Editor’s Choice: Marlin 1894 Dark

Marlin launched its blacked-out Dark series of lever-action rifles in 2019 to great success, helping to spearhead this year’s tactical lever gun trend.

Inaugural offerings included a .30-30 Win.-chambered Model 336 and a .45-70 Gov’t-chambered Model 1895, and for 2020 the Ilion-based manufacturer has added a pair of Model 1894s to the line.

Chambered to fire either .357 Mag./.38 Spl. or .44 Mag./.44 Spl., the new Dark 1894s measure a compact 34" long with a handy 16.25" threaded barrel.

Other practical features include a matte-black Parkerized metal finish, a painted and textured wood laminate pistol-grip stock and fore-end, an 11" Lever Rail Ghost Ring WS from XS Sights that accommodates virtually all sighting options, a comfortable paracord-wrapped big-loop lever and a black paracord sling.

With tubular magazines that extend nearly all the way to the muzzle, the two Marlin 1894 Dark models both share a capacity of eight-plus-one rounds. For more information on this new offering, visit marlinfirearms.com.