It was a few months ago I began my review of the Marlin 1895 Trapper in .45-70. 

First Impressions 

 

High rise black front sight with a white highlight. This adds a bit of contrast for quick sight acquisition.

Adjustable from windage and elevation the rear Skinner rear sight, standard cross bolt safety, and spur extension on the hammer.

Large loop lever. The trigger pull was 5 1/2 pounds with take up and a bit of overtravel.

Glass beaded stainless steel construction with birch furniture finished with a tough black texturing.  Capacity is 5+1.

3 shot group at 100 yards from a rest with iron sights

Range Time

Conclusions 

After about 200 various rounds downrange there were no malfunctions or misfeeds, as expected with a quality lever action rifle. While 200 rounds is not an enormous amount, we shot enough of warm .45-70 if there were an issue it would have shown up during the review. With such a vast selection of ammunition available, the .45-70 is quite versatile, and the Trapper handled it well.  There is enough of a variety you can tune your ammunition to your specific need, be it dangerous game hunting, guide gun, trail defense, and self defense. While the .45-70 may be big medicine for thin skinned critters or two legged predators, there are some quite powerful hollow points available that would be well suited for that job. If you were looking for a trail/hunting rifle that can do most anything and is easy to wield, then the 1895 Trapper is an excellent option. While not ideal for a home/cabin defense rifle, if it were your primary hunting rifle and stoked with the right cartridge, it could fill that need. The Skinner sights are a large peep style that allowed for fast target acquisition but still precise enough for functional groups at 100 yards.  Being all stainless and finished wood furniture, the Trapper will hold up well in inclement weather.

Specifications 

  • 45-70 Government.
  • 5+1 capacity
  • Wild West Guns-style big loop lever for easy cycling
  •  Skinner peep sight for fast, easy target acquisition
  • 16 1/2″ barrel
  • 1:20″ twist rate
  • 35″ long
  • 13 3/8” length of pull
  • 7 lbs. approximate weight
  • 5 1/2 pound trigger pull
  • MSRP $1214.64

Acknowledgments

Marlin 

DoubleTap Ammunition  

Defender Ammunition 

Hornady 

Josh from Spotter Up Tactical. 

By Hunter Elliott

I spent much of my youth involved with firearms and felt the call early on to the United States Marine Corps, following in my father's and his brother's footsteps. Just after high school I enlisted and felt most at home on the rifle range, where I qualified expert with several firearms and spent some time as a rifle coach to my fellow Marines. After being honorably discharged I continued teaching firearm safety, rifle and pistol marksmanship, and began teaching metallic cartridge reloading. In the late 1990s I became a life member to the National Rifle Association and worked with the Friends of the NRA. Around that time my father and I became involved with IDPA and competed together up until he passed away. I began reviewing firearms for publications in the mid 2000s and have been fortunate to make many friends in the industry. Continuing to improve my firearms skills and knowledge is a never ending journey in which we should all be committed. I am also credited as weapons master on a few independent films.

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