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Marlin lever gun?

motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
My buddy wants to buy a Marlin 45-70 Hes worried about limiting the gun to 3 shots. We have no experience with lever guns and are wondering what the best way to plug the gun for 3 shots. Any help would be great.
 

Jason Short

Junior Member
325
32
Wayne County
If he hunts Ohio he won't need to plug it if I remember right. I believe they changed it last year or two years ago so now you don't have to plug them anymore, but you still can't have more than three rounds in.
 

antiqucycle

Junior Member
506
36
East Ohio
Correct, but only 3 cartridges, 2 in the magazine and one in the chamber.
If your buddy is thinking of buying a Remlin 45/70. take a magnifying glass with him to the store as the quality may be very poor.
If its a private sale, be even more suspicious as Remington produced a bunch of junk guns.
 
You can plug the marlin 1895 really easily if you want to or have too in the future. However it is not currently required
Ohio as long as you don't put more that 3 total in the rifle.

If it is a Remington made marlin look to see if there are chatter marks in the rifling. Look for a Crack at the barrel socket inside the receiver. Also make sure the barrel is not canted to the right or left (typically to the left). I own a good Remington marlin and it will out shoot my three new Haven "jm" marlins. After 2014 Remington seems to have gotten their shit together based on the rifles I have looked at. I see a lot of them. You can tell the Remington marlins from the jm marlins by the lack of a jm stamp on left side of the barrel near the reciever. The remingtons have the serial number on the left side of the receiver. The jm marlins have the serial number on the receiver tang. Rifles that have a serial number on the left side of the receiver and a jm stamp were made in new Haven CT between 2008-2012 before Remington moved production Ilion NY. These are good rifles but do not have the collictability of the pre 2008 rifles. If you find a marlin with a tang receiver serial number but no jm stamp on the barrel don't be too worried. marlin seemed to intermittently forget to put the jm stamp on a few rifles in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
 
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Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,708
191
Mahoning Co.
I'm hearing better reports on the new Marlins for the last year or so. Hopefully they're getting their QC under control. Right after the 2013 Shot Show a buddy bought a .444 that was used in the show. It wouldn't cycle a round out of the magazine so he tried single loading it and it wouldn't fire. Sent back to Marlin and it came back working so he shot it and he was very happy with the accuracy. He's happy with how it functions (he has some issues with the finish) now but the condition it left the factory is concerning. Would I consider a brand new Marlin? Probably but I'd want to be able to look it over before purchasing it until they regain some of their former reputation.
 

Wmiller07

Member
1,132
30
I've heard since 2014 their QC has gotten better. Sounds like maybe it's true which would be great. It has been sad to see the marlin brand go down the crapper so hopefully they really are getting better.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Travis's 870 is the last Remington I'll ever buy. Quality, fit, and finish is seriously lacking for the price. I don't see the cost benefit until you get into their higher end rifles and shotguns, by then there are better players in that price range.
 

antiqucycle

Junior Member
506
36
East Ohio
Remington has made a huge mistake dumping the .444 caliber. Its far superior than a 45/70 that was designed in 1872 or so with extra heavy 405 grain bullets and black powder.
I have a trip 4's marlin, a .430JDJ contender and an ancient Springfield trapdoor 45/70. I reload both calibers so can avoid ridiculous prices for ammo like the hornaday leverevolution. You can reload trip 4's for almost the same price as 44 mags.

Its sad that good caliber like .375 Winchester is extremely hard to find brass or loaded ammo. Some people are charging $3 each for 30/30 cartridges opened up to .375
 

Wmiller07

Member
1,132
30
I had heard that odnr may allow 30-30 for deer this year. Any truth to this? I don't understand why not if they allow 45-70 and .444.
 

motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
Remington has made a huge mistake dumping the .444 caliber. Its far superior than a 45/70 that was designed in 1872 or so with extra heavy 405 grain bullets and black powder.
I have a trip 4's marlin, a .430JDJ contender and an ancient Springfield trapdoor 45/70. I reload both calibers so can avoid ridiculous prices for ammo like the hornaday leverevolution. You can reload trip 4's for almost the same price as 44 mags.

Its sad that good caliber like .375 Winchester is extremely hard to find brass or loaded ammo. Some people are charging $3 each for 30/30 cartridges opened up to .375

Good luck finding a 444 marlin. We haven't been able to. Care to share what your reloading the 444's with? I dont reload but my buddy who also has a 444 has plans to.
I got some Hornadys for my 444 for $33 a box. Still much cheaper then buying sabots for my 12 gauge.
 

antiqucycle

Junior Member
506
36
East Ohio
444 marlins do pop up at auction, like farm auctions not nutty ones like Gun broker. The last one I saw at a house auction went for $1050 to some grossly overweight (450lb) guy who could not drag himself thru the woods for a deer.

a tip on where to find a 444 head for gun shows in Pennsylvania and the few shows in WV.

As for reloading, 54 gr of 3031 or 44 gr of 4198 pushing 240gr Hornaday soft point or hollow point(same bullet in a 44mag) or a 265gr Horn soft point. Powder 20c bullet 20-25c and 3c for a primer. So 43 cents X 20= $8.60 a box. I am still using Hornadays I paid 9.75 per 100 so my cost is like 33c each. $6.60 for 20. I barfed when Fin Feather wanted $47.99 a box and Woodbury Outfitters down in Wilmington wanting $57.99 a box, same remingtons.

Obviously I bought lots of empty brass at gun shows and flea markets. I suspect buying rifle brass of different calibers is a better move than silver quarters or dimes.
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
Just picked up a 444 at a gun show here in Ohio for a good price. They are there just gotta look for them.