Range Day Reflections

When I got back into shooting & hunting this time around our kids were already grown, one had spent time in Iraq and the other was back in school. I figured this would be a lone sport since they wouldn't be around to hang out with me. It might have started that way but it wasn't long before I started getting guilt trips from both kids when they heard I went shooting without them.

Our son is a Marine so he certainly had been around weapons of all types however our daughter had never been involved in hunting or shooting other than helping to eat the rewards. She loves pheasant and frog legs.......         Back to the subject. Neither had spent anytime shooting my Marlins so they would be in for a treat. I had joined a local shooting range back in late 2009 and had spent many a weekend shooting my Marlins by myself. One thing I learned quickly was that the other members of the club loved to see what I was shooting and tell me stories about folk they use to know that had

shot lever actions. Many of these discussions made me feel like I was living in my own world. Most folks now a days are shooting the AR's which I don't have anything against, just not my cup of tea!

I started taking each of my lever actions every weekend (except during hunting season) and members would notice a new one and come over to discuss it with me. Seems many of them were more interested in them than they cared to admit openly. Eventually I was carrying five levers each weekend. I scoped them all the same so I would always be familiar with the settings. Bushnell 1.5 X 4.5 variable power..

I enjoy shooting each until the barrel heats up then I'm off to the next one. By the time I get through them they are cooled off, as much as possible in Florida heat!

Back to the story........ Our son is married so he doesn't get back home that often but he sure liked shooting the 444P Outfitter and the 1895G 45/70 Guide Gun...















Our daughter started out on my Marlin 783 Bolt action 22 mag and soon graduated to the 1894P 44 mag. She enjoyed both but felt the 444P was more than she wanted to handle. In no time she was shooting very tight groups at 50 yards with the 783 and when we moved to 100 yards she just flat had fun and kept getting better. Some of my best days at the range!

 

Unfortunately the daughter has moved to another state starting her life and our son is so busy working, going to school full time and coaching that it's just me back at the range. Don't feel sad for me though, I have great memories and I still get to shoot......

Welcome to 1895Gunner's Zone - Opening blog

On this day of remembrance (9/11/2011), I open my blog. My blog isn't about gun control or gun rights however I'm sure those subjects will come up over time. This site is about fun with Marlins and especially with Guide Guns, Outfitters & other Marlin lever actions. My handle is 1895Gunner hence the blogs title. Here is a picture of my first Marlin [this time around] which is a model 1895G 45-70 Guide Gun.

This rifle started something that I'm still dealing with which is often referred to as Marlinitis. A disease that will influence your pocket book/bank account reducing it in size because you can't get enough of them. There are many website forums that cover Marlin firearms however only one is the authority on the subject with over 66,000 members strong. The site is called MarlinOwners.com . I am a member on that forum and my user name is 1895Gunner. I am a co-captain of two teams on the site [Team 1894 & Team 450]. I'm a member of the NRA, an active sportsman and I also belong to the Central Florida Rifle and Pistol Club.

My background is made up of about thirty years of manufacturing in heavy equipment, commercial, medical and aerospace. About half of those years I was in quality assurance and the other half split between machinist, sheet metal mechanic, certified welder, supervisor, manager, senior program manager and now retired!

I have lived in California, Illinois, New Mexico, Minnesota, Florida and now Georgia where I currently reside with my lovely wife.

That's about enough about me for the time being, now onto more info about the Marlin lever action.


There are really three types of rifles in my mind when your talking about caliber. Small bore, Medium bore & finally Large bore. All of these have been made available over time in different Marlin models. I prefer the large bore (big bore) which is what I have the most of. Examples would be:

1. Model 1895M which comes in the Marlin 450 caliber - .458 dia bullet
2. Model 1895G which comes in the 45-70 Government - .458 dia bullet
3. Model 444P which comes in the Marlin 444 caliber - .429 dia bullet
4. Model 1894P which comes in 44 Magnum caliber - .429 dia bullet

I also have a Medium bore Guide Gun in 35 Remington caliber - .358 dia bullet

The Guide Gun configuration is a straight stocked rifle with an 18.5" long barrel and a 3/4 length tubular magazine. All of mine are factory ported which were a limited offering between 1998 and 2002 for various models. The model 1895 was first introduced in 1896 in the following calibers:

• 38-56
• 40-65
• 40-82
• 45-70
• 45-90
• 40-70 added in 1897
• 33 WCF added in 1912

Barrel lengths made available were:

1896 - both 26" and 22"
1897 - a 15" version was made available
1915 - the last production year for the original 1895's, regardless of caliber and style......


New Model 1895          (1972-1979)
New Model 1895S        (1980-1983)
New Model 1895SS     (1984-2009)
1895 Century Limited  (1995)
New Model 1895G       (1998-to date)
New Model 1895M      (2000-2010)
New Model 1895MR   (2003)
New Model 1895XLR  (2006-2009)

Guide Guns have been available since 1998 and continue to be available although only in 45-70 now. Marlin stopped production on the 1895M 450 last November (2010) before moving into the Remington facility.

About 1895Gunner

Welcome,

My user name is 1895Gunner which I chose years ago due to my firearm of choice which is a Marlin Firearms Model 1895 Lever Action Rifle. My favorite cartridge in the Model 1895 is the 45-70 Government which is rapidly approaching usage for 144 years! The cartridge has a very rich history originally developed for use by the U.S. Military.

While I'm not nearly that old I am recently retired from a long career in the Aerospace industry. If you are interested in Firearms, Reloading Ammo, Shooting sports to include Hunting, you've come to the right place.

My interests revolve around sharing what I know regarding these activities and welcoming anybody that wants to learn more about them.

Thank you for taking the time to spend a minute reading & please come back often and share if you will with other like-minded individuals. I can be found as "1895Gunner" on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & multiple Gun forums to include Marlin Owners!

Regards,