A ton of hunters cut their teeth hunting cans, rabbits, and squirrels with a 22LR. The low recoil, mild muzzle blast, and cheap ammunition mdee the semi-automatic 22LR a fixture of many of our childhoods. For over 50 years Marlin has been the manufacturered a family of autoloader 22’s for over 60 years. The modern magazine-fed version is the Marlin 795. Let’s dive in and find out what makes the Marlin 795 so popular.
History
While not always known as the Marlin 795, the rifle design itself has been around since the 1960’s. In 1960 Marlin released the best selling semi-automatic 22LR of all time in the Marlin Model 60. The rifle sold well, but Marlin knew that they were missing a portion of the market by not offering a detachable box magazine variant of their breakthrough 22 design.
In 1962 Marlin released the Model 989 which essentially was a Model 60 with a detachable box magazine. The Model 989M2 succeeded the 989 in 1965 and was then replaced by the Model 70 in 1967. The Model 70 was produced until 1997 at which point the Marlin 795 was officially released. The 795 is still in production.
Specifications
The Marlin 795 is a detachable box magazine semi-automatic 22LR that feeds from 7 or 10 round magazines, with 25 round aftermarket options available. The rifle has an 18 inch barrel with Marlin’s Microgroove rifling and weighs 4.5 lbs. The sling swivels are molded into the plastic stock, and the barrel is equipped with basic notch and post iron sights.
The aluminum receiver has cuts for 3/8″ dovetail to ease mounting an optic. The Marlin ships with a last shot bolt hold open feature, a bolt release, and a crossbolt safety at the rear of the trigger guard. The 795 also features a magazine disconnect safety.
Strengths
First of all the Marlin 795 is very reliable. After a few hiccups during its first 50 rounds out of the box the gun ran exceedingly well. Rimfire ammunition is finnicky but the 795 handles a variety of ammo without complaint. The only brand of ammo that the rifle struggled to cycle was CCI’s Quiet line, which is unsurprising given that particular ammo is only travelling a bit over 700 feet per second.
Also, the ergonomics of the 795 are reasonably good. The magazine release requires three hands at times, but the safety and bolt release are easily accessible. Furthermore, the gun’s light weight and Monte Carlo stock design make it comfortable to carry and shoot. Promag makes 25 round magazines which function well in the gun. The only downside to the Promags is that, unlike the factory mags, the last shot hold open on the Promags will wear out over time.
Accuracy in the 795 is about what you would expect out of a 250 dollar gun. After accuracy testing with several brands of rimfire ammo the 795 shoots around 2-2.5 MOA. This equates to around an inch at 50 yards, which is accurate enough for the plinking and small game hunting that most people use their 22’s for. This is comparable to what a stock Ruger 10/22 will shoot. If extreme precision is your goal at this price point, a bolt action like a Savage Mark II would be a better choice.
Another strength of the 795 is its ease of maintenance. The gun is very forgiving of neglect and would commonly go over 500 rounds without cleaning. Even when dirty the 795 rarely malfunctions. Furthermore, even when it comes time to clean the rifle it disassembles easily for cleaning, unlike some older 22 designs like the Savage 64.
Weaknesses
As with any rifle made to a price point, the Marlin has its shortcomings. First of all the plastic trigger guard contains a screw holding the action to the stock. The trigger guard is thin near the rear and broke after about 2500 rounds. DIP makes a replacement trigger guard made of solid aluminum, but it feels silly to spend 85 dollars on a part for a 250 dollar rifle.
Also, the trigger itself is mediocre. While it isn’t nearly as bad as the one on the WK-180C, it’s gritty and creepy and about 6-7 lbs. It’s not the end of the world but an MCARBO trigger kit may be worth the money if you are picky about your triggers.
Another potential issue encountered is because the way the trigger system works if the gun isn’t tightened into the stock firmly enough the trigger won’t release the hammer. This can be very frustrating if you have travelled a ways to go shooting only to discover that you have left the Allen key for the action screws at home. This issue only arose after the test rifle had seen around 5000 rounds.
Additionally, the extractor on the 795 wasn’t consistent on unfired cases. Sometimes, especially with CCI ammunition, it would be difficult to extract an unfired shell from the chamber. This never impeded the cycling of the gun while shooting but made clearing the gun an annoyanche at times.
Finally, the 3/8″ dovetail on the top of the receiver is a little bit shallow. Standard 3/8″ rings have a tendency to slide, even under the miniscule recoil of the 22LR. A one piece mount and some Loctite fixed the issue, but it does limit your options for optics mounting hardware.
Competition
Many companies manufacture a competitive low cost semi-automatic 22LR. Some popular competitors are the Ruger 10/22, the Savage A22, the Savage 64, and the Mossberg 702. All of the competitors are blowback semi-automatics, so variations in triggers and barrel quality rather than style of action will make the difference.
Apart from the Savage 64, the Marlin is the cheapest in the market. It is as accurate as the competitors out of the box and is more reliable than the Savage 64 and the Mossberg 702. Reliability is on par with the Ruger 10/22 and the Savage A22. Unlike the 10/22 and the Savage 64 the Marlin has a last shot bolt hold open.
The single biggest deficiency when compared to the competition is the lack of aftermarket when compared to the wealth of parts available for a 10/22. While out of the box the rifles perform similarly out of the box the 10/22 can be built into many different styles of rifle using aftermarket parts. Besides a few small modifications the Marlin will typically remain stock.
Closing Thoughts
The Marlin 795 is a working class 22LR that delivers great value for the price. It has some drawbacks and quirks but at its pricepoint I am willing to accept that as long as it works. If you’re looking for a 22LR for recreational shooting and small game hunting the Marlin 795 is an exceptional choice. For dedicated target or competition gun, look elsewhere. Delivering acceptable accuracy while being boringly reliable, the Marlin 795 is a rifle to consider if you’re looking for a budget semi-automatic.