Newly Redesigned Marlin 60 and Marlin 795 Impressions

Weatherby Fan · June 4, 2013, 11:45 AM

I have purchased one each of the new production Model 60 and Model 795 rifles with the newly designed stock.

As you can see, the new stock has a differently designed comb, a differently designed fore end which is angular rather than rounded.

The new stock has a different medallion on the grip and integrated sling attachments. I have tested the new attachments with a bipod and they work fine.

The first thing of note is that the m60 is longer at 38" as compared to the 795's 37".

The barrel on the m60 is 19" long as compared to the 18" on the 795.

The sight radius on the M60 is 16.5" long as compared to the sight radius on the 795 at 15.5". In theory, this should mean that the M60 is capable of greater accuracy than the 795. Oddly, with both rifles zeroed at 50 yards, the M60 only had one notch of elevation remaining while the 795 had 3 notches of elevation remaining. I have no explanation for this as the sights are identical in every measurement.

The M60 is far more reliable. It fired through the entire 500 round brick without a single failure of any kind. The 795, on the other hand, had a stovepipe jam roughly every 20 rounds. The 795 would sometimes chamber a new round 95% of the way while the previous round is pinched thin in between the bolt and breach face. If the striker were to hit the rim in this condition you would certainly have an out of battery discharge. Thankfully, the rifle seems to have some kind of built in safety mechanism which prevents this from happening.

In actual field use, the M60 is twice the rifle that the 795 is. I find that the magazine on the 795 frequently catches on clothing when slung across the back.

When shooting gophers in a field where more than 10 shot opportunities present themselves, the 795 falls flat. You run out of ammunition sooner than with the m60. The magazine does not fall freely when the release is pressed. It requires a VERY firm tug to remove it. This is not easily done with one hand while trying to hold the rifle and the release all at once. The magazine kind of hurts the thumb when loading the last few rounds. Yes, you can spend extra money to get extra magazines which could be preloaded but then you're still left with the awkwardness of switching the magazines in field positions.

The M60 allows more shots without reloading. When reloading in the field, it is easy to sling the rifle from your left shoulder so that it is pointing at a 45 degree angle forward and up with the bottom of the rifle facing up towards you. Then, the tube is extended past the loading port. The tube does not need to be removed, it is held by the rifle in this position. You have both hands free to then effortlessly drop 14 rounds into that loading port. I find this can be done in less time than it takes to awkwardly change a magazine in the 795 in field positions.

I realize these are only single samples of each rifle but it seems that the m60 is more reliable, has the potential to be more accurate, and has a larger shot capacity. It is also more easily reloaded in actual field conditions. The M60 has a better profile and does not snag on clothes when slung on the back as the 795 does. I imagine the 795 might be better for use at the range if you have a lot of magazines.

program to take screenshots

Weatherby Fan · June 4, 2013, 12:19 PM

We now know why there is a difference in the elevation ramp height between each rifle.

The Marlin 795 measures 0.620" and the Marlin 60 measures 0.648" across the muzzle. Both barrels are much thicker at the rear sight. It seems that the barrel on the M60 is heavier and tapers less which explains the elevation difference on the rear sight.

csmsss · June 4, 2013, 04:29 PM

That makes sense, since the 60's mag tube has to stay parallel to the barrel in order to remain square to the chamber. Much more barrel taper would look very odd.

seanc · June 4, 2013, 11:46 PM

Do you have an older model 60 or 795? If you do, How do the new rifles compare to the older, pre-Freedom Group model 60's?

I have an older model 60 and was thinking about picking up another for my son the next time they go on sale, but I've read too many complaints about post-buyout quality issues. I'm hoping that as the takeover hard feelings wear off, quality will return.

Weatherby Fan · June 5, 2013, 09:04 AM

I have an older marlin 60 pre-Remington which works very well. I also have one that was made after remingtnn took over. It's the stainless barrel, nickel receiver and laminate stock. That one did have a problem - the front sight was not drilled correctly - it's not indexed right and iron sights are useless on that rifle.

So I have 3 Marlin 60s and whether they are pre or post Remington, they all feed, fire, extract, and eject 100%.

