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Another revisit for an inexpensive and fun BB shooter, the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle! I have done some previous video reviews and comparisons for the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle so make sure to check them out. I also recently did an update Field Test Shooting Video for the Daisy Red Ryder BB gun which is a very comparable airgun to the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle.

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Here is a quick overview of the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle, it's designed for younger smaller shooter with it's short stock but it's still fun of all ages! You can store 700 4.5mm Steel BB's in its internal magazine and Crosman claims a max velocity of 350 fps. Like the Daisy Red Ryder the power source is a spring piston that is activated by the lever action.

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Now let's talk about how the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle performed in my Sea Can Field Test Shooting test...  Crosman claims a max fps of 350, my Chronograph results came in at a 5 shot average of 316 fps which is not bad compared to the Daisy Red Ryder that also has a claimed fps of 350 but only shot around 240 fps.

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So the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle is the clear winner in terms of velocity over the Daisy Red Ryder but what about accuracy? That's a different story, the Crosman did not perform all that great for me shooting at a paper target 30 feet away using a rested shooting position. I shot 10 rounds at my paper target and got about a 5-6 inch grouping, there was an underlying smaller tight group that was closer to about 3 inches but a god 3-4 of the BB's came out of it spreading out the group significantly.  Compare that to the Daisy Red Ryder with a nice tight 2 inch group.

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So what do you want? Power or accuracy? I figure since the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle is really targeted of the younger more entry level shooter that it should have good accuracy so they know when they are doing it right and less concerned on if the gun is performing as it should. Sure power is fun and smashing your targets does give a certain satisfaction but you have to hit the target first :)

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Both the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle and Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun are fun airguns for sure, I guess it just comes down to which one you want to buy...

OK to start things off, this is a review of the Daisy Red Ryder Lever action BB Rifle but the Vimeo Video also compares the Red Ryder to the very similar Crosman Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Riffle, If you have not checked my Marlin Cowboy review out, you can see it here.

So for the most part I am going to focus on the Red Ryder in this text version but I will refer to the Marlin Cowboy when comparing the two BB air rifles.

Type: BB spring air rifle.

Manufacturer: Daisy.

Model:Red Ryder.

Materials: Mostly metal and wood.

Weight: 2.2 pounds.

Barrel: Smooth bore.

Propulsion: Spring.

Action: Lever action.

Ammunition Type: Steel BBs 4.5mm.

Ammunition Capacity: 650 rounds.

FPS: Up-to 350.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull is pretty good, not super light but predictable. (the trigger area is much larger then the Crosman Marlin Cowboy which may be more suitable for adults with thick fingers)

Accuracy: When I originally tested my Marline Cowboy I thought it performed well but the Daisy Red Ryder definitely has the advantage in the accuracy department, at least in my testing. I got about a 1.5 inch 8 shot group from a free standing position 20 feet away from the target.

Build Quality: This is a pretty much all metal and wood gun with a build quality almost exactly like the Crosman Marlin Cowboy. Daisy has even made some improvements like upgrading the lever to metal from plastic, most likely to compete with Crosman on this feature. The only plastic I found was the trigger, safety and front sight assembly.

Realism: Even though this BB gun is styled after the classic lever action Cowboy Rifle, it's not a close replica to any that I know of. You have to keep in mind the purpose of this gun - meant primarily for younger first time shooters. There are some nice touches like the leather tassels and the Red Ryder name burned into the stock .

Purchased From: Walmart.

Pros:

• Inexpensive introduction to the sport of Airgun shooting.

• Made out of Mostly Metal and Wood - Now including the Lever.

• Large capacity internal barrel magazine (650 rounds).

• Adjustable rear sight for height.

• Decent 300+ fps velocity.

• Excellent accuracy and consistency.

• The original maker of this style of BB rifle - great track record!

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Cons:

• Plastic trigger, safety and front sight assembly.

• Some people may find the non removable metal loop for the leather tassel a bit intrusive.

Comments:

I think this is a wonderful little BB rifle and even though it's intended for the young entry level shooter it can make a great back yard plinker that anyone can join in and enjoy - adults included! I plan to be shooting either the Red Ryder or my Marline Cowboy side by side with my little guy when he is old enough to shoot one of these fine lever action BB rifles. When it comes to picking between the Daisy Red Ryder or the Crosman Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifles it comes down to a few points: Both have almost the exact same build quality so it may come down to which look you like best? The Daisy was more accurate while the Crosman had a bit more power. The Red Ryder had the lighter but longer lever action pull while the Marlin Cowboy had a heavier shorter lever pull.

If you can't decide just buy them both because they are dirt cheap to buy and tons of fun to shoot, so when your friends come over you can always pass them one so they won't feel left out!

My Vimeo Video Comparison Review for these Lever Action BB Rifles:

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Marlin Cowboy in the US

Buy Red Ryder in Canada   -   Buy Red Ryder in the US

Related Posts:

• MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB GUN

• CROSMAN MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB RIFLE REVIEW

I don't know if a lot of people out there are going to be interested in the feet per second performance of what some might call a kids BB gun, but I know I was. And since I already had my Chrony chronograph setup I thought it would be just as easy to put my Crosman Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB shooter through the paces.

