You can win this Marlin 1894 CBC

Guns Magazine, July, 2003

Cowboy shooters aren't the only ones who like Marlin's handy pistol-caliber carbines, but they've sure been the inspiration for some mighty interesting new versions. That's the case here with the Marlin 1894 Cowboy Competition Carbine.

The CBC wears a 20-inch, tapered octagonal barrel with deep, "Ballard-type" cut rifling for top-notch accuracy with both cast and jacketed bullets. Sights are a brass bead front and semi-buckhorn rear, and the CBC comes drilled and tapped to accommodate a tang sight if desired. The receiver and lever sport a handsome color-casehardened finish that beautifully sets off the richly blued barrel and 10-round magazine tube.

Loading the magazine is easy, but unloading it is both fast and fun because of what you can't see from the outside. The CBC is factory tuned and honed for the fastest, smoothest possible operation. No more do you need to hunt up a skilled gunsmith and spend a pile of money to slick-up your Marlin, the CBC is smooth and sweet right from the box.

Marlins have always been known for their nice furniture. The good quality, straight-grained American black walnut is perfectly fitted and nicely matched between butt and forend. The buttstock is crowned with a hard-rubber buttplate, and the forend carries a proper blued-steel cap. In keeping with the period appearance, the stock and forend are made without modem-looking checkering.

The 1894 Cowboy Competition Carbine was first offered just last year in the .38 Special chambering (as is this one) but for 2003, the CBC will also be available in the ever-popular .45 Colt.

All of the Marlin Cowboy series rifles have met with tremendous acceptance, not just from Cowboy Action competitors but from hunters and recreational shooters. An entire range of models in different frame sizes and calibers ranging from .22 LR to .45-70 is available. To check out the complete line, see the Website at: www.marlinfirearms.com, or give them a call at: [203] 239-5621.