The initial work on the 1894 was cutting it down to the right size is here. The barrel was cut down to 16 ¼”, and the stock was shortened. This achieved the goal of a simple, lightweight and short package – six pounds, loaded -- and 32” long. It’s perfect for handling safely when exiting the truck or having to clear a corner. Phase II, mounting a set of XS ghost ring sights, put me on target quickly and accurately. Since my weapons see rough use, I made up some sight bases with wings to protect the XS sights – seen here.

Phase III involved a little more of “make it fit me.” Even with the factory sights my cheek weld was too low. With the new bases and XS sights it was way low. The factory lever had been enlarged, but now it was too big.

The height of the comb was corrected by adding material to the stock. After debating how to do this – reliability, cost and time being a factor – I discovered that one of Magpul’s SGA cheek risers almost fit on top of the stock. After a little cutting and work on the belt sander it fit perfectly. A couple of holes and screws later and comb height was spot on. The leather cuff for extra rounds covers it all up nicely, and hides the fact that there’s a piece of plastic sitting on top of the wood stock.

To correct the lever size issue, I ordered a “Medium Loop Lever” from Ranger Point Precision . It is machined in-house. They’ve extended the length of the lever’s opening and enlarged the trigger guard, which is great when wearing gloves. The loop is flatter. Less movement is required before the fingers are positioned to cycle the action, and it creates a smaller profile for the rifle. I ordered a pack of lever shims too, which tightened up the action significantly. If you do nothing else to your lever rifle, at least swap out the lever. It’s a quick, easy task to perform.

The detent that holds the lever in place never felt like I thought it should. With the slightest bump the lever would drop down. Researching the ‘net revealed this is a common problem with Marlins, and while everyone complained about it nobody had a good solution. I swapped out the detent and spring. No joy. After searching through my parts boxes, I discovered the firing pin spring for a 1911 is the right size, stronger and -- after shortening – it works great. The lever locks in place with a snap, and stays put.

Now, it’s just down to shooting and enjoying the “new” old Marlin. It’s quickly becoming my “go to rifle.” While Marlins are difficult to find right now, and expensive, there’s other options out there. Pick one up, spend a little time with it and I think you’ll find it hard to put down.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.