Marlin 1895 .45-70 Government
Model: 70460
Marlin 1895 .45-70 Government
Model: 70460
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Marlin 1895 is a walnut-stocked lever-action .45-70 Government built for deer and black bear in close cover. Marlin no longer makes it, so it is a used buy. Its 22-inch barrel is longer than any .45-70 the company catalogs now, which is worth real velocity in a cartridge that sheds it quickly.
It comes sighted, with a brass bead under a wide-scan hood and a folding semi-buckhorn rear, and the solid-top receiver is tapped for a scope base. Swivel studs and a rubber butt pad are fitted. A hammer block handles the safety, so there is no cross-bolt button in the receiver. The muzzle is bare and there is no rail and no aperture, so a brake, a suppressor or a peep each start with a gunsmith or a parts order. Buying used also means no new-gun warranty and spares through customer service.
If you're cross-shopping, the Marlin 1895 Guide Gun has an MSRP of $1,359.00 and is the closest current rifle to it, blued alloy steel with iron sights, but on brown laminate, two more rounds in the tube and a muzzle threaded 11/16x24. The Marlin 1895 SBL has an MSRP of $1,619 in stainless and gray laminate, with a Picatinny rail and an adjustable ghost ring. Both of those run 3.25 inches shorter overall and both weigh at least 0.3 lbs more than this rifle's 7.00 lbs.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- Checkered American black walnut with a fluted comb and a Mar-Shield finish, which is exactly what the current stainless and laminate rifles traded away.
- The hammer block keeps the receiver clean and the carry drill traditional, with no button to leave engaged when the shot comes.
- The solid-top receiver is tapped for a scope mount, which Marlin's current iron-sighted Guide Gun does not claim.
- The tube holds four, two fewer than either the Marlin 1895 Guide Gun or the Marlin 1895 SBL.
- On a used rifle the trigger, the bore and the lockup are whatever the last owner left.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Marlin still making this version?
No. The current lever-action catalog runs the 1895 in the SBL, Trapper, Dark Series and Guide Gun lines, and this configuration is in none of them.
Will a scope mount without drilling?
Yes, on a base cut for the 1895 pattern, because the solid-top receiver is tapped for one. Confirm the hole spacing against the base before ordering.
What twist and how many grooves?
A 1:20 twist with six grooves of deep-cut Ballard-type rifling. Marlin gave no hand of twist for this configuration, unlike the current stainless rifles.
What is the length of pull?
13.38 inches, the same figure Marlin gives for the current 1895 rifles.
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