Trapper Carbines

[Watertender]

Does anyone else like the Trapper configuration? I have several lever actions with a 16" barrel and I like the way they handle.
The one in the picture is a late production Winchester Model 94AE 30-30 with a tang safety and saddle ring. It also has Marbles high visibility sights.
I also have a Winchester Ranger Compact in .357 Magnum. That also has a tang safety.

A Marlin 1894p in .44 Magnum

And 2 Henry .22's. A Big Loop Carbine and a Small Game Carbine. Both In .22 Long Rifle.

 

[jimbo1096]

I am found of them also. Had several over the years and mostly carried them while traipsing through the woods. Only have a Marlin 336 jm in 35 rem. left.@

 

[thinckley]

For the pistol calibers I love the carbines. I do not own any lever actions in "rifle" calibers, but I would want a longer barrel if I did. I have a Ruger-Marlin 1894SBL in .357 and a Chiappa 1892 in .44.

 

[peachhead]

Yep! I never realized how handy they are until I acquired one.

 

[sharpblade7777]

I am very fond of them.

 

[eveled]

I have 2, that I think qualify as Trappers. A Henry youth .22 that I added a big loop lever to and a .44 mag that was cut down.

The Henry youth 16.1” barrel is smaller than a full size Red Rider BB gun!

Marlin 1884 .44 Mag. 18” barrel so close but not a trapper.

 

[RC44Mag]

Have a Marlin 336 30-30 but now interested in a .44 trapper either Henry or Winchester. It’ll pair nicely with my S&W 629. That’ll be to be to preserve my Ruger Deerstalker. Leaning towards the Henry Big Boy 16.5” blued/walnut. To be determined

 

[Shotgungibbs]

I have 3. A Winchester 94 30-30, A Winchester John Wayne 32-40, & a Marlin Mountie .22.

 

[eveled]

Have a Marlin 336 30-30 but now interested in a .44 trapper either Henry or Winchester. It'll pair nicely with my S&W 629. That'll be to be to preserve my Ruger Deerstalker. Leaning towards the Henry Big Boy 16.5" blued/walnut. To be determined

Get the Winchester, or Ruger/Marlin you deserve it. At least handle them before you get the Henry.

 

[contender]

"Have a Marlin 336 30-30 but now interested in a .44 trapper either Henry or Winchester."

Why NOT get the Ruger/Marlin in .44 mag? They make a SWEET 1894 Classic Carbine!

 

[RC44Mag]

"Have a Marlin 336 30-30 but now interested in a .44 trapper either Henry or Winchester."

Why NOT get the Ruger/Marlin in .44 mag? They make a SWEET 1894 Classic Carbine!

Not set on a Henry but I do like them, they have great reviews, awesome quality and strong following, my nephew recently bought one in 44 and loves it( I haven't fired it), was considering a brand I don't already have.

Those are my reasons but certainly not set in stone. I think I would discount Marlin as I already have one nothing wrong with it just feel like mixing it up. Don't know much about Ruger levers but I'll look into them now that you mention it. I'm also not rushing to buy at this time just kicking it around but usually buy when the seed is planted. Thanks for pointing it out guys

 

[Mobuck]

I have a matched pair of Winchester 94 'Trapper Carbines'--357 & 44 magnums. Added to the accompanying Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk single actions, I'm all set for the old west rendezvous.
The 44 Trapper killed a deer the first and only time I took it hunting.

 

[contender]

We just had a Ruger/Marlin 1894 Classic .44 mag at my FoNRA banquet. I also own a few earlier JM Marlins. I will say the Ruger/Marlin is VERY nice & much better overall than the Henry's I've dealt with.
Just offering my humble opinion.

Besides,, you will be "mixing it up" as the new Ruger?Marlins are different!

 

[RC44Mag]

Opinions always welcomed. Mine is a late production Remlin and slipped my mind that Ruger acquired them. The company has been played like 3 card monte the past couple years.

 

[gnappi]

Even before I was ten years old I always wanted a lever gun like the Hombres in Western shows did, but what did my dad get me for Christmas? A Ruger 10/22! Opening the box I asked him where the lever was and he said it was an automatic! I said "an automatic what?" After explaining how it worked I couldn't believe he could be such a dolt (he had a Ruger .44 carbine) not getting a Winchester or Marlin but I lived with it even though later on all my friends (who owned various lever .22's) goofed on me terribly on my "automagic" gun.

