Under Ruger ownership, Marlin has been doing a bang up job of making and modernizing lever guns. They've refined the design and production of these guns so that they run like a fine timepieces and in some cases shoot better than you’d think a lever gun should. (Take a look at our review of the Model 1895 Dark if you want an example.) Now, Marlin is also partnering with other manufactures to offer even lever-gun option previously available only from custom makers. Their new Model 1895 Trapper with a Magpul stock is a perfect example, and it just might be the best lever gun Marlin has crafted yet. I got my hands on one recently and put it through its paces on my home range. Here's how Marlin's latest lever gun fared.
Marlin Model 1895 Trapper Magpul Specs
Length: 33 to 34.5 inches
Weight: 7.0 pounds
Barrel: 16.17 inches, capped and threaded at 11/16x24
Action: Model 1895 lever
Trigger: 5.0 pounds (as tested)
Capacity: 5+1
Finish: Stainless Steel
Stock: Black Magpul ELG buttstock and black ELG M-Lok hand guard.
Available Chamberings: 45-70 Government
Price: $1,2649
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Marlin Model 1895 Trapper Magpul Overview
The newest Marlin 1895 Trapper is very similar to the first iteration of this rifle, which Marlin introduced in 2023. But the company has gussied up this latest version considerably. All of the metal is stainless steel, and this version has a 16.17-inch barrel that’s capped and threaded at 11/16x24 to accept a muzzle device or a suppressor. Marlin worked with Skinner Sights and outfitted the Trapper with a proprietary 10-slot Picatinny rail that includes an integrated and fully adjustable peep sight. It also has a Skinner Bear Buster, white-stripped front sight.
Just as with the original Trapper, Marlin has fitted this newest Trapper with an enlarged lever loop. But unlike the original, which has a satin stainless-steel finish from front to rear, the screws, loading gate, hammer, and bolt on this newest model are blacked out. This creates a stark contrast with the stainless finish on the receiver and barrel and it’s very attractive. However, the real departure from the original Trapper and all the other lever guns Marlin has ever offered is the stock.
If you’ve not seen the aftermarket stock Magpul offers for Marlin lever guns, it’s something you should check out. And when you do, you’ll see why Marlin chose this stock and forend for this rifle. You can adjust this black polymer stock for length-of-pull from 12.5 inches to 14 inches with one screw and three, half-inch inserts. The buttstock also allows for comb adjustment; it comes with a riser and two ¼-inch shims that will allow you to set the comb height to perfectly work with the open sights, a riflescope, or a red dot. The stock is also compatible with Magpul Type 1 and Type 2 cups for mounting a sling, and there’s a cup pre-installed in the butt cap. But the most unique feature of this stock is a button-released hinged comb that opens to expose a storage compartment that accepts a six-cartridge quiver that ships with the rifle. There are also two M-Lok slots on each side of the stock for additional accessories.
The forend on this rifle is also from Magpul. It is a 12-inch-long black polymer forend/hand guard, and it has six M-Lok slots on the left and right side, and another six slots on the bottom. It is compatible with Magpul Type 1 and Type 2 rail covers, and there’s an integral hand stop at the front of the hand guard. Oddly, the hand guard does not have an integral sling attachment.
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Marlin 1895 Trapper Magpul: Test Results
With a lever-action rifle configured to allow for open or optical sights, there’s always a dilemma with which way you should evaluate it. Some hunters love to scope a lever gun, and others think you might go to hell for doing it. I shot it both ways. After testing the gun with open sights, I mounted a Leupold Rifleman 2-7X33 riflescope in all-steel Talley quick detach rings, so I could get a good idea of the precision this rifle would deliver. I also used the adjustability of the comb and raised it to maximize my interface with the riflescope. This made it almost too high to allow me to use the open sights, because of how high the riflescope had to be mounted to clear the peep sight that’s integral to the scope mounting rail.
The Trapper shot well from the bench, about the same as the original Trapper we evaluated sometime back. At 100 yards, five-shot groups in the 2-inch range were the norm. However, with the Federal HammerDown load, I generally had four shots that grouped into about 1.5 inches with a single flyer, which I’ll call my fault. Recoil with the Fusion and HammerDown loads was snappy and stiff, so I also fired several groups with a Silencer Central Banish 46 suppressor installed. This helped tame the beast somewhat. I also did some shooting at 50 yards with the open sights, mostly to check regulation. They were spot on with the high-velocity loads.
For off-hand shooting the Trapper is a bit butt heavy, which is typical for short-barreled lever guns and is why they handle so well. I proved this by snap shooting a stationary and moving deer silhouette at 50 yards using the scope and the open sights. With the Banish 46 installed in its short, 16-ounce configuration, it made the Trapper a bit muzzle heavy and obscured the open sights. It also did nothing to aid handling, but did help steady the rifle a bit for off-hand shooting.
My only complaints with this new Trapper rifle was the trigger and the lack of an integral sling mount option on the forend. You’ll have to purchase an aftermarket M-Lok sling mount accessory. As for the trigger, it was reasonably crisp, like most of the triggers on the other new Marlin’s I’ve evaluated. But it was a bit heavy, breaking with exactly 5 pounds of pressure. A light trigger might have prevented those flyers I was seeing from the bench.
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Final Thoughts on the 1895 Trapper Magpul
Pros
Compact and handy
Fantastic shooter interface
Reliable
Cons
No front sling swivel mount
I really like this lever gun, partly because of its size and the power range of available ammunition in 45-70. But also, and mostly, because of the Magpul ELG stock. Hunters have been strapping leather and elastic ammo carriers to the stocks of lever guns for years. They might look cool, but they get in the way and add unnecessary bulk. Being able to store extra ammunition hidden inside the stock is very handy. Even if you do not feel a burning desire to replace your old 45-70 lever gun with this new Trapper, I’d strongly suggest you consider the aftermarket Magpul stock.
With the steady flow of new lever guns from Marlin that keep passing through my hands, I’ve been putting off buying one, because they just seem to keep getting better. I’d almost decided to write a check for the Dark Series 1895, but not anymore. The new Trapper might not look like a traditional lever gun and that’s because it’s not. It’s better, and maybe the best lever gun to come out of Ruger-owned Marlin yet. If you can afford this rifle—it is the most expensive new Marlin to date—you can also afford to buy a sling attachment for the forend. Add that, and this rifle is ready for an Alaskan trap line, or just about anywhere else you want to take it.
