Henry Rifle Forums

I have a friend who knows I am interested in lever action rifles and asked me about the value of his Marlin 1894. It is the round barrel version chambered in .44 Magnum. My Blue Book indicates the rifle would be worth around $375, but I am seeing bids as high as $550 on Gunbroker. This is why I am reluctant to give him a number.


What is the realistic value of an 1894 Marlin with some bluing wear on the barrel?

First, is it a JM Marlin (made by Marlin) or is it a current Remington made gun? If it is a JM Marlin, keep in mind that prices vary widely by region. In our area, anything under $500 would be considered a steal on an 1894 in 44 Mag. (The 357 versions go for much higher.) Usually an 1894 in 44 mag will go for well over $500, now.

Just to let you know, 1894s in 44 mag are very light guns, compared to a Henry 44 mag. The lighter Marlins have quite a bark in 44 mag. Soft shooters, they are not.

If JM stamped you may also want to find out if it's pre-safety or not. This may or may not make a difference to some and although I'm not an expert I think this may affect desirability and possibly value as well.

NCG is spot on with the pricing of the 1894 Marlin 44 Mag. I sold the last one I had about two years back. JM built and was the more rare 16 1/4" ported model and if I remember right I got $700 or more for it. They brought more a while back when Marlin wasn't building any and were tough to find a 1894 for sale. JM's do bring more than the Remlin made ones and 357's bring more than 44 Mag. models. My last 357 C brought $900 and was a JM and the 357 Cowboy brought quite a bit more than the C model. I am a Marlin fan and can honestly say I never liked the 1894's as well as the larger action 336, 444 and 1895 rifles. The 1894's are far more prone to develop the Marlin jam problems.

dddrees wrote:If JM stamped you may also want to find out if it's pre-safety or not. This may or may not make a difference to some and although I'm not an expert I think this may affect desirability and possibly value as well.

The pre-safety model is more desirable to most buyers than the later safety guns. Safety Model 1894's don't have the issues that the safety 39A guns had due to the 1894 having no rebound hammer on the safety models.

FWIW I am currently looking at a JM pre safety .357 In very nice condition with an asking price of $1000 which is not out of line.
If I do this I will probably drop seven Benjamin’s in the guys hand and step back (an old, tactical ‘horse trading’ trick) but I am predicting probably something around $850 to be a closing price.

The barrel has a JM stamp near the receiver. The rifle has a fixed 4X Tasco scope with see through mounts. The rifle has been used for deer hunting and has a few stock dings. Some blue is worn off the top of the barrel, which he referred to as rack wear. The bore is like a mirror. There is no cross bolt safety.

I am not knowledgeable about Marlins, which is why I asked.

Dating a Marlin.

https://www.gunvaluesboard.com/marlin-s ... -1664.html

I think a pre-safety 44 with some honest wear should be worth $450-$550 easy.
But as someone mentioned the 1894 is a light gun, and the 44 will get your attention.
I never liked shootin a friends, now my Henry BBB in 44 is milder, sure it has to do with the extra weight.
I do own one 1894, but it's a Cowboy version, octagon barrel, and chambered in 45 Colt. She's sweet.

RP

Keep the basic rule of used gun buying and selling in mind concerning scopes. Unless the scopes wears a Leupold label or higher, it does not enter into the value. A Tasco would be a non-item and the seller would not be justified in asking more for the gun because of it.