From the September 6, 1894 issue of Shooting and Fishing, the predecessor to American Rifleman
The Marline Fire Arms Co. announce its readiness to supply a new repeating rifle which will be known as the model 1894. This rifle will be made with either octagon or round barrel, 24 inches, 14 shots, the former weighing 6 ¾ pounds, and the latter 7 1/8 pounds. A carbine will also be supplied with a 15 or 20 inch barrel, 10 and 12 shots, weighing 6 pounds. Rifles in this model can be furnished with barrels up to 32 inches in length at an extra price of $1 per inch, either round, octagon, or half-octagon, and the rifles will also be furnished with case hardened receivers, and the carbines with blue receivers. The company announces its readiness to furnish this model at the present time in .38-40 and .44-40 calibers only, straight grip rifles. The .32-20 rifles with pistol-grip stock will for the present be supplied in the 1889 model. The .32-20 in the model 1894 will be ready soon. The model 1894 rifle is practically the 1893 model adapted to the shorter cartridges, and the following claims are made for the new model:--
In the model 1894 rifle every desirable feature of the 1889 is retained, and the improvements suggested by five more years of experience and experiment are added. Improvements which have been tried and shown to be an advance are now embodied in our rifle to use the model 1889 cartridges.
In as much as the action of the .38-40 is exactly like action of the .44-40, in case a person desires a rifle to use both of these cartridges, we can furnish an extra barrel part, consisting of barrel, magazine, forearm, etc., and one may have a rifle using both of these cartridges at about one-half the expense of purchasing another rifle. Less trouble to carry than two rifles, and just the same for practical use. The .32-40 and .38-55 rifles can also be furnished to interchange in the same manner.
