I have had several Marlins, one was a guide gun, two different Siamese Mausers, one I took an elk with, one original Springfield trapdoor, and a few others, all in 45-70. But the one that I have kept, after selling all others was my 1874 Sharps. Now there is a rifle. It shoots very accurately and has very little recoil. Of course, I only shoot black powder and the rifle weighs a little over 14 pounds.
I was late getting into Black Powder Cartridge Rifles and truly regret missing so many good times. If you get a chance, give one a try sometime. You have to learn a different type of reloading, bullet casting with softer bullets, the art of black powder lube (which is different from hard cast bullet lube), and possibly paper patching bullets. It can be frustrating and very rewarding, truly something not to miss in a lifetime.
C F