My Remington Era Marlin 1894 CST - The Current Build Out as of 2025

 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, both 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 GEN1 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. This was due to a slight manufacturing defect with my barrel's threads not being perfectly aligned with the bore. Were I to use the 9mm suppressor I have, the long configuration risks a baffle strike. The .45 cal bore mitigates that risk. The sound is still fine.

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 for suppressed plinking.

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 for our small property. 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's weight 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 would 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'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.

Lever Action Trapper Rifles - Are 16 inch Barrels in the Rifle Calibers Useful?

The short answer is yes, 16 inch barrels in the old 30-30 are still useful. The more interesting question is, how can I justify my statement? Extrapolating available data can be useful and until I have my own battery of lever action rifles in the same caliber with the different barrel lengths and a chronograph I trust, it's the best I can give you. That last statement is my ultimate goal. To provide the purchaser the data needed to decide if a .30-30 or .357 Mag lever action rifle in barrel lengths such as 13 inch, 16 inch and 20 inch are right for you. 

Here's something you need to know. I will be comparing compiled data from three separate sources who used different chronographs in different regions of North America, at different times. These results are not as comparable as they can be. Ideally, we would have the same chronograph testing all the lengths on the same day with the same batch of ammo. Until I have everything needed, this will have to do. It should give us a good idea of what we can expect.

Let's go over what data I have found. I want to note that the 16 inch barrel data for .30-30 has been tricky to find but thankfully the 20 inch data is easily available. In fact, I had started this article a while back but couldn't find reliable data on the 16 inch until recently. Sadly, much of this information is still single-source at this time. The only load we have in common in the three sets of data are the Hornady LeverEvolution 160 grain factory load. Thankfully, it's a commonly available load.

Our sources for this data are a number of YouTube videos. Take that as you will. The Mason Leather ammo test series along with Brobee223's Elk Hunt 30-30 video will provide comparative data for 20 inch barrels. They also provide 100 yard expansion in most cases. Be careful in observing that some of the earlier Mason videos have the expansion testing at 50 yards and not 100. The Brobee223 video provides us bullet expansion data at 100 and 150 meters (not yards) as well as the velocities those bullets would have impacted the target. The 150m (164 yards) data is important as it provides us with bullet expansion at reduced velocities in what I'll call Estimated Lowest Velocity (ELV). Simply, what is the Estimated Lowest Velocity (not distance but velocity) that a bullet can impact a target and still expand and penetrate nicely? We will combine all that data and compare it to the 16 barrel data from the Husker Hunting video. We will run the 16 inch barrel data through a calculator and compare the ELV from the Brobee223 video to see where the load from the 16 inch would reach the reduced velocity figures.  

Our only common example is the Hornady LeverEvolution 160 grain load. This load chronographs at 2347 fps from a 20 inch barrel per Lee Mason's video but the 16 inch barrel from Husker Hunting achieves 2289 fps. A difference of 58 fps. The ELV from the Brobee223 video is 1953 fps at 150 meters or 164 yards. Running the velocity of 2289 fps through a ballistic calculator shows that our bullet would hit 1953 fps around 140 yards when fired from the 16 inch barrel. It needs to be noted that the Brobee223 muzzle velocity is at 5m (16 feet) is 2280 fps. This would be a serious discrepancy to reconcile between the two 20 inch sources as we're looking at though it's only 60 fps difference. 

Once we run the 20 inch barrel data from Mr. Mason through, we see a minimum distance around 163 yards. Interestingly, this matches closely to the Brobee223 164 yard data.

The difference between the 20 inch barrel and 16 inch barrel works out to around 23 yards lost at 140 yards vs 163 yards if we use the 1953 fps as a hard cutoff. Again, we are ignoring the discrepancy in the 20 inch barrel data. Ultimately, for a user who never hunts outside of 100 yards, the difference just doesn't matter.

Here's a new question. What if we wanted to run this from a Short Barrel Rifle with say a 13 inch barrel? The difference between the 20 inch and 16 inch for the Hornady is around 58 fps. If we subtract another 58 fps to go from 16 inches to 12 inches, that puts us close to the 13 inch barrel found on say a Rossi Triple Black Pistol in .30-30. It's seems reasonable then to assume around 2231 fps our Rossi lever action pistol. The same calculator shows that the Hornady 160 grain FTX bullet with it's .330 BC crosses the 1953 fps line at 117 yards with an assumed muzzle velocity of 2231 fps. Once again, for a person who hunts at 100 yards and less would be served just fine with a registered SBR with a barrel of .30-30.

