41 Magnum, making them suitable companion long guns for revolvers in those calibers. Marlin's model 1894 lever-action rifles and carbines are available in handgun calibers, including. Marlins are larger, stronger and heavier than most of the comparable Winchester line, allowing Marlin to use higher powered cartridges such as the. This helped Marlin capture more market share as American shooters came to rely more and more on optics. Its use of side ejection allows for flat-topped firearms, thereby making the mounting of scopes easier than for traditional Winchesters. It is currently the dominant seller of lever-action rifles in North America. However, in the 1980s and 1990s, Marlin finally began to outpace its old rival. Marlin Firearms labored for a century as an underdog levergun maker to Winchester (formerly of New Haven). In 1917 Marlin Rockwell bought out the Hopkins & Allen Arms Company to promote an expanded line of firearms and restore the image of the Marlin company as makers of 'sporting arms'. In World War I Marlin became one of the largest machine gun producers in the world for the US and its Allies, building the M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun and a later variant called the 'Marlin gun' optimized for aircraft use. Marlin was considered the main competitor to Winchester. Marlin produced a large assortment of firearms such as lever-action rifles, pump-action shotguns and single-shot rifles. Marlin Firearms was founded in the 1870s by John Marlin.

Marlin gun mounted on De Havilland airplane, 1921

Marlin 1893 manufacture date