Rather, the .450 Marlin was developed from the wildcat .458×2-inch American, which was based on the .458 Winchester Magnum.

[5] This places the .450 Marlin in the .458 Winchester family of cartridges, though it is more easily understood as a "modernized" .45-70.

The .450 Marlin offers the ballistics of such "hot" .45-70 loads without the risk of chambering in firearms that cannot handle its higher pressure.

One potential advantage of the .450 Marlin was its ability to chamber easily in bolt-action rifles, essentially becoming a ".45-70 bolt action" cartridge.

Shaw Inc.[9] and EABCO[10] have helped numerous owners convert their existing bolt-action rifles to .450 Marlin, fulfilling the cartridge's inspired purpose.