Marlin 1894 .44 Mag. Lever-Action Rifle: First Look

Since 2021, Marlin firearms have been built by Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., at the company's Mayodan, North Carolina, manufacturing facility. Beginning with the Model 1895 SBL in .45-70 Govt., in the three years since acquiring the Marlin brand and assets, Ruger has rebuilt the lever-action catalog to include Trapper and Guide Gun renditions of the 1895 as well as the Model 336 in .30-30 Winchester. Now, Ruger has brought back a pistol-caliber classic: The Model 1894 chambered in .44 Magnum.

From the company's official release:

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.

Sights for the 1894 are an adjustbale semi-buckhorn rear paired with a shrouded bead front post. The receiver is also drilled and tapped for optics mounts. There is a manual cross-bolt safety above the trigger as well as a half-cock position for the hammer. Other features include a soft rubber buttpad and sling swivels on the rear barrel band and buttstock.

The release from Ruger also suggests that additional configurations and chamberings will be introduced in the coming year, although availability of all Ruger-made Marlins will remain limited as capacity continues to increase.

For more information about the Marlin Model 1984 Classic lever-action rifle, visit marlinfirearms.com, and stay tuned to Guns & Ammo for all the latest news and reviews. 

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