[03a3guy]

Comparing my '87 vintage 995 to my '11 vintage Remlin 795, I came up with a few small differences, beginning with the most obvious:
1. Checkered walnut stock
2. Premium, folding rear sight and covered front sight
3. No LSHO
4. Flat, rectangular bolt face like a mod. 60 vs protruding, round face like 795
5. Action side plates are at least twice the thickness of the 795 (probably changed on the 795 so as to accommodate the LSHO "monkey-motion' within the same overall width)
6. Magazine guide does not have the cast-in boss which fits into the slot on later generation mags. This makes the mag fit a bit looser, an arguably "good news, bad news" situation. The mags will drop more easily when released, but tend to wobble a bit in the guide, making feeding a bit less precise.
7. Better & more comfortable heft and "feel"(at least to me, likely due to the heavier & more rigid walnut stock moving the overall CG of the rifle to the rear a bit)

 

[Ithacabuff]

@ 03A3Guy

Thanks for the detailed comparison. You have told me exactly what I was looking for. It seems to me at this time since I am putting a Factory Marlin walnut checkered stock on my 795 I will not be going on a torrid search for a 995. If I find one I will pass on it unless it has LSHO and still may not buy it.

BTW there is a Marlin 95 up for auction now on GB and closes tomorrow I think It is at $84.50 now but the walnut stock has been ruined by someone carving finger grooves in the buttstock and forearm. If it had LSHO I would still bid on it because the seller lives near me and I would have no FFL or shipping to pay. But heads up for those interested.

 

[03a3guy]

Good 995's occasionally show up on GB, but that one isn't a candidate as far as I'm concerned. It looks like it has an old style trigger guard and has obviously been "Bubba'ed." It's a shame how some folks really ruin nice old guns that way.

Actually, that's how I ended up with a 795. I wanted a rifle that I can use for Appleseed, and I couldn't bring myself to drilling the pristine stock on mine for the sling. I looked for quite a while on GB and elsewhere for a decent mod 70 or 995 for less than an arm and a leg and finally gave up and went thru most of the inventory at my friendly neighborhood Academy store in order to find a serviceable 795.

At least the one I finally found was on sale and cost me only $90 after the rebate last year, and so far it has been pretty decent. It still doesn't have the solid, quality "feel" that the 995 does, though. That's why I'm in the middle of the hassle to put the 995 stock on it.

By the way, when is your Appleseed shoot coming up? Hopefully, you will post a blow-by-blow account of it afterwards.

 

[Ithacabuff]

Well, I would bid

on the GB one if it had the LSHO because I have a stock to put on it. But the gun was made from 1979-1995 or so that means for 10 years they made them with LSHO. And, I am putting a 995 stock on my 795 so I do not have a lot of desire to jump on the first 995 that comes along.

My first AS is the last weekend of this month in 12 days....I am really looking forward to it and will give a play by play on RFC when I get back. Just go to the Appleseed sub-forum because that is where I will post it. And my 795 is my AS rifle. After that the 995 stock goes on it.

By the way, O3A3Guy..doesn't your 87 995 have LSHO? I wonder if any of them do? LSHO was a 1985 thing but not sure they put them on the non-tube mag rifles.

 

[Big Shrek]

*cough cough* Boyd's Stocks...*cough cough*



Check the Crazy Deals section regularly for returns/scratch/dent specials if you wanna be a cheapskate...

 

[03a3guy]

No, my 995 doesn't have LSHO. I am a long way from expert on the subject, but I have never seen any of the box mag fed Marlins with LSHO except for the 795. I have seen some advertised for sale, but have never been able to verify them first-hand and am a bit suspicious as to what they really are. Since the 795 went into production at about the same time that the 995 went out, I have always believed that the model no. was changed when the feature was added.

BigShrek has far more experience with them than I, maybe he can offer an opinion.

 

[Ithacabuff]

Thanks 03A3Guy

for prompt information. It had occurred to me that maybe the 995s did not have LSHO. The reason I am gratful for your prompt opinion is that I also thought, think, perhaps the 995s never had LSHO with one exception I will mention in a minute. So, I have decided to bid on that 995 with bad stock because I have two more 995 stocks coming from Numrich. Thus, if I win the bid I have a 995 and if I find one later with LSHO I can think about it then. But what I want to also say is....I think the last two years or so of the 995 that model was only available in what was called, I believe, the 995SS, which meant it had a synthetic stock and stainless metal. I think that had LSHO but maybe was the first Marlin clip mag model with LSHO. In any event we will learn more and we will invite BIG SHREK to give his opinion because he seems to know a lot.

 

[Ithacabuff]

@ 03A3Guy et al

Well, I looked on ebay for a start and found two identical copies of a Marlin ad for the 60 and 995 in one ad. The seller of the ads said one was from 1988 and the other from 1989. I was able to read the ads, luckily, and it was said of the 60, "....and with the new last shot hold-open function etc, etc that all tube-loading .22s have, etc etc. But it did not say that the 995 had it and you know they would have if it did. So, went to my Gun Digests to see what I might find out...In the 1995 Gun Digest the 995 was listed as just that with walnut stock and nothing about LSHO. In the 1996 and 1997 GDs there was no plain 995...just the 995SS which means, of course, synthetic stock and stainless barrel, etc. It said nothing about LSHO. IN the 1998 GD the 795 and 7000 were shown for the first time and no 995ss. I have found photos on the net of the 995ss and can see the little bolt hold open lever so assuming that means it has LSHO.
There is a guy in the east that is another forum with 995ss for sale for $175 and with that is 4 nickel plated magazines. Almost a good deal if you wanted one.
So, I am guessing that the 995 with wood stock never had a LSHO like 03A3Guy theorizes.
I would kind of like to have one of those because they were only made for two years but they are mostly just a stainless 795 it would be a dupe of what I have in a blued gun. Guess I am Gun Greedy.

