Marlin 71900 vs 71903: Which Magazine Fits Your Rifle?
The Marlin 71900 and 71903 look like the same magazine — both are 7-round, .22 LR, black-oxide steel — but they fit two completely different generations of Marlin rifles. Put the wrong one in and it will either refuse to seat or fail to feed. The good news: telling them apart is simple once you know what to look for. This guide walks you through exactly which magazine your rifle takes, how to confirm it, and why the fit matters.
Quick answer
Own a classic Marlin bolt-action — the 780, 80, 20, or 25? You need the 71903. Own a later Marlin .22 (post-1988) — like the 795, 995, 880, 925, 980, or a Model 70-series autoloader? You need the 71900 (or its nickel twin, the 71901). Same caliber, same 7-round capacity — different magazine body, different rifles.
What's in this guide
- 71900 vs 71903 at a glance
- Which rifles take the 71903
- Which rifles take the 71900 / 71901
- How to identify your Marlin model
- Why the wrong magazine won't feed
- Black oxide or nickel?
- Common fitment mistakes to avoid
- Frequently asked questions
71900 vs 71903 at a glance
| Marlin 71903 | Marlin 71900 / 71901 | |
|---|---|---|
| Caliber | .22 LR | .22 LR |
| Capacity | 7 rounds | 7 rounds |
| Finish | Black oxide | Black oxide (71900) or nickel (71901) |
| ARM part # | ARM556 | ARM580 |
| Rifle generation | Classic bolt-actions (design dates to the 1940s) | Later, post-1988 bolt-actions and autoloaders |
| Headline models | 780, 80, 20, 25 | 795, 995, 880, 925, 980, Model 70 autos |
Which Marlin rifles take the 71903?
The 71903 (ARM556) is the original classic — the magazine whose clip-in design has stayed unchanged since the 1940s. If your rifle is one of Marlin's older bolt-action .22s, this is your magazine:
- Marlin: 780, 80, 80C, 80DL, 80E, 20, 25
- Glenfield: 25, 20, 80
- Other store brands (same rifle): JC Higgins 42 and 42DL, Foremost 20, Revelation 105
Because these rifles were sold for decades under several store names, the 71903 covers a lot of ground. If your bolt-action .22 came out of the mid-century era and wears a Marlin, Glenfield, JC Higgins, Foremost, or Revelation rollmark, start here. There's more on this magazine's long history in The Evolution of the Marlin 71903 Series Magazines.
Which Marlin rifles take the 71900 / 71901?
The 71900 (ARM580) is the magazine for Marlin's later .22 LR lineup — the bolt-actions and autoloaders built from roughly 1988 onward. It fits a wide spread of models:
- Bolt-action: 25N, 25NC, 880, 880SQ, 880SS, 925, 925C, 980V, 980S, 917M2, 995, 995SS
- Autoloaders: 70, 70P (Papoose), 70HC, 70L, 70PSS, 793, 795, 989, 989M-2, 7000, 7000T, XT-22
- Other store brands: Glenfield 989G and 70, Coast to Coast 42 and 440, WestPoint 701, Big 5 700, Montgomery Ward 45
If you own one of the popular later semi-autos — the Marlin 795 or Model 70 family — or a later bolt gun like the 880 or 925, the 71900 is your 7-round magazine. Prefer a brighter, more corrosion-resistant finish? The 71901 is the nickel-plated version of the exact same magazine — identical fit, identical feeding.
How to identify your Marlin model
You don't have to guess. Every Marlin .22 tells you what it is:
- Find the model number. It's stamped on the barrel, usually just ahead of the receiver, or on the receiver itself. On some older rifles it's on the underside of the barrel.
- Match it to the lists above. A 780/80/20/25 is a 71903 rifle. A 795/995/880/925/70-series is a 71900 rifle.
- Use the era as a tiebreaker. If your rifle is a mid-century classic with a metal-follower magazine, it's almost certainly a 71903 gun. If it's a newer autoloader or an "N"/"800"/"900"-series bolt gun, it's a 71900.
Still not sure, or your exact model isn't on either list? Don't order on a guess. Send us your model number and we'll confirm the right magazine before you buy. You can also cross-check against every Marlin model that fits our magazines.
