Good schools teach you things. Great schools teach you things to think about. After numerous trips to Gunsite over the last 20 years, I’m beginning to catch on.
At a recent Gunsite Academy writers’ event I got a chance to work with Marlin’s new Dark Series 45/70, a thoroughly modern version of the classic lever gun. The event theme was to take a look at rifle/pistol combinations from the 19th century on. As was expected, lever action rifles and single action revolvers dominated attendance for the early days with emphasis on calibers that worked in both guns. The thinking in the American west focused on the simplified logistics of needing just one cartridge for both weapons. With handgun in holster and rifle in scabbard, the cartridges you carried in your belt let you fight effectively regardless of which gun you grabbed. You just had to accept the fact that your 44-40 caliber cartridge didn’t offer much of a performance improvement in the rifle.
DoubleTap ammo provided some 45/70 rounds loaded with 405 grain hard cast bullets that generated muzzle velocities from the Marlin around 1800 feet per second. You’re not getting that from any handgun you choose to carry! So what does that buy you in today’s urban environment? For starters, anyone shooting at you from “cover,” e.g. an automobile, will suddenly appreciate the penetration capabilities of the old cartridge as did the American Bison and Africa’s biggest mammals. The Marlin Dark Series 45/70 has a limited capacity (4 rounds in the tubular magazine) but can inflict major damage quickly much like other anti-material weapons. If you’re shooting from your vehicle you might decide the lever gun’s sleek chassis is easier to manipulate than a more modern gun with 30 round magazines and vertical grip protruding several inches. And while reloading a lever gun is slower than inserting a pre-loaded box magazine, it’s fairly simple inserting singles through the loading gate and can be accomplished with minimal body movement.
Marlin gave the new Dark Series some nice features. These include a threaded muzzle with a radial muzzle brake and an M-Lok forend with QD sling attachment points. The buttstock has a cheek riser and a nice recoil pad. The rifle comes with a long Picatinny top rail ready to mount your optic but also has a great set of iron sights with a fiber optic front and aperture rear.
The large aperture rear sight (ghost ring) makes for a quick sight picture acquisition, an important feature in a gun fight. And keep in mind you’re not likely to be standing upright and perfectly balanced like you practiced on the square range. When our group ran the Gunsite Scrambler, there were a couple criticisms regarding the large front sight bead making longer range shots more difficult. However, one of the guys offered the comment that 35 yards represents a “long range shot” in the city.
The Marlin Dark Series’ modern design using metal components allows the gun to be easily equipped with any accessories the shooter desires such as weapon light, laser, optics, etc. Keep in mind all of these additions protrude from the gun making manipulation more difficult in an enclosed space. I believe in keeping things simple. As a civilian, my main priority is to avoid a gunfight if possible. That said, I like having a handgun to “fight my way to my truck.” Once in my truck, I’m comforted having a powerful long gun present that will help prepare me for escape. Marlin’s Dark Series 45/70 offers some intriguing possibilities to extend my time on this planet.
Am I recommending the Marlin Dark Series 45/70 for your truck rifle? If it fits your needs then you can’t go wrong, but for sure my time training at Gunsite does have me thinking about their teachings!
Special thanks to Ruger for providing their newest Marlin, to DoubleTap Ammo for providing some ammo, and Garmin for loaning us their incredible new chronograph, the XERO C1 PRO.