I finally went to the range to sight in some 44 pistols, and a 1894P that I bought. I started out trying to buy a 480, and we know how that ended. Any Who the local GS acquires a nib 1894p and calls me. I think sure new grand son needs this in part of his( you got the story). I start to shoot this at the 25 yd pistol ( no one was around). Using 240 PMC's I start, and that 16.5" ported barrel really did a number on me. It shoots well , and I am notsure the hold over at 25 vs 50 equates. It can really hammer you, and its ported. I shoot a 7mm mag and a 338 mag and these are in the same hurt.
I am just 60 yrs and my toy 44 beats me up more than the pistols in the same cal.

Jim

Jim,

I hear what you are saying. I've been shooting a Win. Trapper in 44 Mag and it beats the tar out of you!

Michael

Michael
I am still in shock. Glad I didn't score that 480 in a lever. I believe this all I would need in a rifle to hunt hogs, maybe black bear, and it sure a defensive piece, even though it holds 8 rnds. I guess the soon to be 2 yro will be getting a 32mag for to work on.
These grandkids are neat, should of had them first(not original)
Jim

Michael
I am still in shock. Glad I didn't score that 480 in a lever. I believe this all I would need in a rifle to hunt hogs, maybe black bear, and it sure a defensive piece, even though it holds 8 rnds. I guess the soon to be 2 yro will be getting a 32mag for to work on.
These grandkids are neat, should of had them first(not original)
Jim

Jim - I bought a used 1894P like yours in .44 mag last fall, on a whim. I walked into the gun store and wasn't looking for anything in particular. But the abbreviated barrel, porting, and red-dot sight intrigued me. I haven't found .44 mags to be painful (well, maybe a little the next day when my shoulder feels a bit tender!). Mine came with a generous recoil pad on the butt; give that a try. Have you tried .44 Special in it? That's better shoulder medicine than Ben-Gay and and ice pack - very easy to shoot. Too bad it isn't any cheaper than .44 mag ammo.

My first few rounds through my 1894 .45 Colt w/Beartooth 300grain bullets were a real eye-opener, to say the least. But when you get 300 grains of lead moving at 1700fps (24" barrel), it's gonna hurt.

I don't think most people have any idea how much power you can get out of these 'little' rifles with revolver cartridges.....

My first few rounds through my 1894 .45 Colt w/Beartooth 300grain bullets were a real eye-opener, to say the least. But when you get 300 grains of lead moving at 1700fps (24" barrel), it's gonna hurt.

I don't think most people have any idea how much power you can get out of these 'little' rifles with revolver cartridges.....

That' the truth. I scoffed at folks who talked about the punch they were getting with their 1894 44 mag until I loaded my first round of 265 fsp Hornadys over 21 gr of H-110.

The 220 gr fpj Sierra over 9.5 gr. of Universal is still my favorite load to shoot.

I'm glad to hear it's not just my own perception! I've been wondering why I avoid shooting magnum loads in my 1894SS, when I dote on my 336 in 35 Rem, shooting the heavy bullets! There's a lot to be said for stock design......and recoil pads! I think that'll be my next project!

PJ the Girlieman

Who would be crazy enough to shoot a .454 CASULL w/ 360gr. LBT's in a non-ported 16" bbl??

Congrats on the new 1894P. I've had mine since they first came out and have been extremely pleased with it. I still wish it did not have porting, but love the short barrel for heavy brush hunting.
Rich

Squid
I am warming up to it, can't imagine what it would be like with out the ports, but I am shooting off the bench trying for a 50 yd zero,
BTW I fish N Ark, but have read you have a good bear population there. Any input would be helpful( squid NAS)
Jim

Jim,
I took the biggest whitetail I've ever taken on Veteran's Day last year here on my place with my 1894P using one of my handloads. A single shot fired at about 50 yards. He dropped on the spot. Hope to get the mount back from the taxidemist anyday now.

I live about a mile as the crow flies from Beaver Dam on Beaver Lake, so you may fish close to my home.

As far as bears go, I've only seen a couple of them. They are pretty shy fellows. I've seen tracks here on my land only once and that has been about 2 1/2 years ago. Needless to say, I figure it was just passing through. The best bear hunting I am aware of near here would be over in Jasper, Newton, or Madison Counties.

I certainly wouldn't be the least bit worried about using the 1894P on a bear, though.
Rich

Hi Rich, it's been a while, how are you keepin' yourself?
I also took a whitetail last year with my 1894P. I used a 320 gr. Cast Performance bullet at 1600 FPS from 80 yards for a one shot kill. I was out shooting at the range the past two nights. I've been working on jacketed bullets for my 45/70, and jacketed loads for the 1894P. After shooting a few rounds through the 45/70, the .44 mag. seems like I'm taking a recoil break. I'm getting the best .44 mag. accuracy from 240 gr. Hornady XTP, and Speer 270 gr. GDSP bullets. The 1894P is probaly one of the handiest brush country rifles ever made.
Don

Don,
I really enjoy carrying the 1894P in thick brush. It is a very fast handling rifle for sure. Heck, a holster for this rifle would be nice to have.

I'm getting very good accuracy and performance from my handloads using Remington 210 JHPs in front of a maximum load of H110.

