• Caliber: 44 Rem. Magnum
• Capacity: 10-shot tubular magazine
• Action: Lever action; side ejection; deeply blued metal surfaces; solid top receiver; hammer block safety.
• Stock: American black walnut straight grip stock; cut checkering; rubber rifle butt pad; tough Mar-Shield® finish; blued steel fore-end cap: swivel studs.
• Barrel: 20”
• Twist Rate: 1:38” r.h.
• Sights: Adjustable semi-buckhorn folding rear ramp front sight with brass bead and Wide-Scan™ hood. Solid top receiver tapped for scope mount; offset hammer spur (right or left hand) for scope use.
• Overall Length: 37.5”
• Weight: 6.5 lbs.

One of Marlin’s most desired lever guns has always been the 1894. This was partly due to its compact flat top receiver and the solid, slab-sided bolt that kept the action internals free from debris. But it was mainly because the 1894 was commonly chambered for revolver cartridges. As a lever-action carbine, they bridged the gap between a rifle cartridge and a handgun, and you could carry a rifle and revolver that used the same ammunition. The 1894 has been chambered in everything from the 218 Bee to the 45 Colt, and a few were even offered in 32 H&R Magnum and 41 Magnum. However, in 1969 Marlin introduced the 1894 in 44 Magnum, and this is the cartridge the new Ruger-owned Marlin chose to first offer in their recent reintroduction of the 1894.

I received one of the first of these rifles off the assembly line and recently put it through the wringer to see if was as good as or maybe better than the pre-Remington 1894s known as “JM” Marlins, or the 1894s offered when Marlin was owned by Remington that are often called “Remlins.” Over the course of two days, I fired 300 rounds from the bench and from field shooting positions. As the saying goes, “I ran it like I stole it” because I wanted to see if it would live up to what shooters expect from a Marlin.