ORIGINAL: c j

oldelkhunter's probably right. Most objective evaluations I've seen usually come back saying the Marlin's a better gun.

I still like the Winny, though. Nothing warms my heart like a Winchester 94.

Hard to explain, I guess. To me, it's kind of like two old GTO musclecars. One has an automatic transmission and the other's a stick shift. The automatic probably cost more back in the day and was easier to drive and there were probably fewer made, etc. But which one is more fun?

No, Win 94's don't have great triggers. They are lighter, though, which IMO makes them more handy. To me, they just feel right, both carrying around and shouldering. I've never had any feeding issues with them, though, and with iron sights, the 94 with the new pointed Hornady ammo will shoot better than most hunters are capable of. I believe it's going to be easier to throw a scope on a Marlin. The newer 94s have a side eject which makes a top mounted scope possible, and the old ones can be fitted with a side-mount scope. But to me, using a scope with a 94 (or any lever-action) kind of defeats the purpose and takes a lot of the fun out of it.

I'd say get your hands on both and see which one calls out to you. Good luck and happy shopping.