In a conversation I had while preparing for the 2025 deer season, I found that I had not actually provided a complete breakdown of the status of what has turned into one of my top 5 guns I own; a Marlin 1894 CST.
The rifle has been through a total of 3 configurations since I got it in 2019 and had a few name changes such as SodBuster or ArgetVaquero. Each iteration of the rifle's configuration has proven to be very informative in application which ultimately led me to go back to the second configuration.
The Rifle
The core of this is a Marlin 1894 CST made during the Remington ownership era of Marlin's existence. The CST is one of the first factory lever action rifles to offer a threaded barrel by any of the big names. The only other one I can think of was Mossberg with the 464 SPX. The CST pre-dates the original Dark series of which very few of those 1894 rifles made it out of the factory before going under. Finding a Remington era 1894 Dark in either .357 or .44 is very rare. Most are likely test rifles for the influencers and publications.
The CST was only chambered in .357 Magnum and setup to handle .38 Special. It features a stainless steel construction with a wood stock that has a textured paint job in black. The lever is somewhat enlarged. It's not a true big loop but it's big enough. The barrel is 16.5 inches with a 1/2x28 thread pitch and is supposedly a 1:16 twist rate. I don't know what my rifle weighted at the beginning but the alleged weight was around 6.5 pounds. With everything on it, including 7 rounds in the cuff, the setup is just under 9 pounds with my scale. In general, for a rifle with the leather goods, a few rounds and a heavy silencer, it's pretty good. There is room for improvement.
From the factory, the iron sights were a small receiver mounted aperture sight with a ramped front sight from XS. There is a black insert in the barrel's rear dovetail to fill in where a traditional sight would have gone.
Generally, the action was smooth enough but there was much in the way of fitment. My bolt never seemed to line up perfectly but it runs fine. Additionally, the threads where cut with an elevation bias so the suppressor is angled slightly high toward the 12 o'clock position. It was enough of an issue that I have to run a .45 caliber suppressor when I want a full length can. By 9mm suppressor risks a baffle strike with the second segment installed.
The magazine holds 8 rounds of .357 Magnum. I don't run the rifle fast so I can't say it's been reliable but it feeds. The receiver seems to have a sharp edge somewhere as it can be a bit tricky to get the last round in the magazine with my favorite .357 Magnum ammunition.
This rifle does sadly include a push-button safety that I am not a fan of. There are many people who agree with me. I have not yet deleted it.
I have never put the rifle on a bench with a big scope and shot groups but with the red dot, I can around 2 inch groups if I work at it and shoot very slowly. If there is enough interest from the community, I will change the setup back to a scope and see how it does with magnification.
The CST was discontinued when Remington sold Marlin but the closest current equivalent is the Marlin 1894 Trapper made under Ruger's control and is offered in .44 Mag and .357 Mag.
The Accessories
The first setup was a Burris Fastfire 3 dot and a direct thread mount for my Dead Air Wolfman and a cheap sling. At one point, there was a scope configuration with a Leupold 2.5x intended for hunting but all of that was replaced.
Midwest Industries came out with a specialized mount for the 1894's footprint that was an aluminum base with the Aimpoint Micro or T1 footprint but includes an integrated rear aperture sight. Essentially, it is a singular bar of metal that you screw a red dot such as the Aimpoint Micro or a SIG Romeo 5 to that also has the rear sight. That entire assembly then screws to the receiver. The kit also comes with a new front sight that has wing protectors. It's very similar to that of an AR-15's front sight.
Sadly, they no longer make the T1 version of their mount but they do still make one that has a short length of picatinny rail. I knew I wanted an enclosed optic and I prefer dedicated mounts so the T1 version is perfect for me.
The MI mount hosts a SIG Romeo5 which has been a reliable Go-To for several years for me. While not the highest quality, the price point and capabilities are well balanced and have been working very well for me over the years.
I personally think that a traditional lever action rifle needs to have 2 or 3 pieces of leather no matter what. Every lever action rifle I own has a leather cartridge cuff (or box pouch) and a leather sling. It might also have a lever wrap. In my case, the CST has all three and all of this came from Mason Leather. Mr. Mason has been making this stuff for years now but the cartridge cuff is a bit special. He no longer makes the 7 round cuffs seen in my setup but he does still offer 4 rounds. I got the wrap to match the cuff around the time I got the rifle. The sling is a more recent addition. I replaced the cheap junker I had on it for an incredibly well made Latigo sling with brass fittings. I get no benefits from Mr. Mason. I just really like his work and I have several items from him.
Regarding the silencer and configuration, I have chosen Dead Air's Primal. The Primal is a heavy, fully welded, .45 cal suppressor. It uses the HUB mounting thread pitch and can use the various end caps and devices Dead Air offers. In my case, I am using the standard KeyMo mount and a .45 cal end cap.
The muzzle device the suppressor attaches to is a now discontinued JMAC Custom's Zero mount. It has no flash hiding or break capabilities. It only mounts the suppressor. The Zero allows me to quick detach the suppressor if I need to but at this point, it's rare for me to do anything else with the Primal. It's all but dedicated to the CST.
