marlin 45-70 govt

[mrfsm1]

have the oppertunity to buy one for 450...good deal?

 

[usmcdjb]

Condition? Have the crossbolt safety? Depends on what you want. I prefer old without the safety.

I've tried selling my older model for $500 with no bites whatsoever. Paid more than that for it. It's probably in about 90% condition. I just really have no need for a 45-70, and never shoot it, so it's one of the ones I want to thin out.

 

[snapping turtle]

If it happens to be a guide gun yes it is a good price.

Any marlin lever with the CT stamp will hold value now that remington / cerburis bought them.

Not Indiana deer legal but lots of fun.

 

[Leadeye]

Versitile guns if you hand load. Hot loads with heavy bullets will beat your shoulder.

 

[gunman41mag]

The 45/70 is a powerful short range rifle bullet

 

[444HPD]

It's a pretty reasonable price if in good condition I have one and from what I've heard from a few DNR officers it is talked about becoming a legal deer hunting rifle but it is here say so don't hold me too it. It's a fun gun to shoot, if you don't reload I would recomend it if you did purchase the rifle very pricey ammo

 

[Leo]

I sold mine in 2006 for that price, so in todays market, I would think it is a pretty fair deal.

 

[jim7310]

Marlin 1895

My Marlin 1895 has been my go-to gun for deer hunting for about 15 years (not in Indiana, of course). I am a native of MN and WI and still hunt there regularaly. The .45-70 is a facinating cartridge and is, I believe, still the oldest cartridge in continious production.

The .45-70 has tons of devoted fans and there are many good books; Paul Matthews is one of the better known writers on the cartridge and his book "40 Years With the .45-70" (Wolfe Publishing) is packed with information. Where the cartridge really shines is if you handload. Because of the old Civil War-era Springfield rifles out there chambered for this cartridge, factory loadings are kept relatively aneimic (about 18K psi and about 1,100 fps with a 300 gr bullet). Modern rifles like the Marlin, Browning and Ruger (there is some difference of opinion where the dividing line between medium pressure and high pressure guns should be drawn) are capable of handling much higher pressures safely - up to 40K psi in some guns, and well over 2,000 fps with a 300 gr bullet.

When you start pushing bullets that large at anything above moderate velocities you get something that kills like Thor's Hammer! And that has been my experience with my Marlin. While the Marlin can handle the heavy thumper loads that is not what I shoot most of the time - I spend a lot of practice time shooting a 350 gr cast bullet (wheelweight in Lee mould) over 13 gr of Red Dot. This load is a *****cat to shoot and costs less than a nickle a round - my 8 year old nephews shoot boxes of them! Then there are shot loads, and 3-ball loads.....

As far as recoil - yes, full-power loads in a .45-70 kick and kick hard. With the Marlin 1895 SS (not Guide Gun) the free recoil is about equal to a bolt action .375 H&H. However, good shooting technique, practice and some common sense can minimize this issue. First, I highly recommend installing a Limbsaver recoil pad on any Marlin 1895, they work better than anything else I have found - nuff said. Second, when shooting off the bench use a recoil-absorbing rest or a sissy sack between your shoulder and the butt stock. Shooting from the bench or prone is the worst because your body cannot move to absorbe the recoil of the rifle. When shooting offhand, don't tense up (bad technique anyway) and let your upper body roll with the recoil. With some practice you can easily fire this cartridge, get back on target and get a follow up shot relatively quickly.

I could go on considerably longer...but I will stop. You have to decide what is right for you. Not every gun/cartridge combination is a good fit for everyone. This particulat one is my all-time favorite and if you decide to buy I sincerely hope you enjoy yours as well. (the price you mention is fair - not spectacular, but fair)

Jim

 

[D.T.O.M.]

I have been looking at one of these in a local pawn shop for a few weeks now.
I would really like to have it but they are wanting almost $600 for it.

 

[jbombelli]

I have been looking at one of these in a local pawn shop for a few weeks now.
I would really like to have it but they are wanting almost $600 for it.

Pawn shops will often negotiate on prices. Go in with cash and offer them $400 and negotiate from there - it's doubtful they paid more than $300 for it. You may just end up getting a decent deal on it. If you can't arrive at a price you like, you can always walk away.

At least that's what I'd do if I was there and wanted it.