No, it was an older model.
While living in So. Calif. (until 1987) I had a FFL license, thinking I would sell firearms from my home. Decided, after reading all the info that came with my license, that I wasn't going to do that. I had subscribed to Shotgun News..so I could keep an awareness of current prices of some firearms. After moving to MI. in Spring of '87 , I transferred my still active subscription to Mi. I happened to be in a local K Mart store... back then, they still had a firearms dept, w/rifles & shotguns, but no handguns. I happened to notice a Marlin 1894 on a shelf & asked about the price.. I believe it was under $400 ( ! )
As they had several in stock, I didn't buy it, but after returning home, checked the dealer cost in a current Shotgun News.. it was higher than K Mart's price.
Told a friend about what I'd found , we both went back to the store & bought a rifle. I figured K mart had purchased the rifle years ago, they'd sat on the shelf unsold, & no one bothered updating the price, as time went on. As I had purchased a S&W Mod.29 while in So. Calif. & thought It'd be cool to have a lever gun in the same caliber. Didn't shoot it much for more than a few years, noticing my site name, my interest was primarily in handguns.
Eventually, (after retiring) I decided I should shoot it..( & the other rifles I'd purchased).
I bought a mount & scope , then learned a bit about the JM marked Marlins, reading about them online.
As luck would have it, mine's a JM Marlin.. worth considerably more than I paid for it
As far as accuracy, my experience has been that 44 Mag is one of the few calibers I've loaded that gives better accuracy with certain powders.
I'd used Blue Dot primarily for years and got pretty good groups with my rifle . It's a challenge for me to shoot full power 44 Mag loads in any of my handguns
and get tight groups. After reading about H-110 ( same powder as Win 296 ) I tried some loads & started getting shots touching..as in a real group!
It's been my go- to powder since...Though I recently bought a 1# of Ramshot Enforcer , & have decided to give A/A #9 another try, next time I load 44 Mags.
I've discovered the Shooter's World line of powder to be quite good & believe I have a 1# container of one of their pistol powders I'll try as well.
It is easier to determine load accuracy in my 1894 than my Model 29...