Many, many moons ago, we reviewed the Marlin 1894C chambered in .357 magnum. It didn’t go well. That was back in the baddest of the bad old days of the Cerberus-owned Freedom Group conglomerate. They’d bought Marlin in 2008 and shut down its New Haven plant in 2011, moving production to Remington’s facility in Ilion, New York.
The only problem was, relocating the machinery and laying off nearly everyone who knew how to make a Marlin rifle was bad for for overall product quality. Very bad. It took the Freedom Group years to work out all the kinks and, in the process, they did a lot of damage to the venerable brand’s reputation for quality and dependability.
Fortunately, Freedom Group is a thing of the past…one that literally no one misses. At all. Even more fortunately, an iconic American brand like Marlin is now in the hands of Ruger, a company that isn’t an investment bank and actually knows a thing or two about building quality firearms.
It’s been very nice to see the company gradually reintroduce Marlin’s most popular lever action rifles again to the American gun buyer. And because Ruger’s making the decisions now — not some asshat portfolio manager in New York — buyers can once again rely on the brand’s name and quality.
The latest model to make its reappearance is the Marlin 1894. Here’s Ruger’s announcement . . .
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. is proud to announce the reintroduction of the Marlin Model 1894 Classic chambered in .44 Rem Mag. The Model 1894 Classic retains the traditional characteristics that made this a truly iconic rifle.
“We’re very excited to introduce our first Ruger-made Marlin Model 1894,” said Ruger President and CEO, Chris Killoy. “We have spent many months working to make this rifle the best it can be.”
Chambered in .44 Magnum, the Model 1894 Classic sports a beautifully finished American black walnut straight stock and forend. The clean and crisp checkering accentuates both the aesthetics and utility of this carefully crafted rifle.
Richly blued and featuring a square finger lever, this alloy steel rifle is equipped with a 20” cold hammer-forged barrel with standard six-groove rifling and a 1:20” twist rate. Also capable of shooting the lighter-recoiling .44 Special, the Model 1894 is equipped with a tubular magazine that will accept 10 rounds of .44 Magnum ammunition, or 11 rounds of .44 Special.
“Our focus continues to be on quality,” continued Killoy. “We remain committed to making firearms worthy of John Marlin’s legacy. The fit and finish of this rifle is reminiscent of what was produced by Marlin craftsmen in New Haven, CT many decades ago.”
The Ruger-made 1894 Classic is marked “Mayodan, NC,” bears a “RM” or Ruger-made serial number prefix, and features the red and white “bullseye” in the stock.
Additional models in different calibers and configurations will be released throughout the coming year. Due to the anticipated strong demand and the limited quantity of Ruger-made Marlin lever-action rifles, Ruger encourages retailers to contact their distributors for availability and advises consumers not to leave deposits with retailers that do not have confirmed shipments.
To stay up-to-date on future Marlin announcements and learn more about the Marlin Model 1894 Classic, visit MarlinFirearms.com, Facebook.com/MarlinFirearms or Instagram.com/MarlinFirearmsOfficial.
The acquisition, ownership, possession and use of firearms is heavily regulated. Some models may not be legally available in your state or locale. Whatever your purpose for lawfully acquiring a firearm – know the law, get trained and shoot safely.
Specifications:
Caliber: 44 Rem Mag / 44 Special
Capacity: 10/11
Stock: American Black Walnut
Front Sight: Brass Bead with Hood
Rear Sight: Semi-Buckhorn
Weight: 6.4 lbs.
Barrel Length: 20.25″
Overall Length: 37.75″
Length of Pull: 13.63″
MSRP: $1,239