The new production one has the new stock, of course, and it uses different fasteners (action screws) but seems just as reliable as the good old ones. There are no apparent fit or finish issues with this latest one.

Weatherby Fan · June 5, 2013, 10:25 AM

Someone messaged me asking how much the rifles weigh. I used a rapala digital fish scale.

It reports that the 597 weighs 4.18lbs and the 60 weighs 4.60lbs.

Sure shot wv · June 5, 2013, 02:23 PM

I don't know when they started making the newer models but I have a 795 that I bought in 2010 for 90 dollars brand new. All I can say is WOW. I love it!!! This year it has officially become my small game rifle when I installed a Nikon p-22 2-7 on it. Shooting wise I compare it to my custom 10/22 because they are the only 22lr rifles I own. So here's my breakdown,

Out of the box the marlin has a way better trigger, lighter, crisper, and clean break. Very rare feeding issues. All ammo related. In thousands of rounds zero stovepipes. So this year I put a 149 dollar scope on my 90 dollar rifle and BAM. 0-100 yards I am dead accurate. Most of my shooting is done at 50 yards and that's where I zeroed both this and my ruger. This marlin at 50 yards will shoot 3/4 - 1/2 inch groups all day everyday. So it has become the squirrel and rabbit gun because of this.

Now my 10/22 which sucked stock has been completely rebuilt. Ergonomics are great, looks are outstanding, but shooting eh!
I struggle to hold 1-1.5 groups at 50 yards with this. I have a redfield on this one btw. And this gun has about 600 dollars in it.

I can't wait to get a model 60. I hope I like it as much as the 795. I can't speak highly enough of it. And for 90 dollars wow. I hate saying it shoots better than my 600 dollar ruger but its the truth.

carpshooter · June 6, 2013, 07:10 PM

Good review !

June 4, 2013, 11:45 AM	#1
Weatherby Fan Member Join Date: May 9, 2013 Posts: 40	Newly Redesigned Marlin 60 and Marlin 795 Impressions I have purchased one each of the new production Model 60 and Model 795 rifles with the newly designed stock. As you can see, the new stock has a differently designed comb, a differently designed fore end which is angular rather than rounded. The new stock has a different medallion on the grip and integrated sling attachments. I have tested the new attachments with a bipod and they work fine. The first thing of note is that the m60 is longer at 38" as compared to the 795's 37". The barrel on the m60 is 19" long as compared to the 18" on the 795. The sight radius on the M60 is 16.5" long as compared to the sight radius on the 795 at 15.5". In theory, this should mean that the M60 is capable of greater accuracy than the 795. Oddly, with both rifles zeroed at 50 yards, the M60 only had one notch of elevation remaining while the 795 had 3 notches of elevation remaining. I have no explanation for this as the sights are identical in every measurement. The M60 is far more reliable. It fired through the entire 500 round brick without a single failure of any kind. The 795, on the other hand, had a stovepipe jam roughly every 20 rounds. The 795 would sometimes chamber a new round 95% of the way while the previous round is pinched thin in between the bolt and breach face. If the striker were to hit the rim in this condition you would certainly have an out of battery discharge. Thankfully, the rifle seems to have some kind of built in safety mechanism which prevents this from happening. In actual field use, the M60 is twice the rifle that the 795 is. I find that the magazine on the 795 frequently catches on clothing when slung across the back. When shooting gophers in a field where more than 10 shot opportunities present themselves, the 795 falls flat. You run out of ammunition sooner than with the m60. The magazine does not fall freely when the release is pressed. It requires a VERY firm tug to remove it. This is not easily done with one hand while trying to hold the rifle and the release all at once. The magazine kind of hurts the thumb when loading the last few rounds. Yes, you can spend extra money to get extra magazines which could be preloaded but then you're still left with the awkwardness of switching the magazines in field positions. The M60 allows more shots without reloading. When reloading in the field, it is easy to sling the rifle from your left shoulder so that it is pointing at a 45 degree angle forward and up with the bottom of the rifle facing up towards you. Then, the tube is extended past the loading port. The tube does not need to be removed, it is held by the rifle in this position. You have both hands free to then effortlessly drop 14 rounds into that loading port. I find this can be done in less time than it takes to awkwardly change a magazine in the 795 in field positions. I realize these are only single samples of each rifle but it seems that the m60 is more reliable, has the potential to be more accurate, and has a larger shot capacity. It is also more easily reloaded in actual field conditions. The M60 has a better profile and does not snag on clothes when slung on the back as the 795 does. I imagine the 795 might be better for use at the range if you have a lot of magazines. program to take screenshots

