dope bag data & comment Marlin 1894 Cowboy Competition Carbine Towsley Robin by Photo Marlin’s Model 1894 CBC, while completely modern in materials and method of man- ufacture, harks to the nostal- gia of the Old West in appear- ance and finish. MARLIN 1894 CBC s the sport of styling and finish. MANUFACTURER: Marlin Cowboy Action From all outward Firearms Co. (Dept. AR), shooting has appearances, the 1894 100 Kenna Drive, P.O. Box A 248, North Haven, CT increased in popularity, so CBC follows established 06473-0905; (800) 544-8892; has the cottage industry of Model 1894 lines.The very Groove-type rifling. www.marlinfirearms.com “tuning” guns for cowboy first Model 1894 rifles had In keeping with the 19th CALIBER: .38 Spl. ACTION TYPE: lever-action competition. But as the case hardened receivers, Century look, the Model repeating rifle number of specialized which was abandoned in 1894 CBC has Marlin’s RECEIVER: color- gunsmiths has grown, 1969 in favor of a blued fin- tough Mar-Shield finish that casehardened steel BARREL: blued, 20" octagonal mass-producers of ish. Realizing that one of the looks like an oil finish on the RIFLING: Ballard-type cut, cowboy-style guns have biggest parts of Cowboy American black walnut six-grooves,1:16" RH twist responded with factory- Action shooting is looking stock. It is notably tougher MAGAZINE: 10-round tubular SIGHTS: Marble’s semi- tuned guns, ready for top- the part, Marlin wisely than oil and more resistant buckhorn rear drift level competition right out chose to give a color- to damage. A blued steel adjustable for windage, of the box. The most casehardened finish to the fore-end cap and hard elevator adjustable for elevation; Marble’s recent addition to the receiver, square bolt, trig- rubber buttpad complete Carbine front factory-tuned gun list is ger guard plate and square either end of the CBC.The TRIGGER: single-stage, non- Marlin’s Model 1894 CBC finger lever of the new final period touch is the adjustable, 4 lbs., 7 ozs. pull STOCK: American walnut: Cowboy Competition model.The 20", blued adjustable Marble’s semi- 1 length of pull, 13 ⁄2"; drop at 3 Carbine lever-action octagonal barrel is another buckhorn rear sight and heel, 1 ⁄4"; drop at comb, 1" 1 chambered for .38 Spl. nice 19th century touch, and Marble’s Carbine front OVERALL LENGTH: 37 ⁄2" that, while completely its six-groove 1:16" Ballard- sight.The only feature that WEIGHT: 6 lbs. ACCESSORIES: hammer modern in its materials type rifling should work betrays the otherwise extension, safety lock and method of manufac- much better with the cast nostalgic appearance of SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: ture, harks to the nostalgia bullets used in Cowboy the Model 1894 CBC is the $965 of the late 1800s in terms of competition than Micro- unobtrusive hammer The American Rifleman has used the phrase “Dope Bag” at least since WARNING: Technical data and information contained herein are intended to provide information 1921, when Col. Townsend Whelen first titled his column with it. Even then, based on the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They it had been in use for years, referring to a sack used by target shooters do not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safety precautions absolute- to hold ammunition and accessories on the firing line. “Sight dope” also ly necessary to properly carry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents was a traditional marksman’s term for sight adjustment information, while page. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals and bulletins for details of proper training judging wind speed and direction was called “doping the wind.” requirements, procedures, techniques and safety precautions before attempting any similar activity. 64 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN December 2002 SHOOTING RESULTS .38 Spl. Vel. @ 15' Energy Group Size In Inches Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ft.