Marlin Lever Guns? 444 & the 450

[hd28cw]

I know that we are on a Smith and Wesson forum....But... I'm trying to verify some info I heard this week. Is Marlin discontinuing the 444 & 450 marlin? I know that marlin website still shows both models...However there website is notoriously slow for updates..
I've always wanted a 444...just need to know if i should swipe one up before the prices go up.

Thanks

 

[thearborbarber]

Just the 450 for now.

 

[FTG-05]

Why would you think of either one vs. the 45-70? Far more versatile and historical to boot.

Just wondering.

 

[dkizer22]

I have the same question as FTG-05

 

[canoeguy]

Since Remington bought Marlin, the quality of thier lever rifles is shabby at best. Lay one side by side of one made two years ago at the New Haven CT. plant and you'll see.

I have an 1895 Marlin, 22" barrel, 45/70 caliber I bought probably three years ago now, and couldn't be happier with it. Super accurate, and the 45/70 cartridge is so versatile, you can load it with mild cast lead rounds and have fun target shooting or even hunting small game and varmints. Load it up with some stout 350 or 400 grain jacketed bullets and hunt the largest game in North America. The 45/70 is a handloaders dream...

I'd get a used big bore Marlin in the caliber you like, and give the new ones a pass.

 

[Rangerpat]

I agree 100% with canoeguy, I have the Marlin 1895 XLR in .45-70 Govt. and can make it mild or wild depending on the ammo I use. As FTG-05 says it is also a historic caliber. Look around for a good used one, some people can't handle the recoil and sell the rifle after shooting it very little. Check out the web for the amount of ammo available for .45-70 vs. .444, there are a lot of good ammo makers out there making excellent rounds for the .45-70.

 

[Maximumbob54]

.444 Marlin + .450 Marlin

I have liked the idea of either one for years now but I have never bought one. True, the .45-70 can be bought or loaded right up to either the .444 or the .450 but if you aren’t a hand loader or don’t like paying through the nose for custom high end ammo then you are regulated to most .45-70 loads still being Trapdoor Springfield level loads. I feel like the .450 would have had a better chance if they designed it in some way to also accept standard .45-70 brass while requiring the real thing for real .450 loads that won’t fit in a .45-70 chamber. I don’t know the engineering needs of such a thing but I’m a huge believer in where there is a will then there is a way (hello Combat Magnum…). So if they do depart from lack of sales it is only because guys like me never shelled out the money when we should have. I really like the idea of being able to use .429 bullets in the .444 for loading my own and the .450 is about as BFG as I would want to own. I may try to find one now for sure. I know I just don’t want one with porting. I would rather add a pad, wear a vest, and do more pushups than have all that blast not going straight out. Dang it, I don’t have the money at all for this right now…

 

[michael thornton]

i have 2 45-70 one in the marlin guide gun and a browning b78 i dont need a 444 or a 450

 

[kennyb]

i just had my marlin 45-70 circa 1979 out yesterday...very easy to reload for...a quality rifle that can pretty much knock down anything on the planet...

 

[Sprefix]

450 Marlin Ammo is like hens teeth...........can't even get the brass

I've owned and shot the before mentioned, and have chosen to stay with the .45-70 in a Browning 1886 SRC. I don't care for the lockup on a Marlin. I also got rid of my .444 Marlin Outfitter as you can only put so much bullet in it(335 grain). Plenty of power for most places. I just like the versatility that the .45-70 allows.The .45-70 is heads above it for my needs(from a loafer load to a bear stomper)And it is EVERYWHERE. JMO.

 

[Andy Griffith]

I guess I'll have to be the lone one out and give the dissenting opinion, since I'm a .444 nut.

All I can say, it shoots good and I like it. I have one of the old Model 444 rifles with the long barrel and the large straight gripped stocks with cheek piece. It shoots like a house-afire with Hornady 265's. Sure, it's no .45-70, but on deer and black bear, it'll do anything the .45-70 will. Properly sized cast bullets for it will also make it sing. All I can truly say is- I like it.

Brass is easy to come by, it's easy to load for and very versatile- use 200gr mild loads for coyote and plinking, all the way up to 300gr+ for almost any North American game within range. Although, a caliber with a "5" in front of it would make me feel better against the largest bears- but I'm not going to try to hunt those anyway.

Wish I had it's brother in .375 Winchester though to make a pair.

 

[dkizer22]

After some reading on a Marlin forum, You may be to late . It seems the QC on the new guns from the new plant are having problems
Marlinowners.com

 

[dmar]

Hd28cw, if you are interested n a .444, you should grab one, the 'original' Marlin ones are great guns. I would think you can still find some of the CT guns NIB, and I see used ones sell for reasonable prices all the time. I would not go for a NY built one, until they work out the kinks involved in transitioning the manufacture of the Marlins up there... I hate when big corporations screw up a perfectly good gun company!

I have to claim ignorance on the .45/70, as I don't have one , but I have found the .444 to be a great round. I understand that folks really like the reloading versatility of the .45/70 , but the .444 will take care of just about anything that you need. Mine shoots great!

 

[hd28cw]

Why would you think of either one vs. the 45-70? Far more versatile and historical to boot.

Just wondering.

Well, I've got an 1895ss in 45-70. I guess i'd have to say it like this... I really like chocolate ice-cream but every now and then I might want to taste a different flavor...

 

[off road]

I had a 444 back in the day when I lived in Alaska, but today I would stick with 45-70! Lots of excellent ammo available, capable of taking any game on the planet.

 

[hatt]

Marlin already discontinued quality control, so it really doesn't matter what calibers they discontinue. Buy used.

As far as caliber. Don't listen to all these guys, get what you want.

I would get the .45-70 but if I found a good deal on a .444 I'd snatch that up too. Ain't no critter I plan on shooting ever going to know the difference between the two.