Marlin Dark Series

Now this is cool. Suppressor-ready, blacked-out lever guns from Marlin. This is their new Dark Series and the first two models are available with 16.25-inch barrels chambered either in .30-30 or .45-70.

Above is the Model 1895 Dark Series in .45-70, threaded 11/16×24 for a big-bore suppressor like a Bowers 458 or a Liberty Goliath. Nice looking setup. MSRP is $949.

The Model 336 Dark Series is a .30-30 Winchester threaded 5/8×24. Same MSRP, same good looks.

We all know Marlin has been a bit hit-or-miss of late, but these guns felt smooth and well-fitted to me. We’ll be getting our hands on a couple for full T&E soon. Gotta love a suppressed lever gun!

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37 COMMENTS

  1. If they would take this a step further with a full integral suppressed barrel, I would be in!

  2. If I recall correctly, Teddy Roosevelt had a .30-30 with a Maxim Silencer so he wouldn’t disturb his neighbors when he was hunting.

  3. Remlin’s had the bugs worked out for a few years now. I wouldn’t worry about them being ‘hit or miss’ any more than a Rem 700 or anything else in the sub $1000 range. Service could be hit or miss though.

      • Dang!! That is cool! It really is a game changer.

        I’d love to have one in .357.

        Of course one of these Marlin dark rifles would be pretty sweet in .357 or .44 mag as well. I love both Marlin and Henry rifles.

        • I have a 1895 45/70 Carl and I love it. It’s suprisingly forgiving in recoil though that may be the built in butt pad. My first shot I could feel it compress but Little strain. It’s heavy but it’s a small artillery gun so that’s expected. The Picatinny rail is nice thouGh one of the screws were cross threaded by the manufacturer. I’ve had no issues with ammo other then getting carried away on the range and spending 300 in rounds. I toke up reloading Dillion 750 for just this gun.
          I love the lever plus it looks like my country is banning anything with. A magazine so I’ve purchased other levers. Chiappa mares leg. 357, is a fun POS that has never worked well. It purchased a collectable wilderness addition Henry Long Ranger 308 and have had mixed results. It’s nice looking but unforgiving. Cheep 762×51 or 308 jam the crap out of it and half the time it sticks at the bottom of the lever action. Right below the mag so it’s impossible to remove the mah to clear the jam. It’s not a mature gun yet with many bugs. Lastly if you take 4 fast shots you will burn your forward hand if it’s touching barrel. The Henry LR heats up crazy fast from having a thin barral and no heat dissipating desighn. So I have a good looking 1500$ wall hanger.
          So in my humble and no way professional opinion Marlin has my bisness hands down. Now I just need to find Matt black touch up to keep it perdy

      • There’s still a couple advantages to the Marlin. It still has an extra round of capacity and it’s perfectly safe to unload by cycling the action with the safety engaged, so Henry’s advantage is a matter of a minor inconvenience. The Marlin’s also a bit cheaper, but the Henry’s trigger is better. Fixing the trigger on the Marlin is pretty easy, but if you do it’s no longer cheaper. And I think there’s an advantage to Marlin’s micro-groove rifling. I’ve seen a couple reviews where 20″ 30-30s were producing velocities higher than the factory specs for 24″ barrels. Either way, competition is a good thing.

    • Yep, most people dontcrealize that the worn out machinery that was causing the quality ussues was replaced.

  4. Strange I didn’t see the announcement that Henry has a new line with a side loading gate.

  5. I’ll respect Marlin as well as many other gun makers more when they’ll stop operating and therefore paying taxes to states like New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, etc.

    Buy guns from these states just supports states that hate our guts.

    • Im one who is boycotting almost if not all NY made guns.
      There has been many a Kimber Id like to have. I have also been looking to replace my long gone Marlin 336.
      None of which will happen as long as they are made by or the company stays in NY.
      I just added Pachmyer to my lists. They are still in Connecticut.

      • Agreed, but over $900 for a lever action, absurd. Every since these ” investors ” bought out firearms companies, the prices have gone sky high.

        • Agreed on prices. I was 16 in 1972, when I decided to buy a new deer rifle. The Winchester 94 cost me $78, new, from the sporting goods store on the town square. A note: my Winchester was assembled with machine screws. A nephew who bought the “same gun” a few years later had a riveted thing, that couldn’t be easily disassembled. Yes, prices are outrageous.

          That was also my first experience with “gun control”. The guy at the counter wouldn’t allow me to walk out with my purchase. My dad had to come down to approve the sale. Total waiting period – 1 1/2 hours, lol!

  7. I remember when Mossberg got a ton of shit for doing a tacticool lever gun, but now it’s cool?

    • Because it had a rattle-y M4 stock and no real purpose.

      I’m not going to rush out and buy either Marlin, but they have a purpose. Time will tell if the 336 has any appeal to the hush crowd. The 1895? Heck yes! Load up giant 600-700 grain solids and push ’em to 1000fps.

  8. But where is the suppressor friendly tactical ammunition?

    Where’s my 240gr .30-30 anti-personnel loading?

  9. So how long before we can get these for the 1894? I’ve been waiting for a blued 16″ .357 or .44 to come out.

    • I heard a Marlin Rep say the 1894 was in the plan. 357, 44, and even in .410. Likely a SHOT 2020 announcement. I’d go for a model 39. Rep also explains they’re parkerized, not blued.

      • Well, with these coming out and Henry putting in side gates we’ll just have to see who launches a 16″ .357 first. My money’s sitting on the table, was going to settle for a rossi but not now. My LGS says their tough to find anyway, plus I’m not a fan of the top eject. I guess patience is a virtue that pays off sometimes.

  10. Is buying a suppressor for a rifle the same Process and hassle as for a pistol?
    Also I’ve been wanting a 45-70 forever and now I may be more inclined to get one.

  11. The lever gun will become the primary self defense weapon in restricted areas of the USA.
    Soon someone will produce the “President Theodore Roosevelt suppress lever gun special edition”.
    There I said it first.

    • I see it as a reasonable alternative to restricted semi-auto “black rifles” with banned magazines. With the right accessories (trigger, precision barrel, suppressor) and a respectable cartridge it would make a very versatile and accurate rifle at short to intermediate ranges.

  13. This is great, as I’ve always wanted a 45/70 lever-action suppressed. My problem, and the reason I don’t have one yet, is the twist rate on the barrels. It’s simply not within my “margin-for-error” to run subsonic loads and not have a baffle strike. Do we have any data on these new “suppressor ready” versions?

  14. I bought my Marlin lever 30-30 back in the 70s brand new from Central Hardware sporting section and paid $75.00 for it

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