At this point, I don't have any additional Estimated Lowest Velocity for any other 16 inch barrel loads as the Husker Hunting data only overlapped with the Brobee223 data on the Hornady LeverEvolution load. No one else has tested expansion past 100 yards that I have been able to find. I have also tried to find testing data from persons using a Thompson Center Contender Super 14 in .30-30 but I haven't found anything just yet.

I personally think the LeverEvolution load does very well but I would very much like to confirm the 16 inch velocities for some of the traditional JSP loads like the Winchester Power Points 170 grain and Federal Power Shok. The Husker Hunting video did test other loads but the Brobee223 video did not though they are seen lined up in the beginning of the video. In other cases, the Brobee223 video has testing for some loads, like the Federal Fusion 170 grain (which I am a fan of), the Remington Core-Lokt 170 grain and the Winchester Power Point 170 grain but the Husker video tested the 150 grain versions. Lee Mason found that all three of those basic loads in both the 150 and 170 grain versions do very well from the 20 inch barrel. I can't imagine that the 16 inch barrel wouldn't be able to achieve the same capabilities at 100 yards and better. I would like to find or test ELV for all 6 of those factory loads. 

Since we're here, let's compare the velocities from the other tested loads from Mr. Mason's collection to the Husker data set. We might not know the Estimated Lowest Velocity for the rest but we can at least see the difference in the barrel lengths.

Winchester Power Point 150 gr

20 inch - 2336

16 inch - 2285

Difference - 51 fps

Federal Fusion 150 gr

20 inch - 2392 

16 inch - 2256

Difference - 136 fps

Winchester Power Point 150 gr

20 inch - 2227

16 inch - 2211

Difference - 16 fps

Hornady American Whitetail

20 inch - 2321

16 inch - 2297

Difference - 27 fps (Very interesting)

Federal Power Shok 170gr

20 inch - 2086

16 inch - 2083

Difference - 3 fps (That's wild. I would like to note that these were found to be excellent projectiles by Mr. Mason)

Remington Core-Lokt 150 gr

20 inch - 2264

16 inch - 2362

Difference - Something is wrong here as the 16 inch is 68 fps higher. It's possible its a formulation issue but I wonder if something happened here regarding the chronographs. Paul Harrell got 2322 fps from the same load in a 20 inch. It could be the Remington 150 grain just did perfectly in the Marlin 16 inch barrel. The stars aligning sort of thing such as the bullets perfectly matched the bore of the 16 inch rifle compared to the older rifles tested by Mr. Harrell and Mr. Mason. I don't know.

With the noteworthy exception of the Remington load, the posted velocities between the two data sets are pretty close though the Fusion load is disappointing. If the numbers are correct, that could be a formulation thing. 

This is a screen shot from the Husker Hunting video on YouTube. 

In summary, these rifle caliber 16 inch, even sub-16 inch options, appear to still be useful for hunting applications with a main focus on the woods hunter where a shorter rifle is a prized tool for maneuverability. I've already shown before that the pistol calibers such as .357 and .44 Magnum play very nicely in the Trapper barrels with the rifle hunting loads. I would definitely say these guns would work for defensive use in either backcountry and suburban environments as needed. It should be noted again that unless someone takes the time to properly test each factory loading, these numbers are essentially Fuzzy Math. I'm taking a lot of liberties and playing the "If" game. It's very likely that these loads can go further but I can't prove that just yet and the opposite could be true. My next quest will be to look further into the next caliber of .45-70 but I have a feeling that I just won't be as successful as I was with the .30-30. Maybe someday I can pick up a Marlin SBL and Trapper to compare next to a Rossi Triple Black Pistol and a stack of ammunition to prove the above. 

Sources - The gentleman who's data being compiled really need all the thanks as they have put the time and effort needed to test and record the data. A huge Thank You to the gentlemen listed below as I simply stand on the shoulders of men greater than I.

