1874 Shiloh Sharps in 45-70

Marlin 1894 at 600 yards

Drew, you are correct.  Those 32-20's are big time overachievers.  What a great caliber!

Took the old (1905) Marlin 1894 to the Happenz and kept it busy the whole weekend. 

2012 Happenz

Had a great time at this year's Happenz.  Met some great folks, ate well, shot a bunch of dingers and milk jugs.  GREAT fun.

RockRidge at 400 yards

Rock Ridge and Rowdy at 600 yards

More VINTAGE 1894 video

One hundred and eighteen years old - an 1894 built in 1894 - still on the job and doing it with style.

And some of the highlights from the match.

Marlin 1894 - A New Chapter in an old Book

I have the good fortune to be in possession of a 107 year old Marlin 1894.  I know little of its history other than the fact that it came to me from North Carolina via a consignment sale and it was obviously well (ab)used, though the mystery itself does add to the intrigue and desirability of this rifle.  

 

Who owned it?  How was it used?  Where has it been? 

Its configuration is very appealing to me - rifle sized, yet relatively light weight; 24" octagonal barrel; chambered in 32-20 Winchester...  Near perfect in my eye.

For the time it is in my possession it will get some use as the "ranch rifle,"  the silhouette slayer, the dinger ringer, the critter gitter and the headliner in my safe.

107 years old

 

The standard of a rifle's handiness is defined by a levergun.  This one simply shines.

A great day in a perfect venue.

The last time out the ol' 1894 tipped 31 targets over including a sweep of the pigs.  The nut behind the trigger is to blame for the 9 left standing.

It is proving to be an excellent shooter.  The velocity sweetspots seem to be 1350-1400 fps (Unique, 2400) and right around 1,000 fps (W231)  Impressive accuracy and a joy to shoot.  Both 100 and 115 grain cast bullets are showing great promise.

10-22 Takedown goes afield

I'm liking it.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown

There are few rifles more ubiquitous than the Ruger 10/22.  I've owned a number of them over the years but never held onto them for very long for one reason or another.  They are endlessly customizable which adds to the fun and can lead to impressive accuracy.

The new Ruger 10/22 Takedown intrigued me enough to throw down the credit card and take one home.  So far I'm impressed.  The takedown system is the easiest to use of any I've come across - no tools required.  The lock up is solid and the rifle functions reliably and in my limited testing the zero has held after several dis- and re-assemblies.

I will be installing a peep sight and I will test the repeatability of the zero when the rear and front sights are on different halves.

Ruger 10/22 TD and the Marlin 39 Century Limited

Accuracy is about the same as every other 10/22 I've owned - good, not great.  The trigger is rather heavy and I've only tried the cheap bulk pack ammo through it which is unlikely to produce stellar accuracy, though it has performed reliably through the rifle.

I'm not a big fan of synthetic stocks but the 10/22 TD's stock is better than most I've come across.  It has a nice heft and looks like it would handle rough conditions well.  It also makes sense on a rifle that is likely to be stowed in a vehicle and/or neglected until needed.

The niche I see for this rifle is as a "truck gun."  It's inexpensive, low maintenance, reliable, compact and versatile.  The 22 is a notorious overachiever and when pressed can handle big jobs.  It can easily be customized to suit the user and his needs.  Ammo is inexpensive and easily carried.

I expect this 10/22 is one I'll keep.  Nice going Ruger (again).

Important Video