Now, if we could just get Marlin to build a nice little stainless steel 16" synthetic stocked 1895 Guide Rifle in .500S&W. :p :D :cool:
Rich

A lever action 500 S+W has to be on the horizon. It only makes sense that someone will jump on it. If Marlin and Winchester don't, Puma will, even if it's a limited run. It happened with the .454 Casul, and the .480 Ruger, so the 500 S+W has to follow. Whether it's NEEDED or not, is another matter. What my .44 mag. can't handle, my 45/70 can. If I find a critter the 45/70 won't handle, I'm locking myself in the house. :D
Don

I picked up a .44 Marlin 1894, pre-cross bolt safety, from a pawn shop 4 months back. I took the stocks off and stripped, sanded, then put around 8 coats of true oil on them in between fine sanding. The gawd awful yellow varnish that the previous owner had put on (and also lowed the price quite a bit) was gone and revealed a really choice piece of black walnut. The I got to work on the internals, and soon discovered it had the "Marlin jam", so I turned it over to a gun smith in San Antonio to put in a NEW carrier, Marbles semi-buckhorn sight, and replace the stock spring with a Magic Spring, plus re-assemble and put in a new bullseye which I drilled out in order to sand and strip the stock. Only the sight was new, and it was the identical to the one I had taken off. He polished the carrier and swore it was new, and that he had cycled a dozen shells through it. Needless to say, I am having to take him to small claims court in order to get my money back. However, I found a fellow CAS shooter who is known for doing good work and action jobs on Marlin 1894's, so it's being restored to better than new as I write this. I had traded in my Cowboy limited II, in .44, for my new Cowboy Comp. .45, but I've always loved the .44 mag so I couldn't live without one, thus my odessy!
Short story long, to prevent the carrier from getting a low spot (ie-the Marlin Jam), you can do some things now to prevent it from happening in the future. Granted, it takes several thousand rounds for it to wear a line in it, but a simple honing stone to radius the snail shaped cam on the lever and it's done. More steps can be taken, like putting in the Magic Spring, polishing the internals, etc., if you are so inclined, but it makes the 1894 action so much sweeter it incredible. PM me for a link to the instructions if you'd like, or you can probably do a search here in the board for the thread. Good luck, stay safe, and have fun with that new .44. I've taken hogs and deer with the .44 mag over the years and it's quite a game getter inside of reasonable range. Of course, I have to dote on my .35 Rem., but that's another story.

I've done a lot of polishing on my 1894P, using the instructions from Jonah at maurader13 website. I noticed the line worn in my carrier, and corrected it. It didn't take all that many rounds for it to show up. It is well worth the time and effort to have a really smooth action.
Don

This is very true, and one of my fellow C.A.S.hooter's experienced his first misfeed from his Marlin 1894. The was a clear line worn in the carrier, but after a little adjustment he finished the match. It may be too late for him to just polish the carrier and radius(hone) the cam, so it is well worth the time and effort to do a little polishing and honing to avoid this problem in the long run. The 336 models don't seem to suffer from this, as the levers are clearly different, but sometimes folks just adjust their rifles for years and years until they won't cycle and then sell them for a song. If you know what to look for, and can show the gunshop or pawnshop the problem, you should be able to lower the price considerably, assuming you're willing to replace the carrier and perform the fix from the start.
I've done a lot of polishing on my 1894P, using the instructions from Jonah at maurader13 website. I noticed the line worn in my carrier, and corrected it. It didn't take all that many rounds for it to show up. It is well worth the time and effort to have a really smooth action.
Don

??????????????????

Henry makes the "Big Boy" in a 44mag. Has a 20" octagon barrel weighing in @ 8.68 lbs. That extra weight outta tame some of those heavier loads. I would think...

Who would be crazy enough to shoot a .454 CASULL w/ 360gr. LBT's in a non-ported 16" bbl??

Does Marlin make a 16" barreled lever in .454 Casull? If so, I'd buy one. :)

It can really hammer you, and its ported. I shoot a 7mm mag and a 338 mag and these are in the same hurt. I am just 60 yrs and my toy 44 beats me up more than the pistols in the same cal.
Jim

I'm suprised it beats on you that bad. I'm actively looking for one right now. Have you ever shot a 45-70 guide gun? I have to imagine the .44mag has less recoil than the 45-70, and I've equated the 45-70 to low-recoil 12ga slugs.

Part of the punishment is bench shooting to zero it in for point blank range with reloads. You take it all in the shoulder, after 10 or so I am shaking like a dog passing razor blades.
Jim

I've noticed some pre-fit recoil pads in the supply house catalogs (Midway, MidSouth) and wondered if they would fit a regular 1894 like mine. Mine says 1894S but the S is for the safety and it's got a 20" barrel and in 44mag/spl. I think it was a Pachmayr and I noticed one for a few models of '94's and another for the 336 and seems one or both said new product. I think Msouth's catalog said $23 for one. I don't know if it's just for the 45-70s or any 1894.

Bill

PS: I looked next to me and there was a Lyman catalog and they own Pachmayr. They show one pad for Marlin 1895G, 444P, and 1894P and a new model for 336, 336C, 336SS, 1895, 444, 1894PG, and 1894FG. Seems like one of them would fit my 1894S.

Part of the punishment is bench shooting to zero it in for point blank range with reloads. You take it all in the shoulder, after 10 or so I am shaking like a dog passing razor blades.
Jim

Jim,
I had to chuckle a little while reading your post. I've got a stainless Guide Gun in 45/70 with a custom fitted Decelerator pad. I've left a splatter of saliva on the butt stock more than once when shooting hot reloads off the bench.