16 inch barrel data from Husker Hunting

Lee Mason's 30-30 Ammo Test Series Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD7jKcI6pjb8UZ_qeYkF7_mdk-YqB3Lyx

Minimum Velocity Test by Brobee223

New Products from Marlin - The 1894 Guide Gun in .357 and .44

 

Once again, Marlin is continuing to flesh out the core product line with variations. It appears they have quietly announced the 1894 model will have a Guide Gun iteration. The original Guide Gun is chambered for 45-70 and has a brown laminated wood. The 1894 versions are chambered in .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum with the barrel lengths matching the Classic versions with 18 inch for the .357 and 20 inch for the.44 version. The biggest difference between the Classic and Guide Gun versions of the 1894 appears to be the stocks and how the bluing is finished. The Guide Gun has a grey laminated stock and what Marlin refers to as a matte blue while the Classic has a traditional walnut stock with satin blue finish. I would have to hold them side by side to tell you what that means for you as the consumer. I suppose you could call the Guide Gun a more traditional Dark series. 

Neither of the new models have a threaded barrel like the 45-70 version. Personally, I think that's odd to not have uniformity with the model line up. That said, if you like the traditional materials of the Classic but want the dark look of the Dark series, the Guide Gun might just be for you.

SHOT Show 2025 is coming up soon. I am excited to see what new lever action products are released. I am hoping Marlin will start offering additional calibers such as .45 Colt or even .41 Magnum. 

Update: They didn't have anything noteworthy at SHOT. At this point, it seems like Marlin's line up is pretty much fleshed out. I don't know what else they would be adding other than odd-ball SKUs like the Trapper with Magpul furniture. I was hoping for new calibers but they haven't said anything yet. I would sure love a Classic in .45 Colt for Cowboy Action and reloading. 

The Marlin 39A - Ruger Brought Back the Classics but Where is the 39A?

 After Ruger purchased Marlin from Remington, Ruger has been working diligently to restore the Marlin brand. A move I appreciate. As of November 2023, Marlin released three models of the popular lever action rifles. They started with the 1895 big bore, .45-70 and several versions. Then in 2023, they released the 336 and 1894 models. By November 2023, Ruger has nine SKUs for sale based on those models. A SKU for the Dark 1894 .357 Mag version hasn't been released but given the late announcement of the .357 Mag version, that SKU is likely been sorted out internally. I would argue that Ruger, by end of 2023, will have 10 total SKUs for lever action rifles in the popular calibers on their website. But they are missing one; the Model 39A.

The internet is awash in romanticization of the 39A and how it was the best lever action .22 rifle ever produced. A Google search will show you what I mean. 

I've never owned a 39A and I would like to. I considered the Chiappa LA-322 but my understanding is the internal parts are just different. If you want the looks, that could be a way to go. I have a Henry H001 that runs just fine but the materials quality and design aren't the same. The Henry uses an alloy internal frame with the outside part basically a painted shell. There are other manufacturers of lever action .22 rifles and I've fired none of them. 

The history of the 39A starts back in 1891 with the model of 1891 followed by a new model, the 1892, improving the loading system. Changes made to the design over the years eventually led to the model 39A released in 1939. When Marlin stopped making the 39A, I don't know. So the question on my mind is, when will Ruger bring back the 39A?

I think that will be a tall order. The current lever action .22 rifle market has several instances and they are inexpensive. Most of the base models appear to be under $400 making them pretty obtainable by most people. 

Most of the options on the market have engineered ways to make the guns cheaper. The Henry uses a shell over the internal frame. The Browning BL-22 is similar. The Rossi Rio Bravo follows suit. Chiappa uses what I call a cassette to make the action work and is very different to the Marlin 39A's action despite looking like a 39A. At one time, I considered a LA-322 from Chiappa to satisfy my desire for a look-a-like until I found out the action is so different. 

The Marlin 39A's action is complicated. Complicated means expensive. 

Speaking of expensive, let's look at the current Ruger lineup. The Marlin 336 used be available from Academy for around $499. Not anymore. Expect to pay at least $1000 for any of the new Marlin rifles. 

The machining and quality are why the new guns are so expensive. They're better made. If Ruger decides to make a 39A the same as the old ones, they won't be cheap. Don't expect a Marlin 39A to be $450 or less. In fact, if the 39A does come back, expect it be at least $1000. That's a lot of money to pay for a 22 rifle. Who's going to buy that? Honestly? Probably quite a few people. 

