RMR mount on Marlin 1894 - UPDATE 12/11/21
Trijicon doesn't make a low base to put an RMR MRDS on the receiver of the Marlin 1894. There is a base and mounting plate if you use a piece of rail on the receiver or barrel, but that required an uncomfortable head position using a standard stock.
This semi-custom mount is the lowest possible setup for the RMR that I have been able to come up with and it should work equally well on any side-eject lever action with a flat top receiver. It adapts an existing Glock mount and sealing plate: discard the dovetail insert for the Glock kit and drill mounting holes .500 center to center on the midline of the Glock base and use screws from the parts kits to mount the base in either the front or rear scope mount holes on the receiver. My gunsmith charged me $50 for the job. ETA: be careful not to over-torque the RMR mounting screws into this base. The base is aluminum, not steel, and you can strip the holes if you over-torque the screws.
If the top of the receiver isn't already drilled and tapped for scope bases, the gunsmith can do the two holes for a few extra bucks.
This gets the MRDS as low as possible for a decent cheek weld and allows old eyes to stay in the game a little longer.
Parts list:
Trijicon AC32064 RMR Mounting Kit For Glock MOS and Springfield OSP Models
UTG Super Slim RMR Mount for Glock Rear Sight Dovetail
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d7fea831_h.jpgRMR06-3 by Bruce, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a8a6a134_k.jpgRMR06-2 by Bruce, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e4b0ef7c_k.jpg84269D3C-C56D-4CAF-96B8-FF7D34FEE89E by Bruce, on Flickr
Aridus Industries Marlin CROMs
I'm looking forward to Aridus Industries' Marlin CROMs. Adam teased them on social media a while back.
Marlin CROMs
New gun, different mounting problem
Sold the rifle that was the model for the original post, but kept a 1894 45 Colt Cowboy Competition Special Edition I had in the back of the safe. This model of the 1894 has no scope mounting holes on the top flat of the action, and I didn't want to add them. I want to shoot it and still require an optic, so I found a dovetail blank with a flat plate on top of it that is just barely long enough to drill & tap for the longitudinal spacing of the mount's screws (https://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...prod20734.aspx). The blank required careful fitting by trial and error to achieve a solid fit.
I moved the Holosun to it, (it has the same footprint as an RMR), and have a "natural" co-witness without have to make any other mods to the rifle.