Very little wrong with a Marlin 1895 in a 45-70 or 450 for Black Bear and for fast follow up. ("Don't stand there and admire the first shot, dummy, chamber and fire another and then rechamber, or you'll be looking out from his insides!") Okay, I was very young, very green, and very wet behind the ears, and in the crotch as well when everything settled down.

The are a few Amerian custom shops that rebuild, shorten, slick the inner workings, refinish the metal in various low vis/non-corrosion finishes, and rechamber the 1895s for the 450 an 500 Alaskan rounds. The result is a dead reliable, and very hard hitting (at both ends)and despite the dislike by some of muzzle brakes, recommend the bruising of the ears to the inability to control the second round. Damn nice guns, and what I would chose for close quarters for America's most dangerous game. (Gary Reeder also chambers for a variety of big bore and his own propriety cartridges - www.reedercustomguns.com I am also told that several of those have gone to Africa and have proven fairly successful on thin skinned game including some with big teeth and bad attitudes in heavy cover. Can't say for sure, never tried it.

In any event, and American traditional arm that is not dead yet and seems to have plenty of life based on the waiting lists I have seen. Dave