Finally, I did add a Ranger Point Precision lever screw that lets me remove the lever and bolt for cleaning. I have found that to be very important when shooting very dirty handloads.
As of October of 2025, this is the complete accessory list:
Midwest Industries 1894 T1 Mount with Front Sight - Discontinued but a picatinny version is still available
SIG Romeo 5 red dot - A new generation of this dot is now out
Dead Air Primal - Still offered but feel free to substitute to your needs
JMAC Customs Zero 1/2x28 mount - Discontinued but a similar mount is offered by Dead Air. You don't actually need this as there are newer mounting options.
Ranger Point Precision Lever Screw - Still available
Mason Leather Cartridge Cuff - The 7 round version is discontinued but there is still a 4 round version
Mason Leather Latigo Sling - Still offered
Mason Leather Lever Wrap - Still offered
Ammunition Selection
This is a big deal as it can make or break the use of any setup. In my case, I spent a significant amount of time looking for the right cartridges. I even have a full article in just choosing the Remington .357 Magnum load. To keep it short, the Remington HTP .357 Magnum is loaded with their 158 grain semi-jacketed hollow point and has been the Go-To since I selected it. It's not the deepest penetrating or fastest or largest expanding load out there. It was chosen because it works in both pistols AND rifles while still meeting penetration levels appropriate for self-defense and whitetail deer hunting applications. The bullets stayed together and expanded well with good penetration. Everything you need a hunting and self-defense bullet to do well, it does. It truly is a General Purpose loading. From my rifle, my chronograph says my Remington HTP loads are just shy of 1800 fps. I have been able to extrapolate that I should be able to achieve a good effect on a whitetail deer out to around 135 yards. As it sits, a 100 yard zero puts the bullet around 3.45 inches below point of aim at that same distance. Penetration should be around 17 to 19 inches in ballistic gel. So far, that equates to a broadside passthrough on a whitetail as I found out in 2023.
There are definitely other very capable loads on the market but I wanted to focus on the general purpose aspect of this setup and not a dedicated hunting rifle.
Most .38 Special stays subsonic from the rifle. The lighter loads probably won't but I haven't used anything under 158 grain factory loads that I can think of. I have some homemade 105 grain powder-puff loads and some heavy 200 grain thumpers that are both subsonic from the rifle and are rather quiet and fun to shoot.
Utility
I have found that this rifle works very well. It has fully replaced my Winchester 94 in .30-30 for rifle hunting applications and remains my primary deer-taker. I have a new hunting opportunity for the 2025 season that gives me access to private land and I have authorization to use a suppressor so this will be my primary tool for the 2025 deer season with a .357 Magnum revolver to back it up.
I took this doe at 99 yards and got a pass through
It also works well as a Farm Rifle in that it travels well so if I feel the need to take a rifle, I like taking this one. I have also been working on handloads in .38 Special for the sole purpose of plinking. In fact, plinking is the reason I went back to the red dot setup and ditched the Leupold 2.5x scope. It was just way more fun with my handloads and the red dot than with the scope.
Summary and Future
Simply put, from hunting to defense to fun, this current iteration is very well configured. Handloading is easy and it carries nicely. So far I haven't run into fatigue issues due to the weight but I also don't currently hunt the way I used to.
While the CST and many accessories I use are no longer available, Marlin now offers the 1894 Trapper which is effectively the same thing and might actually be a little better in most cases. The most major difference will be the wood type and the Skinner vs XS rear sight. Many of the parts have alternative versions that are still available but there are many different companies who offer similar products that one could build something similarly.
The future of this rifle should be a long term use with very few changes. I like to keep my eyes out for new products that make things better and I have identified several products that I would like to incorporate into this rifle. They aren't needed but I like them.
First is the Griffin Armament Sportsman Ultra Light .46. New for 2025, Griffin Armament announced a .46 caliber suppressor that weighs 10.5 oz without a mount. That is around 6 oz lighter than the Primal is minus the 4.3 oz KeyMo mount. My current suppressor setup is around 21 oz without including the JMAC Zero device. Using a direct thread with the Griffin Sportsman should cut weight down by around 11.5 oz which is a really big deal. That puts me around 8.26 pounds of in-field weight for a fully kitted out rifle. I very much like that idea as it will improve the balance and handling of the rifle. It also frees up my only full-rifle rated suppressor for other things. I would dedicate the Sportsman .46 for use on the CST.
Wren Metal Works offers a Torx screw replacement kit for the 1894. While that doesn't sound important, the screws on these rifles are slotted and they mar easily. Sadly they don't offer a stainless steel version but the black just adds a little flair. I just like these and want them. I don't have a need for them; just a want.
Beartooth Mercantile offers a pair of safety delete options in stainless and blued steels. One is a slotted bolt that just looks like another screw but they also have a saddle ring option that I am partial to. I don't need it but I I'm inclined to add one.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed a look at what has become one of my top 5 guns that I own.
