Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum Carbine

Years ago, just after I turned 18, I bought a Winchester 94 in .44 Magnum. A standard carbine, post-64 of course, that was a pretty good gun but sometimes the cartridge stop would let a cartridge in under the carrier. I'm telling you, that is a nasty jam to clear in the field. It happened enough that I traded it in on another .44 Magnum, a Marlin 1894!

Now this was a good gun. I immediately installed a Williams Foolproof receiver sight and took some of the ammo that I'd used in the Winchester with the new rifle and went to the range. Sometimes I could manage to put 3 rounds of the old Remington half-jacket SWC load into a cloverleaf. It sure shot well. I didn't actually get to hunt with it until after my first tour in Korea.

I was stationed at Fort Hunter-Liggett in California and lived in Greenfield, CA. Needing a combination of self-defense and a hunting gun, I asked Dad to send the Marlin out to me. That Marlin fed a few of us as I loaned it out for hog and goat hunts on Fort Hunter-Liggett. We used the Remington 240 gr. SJHP load exclusively. That load was both relatively cheap and effective.

When I came back to Virginia that gun went hunting for whitetails a couple of times but one day I had to sell it to raise money and it went to LBW Shooter's Supply in Staunton for cash. What a silly thing to do. I felt really badly about that decision.

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I have felt very stupid for having gotten rid of that good gun and so I got another. My friend was looking for money and had this gun and he brought it to me. A deal was arranged and I have this good gun just like the old one!