MARLIN has long been the largest American maker of lever-action rifles. There are so many Model 336 lever guns they can’t be ignored. Now Ruger owns the brand and has chosen to launch its new line with the Model 1895 SBL, the most popular model when Ruger took over. Marlin clung to the 1895 designation for all models it chambered in .45-70.
“The action is smoother than anything that went before”
SBL stands for Stainless Big Loop and signifies a satin-finished raw-stainless receiver, barrel and tubular magazine cradled in a black-grey laminated stock.
Over the years I’ve tested and hunted with Marlins in a variety of calibres including the .30-30 (which I admit to having a soft spot for) but the .45-70 I used in the NT impressed me most.
The newest 1895 SBL is a bit more of a good thing, as I discovered the first time I shouldered it and worked the lever a few times. The action is smoother than anything that went before
