When Ruger purchased Marlin Firearms from Remington back in October 2020, many hunters were surprised, but also excited and hopeful for what Ruger would bring to the table for the beloved American lever gun maker. Since the acquisition, there hasn't been a whole lot of news on what exactly Ruger was planning to do with the brand. According to their website, manufacturing for many classic firearms seemed to have been put on temporary hiatus. Odds are ammo and raw material shortages have played a part in the slowing of new developments. Now, after a long two-year wait, we're finally getting an idea as to what the new Marlin has been cooking up.
Ruger just announced the re-introduction of the classic Marlin Model 1895 Trapper lever-action in the mighty .45-70 Government caliber. It seems they weren't content to simply pump out the same gun as before either, which is exciting news for hunters and guides looking for a quality brush gun capable for stopping large, dangerous animals.
For instance, they have threaded the satin stainless steel 16-inch barrel for either a suppressor or a muzzle brake. The rifle comes from the factory with a thread protector, and the barrel has a 1:20 twist rate. Marlin gave the rifle some beautiful laminate furniture and added an improved finish on the black laminate stock and forend. They also added checkered grip panels on both the stock and thinned forend that should give this rifle some excellent ergonomics in wet and cold conditions deep in the backcountry.
Marlin also gave this reintroduced 1895 adjustable Skinner sights, and the receiver is built with a peep sight that should make this rifle an ideal brush gun. Marlin managed to keep the weight down too; it's sitting at an extremely manageable 7.1 pounds, which will make it easier to lug on a backcountry expedition.
In the announcement on their website, Marlin notes some small details have been added to the rifle to indicate it's a Ruger-made model. Most notably, the serial numbers will now start with an "RM," and the rifle will now include an "RP" proof mark. They have also changed Marlin's signature bullseye mark to be red and white instead of red and black, and they added the Marlin logo to the underside of the grip.
According to the Marlin website, these reintroduced 1895s are now shipping, albeit with limited availability. The MSRP is $1,349. You can check out the Ruger website for more information.
We'll keep an eye on what else Ruger is working on. Hopefully this is just the start of a series of new Marlin rifle reintroductions to come for the brand.
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