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The Cowboy has a claimed feet per second rating of  "up to" 350 fps so I wasn't expecting too much. Right off the bat it hit around 300 fps and kept climbing till it hit just under 320 feet per second. I even went back later after shooting it for a bit and hit got to the mid 320's! I think it just needed a bit of breaking in to hit it's full potential.

Anyway, The Crosman Marline Cowboy Lever action rifle is a really fun BB gun to shoot and my son is going to love it when he gets it for his birthday one of these years, when he's ready...

Watch my Vimeo video of the Crosman Marlin Cowboy full Chronograph test:

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Marlin Cowboy in the US

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Red Ryder in the US

Related Posts:

• MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB GUN

• MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB RIFLE CHRONOGRAPH TEST

Type: BB spring air rifle.

Manufacturer: Crosman.

Model:Marlin Cowboy.

Materials: Mostly metal and wood.

Weight: 2.75 pounds.

Barrel: Smooth bore.

Propulsion: Spring.

Action: Lever action.

Ammunition Type: Steel BBs 4.5mm.

Ammunition Capacity: 700 rounds.

FPS: Up-to 350.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull is pretty good, not super light but predictable.

Accuracy: About as good as you can expect from a kids sub $50 BB gun with a non-rifled barrel, it was actually better than I thought it would be. I did experience some flyer BB's, which may have been due to the gun not being broken in yet.

Build Quality: When you pay under $50 for a BB gun you don't expect the build quality to be over the top but this little BB rifle is actually pretty nice! It's almost entirely made out of metal and wood, even the lever is made out of metal unlike its competition the Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun. The only plastic I found was the trigger, safety and front sight assembly.

Realism: Even though this BB gun is styled after the Original 1984 Marlin Cowboy, it's not a close replica. You have to keep in mind the purpose of this gun - meant primarily for young first time shooters. For its intent and purpose it does look really nice and if I was a youngster receiving this gun on a birthday or as a Christmas present, I probably wouldn't get much sleep thinking about shooting this gun.

Purchased From: Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters.

Pros:

• Inexpensive introduction to the sport of Airgun shooting.

• Made out of Mostly Metal and Wood - Including the Lever.

• Large capacity internal barrel magazine (700 rounds).

• Adjustable rear sight.

• Decent 350 fps velocity.

• 20 pound lever action pull adding a level of safety to the over enthusiastic young shooter.

Cons:

• Plastic trigger, safety and front sight assembly.

• Very small trigger hole - if you are an adult shooter and have thick fingers (Didn't bother me)!.

Comments:

I think this is a wonderful little BB rifle and even though it's intended for the young entry level shooter it can make a great back yard plinker that anyone can join in and enjoy - adults included! The gold standard is the Daisy Red Ryder type BB, the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB rifle is a nice addition to this market and is definitely a contender to think about.

Buy Air Rifles in Canada 

Buy Air Rifles in the US

Buy Red Ryder in Canada 

Buy Red Ryder in the US

Related Posts:

• CROSMAN MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB RIFLE REVIEW
• MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB RIFLE CHRONOGRAPH TEST

I wasn't planning on buying a BB Air Gun today but I walked into my local Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters and was expecting to see absolutely no airguns and/or airgun supplies but to my amazement they had an entire plethora of air powered weaponry on display. They went from literally nothing to a very decent assortment in about a week. Kudos to them!

So back to the Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Gun... I have been reading up on this nice little entry level BB rifle a bit recently as it only became available from Crosman in September of this year, so when I saw it there in the showcase for a measly $43.99 Canadian, I was a bit surprised. It has always been in my plan to pick up a Red Ryder type BB rifle for my son and I was in no hurry because he is only 3 1/2 years old but hey, why not pick one up now and when he's old enough I'll pass it on to him!

So why did I go for the Crosman over the Daisy? There's not a huge difference but I liked the look of the Crosman Marlin Cowboy over the Dasiy Red Ryder and also the fact that the Marlin Cowboy has more metal specifically the Lever is made out of metal where as the Red Ryder has a plastic lever.

The Crosman Marlin Cowboy is a replica or should I say styled after the Marlin Model 1984 Cowboy, as far as being an accurate replica... that's not really the purpose of this little BB gun. It's intended as an introduction to the world of shooting for kids and so it's pretty durable, cheap and far from over powered. The Marlin Cowboy is spring powered via the 20 pound pull lever action (May need an adult to do this adding another level of safety) and has an fps of up to 350. It holds up to 700 4.5mm steel BB's within the internal gravity fed barrel magazine and also has an adjustable rear sight. The barrel is not rifled as is with most BB guns.

I gave it a quick trial test, firing off about 50 BB's, some at miscellaneous cans and plastic items, and then 15 rounds at a target to get an idea of the accuracy. Even with its minimal fps, the Marlin Cowboy sends cans and small items flying with a nice cracking sound. I was fairly impressed with the grouping I got (about 2 inches from about 15 feet out), but I did get a few rouge BB's that for some reason liked to veer high and to the left. This is probably due to the gun not being broken-in yet and having metal and oil bits clinging on to some of the BB's. Also the gravity fed BB's require a bit of trial and error figuring out the best way to hold and cock the gun to ensure the least amount of misfires.

 

Overall the Crosman Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle was very fun to shoot and the small interruptions when engaging the lever action made it that much more enjoyable!

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Marlin Cowboy in the US

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Red Ryder in the US