My New Remlin 1895 Guide gun experience thread

[osprey]

Well as promised, I am posting on my experience with the purchase and subsequent upgrades of a new Remington produced Marlin 1895 guide gun in 45-70. It was supposed to be a nice fall/winter project for me working on the expected flaws until the chunk of coal was a gem worthy of keeping. Well you know what they say about the best laid plans.
It all started well enough when I called my LGS and ordered the blued 18.5" barreled version for what I thought was a fair price of $468 before tax. It took a week to get here and while I waited I ordered an xs sight system for it, a hammer extension, and dies and some odds and ends to load for it. I also researched loads and anything I could find pertaining to these new Remlins. On the Marlin Firearms forum I ran across a thread where a guy brought a new ss guide gun home after a cursory inspection only to find part of the rifling barely engraved in the barrel. He ended up sending it back 3 or 4 times and It never did come back with an acceptable barrel. This was last Spring, so along with the much chronicled fit and finish issues I was reading about, I was also on guard to look inside the pipe with a critical eye before taking my new rifle home. Well I went to my LGS today to pick the gun up. A quick once over revealed no major flaws. The wood was ok with ugly machine checkering and all. The wood to metal fit was decent with the forearm having a slightly bigger gap to the barrel on the right side than the left. The blueing was even with no apparent dings or scratches. The action was a bit stiff and slightly rough as expected. Hell, the sights were even lined up with the receiver with no perceptible cant. I though we had a decent candidate for my project until I looked down the bore. Sure enough looking down the muzzle the rifling was barely apparent on on side of the barrel. You could barely feel anything with a toothpick on the one side. Looking down the barrel further with a bore light the smooth swath continued down to the chamber in the helical pattern. Well fudge!
The owner of the lgs basically said I could take it and try to resolve it through Marlin or I could refuse it and get a replacement. I briefly entertained these options not feeling warm and fuzzy about either. I then proposed another option. I asked if it would be possible to return it for a more expensive option. At first he didn't seem too receptive to the proposal but he punched away at the computer terminal and said the one I wanted was available and if I was willing to pay the difference, he could do it. So for another $188 dollars my Remlin will morph into a 18.43" barreled Henry in 45-70. The Marlin had some features I really liked but the bottom line is I want a shooter and in the end I didn't wan't to get involved in a goat rope with Marlin. I am at peace with this decision and will probably start a new thread on the Henry and the mods I make to it. Go Hawks!

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[KKG]

I'm glad all my Marlins are pre-Remington and your Post just added another nail in the coffin for Remington.

 

[Velzey]

I would love to have seen a photo of the rifling. I heard they had a bad run of barrels in late 2014 and a little later. Disgruntled employees really messed a few things up for them real quick. Especially when your mass producing parts.

 

[Certaindeaf]

probably a very smart move..

 

[djharteloo]

Damn. I had considered buying one of the new Remlins since sportsmans is having a sale currently where if you buy one, you get a free marlin 22lr of some kind. But it seems like the Henry is the better choice for a functional 45-70 these days.

 

[jbett98]

I would love to have seen a photo of the rifling. I heard they had a bad run of barrels in late 2014 and a little later. Disgruntled employees really messed a few things up for them real quick. Especially when your mass producing parts.

I believe Remington contracted out all their barrels to the Miracle Gun Barrel Co.

Their sales motto is "If it's a good barrel, it's a Miracle!"

 

[DeanMk]

Interesting how a company who built its name as a builder of exceptional rifle barrels is having issues with its rifle barrels.

 

[osprey]

It is quite disappointing. I so much wanted to believe they were making strides to improve their products. I wonder if they are outsourcing their barrels or if they make them in house. Either way there is no way these substandard rifles should make it out of production with a real qc dept. I am however happy to support a company like Henry that seems to be bucking the trend.

 

[DeanMk]

I don't think its an outsourcing problem so much as how bought-out companies are treated once in the fold.
There are stories of how H&R was sorely mis-managed once Remington got their hands on them....seems they're zeroing in on Marlin now...or rather, ignoring them.


Dean

 

[osprey]

Yep do just enough to be profitable, quality be damned! I have worked for a company with that mentality and got to watch them swirl around the toilet bowl. It doesn't sound like the Remington brand is exactly exuding quality these days either. Damn shame it is. On the upside it keeps guys like Velzey busy.

 

[No_Regerts]

I had some bad luck on a few M700s. All had chambers that appeared to be cut by termites. I swore off Remington for a few years after a bad 20ga 870. I appear to be a glutton for punishment as I walked home with a new 870 today. Should have taken the display model. The stock is a good 1/16 proud compared to where it meets the receiver.