Why the wrong magazine won't feed
A .22 magazine looks simple, but three things have to be exactly right for it to work in your rifle:
- The body length and latch position determine whether the magazine even seats and locks in the well. The 71903's older bolt-action well is dimensionally different from the later 71900 pattern — a mismatch won't lock in place.
- The feed lips — the two rails at the top — control how each rimfire round is released and angled into the chamber. Feed lips cut for the wrong rifle release the round at the wrong moment, which is where most "it won't feed" complaints come from.
- The follower pushes the stack up at the correct angle and holds the bolt behavior on the last round. A follower shaped for a different action can nose-dive rounds or fail to present the last one.
Caliber and capacity are the easy part — plenty of magazines are "7-round .22 LR." Getting the pattern right is what makes a magazine feed reliably, which is exactly why we build ours to the correct factory dimensions in the USA rather than to a generic one-size shape.
Black oxide or nickel?
Within the 71900 family, finish is the only choice you have to make, and it's purely about durability and looks — feeding is identical:
- Black oxide (71900): the traditional matte-black finish. Classic look, proven, easy to touch up.
- Nickel (71901): brighter, with a little extra corrosion resistance — worth considering if your rifle sees damp weather or hard field use.
The 71903 is offered in black oxide to match the classic rifles it serves.
Common fitment mistakes to avoid
- Assuming caliber equals fit. "It's a 7-round .22 LR mag" is not enough — the 71900 and 71903 are both 7-round .22 LR and still don't interchange.
- Trying to feed a Marlin Model 60. The famous Model 60 is tube-fed — it has no detachable box magazine at all, so neither the 71900 nor the 71903 applies. If you're shopping a box magazine for a Model 60, the rifle doesn't take one.
- Confusing .22 LR with .22 Magnum. Marlin's .22 WMR rifles (like the 922M, 782, 25M, 982, and XT-22M) use entirely different magazines — not the 71900 or 71903. Check the caliber marked on your barrel before ordering.
- Buying on rifle age alone. Use the model number as the primary key; era is only a tiebreaker.
Key takeaways
- Both are 7-round .22 LR magazines — but the 71903 fits classic 780/80/20/25 bolt guns and the 71900/71901 fits the later 795/995/880/925/70-series rifles.
- Match by model number first; use rifle era only as a tiebreaker.
- 71900 = black oxide, 71901 = nickel — same fit, your choice of finish.
- Model 60 (tube-fed) and .22 Magnum rifles take neither of these.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Marlin 71900 and 71903 interchangeable?
No. They are both 7-round .22 LR magazines, but they're built to different patterns and fit different rifles. The 71903 fits the classic 780/80/20/25 bolt-actions; the 71900 fits the later post-1988 models like the 795, 995, 880, and 925.
What is the difference between the 71900 and the 71901?
Only the finish. The 71900 is black oxide and the 71901 is nickel-plated. They're the same magazine and fit the same rifles — pick the finish you prefer.
What magazine does the Marlin 795 use?
The Marlin 795 uses the 71900 (black oxide) or 71901 (nickel) 7-round .22 LR magazine. If you want more than 7 rounds, higher-capacity options are available for the same rifle family.
Does the Marlin Model 60 take one of these magazines?
No. The Marlin Model 60 is a tubular-magazine rifle — it loads through a tube under the barrel and has no detachable box magazine, so neither the 71900 nor the 71903 fits it.
Is the 71903 still made?
Marlin ended production of the 71903 in the early 2000s. American Rifle Magazines produces it today from the original tooling, in the USA, so you can still get a correct-fit replacement.
How do I find my Marlin's model number?
Look on the barrel just ahead of the receiver, or on the receiver itself. Match that number to the fitment lists above, and contact us if your model isn't listed.
Find the right magazine for your Marlin
Once you know your model, it's an easy pick: browse every Marlin magazine we make, or head back to the Marlin Magazine Guide for capacity options, finishes, and model-by-model help. Not sure which you need? Contact our team with your model number — we'd rather get it right the first time.
About the author. Rob Haversat is the founder of American Rifle Magazines, which manufactures OEM-pattern replacement magazines for Marlin and Remington rifles in the United States from US steel and US components — including the classic 71903 built on its original tooling.