Let's look else where. The CZ 457 has versions such as the Varmint Trainer with an MSRP of $1315. The MTR version is $1600. Volqartsen plays in the same ball park with what are basically super high quality 10/22 rifles. That's pretty tame for a high quality .22 LR rifle. Vudoo Gun Works uses their V-22 action to produce a number of rifles. Their Sinister rifle series starts at $2925. Their single shot starts are $2040 and people pay for it. Feel free go to look at Anschutz. They have a model with an MSRP $4495. All of their Olympic style rifles have versions that push into the $6000 range. 

So will you pay $1000 for a high quality level action .22 LR? That's up to you. For me the 39A is a bucket list gun. I don't expect the accuracy to be on par with a NRL rifle but I expect the rifle will out last me. It would be something I can hand down to my kids. 

Man, I hope Ruger brings back the Marlin 39A.

A Late Start - Deer Season 2023

 Tomorrow is the start of the Georgia rifle season for deer. I had concerns that I wouldn't be able to make it at all due to IVF related activities. As it turns out, I will be able to go but just a little late. I will still be the one to provide my wife the twice daily injections but we won't be starting the retrieval process this week. That means I'm not bed-ridden.  Most likely, the retrieval will be next week. In fact, as I type this, we are waiting on the results for the most recent doctor's appointment my wife went to to see how she's progressing.

The whole process has been incredible. At the beginning of the week, we had only seen 5 uterus follicles doing their thing but on the Wednesday checkup, the number had grown to 8 with a few maturing nicely. We're pending the results of the Friday checkup now. 

This is all such a huge blessing and I would happily trade a whole season of hunting for a family of my own. If we do the retrieval next week, I will down for 3 days and prohibited from heavy lifting for a total of 2 weeks. That will make getting a deer onto the cargo carrier I use tricky. I'm hoping I can get something this weekend so I don't have to think about it while I'm down. 

I'm anxious to get out there. I'm taking my Marlin 1894 CST and the Taurus 66 both in .357 Magnum. I've got 3 spots on the Little Farm picked out for this year. I setup a stand overlooking the pond along with a natural blind next to it, a sitting spot tucked back into the woods where I know there's an active trail and finally my spot last year overlooking the bedding area where we see them. I forgot to set out my blind there along with corn and apples. I'm thinking this year, I want to work the back stretch but we'll see how this plays out. The weather is expected to be warm this weekend; in the mid 70's. Not exactly great but a least I won't be cold. 

On another note, I have a Springfield Armory 1911 TRP made back in 2002 that has Novak LoProfile tritium sights. I had bought it around 2009 used. I've been able to make accurate shots with it before but set it down on Monday. I was able to easily land 7 rounds in a 6 inch space around 25 paces from a bag. I've ordered a replacement adjustable rear sight after talking with Mike from Novak Sights. I had wanted to see what adjustable sights they had to push the distance from 25 yards point of impact to around 45 yards. I'm hoping to be able to use this 1911 as a target pistol along with something I can try to take a deer with. We shall see how that goes. The UMC Remington 230 JHP should do the job. 

Additionally, I got a new book. Elmer Keith's "Hell, I Was There" has been on my wish list for a while now. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to go do anything, my wonderful wife let me buy a copy to read while I'm stuck on the couch after my half of the IVF retrieval. I'm looking forward to reading it through. Mr. Keith's been gone since the 70's but he's doing a good job on selling me on both handgun hunting and .44 Magnum. 

I'll come back and edit this once we hear from the doctor's office about the wife's process. God is so great.

Update: We are holding at 8 follicles at this time with what looks like around 3 at or close to the mature level. I don't know anything about this subject but I took a guesstimation on projection. The nurse said we have another appointment on Monday and most likely will give the trigger shot to start the retrieval on Monday. We don't know for sure but that's the current estimate the doctor's office gave us. If that's the case, I'm praying that we have around 5 matured follicles ready to release an egg by next week with the current growth rate. It does appear that retrieval will be next week though a little later than expected. 

