Marlin 1895 Dark Series .45-70 Government
Model: 70901
Marlin 1895 Dark Series .45-70 Government
Model: 70901
Full Specifications
Threaded 11/16"-24 barrel: compare big bore suppressor prices.
About This Firearm
The Marlin 1895 Dark Series is a short, polymer-stocked lever-action .45-70 Government built for hunting and animal defense in close cover. It has an MSRP of $1,519. A radial muzzle brake comes fitted to its 16.17-inch barrel, which takes some of the recoil out of a cartridge that generates plenty of it in a rifle weighing 7.00 lbs.
It is ready for irons and for a red dot on the same day, with a Picatinny rail on the receiver and an adjustable ghost ring behind a fiber optic front sight. A cheek riser clips to the comb to lift your eye behind an optic, and the stock carries M-LOK slots and flush cups for QD swivels at the butt and at the muzzle end of the handguard. The brake unscrews and a thread protector is in the box, so the 11/16-24 thread underneath will take a suppressor mount instead. Nothing adjusts for length of pull.
If you're cross-shopping, the Marlin 1895 Trapper has an MSRP of $1,599 and puts the same length of barrel in matte stainless and black laminate, with a Skinner receiver peep, no rail and 0.1 lbs more to carry. The Marlin 1895 SBL has an MSRP of $1,619, carries a sixth round behind a 19.1-inch barrel and runs 1.75 inches longer overall. Both of those arrive with a bare muzzle under a protector, and this one comes with the brake fitted.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- Receiver, lever and trigger guard plate are machined from alloy steel forgings behind a cold hammer-forged barrel, and the bolt and lever are nitride finished, not blued.
- A mid-sized flared finger lever clears a gloved hand without the oversized loop that snags on everything it passes.
- The loading gate sits on the receiver, so the tube fills from the side with the rifle shouldered.
- Five rounds, one fewer than the Marlin 1895 SBL carries.
- The rail is set low to keep the ghost ring usable underneath, so a tall ring set puts the optic above your cheek weld even with the riser fitted.
- A radial brake vents to the sides, so anyone standing beside you at a bench gets a share of it.
Compatible Ammunition
Find the best prices on compatible .45-70 Government ammunition.
Shop .45-70 Government Ammo →Ballistics Calculator
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.45-70 Government Ballistics →Frequently Asked Questions
Does the .30-30 Dark Series use the same muzzle thread?
No. That rifle is cut 5/8-24, so a brake or a suppressor mount bought for one will not thread onto the other. Order by chambering and not by series name.
Does the cheek riser have to stay on?
No. It clips to the comb for an optic on the rail and lifts off when you go back to the ghost ring.
Is the handguard part of the stock?
No. It is a separate anodized aluminum piece with its own M-LOK slots, so lights and hand stops bolt to it directly.
Which safety does it use?
A push-button cross-bolt through the receiver, alongside the traditional half-cock hammer notch.
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