It’s not uncommon for people to see lever-action rifles and carbines as the realm of cowboys, and that goes for gun owners and those on the outside of the gun world. After all, there’s not much more memorable than John Wayne wielding a lever as he chases bad guys in True Grit or Stagecoach (among many others). And while there’s something to be said for nostalgia, there are numerous current-day uses for lever-action rifles. Not only are levers excellent for hunting, but they also have tactical applications. A fantastic lever for those uses is the Marlin 1895 Trapper, a carbine that’s among the first levers to be produced by the company since they were acquired by Ruger.
What is the Marlin 1895 Trapper?
The Marlin 1895 Trapper is a lever-action rifle chambered in .45-70 Government. It has a 16″ barrel, putting it in the category of being a carbine, and is designed with quite a few updated features. This specific design is based on the legendary Marlin 1895 SBL, which has a longer barrel, among other differing features.
Aesthetically, the 1895 Trapper offers the best of both worlds: classic and modern. The furniture is black laminate, giving it a gray and black wooden appearance, and it has a bead-blasted, satin stainless finish. The silver of the receiver, barrel, and lever contrasts beautifully with the dark stock and forend. Checkering on the pistol grip portion of the stock and sides of the forend is designed to improve the shooter’s grip, even with wet or sweaty hands, and is placed in a visually pleasing way.
As mentioned before, the gun is chambered in .45-70 Government, a straight-walled cartridge with a history reaching back to 1873. It has a 5 +1 capacity. This is a side-loading and ejecting lever, meaning the gun is loaded through the righthand side of the receiver.
This rifle ships from the factory with adjustable Skinner Sights peep sights installed, so it’s ready to go right out of the box. The barrel is made from cold-hammer-forged stainless steel and has a 1:20 twist ratio with 6 grooves. In addition, the barrel is threaded, so it’s muzzle device ready, and it has a thread protector in place to keep it covered until the user opts to add a suppressor or muzzle brake. Other features include two studs for sling attachment, a soft rubber buttpad to reduce felt recoil, and a cross-bolt manual safety. The gun has an overall length of 34.25 inches and an empty weight of approximately 7.1 pounds.
How does the Marlin 1895 Trapper shoot?
On the range, I ran the 1895 Trapper with Hornady LEVERevolution 45-70 Government 325-grain FTX and Barnes VOR-TX 45-70 Government 300-grain TSX. Over the course of the review, I used the gun in a class at Gunsite Academy, on the range at home in Texas, and hunting for everything from deer to feral hogs to coyotes. During the Gunsite trip, there were several others there running the 1895 Trapper as well, and it performed well for everyone.
Something that’s mentioned rather frequently about guns like this one is the felt recoil. It’s understandable because .45-70 Government is an admittedly large cartridge, and capable of pretty significant recoil and muzzle rise. Although there is, of course, felt recoil and muzzle rise with the 1895 Trapper, it’s mitigated by the gun’s overall design. Not only is it possible to run this gun all day, but I’ve also done it, and have had no complaints in the aftermath when it comes to issues like whether or not my shoulder took a beating (it did not). Yes, you’re going to notice the recoil, but it’s manageable with proper stance and grip, thanks to the fantastic design of the gun itself.
Using the Skinner Sights peep sights the gun ships with, this gun proved accurate out to 100 yards. Anything beyond that my eyes couldn’t manage for precision although it was totally possible to hit paper or ring steel. This gun did everything asked of it including dropping a feral hog from 100 yards with irons alone and getting the job done during deer season with a Skinner Sights optic mounted on it.
Using Hornady LEVERevolution and running the gun from the bench, five-shot, single-hole groups were easy to produce out to 50 yards with irons. With an optic, it’s possible to stretch the gun even further, producing great groups. Shooting offhand, tight groups are also possible so long as you bring your shooting skills.
Over months of use in weather ranging from the dry heat of Arizona to the heat, rain, and wind of Texas, the Marlin 1895 Trapper experienced zero failures. It has proven itself fun to shoot and accurate on target whether you’re hunting or target shooting. Shouldering the gun is smooth and natural and the buttpad fit snugly to my shoulder. Thanks to the slim, ergonomic design of the forend, the gun is also comfortable to grip during live fire whether you have large or smaller hands. As for the lever itself, it cycles smoothly and easily with no hesitation or heavy spots. Ruger did an excellent job on the Marlin trigger which has a clean, crisp break and short reset.
A few touches have been added or altered on this gun to differentiate it from the pre-Ruger Marlin levers. This includes:
- Previously black and white bull’s eye on the underside of the stock is now red and white
- Location of manufacture stamped on the gun’s barrel says “Mayodan, NC”
- “RP” proof mark stamped on the lefthand side of the gun
- Serial number begins with an “RM” prefix
- Familiar Marlin horse and rider logo is engraved on the grip of the gun
The Marlin 1895 is a high-quality, lever-action carbine, made with an eye for detail and numerous useful features. It’s short enough to maneuver in close quarters which has served me well during CQB training, and long enough to deliver solid ballistics for hunting. The .45-70 Government isn’t a long-range cartridge, and it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’d like your Marlin to fill your freezer during deer season or serve as your bedside home defense gun, the gun will do it. It’s proven itself reliable, accurate, and surprisingly comfortable to shoot, making it a highly recommended model to consider adding to your gun collection.
This Marlin 1895 Trapper by Ruger has an MSRP of $1449.00.
