Marlin 1894s in this chambering have been hard to find in recent years, so I was pleased when they once again started appearing. 357 Magnum versions were especially appealing. 38 Special cases on hand from my competitive handgun shooting days, the. Increasingly I find myself drawn to light rifles, mild recoil and inexpensive ammunition. My interest in these neat little lever guns is relatively recent. The growth of Cowboy Action shooting and a renewed appreciation for the utility of these carbines led to model variations and added chamberings. In 1969 Marlin reintroduced the 1894 and a few years later several modern reproductions of the 1892 appeared. Originals became increasingly valuable collectibles. The Winchester was discontinued in 1941, the Marlin in 1934 (Sharpe says 1936). No doubt many a rural peace officer liked the idea of a handy long gun, especially if it used the same cartridges as his service revolver. They were popular with farmers and ranchers for predator control, as well as with explorers, miners, trappers, hikers, campers and anglers.
The 18 were light and compact, easy to carry and store. According to Philip Sharpe’s The Rifle in America, Marlin sold “large quantities” of 1894 muskets with 30″ barrels and bayonets to the Chinese Army. Marlin production numbers are hard to nail down, though I’ve seen estimates of around 250,000 units. Winchester made around a million Model 1892s. Both would prove so useful they’re still being made to this day, a century and a quarter later. In the 1890s lightning struck twice with two brilliant designs - the Winchester 1892 and the Marlin 1894. Notable examples include the Henry (1860), Winchester 18 and Marlin 1889. Pistol-caliber rifles and carbines have been around as long as metallic cartridges have existed.
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