 

[Ithacabuff]

Another fact

to add. With regard to that 995 that is up for bid on Gunbroker, closes on April 17, tomorrow afternoon, I thought the stock looked somewhat different so I checked and the first year the 995 was made the walnut stock had a front barrel band with a cutout on the fore end for the band. (The one for sale, therefore is most likely a very early copy of the 995.) However, that only lasted a short time because it was not long before the barrel band was dropped and the walnut stock with checkering was adopted and was in use until the 995 was dropped for the 995SS.

 

[Old Dutch]

I owned two Model 995s and sold one off to fund other projects. The remaining one is very well made and reliable, perhaps a function of the magazine. I purchased an after market 15 shot magazine, which never has worked well for me. IMO, additional mags should come from Marlin, period

My 795 sports a Boyd's stock and not only looks good, but shoots well. I grab which ever rifle is closer in the safe at range time. If you find a decent 995, I say grab it.

 

[03a3guy]

"Guess I am Gun Greedy."

Sounds to me like a politically incorrect synonym for "Marlinitis."

 

[Ithacabuff]

And, FWIW

I had bid on that 995 on GB with mutilated stock but I did not bid enough to get it. I think it went for $130. Probably not bad....spend 50-60 dollars on another stock and have around $200 in the gun. But it was not worth any more to me than what I bid on it and that was not enough in this case. The ironic thing is...the seller is about 15 miles from me so I could have gotten it without shipping or without FFL fees as an in-state private sale.

Oh, and in myself I refer to it as Gun Greed but Marlinitis sounds better.

 

[Big Shrek]

Kinda funny, the 60 got LSHO around 1985...but the 995 seems to have missed out on it...
even though it would have been eligible to get it...

But heck, we may find out something new...so more research is needed!!

So...the question we have to ask is...were any of the Marlin 70/70HC/995's ever equipped with LSHO??
Or did it all start for the box-mags when the 795 appeared in 1995??

 

[Ithacabuff]

Maybe I am repeating myself

but I think at least the 995SS has LSHO. Otherwise I am guessing the straight 995s did not. But you can bet every 995 I see up for bid or sale someplace I will be checking that.

 

[Big Shrek]

but I think at least the 995SS has LSHO. Otherwise I am guessing the straight 995s did not. But you can bet every 995 I see up for bid or sale someplace I will be checking that.

Yep, confirmed...
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=11788

May haveta make a 995 Date Code/LSHO thread...like the 25MN one for Whether one hole or two...
LSHO or No LSHO, that is the Question

 

[spad124]

I have a walnut stock 995 I bought new in 1992. No LSHO, separate magazine well plate. I don't think the 995 ever had a LSHO. There is a thread on this forum somewhere showing the mods needed to stock a 795 with an earlier wood stock. IIRC you have to relieve the stock near the trigger guard for the LSHO.

I've shot my 995 a bit over the years and used it at the Appleseed my son and I went to last year. (I added sling swivels when I first bought it 20 years ago so adding a GI sling wasn't a concern for me) I just used the nickel 10 round mags marked for older rifles instead of the original 7 rounders. It is certainly less work and cost to set up a Marlin for AS than all the mods they recommend for a 10/22--and my Marlin was every bit as accurate as the 10/22s No mag release extensions, removing barrel bands, changing barrels etc.

My 995 ran fine at the AS, just had to lube the bolt a little after every 100 rounds. Mine just likes to run wet.

 

[Ithacabuff]

Thanks, Spad

FWIW I have communicated with a man in the east who has a 995SS for sale and confirmed in a message to me that it has LSHO and a plastic T/G...in answer to my two questions. He has it for sale but will not ship it....sad for me...I wanted to buy it.

 

[03a3guy]

Too bad about the 995SS. I'll bet it's a nice one.

Here are some pics of my adventure with putting the 795 into a 995 stock. I first stripped the stock with CitriStrip and sanded it to a fair-thee-well. Here's what it looked like when I had it ready to start putting a finish on. For the inleting for the 795 trigger guard I used an old Dremel tool with a router feature that I have had around the house for 25 years or so, and I thought it turned out pretty well. First time it had ever been used.

Then, I put four coats of TruOil on it. I'll have to admit that I'm not the craftsman that some of you guys are, so I gave up after four. Here's a shot of it with my 995 below.

Edis: Sorry 'bout that, guys. I'm still a failure at posting pics.

 

[Ithacabuff]

Hey, 03Guy

those are great. What a wonderful idea you had and I think it turned out great. Good for you. I love those Marlin walnut stocks (or any walnut stock) with the white spacer. I have two more of those stocks coming and have put one a 795 (a little mutilating to my wood work) and one coming will go right on a 70HC with no modification necessary. Anyway, great idea and you did good!! Thanks for the photos.