The Funnest of Guns - My Favorite, Top Three, Most Fun Guns (2023)

It seems that in many gun owner's lives that you come to a point where, once you have all the guns you feel that fulfill your basic needs, hunting, defense or whatever, that you focus more on the guns that bring you joy. If I sit down and think about it, what are those guns I take out the most when I just want to have a good time. Not to run drills or practice or show off but just for fun. That said, I have several guns that I like but don't shoot often due to ammunition costs or how loud they are. Guns that I can put a silencer on usually go out more than guns I can't so there is a bias. 

Number 3 - There's a tie

Some years ago, I bought a CZ 457 Scout with the intent to use it as a youth training rifle. It has a very short stock with a 12 inch length of pull and great iron sights. It's threaded 1/2x28 which is perfect for the Q El Camino silencer the 457 regularly hosts. The initial configuration came with a single shot sled that lets you hand load one round into the action instead of having something like a 5 or 10 shot magazine. In addition to the sled, I have both size magazines but they do make and I do want one of the 25 round magazines. It was one of the few rifles that I had added no dedicated parts for the longest time. No optics, red dots or aftermarket sights but I did add a leather sling and stock cuff. The only issue I have with the rifle is the stock is just a little too short for me to use comfortably. Then again, it was never meant for a 6 foot 2 inch, lanky guy like me. It's intended as a youth rifle. I've toyed with the idea of replacing the stock with a longer 13 inch LOP so I could shoot it easier but that's about the only change I want to make. There isn't much sense in spending the $200 for a replacement stock from CZ to fit me. Instead, I ordered a universal leather stock cuff that I knew had these rubber spacers. It adds about an inch to the length of pull fitting quite nicely. While it looks okay, it does hold 16 rounds of .22 LR on the right side. The simple setup makes for a good rifle. 

I regularly take that rifle out when I have people I'm introducing to silencers because of how quiet the rifle can be with a good can like the El Camino and ammunition such as CCI's Standard Velocity load. Some times I load the rifle with Aquila's Super Calibri cap type loads. While you don't need the suppressor with the Aquila rounds, it completes the quietness. The whole setup is about as powerful as any small caliber Big Box store air rifle with an effective range to match. That said, the bullet drop is staggeringly high so is best used for short ranges and works best on aluminum cans and squirrels.

Not the El Camino but still quiet

The CZ 457 has also gone out with me on hunts. One year, I configured the rifle with a 2-7x rimfire scope, a good sling and the El Camino so my oldest niece could hunt squirrels and rabbits. We didn't get anything but my brother in law enjoyed the rifle. All in all, the CZ 457 has been a great rifle and is one of the few guns I take out to the range just to shoot. 

The number 3 slot though is being taken over by a project gun that I'm starting to shoot more often. My Ruger 10/22 started off life as a base model with a wood stock I bought for a Appleseed Project rifleman class. I ended up sending the rifle off to a gunsmith who threaded the barrel and moved the front sight back. I put a set of Tech Sights raised sights along with a Burris red dot sight that is co-witnessed. I kept the M1 GI sling I used in the class but added an M1 carbine magazine pouch to the stock. 

The barrel's front sight base wasn't timed correctly by the smith and I had to make timing changes by rotating the barrel to match the front sight to the back aperture. Then I had to find a way to lock down the V-block used to secure the barrel to the receiver. I wasn't sure how well I had gotten everything timed correctly so I just ran it as short distances. It was originally intended to be used for the Appleseed class so it didn't matter if the sights were perfect at longer ranges. I just shrugged off my disappointment and just accepted that the gun probably wasn't right.

I hadn't shot the rifle much even after putting everything together and getting it zeroed but I was invited to a shoot in Northern Georgia and took it with me. I had zeroed the rifle somewhat short for around 25 yards since that's what the Appleseed class shoots. The outdoor range had setup various targets at various distances including 100 yards. I moved to off hand shooting at a much larger target, a large steel gong, that was set at the 100 yard line. I found that the red dot's battery had died but using the Tech Sights, I was able to land shots without issue. Just to see if I could do it, I was able to land repeated shots onto the small popper with regularity. This resulted in very satisfying repeated pings ringing from the steel target with every impact. I was utterly surprised to see that this worked out so well given the initial timing problems I had ran into. I hadn't been able to do that before but apparently I'd regulated the iron sights and the red dot quite well. 

