 Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 1999 Location: TN Posts: 301	My Marlin 1894 in .44 Mag is one of my favorite rifles - right after my 336Y with it's 16" barrel!