Well we made a few bucks from farmers shooting crows and woodchucks but one day a REALLY large crow that knew we were out to kill him was out of range for the open sighted lever guns but not for my scoped Ruger. I was pretty used to long shots (dad kept the mag forcing me to shoot one at a time so I didn't spray and pray) and I aimed high and that big crow burst open in a shower of feathers, tumbled out of the top of the tree and hit the ground. That was the last time they goofed on my Ruger

Anyway as an adult I made up for it with these:

Top down Winchester 94AE .45 Colt, Marlin take down .22, and Marlin 1895SS in .45-70.

Oh I still have the Ruger 10/22!

 

[thinckley]

I will add that my Ruger-Marlin shoots factory ammo better than I could have hoped. Everything about that gun is smooth, right out of the box. Last time I took it shooting was a trip with my gunsmith. They were playing with AR-9's I brought the LC-45 and the 1894. When we got back to the shop we ordered the parts to build me an AR-9 and the smith ordered him a Ruger-Marlin.

 

[instructor]

Visited the local Cabella's store recently and will visit what they call the gun library and sure enough there was a very well used Browning Model 92 lever gun/44magnum caliber on the shelf. The rifle was coated with surface rust but the action was smooth and positive, and the stock was not cracked but scratched quite a bit. I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 magnum with 10.5" barrel and figured would make a good pair of firearms. Used some gun oil and very fine steel wool pads and eventually the surface rust was gone and no pitting on the rifle. Stripped the butt stock and forend and wet sanded with BLO and came out OK. The bore was not that dirty and cleaned up quickly and will say it shoots both the 44 magnum and 44 special rounds very well at 50 yards. I am too old to deer hunt these days, but the rifle would be ideal for that for the average deer shot in WV is less than 100 yards. That curved steel butt plate lets you know when you fire the 44 magnum rounds, not bad at all with the 44 special rounds.

 

[gunzo]

I've had various lever carbines & rifles over the years, but only one Trapper. A 16" M92 Rossi. A 16" barrel , BTW 16" now days, is what is considered a trapper, the 20", a carbine. Have learned that quite a few Trappers had 12 & 14-15" barrels before the NFA of 1934. Whew! bet they were handy.

 

[bearskinner]

I think the trapper style carbine feels absolutely the best in hand. I do prefer the pistol grip configuration, more than the straight stock, and I believe the new Ruger/Marlins are some of the best made marlins. But many calibers were never made, and I love having a lever gun to match my revolvers, so part of my quest is getting the calibers I want, custom made.
I currently have a 45/70 marlin 1895 trapper (was NIB) waiting on barrel work, to be configured into 475/70, which is just a straight blown out 45/70 case, into 475 caliber. It doesn't gain really anything over a 45/70 cartridge, in that configuration, except now it will cycle and shoot 475 Linebaugh Maximums. Which is the point! I have a converted Browning M71 High Grade, with 16.5 barrel in 50Alaskan, that cycles and shoots 500 Linebaugh Maximums flawlessly.
My (longer barrel, 20") Marlin 1895 from WWG, with the beautifully thinned and lightweight Kevlar stock, cycles the 500 maxi perfectly as well, but it's too long for this conversation.
The absolutely "one of a kind", 500 Linebaugh, built by John himself, which we agreed it is named "The Reason" as it is the Reason John never built another one! It is an 1895 Marlin, with a turned down 50 BMG barrel but timed to shoot 500 Linebaugh, although you can single feed maximums. It was originally a 22” barrel, now resides at 16.5”. John Approved, although he wouldn’t “That Da** Thing” to give me his opinion of the “Trapper” length, but he liked the way it felt handy to him.
The 500S&W BHA is another wonderful shooting gun, and very handy in 16.5".
Although Marlin trappers in 45 Colt are not out yet, I have one on order, so hopefully their "summer" production dates are current.
Still a lever, but not a repeater, I converted a pair of Ruger No1's, with the same 16.5" barrels. The 50-110 is an absolute Beast, but can also fire the shorter 50Alaskan, 500 Max and 500L. The other No1 chambered in 45-90 is an Octagon monster, and although I was planning on a 16.5, came as an 18", and as it balanced so well, it remains "long" …. For now anyway.
The stock Ruger Marlins, SBL (Trapper Lengths, 16.5) both pistol grip, stainless Lsminate are simply a joy to shoot. But there is something about those big straight wall cases that just bring a smile while handling and shooting in a Trapper length lever of any brand!