 

[Kruel J]

It's too bad to hear about Remington's quality issues. They were once a great firearm manufacturer.

 

[djharteloo]

I had some bad luck on a few M700s. All had chambers that appeared to be cut by termites. I swore off Remington for a few years after a bad 20ga 870. I appear to be a glutton for punishment as I walked home with a new 870 today. Should have taken the display model. The stock is a good 1/16 proud compared to where it meets the receiver.

I bought a brand new 870 about a year ago and have been pretty lucky. Fit and finish is good, cycles reliabley (not smooth, but reliable). That being said I had a new R700 7MM a couple years ago that I'm pretty sure had an out of spec chamber. Every single piece of brass that was fired out of that rifle had cracked.

 

[No_Regerts]

I bought a brand new 870 about a year ago and have been pretty lucky. Fit and finish is good, cycles reliabley (not smooth, but reliable). That being said I had a new R700 7MM a couple years ago that I'm pretty sure had an out of spec chamber. Every single piece of brass that was fired out of that rifle had cracked.

I had a 700 in 7mm RM with a cery rough chamber that made it impossible to extract a spent case. I had it polished and it was ok after that. Also had a 223 that had an extractor that wouldn't jump the rim. Had to replace that and file a bit off. I had a 280 that wouldn't go into battery. Etc etc.

 

[djharteloo]

I had a 700 in 7mm RM with a cery rough chamber that made it impossible to extract a spent case. I had it polished and it was ok after that. Also had a 223 that had an extractor that wouldn't jump the rim. Had to replace that and file a bit off. I had a 280 that wouldn't go into battery. Etc etc.

I think about buying another one because they're very cheap at walmart ($375ish with a cheaposcope for an ADL) and just using it as a donor action but at this point the only thing Remington I'll be buying is Core Lokt.

 

[DeanMk]

It's too bad to hear about Remington's quality issues. They were once a great firearm manufacturer.

I hear ya.
When I was 15, I had a chance to get a brand new 870. 20 ga., modified choke, 26" barrel...price?....$149, new.
A couple of years later, Remington came out with the 7mm-08. I still have the "catalogue" (more like a flyer). Only available in the 788 (I think), I swore it off because it was a "budget" gun. Like my father, I too was jazzed about the round.
When the model 7 came out I swore I would get one...I never did.
Now, after hearing all these reports of shoddy qc, I'm afraid to even look at one, for fear my face might explode.
...if only we could turn back the hands of time....


Dean

 

[osprey]

Well my Henry arrived and it is a very fine rifle and well worth the premium one has to pay over the Remlin Pieces of work. I am very conflicted though as I really wanted to thread the barrel for a supressor, but it is not terribly feasible with the tube fed design of the Henry. So I am now on the hunt for a real JM Marlin and am quite shocked at the prices they are commanding.

 

[thorborg]

Interesting how a company who built its name as a builder of exceptional rifle barrels is having issues with its rifle barrels.

Not just barrels I might add.
That company died decades ago. Current money grubbers are in the reduce manufacturing cost any way possible, flood the market, dupe the people, reap the profits mode. Then, when at the bottom of the trash heap it will be sold again to some ignorant on guns investment group like Proctor and gamble or some such, looking just at the profit margin spread sheet over a short haul. It is a never ending cycle of slash, burn reap, for most investment groups. So went Case. Twenty years later, still struggling to convince the market their knives are again of quality. Trouble is, unlike serialized guns, very difficult to tell the new knives, from the crap steel period still sitting in many retail distribution warehouses and back rooms of stores.

 

[thorborg]

Well my Henry arrived and it is a very fine rifle and well worth the premium one has to pay over the Remlin Pieces of work. I am very conflicted though as I really wanted to thread the barrel for a supressor, but it is not terribly feasible with the tube fed design of the Henry. So I am now on the hunt for a real JM Marlin and am quite shocked at the prices they are commanding.

My little used 1987 mfg. Marlin was worth every dime of the $450 I paid for it in excellent condition just a couple of years ago. (and pre transfer fee)
Be patient but must be persistent. Keep looking. Buy used. After all, once you buy it and shoot it, is used.

 

[osprey]

Yep I am now full blown Marlin serial # educated snob, so I know a potential keeper from a potential lemon. My idea to shoot big chunks of lead subsonic complicates the search a bit as I don't want a microgroove barrel. So basically the ones I seek are all made between 2000 and 2007. Before 2000 Marlin used micro groove and after 2007 quality was definitely hit and miss. I wish a small company like Henry would buy some of these companies and make the rifles great again lol.