Marlin · Rifle

Marlin Model 1894

Name: Marlin Model 1894
Brand: Marlin

Lever action · .44 Remington Magnum · introduced 1894

Also known as Marlin 1894, Model 1894

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About the Marlin Model 1894

The Marlin Model 1894 is a pistol-caliber lever-action rifle originally designed by John Marlin in 1894 and historically chambered in cartridges like .32-20, .38-40, and .44-40. The modern short-action .44 Magnum version was reintroduced in 1969 and remains one of the most popular brush-country and pistol-caliber lever guns in America. Currently produced by Sturm, Ruger & Co. since acquiring Marlin assets, the Ruger-made 1894 features a cold-hammer-forged blued steel barrel with Ballard-style rifling, a side loading gate, an exposed hammer with cross-bolt safety, a straight-grip American walnut stock, and a 10-round tubular magazine in .44 Magnum.

The 1894 was John Marlin's answer to Winchester's 1873 - a slim, fast-cycling lever rifle that paired perfectly with a six-gun. When Ruger reintroduced the rifle in 2023, gun shops sold out within hours, with collectors paying double MSRP on the secondary market for first-year Ruger-built examples.

Marlin Model 1894 specifications

General

Type: Rifle
Action: Lever action
Firing mechanism: Hammer-fired
Trigger: Single stage
Calibres: .44 Remington Magnum, .357 Magnum, .45 Colt
Magazine capacity: 10 rounds
Magazine: Tubular magazine

Dimensions

Barrel length: 508 mm (20.0 in)
Overall length: 914 mm (36.0 in)
Weight (empty): 2.98 kg (6.57 lb)

Barrel

Rifling twist: 1:20 in (508 mm)
Rifling: Right hand
Grooves: 6

Materials

Barrel: Steel
Receiver / frame: Steel
Stock: Wood
Finish: blued

Performance

Muzzle velocity (typical): 545 m/s (1788 fps)
Muzzle energy (typical): 2300 J (1696 ft·lb)
Effective range: 100 m

History

Introduced: 1894
Production status: In production
Country of origin: US
Designer: John Mahlon Marlin

Available calibres

.44 Remington Magnum.357 Magnum.45 Colt

Features

Side loading gate
Tubular magazine
Exposed hammer
Drilled and tapped receiver
Straight grip walnut stock
Ballard rifling

Safety

Cross bolt safety
Hammer block
Half cock notch

Production resumed under Ruger ownership in 2023 after Remington's bankruptcy. The 1894 platform is exceptionally popular for cowboy action shooting and as a companion long gun to revolvers in matching chamberings.