 

[Watertender]

I've had various lever carbines & rifles over the years, but only one Trapper. A 16" M92 Rossi. A 16" barrel , BTW 16" now days, is what is considered a trapper, the 20", a carbine. Have learned that quite a few Trappers had 12 & 14-15" barrels before the NFA of 1934. Whew! bet they were handy.

A friend of my grandpa's had a Winchester 1892 Trapper with a 14" barrel. I don't know what happened to it.
I can remember seeing a Model 94 in 30-30 with a 15" barrel on Gunbroker. It had the proper paperwork with it and was made in 1915 for the Phelps Dodge Copper Company. It was a guard rifle for one of their mines in Arizona.

 

[Richbaker]

Opinions always welcomed. Mine is a late production Remlin and slipped my mind that Ruger acquired them. The company has been played like 3 card monte the past couple years.

When do we start calling them Ruglins?

 

[WAYNO]

I am a fan of Trapper lever guns. I don't think it's just the barrel length of 16" that makes it a trapper. My M4 is certainly not a trapper.

I've owned the SBLR version of the Marlin in .357,

and although it shoots extremely well, I consider it less handy than a true Trapper with a straight grip. The SBLR version with the heavy laminated stock, big lever, Picadilly bone-saw rail on top, and pistol grip is cumbersome. In fact, a conventional 20" lever gun with real walnut and a straight grip is easier handling than the SBLR version.




.

 

[Watertender]

Here is my Henry Small Game Carbine and Large Loop Carbine. Both are in .22 Long Rifle and very handy. I keep the Large Loop Carbine loaded with Aquila sub sonic ammo for problems like daylight wandering raccoons.

 

[RC44Mag]

When do we start calling them Ruglins?

Today

 

[gunzo]

When do we start calling them Ruglins?

No bragging, but thinking I might have coined the term the day or day after the announcement that Ruger bought them. Wrote it here. Didn't take a lot of wit, since the Remlin term had been around a while.

 

[eveled]

Hi,

Now I'm curious and have to go dig out the Mossberg. I don't recall any real problem so I'll see how I hold my teeth and see if I developed some trick!

The "real" Marlin 336s were known for a little ejector spring that could give one grief. Mostly by falling on the floor as the person doing the disassembly forgot to catch it on the way out. I dunno if Ruger has changed anything with respect to internal parts or left things the way they've been.

Here's a nice video on stripping down the 336/1895 for cleaning. The fellow even drops the little ejector spring! This is a Marlin rifle, not a Remlin or Ruglin so I have no Idea how well the newer mfrs have kept to the original design.

Hickock 45 also has a video on the same subject:

Rick C

Search function lists this as the oldest post that uses the word Ruglin. FWIW

I prefer to call them Ruger/Marlin or Red Dot’s

 

[bearskinner]

Here's an assortment of 50 calibers
Top to bottom:
BHA 500S&W Black Thunder
Marlin 1895 WWG 50AK Kevlar
Browning M71 High Grade 50-110
Marlin 1895, 500 Linebaugh, built by John

 

[thinckley]

Here's an assortment of 50 calibers View attachment 68095View attachment 68096

I really like those two facing to the right.

 

[bearskinner]

I just went and shot the Browning 71 High grade. You can single feed 50-110’s, but there too long to cycle. It loves 50 Alaskans and 500 Linebaugh Maximums. I let loose 4, 440 grain Maxis at the 8” gong at 100 yards. Rang steel with the first shot, missed no2, then paid attention and rang 3 and 4. Just a joy to shoot! Even with a little snow coming down

 

[Larryburford]

I love all leverguns. Well except the ones with all the AR-15ish plastic stuff on them.