The rifle is zeroed using CCI's Standard Velocity rounds since they never go above the transonic barrier and they are fairly cheap to buy in large quantities. They are subsonic from the rifle's barrel making for good suppression.

I have a BX-25 x2 magazine makes for a fun companion. It's two BX-25 magazines mated to a single center piece instead of taping to magazines together. A single box of 50 rounds will fit into the dual magazine contraption and lets you simply plink away against a steel target with repeated ease. Finding out how well the barrel was timed and sights regulated was a treat, making the whole project a pleasure and surprise. That changed my opinion of the rifle's configuration dramatically which is why I felt compelled to include it in this list. It's a rifle that I like to hand to someone, along with a loaded magazine to try out. 

Number 2

Back in the 1990's, one of the oldest names in repeating rifles, Henry, came back to life. They started with a .22 LR lever action rifle that is inexpensive. I didn't know anything about them until around 2017 or so when I picked up their first model, the H001. This rifle has an 18 inch barrel with a full length magazine tube. It was an impulse buy on a trip to see my grandparents in West Virginia and for them to get to meet the woman than would end up being my wife. The Bridgeport Equipment and Tool store in town had a good price on one so I ran down off the hill to buy one. I also found a variety of ammunition including those Aguila Super Colibri cartridges. I had bought one or two 50 round boxes to try and fell for them immediately. I ordered a 500 round brick while sitting on the front porch to be delivered so I could have more for when we got back to Georgia. 

Those rounds make good work of aluminum drink cans at short range and was the quietest shooting rifle before I had before I started my journey into silencers. I don't know if it started that journey but it probably helped. I have no idea how much ammunition this rifle has seen through it but bricks of .22 disappear with this rifle. 

Number 1

Not long before Marlin went down with the Remington ship, Marlin started making rifles with threaded barrels. I got very interested very quickly in the idea of a lever action rifle with a suppressor on it. It's very Teddy Roosevelt. As far as I know, the first model they did was the 1894 CST. This was a shortened, all stainless steel rifle chambered for 357 Magnum and can reliably use 38 Special as well. It features a 1/2x28 thread pitch at the end of the 16 inch barrel to host any 9mm bore silencer of your choice. Since I have a Dead Air Wolfman, I'm able to shoot full house 357 Magnum loads without concern. If it fits, it ships. 

What makes this my number 1 fun gun to shoot rifle is ultimately 38 Special. I've been learning how to make my own cartridges with my favorite load currently being a 200 grain cast bullet in a 38 Special case moving at about 1030 FPS from this rifle. Those rounds have serious bullet drop at 50 yards but once you add some Kentucky Windage in the form of a good hold over, any steel target at 50 yards will ring loudly. See the video below. 

Just about every factory 38 Special load will be quiet to shoot given the low pressures involved with it's specifications. The 16 inch barrel also helps attenuate the sound a bit. I've not tired any factory ammo under 130 grains in this rifle yet. I try to keep a few of those 200 grain 38's around in case I take a new shooter to the range as the is the Ambassador gun I prefer to demonstrate. 

Full power 357 Magnum rounds pick up serious velocity from the longer barrel making the CST a serious contender for short range hunting. Gun writers such as Skeeter Skelton made good use of 357 Magnum carbines against deer. I found an old article he had wrote around 1982 called "Rifleman" but sadly, the website that hosted it was recently suspended. You can find the old Dark Canyon website article here. You should be able to use the Wayback Machine to find the article by copying the URL and pasting it into the service's website. I found the article looking for the first uses of 357 Magnum in rifles were from gunsmiths in the mid-1900's reaming out Winchester 92's. Query Google about a Mr. Ward Koozer from Douglas, Arizona and his efforts. 

2023 is the year I want to try this rifle out for deer and see how well it goes. I don't expect it has the same reach as my .300 Blackout WWSD inspired AR-15 but it's a lot cheaper to shoot right now.  

I think that pretty well covers the funnest guns I have. While I have many other guns that I like to shoot for fun such as my AR-9 project or the Henry Homesteader, I don't get to spend as much time with those due to ammo concerns or not having access to a good shooting range. I figure this will change as I get more established with our homestead and get setup with a good outdoor range. Check back in a few years to see if this changes.