June 6, 2013, 07:10 PM	#8
carpshooter Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 25	Here's what I think ! Good review ! __________________ Shooting carp with whatever it takes !

June 4, 2013, 12:19 PM	#2
Weatherby Fan Member Join Date: May 9, 2013 Posts: 40	We now know why there is a difference in the elevation ramp height between each rifle. The Marlin 795 measures 0.620" and the Marlin 60 measures 0.648" across the muzzle. Both barrels are much thicker at the rear sight. It seems that the barrel on the M60 is heavier and tapers less which explains the elevation difference on the rear sight.

June 4, 2013, 04:29 PM	#3
csmsss Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Orange, TX Posts: 3,078	That makes sense, since the 60's mag tube has to stay parallel to the barrel in order to remain square to the chamber. Much more barrel taper would look very odd.

June 4, 2013, 11:46 PM	#4
seanc Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 1998 Posts: 590	Do you have an older model 60 or 795? If you do, How do the new rifles compare to the older, pre-Freedom Group model 60's? I have an older model 60 and was thinking about picking up another for my son the next time they go on sale, but I've read too many complaints about post-buyout quality issues. I'm hoping that as the takeover hard feelings wear off, quality will return.

June 5, 2013, 09:04 AM	#5
Weatherby Fan Member Join Date: May 9, 2013 Posts: 40	I have an older marlin 60 pre-Remington which works very well. I also have one that was made after remingtnn took over. It's the stainless barrel, nickel receiver and laminate stock. That one did have a problem - the front sight was not drilled correctly - it's not indexed right and iron sights are useless on that rifle. So I have 3 Marlin 60s and whether they are pre or post Remington, they all feed, fire, extract, and eject 100%. The new production one has the new stock, of course, and it uses different fasteners (action screws) but seems just as reliable as the good old ones. There are no apparent fit or finish issues with this latest one.

June 5, 2013, 10:25 AM	#6
Weatherby Fan Member Join Date: May 9, 2013 Posts: 40	Someone messaged me asking how much the rifles weigh. I used a rapala digital fish scale. It reports that the 597 weighs 4.18lbs and the 60 weighs 4.60lbs.

June 5, 2013, 02:23 PM	#7
Sure shot wv Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2013 Location: West Virginia Posts: 137	I don't know when they started making the newer models but I have a 795 that I bought in 2010 for 90 dollars brand new. All I can say is WOW. I love it!!! This year it has officially become my small game rifle when I installed a Nikon p-22 2-7 on it. Shooting wise I compare it to my custom 10/22 because they are the only 22lr rifles I own. So here's my breakdown, Out of the box the marlin has a way better trigger, lighter, crisper, and clean break. Very rare feeding issues. All ammo related. In thousands of rounds zero stovepipes. So this year I put a 149 dollar scope on my 90 dollar rifle and BAM. 0-100 yards I am dead accurate. Most of my shooting is done at 50 yards and that's where I zeroed both this and my ruger. This marlin at 50 yards will shoot 3/4 - 1/2 inch groups all day everyday. So it has become the squirrel and rabbit gun because of this. Now my 10/22 which sucked stock has been completely rebuilt. Ergonomics are great, looks are outstanding, but shooting eh! I struggle to hold 1-1.5 groups at 50 yards with this. I have a redfield on this one btw. And this gun has about 600 dollars in it. I can't wait to get a model 60. I hope I like it as much as the 795. I can't speak highly enough of it. And for 90 dollars wow. I hate saying it shoots better than my 600 dollar ruger but its the truth.