Marlin 1894 Cowboy
Marlin Firearms · Rifle · In Production · 1996
Also known as: Marlin Model 1894 Cowboy, Marlin 1894CB, Marlin 1894 Cowboy .45 Colt
Overview
The Marlin 1894 Cowboy is a lever-action rifle built on Marlin's Model 1894 carbine action and tailored for cowboy action shooting and pistol-caliber lever-gun enthusiasts. Chambered here in .45 Colt, it pairs a 20-inch tapered octagon barrel with a 10-round tubular magazine, a straight-grip American black walnut stock, deep-cut Ballard-style rifling, and a squared finger lever. It features Marlin's solid-top receiver with side ejection, which keeps spent cases clear of mounted optics, along with a cross-bolt hammer-block safety and Marble semi-buckhorn sights.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2948 g (104.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 953 mm (37.52") |
| Barrel Length | 508 mm (20.00") |
| Action Type | Lever Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 680 J (502 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 406 mm (15.98") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .45 Colt · primary — also known as .45 Long Colt, .45 LC, 11.43x33mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cross Bolt Safety, Hammer Block, Half Cock Notch
- Features: Octagon Barrel, Tubular Magazine, Side Ejection, Solid Top Receiver, Straight Grip Stock, Squared Finger Lever, Marble Semi Buckhorn Rear Sight, Drilled And Tapped For Scope
Variants
- Marlin 1894 Cowboy II — Chambering
- Marlin 1894CBL — Stainless Laminate
Service history
Operators
- Cowboy Action Shooting Competitors
Production
Production years: 1996-present
The Cowboy designation revived the Model 1894 for the cowboy action shooting market; the broader Model 1894 has been produced since 1894.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: L.L. Hepburn
Notes
Offered in several pistol calibers including .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt; barrel lengths varied across Cowboy and Cowboy Competition (CB/CL) configurations between 20 and 24 inches. The .45 Colt Cowboy commonly shipped with a 20-inch octagon barrel.
Background
Marlin's Model 1894 traces to designer L.L. Hepburn's 1890s lever-action work for the Marlin Firearms Company, founded by John Mahlon Marlin. The Cowboy variant arrived in the 1990s to serve the booming sport of cowboy action shooting, where its octagon barrel, exposed hammer, and pistol-caliber chambering evoke the lever guns of the Old West.