I had the opportunity to review the new Marlin Dark Series.45-70, I jumped on that with both feet. In the middle of 2019, I published my review of the then-new Dark Series, which was a Remington built Marlin, and you can read that review by following this link.

Since that rifle was discontinued due to Remington going pear shaped and Marlin was no longer for a while, I include that link as a contrast to the new Marlin Dark Series designed by Ruger.

Since I have reviewed the Remington-built Marlin Trapper and Ruger-built Marlin Trapper, I have a solid good idea of the refinements Ruger has implemented into the new Marlins. Now, I can see what Ruger has done with the Dark Series.

As you can see, Ruger has stuck with the all-black theme of the rifle, keeping it very understated as it would go well with any outfit. Attached to the 11/16 x 24″ threaded barrel is the Liberty Suppressors Goliath. I am thankful to see all the new Marlins come with threaded barrels.

The receiver, lever, and trigger guard plate are CNC machined from alloy steel.

The barrel is cold hammer-forged.

Major components feature enhanced durability due to the Graphite Black Cerakote® finish.

The bolt and lever feature a nitride finish for superior wear protection.

The rifle ships with a very effective muzzle brake and a plain thread protector. If you want my advice, keep the brake on when not suppressing the Dark; it helps tame today’s stout .45-70s.

A detachable cheek riser that easily snaps over a QD sling swivel on the nylon fiber-reinforced polymer stock is included. With a plenty of Picatinny Rail over the receiver to mount an optic, this cheekpiece would aid you in getting a bit higher stock weld for correct eye relief. Honestly, I did not care for this riser or use it at all after a few rounds.

Note the healthy butt pad, again a nice touch to help with that perceived recoil. Note the M-Lok inside the stock. Several companies are making ammo caddies that will work with this setup.

The lever loop is larger than standard, allowing Mr. Sausage Fingers’s gloved hand to operate it comfortably. The safety is the typical cross bolt that blocks the hammer from the firing pin—simple and very effective. There is plenty of texturing on the pistol grip area of the stock.

The top of the receiver is adorned with Picatinny Rail, and the anodized aluminum handguard is M-Lok compatible. Note the traditional loading gate.

The rear peep sight has a larger aperture that works excellently for fast sights and is suitable to 300 yards. The green fiber optic front sight incorporates a tritium ring. These sights were tall enough to be used with a silencer, a welcomed feature.

The port side is plenty slick with fast access to the safety. The trigger broke clean about five pounds with some take-up and a good bit of overtravel. The trigger is not bad at all for a factory lever gun and is better than many.

Three rounds from a rest at 100 yards.

Conclusions 

After about 400 rounds of various types with no issues, I am completely satisfied with the new Ruger-built Marlin Dark Series. I will acknowledge that 400 rounds are not a great deal but if there were something amiss with this rifle, it would have shaken loose. Similar to the Ruger Built Marlin Trapper, this Dark Series seemed a bit more refined and slicker than the Remington-built Marlin Dark.

Accuracy, trigger pull, action, and durability are almost identical between the 1895 Trapper and Dark Series and I am glad to see such consistency along the line of rifles. I see the Dark Series as a modern take on the lever gun, and Ruger certainly put much thought into this rifle with the synthetic and aluminum furniture that is M-Lok compatible.

The top-mounted Picatinny Rail and fiber optic front sight aids to the shooting ability, and the threaded barrel is icing on the cake. I am glad to see all these modern improvements in this fine rifle bringing an old system into 2024, making the Dark Series a versatile platform from hunting to home/self-defense.

With such a wide array of .45-70 ammunition available, it would not be hard to set this rifle up for the woods but easy enough to lean in the hunting cabin for self-defense from two and four-legged vermin. The lever gun has a great deal to offer and will remain viable for the foreseeable future, in my opinion.