-lbs.) Smallest Largest Average Black Hills 950 Avg. 317 0.68 2.44 1.90 158-gr. FPL 9 Sd Hornady No. 90342 1074 Avg. 359 2.30 4.17 3.22 block safety button on the only chambering and the 140-gr. FPL 8 Sd receiver rear. mild recoil of Cowboy Winchester USA38CB 889 Avg. 277 1.74 3.00 2.06 Of all the custom fea- Action loads, it is possible 158-gr. FPL 8 Sd tures on the new Model to fire the Model 1894 CBC Average Extreme Spread: 2.39 1894, the most noticeable rapidly from the shoulder Measured average velocity for 10 rounds from a 20" barrel. Range temperature: 76° F. Humidity: 58%. Accuracy for five consecutive, five- when first firing the gun is while losing the sight pic- shot groups at 50 yds. from a Cabela’s Elite Rifle Rest. Abbreviations: the slick-as-ice functioning ture only minimally.We FPL (flat-point lead), Sd (standard deviation). of the finger lever. Marlin found in function firing that smoothed up and tuned not we could empty the 10- rapid firing and in deliber- ing the serial number. For only the lever, but its ancil- round tubular magazine ate accuracy testing that those wishing to fit a CBC 1 lary parts as well.The fin- into an 8 ⁄2"x11" piece of the CBC throws its empties with a receiver sight, there ger lever plunger spring, paper at 50 yds. so fast that forward and to the right is plenty of room for one on hammer, breech bolt, we thought we had a misfire about a foot. Ejection is not the solid flat top, though breech bolt lock, carrier or had short-stroked the energetic, but just enough, the words “Marlin Safety” and hammer spring are all gun before we realized we and what it lacks in pizazz it are engraved into the top optimized for smooth, had fired all 10 rounds. makes up for in reliability. of the receiver. effortless functioning.When Another tuned piece is We fired the Marlin During firing, there was combined with the .38 Spl.- the ejector.We found in Model 1894 CBC for accu- no noticeable leading of the bore, accuracy remained constant and the trigger pull The Model 1894 was magnificent.We had CBC (far l.) has a color-casehard- some difficulty loading the ened finish, small .38 Spl. cartridges into which adds to the magazine as the rims the period look tended to hang up on the of the gun. loading gate cutout.We also Capacity of the found that magazine capa- tubular maga- city is very tight to 10 zine is 10 .38 Spl. rounds.We used CCI cartridges, and Lawman 158-gr. round-nose feeding and ammunition as one of the functioning was function firing loads and flawless. If a receiver sight is found that the cartridge’s wanted, there is longer overall length— plenty of room attributed to the long ogive on the flat, solid- of the round-nose bullet— top receiver (l.). reduced the magazine capacity to nine of those rounds.There was no prob- racy with the results shown lem getting 10 flat-point car- A nice 19th-century touch on the in the accompanying table. tridges to fit in the magazine. CBC is the use of Marble’s We were impressed with Granted, the original adjustable semi-buckhorn rear the accuracy of the gun Marlin Model 1894 came and Marble’s Carbine front given that we fired it using along a little too late in his- (r.) sights. the semi-buckhorn sight. tory to have had much to For shooters wanting to do with “winning the West,” equip the CBC with a tang but from what we’ve seen sight, Marlin has conve- and experienced shooting niently moved the serial Marlin’s new Model 1894 number from the top tang CBC rifle, we suspect it will to the side of the receiver, be remembered for its part thus permitting drilling in winning Cowboy Action without illegally obliterat- shooting matches. AMERICAN RIFLEMAN 65 December 2002 dope bag data & comment U.S. Fire-Arms Rodeo Revolver USFA RODEO or many years, some MANUFACTURER: United participants in States Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company, FCowboy Action shoot- Inc., 55 Van Dyke Ave., ing (CAS) have been less Hartford, CT, 06106; than satisfied with the (877) 227-6901; www.usfirearms.com current crop of reproduction shooters. In that CALIBER: .38 Spl., .45 Colt Single Action Army spirit, U.S. Fire-Arms (tested) revolvers.The unique spirit offers the Rodeo as an ACTION TYPE: single-action center-fire revolver of CAS creates participants entry-level single-action FRAME: investment-cast who treasure firearms for revolver for budding steel with satin their authenticity as much or Cowboy Action shooters. blue finish 1 BARREL: 5 ⁄2" round* even more than for their Its aim was to create a Like the originals, the RIFLING: six groove, 1:16" shooting performance. But functional and durable bases of the stocks are LH twist many reproduction guns SAA at a price attractive to beveled away from the MAGAZINE: six-shot cylinder that worked and shot well SIGHTS: top strap groove new shooters. An example frame’s square butt. and front post 1 often fell short in terms of with a 5 ⁄2" barrel cham- Like most of the late- TRIGGER: single-action; 1 authenticity,while those that bered in .45 Colt was sent production SAAs, the frame 4 ⁄2 lbs. pull 1 OVERALL LENGTH: 11 ⁄4" were dead ringers for origi- to us for testing. features a transverse 5 WIDTH: 1 ⁄8" 1 nals sometimes had trouble Although U.S. Fire-Arms crosspin for the cylinder HEIGHT: 5 ⁄8" holding up in CAS events.