Give me a reason to not buy a new Marlin

Tony Z · July 17, 2020, 11:42 AM

First, I have several vintage Marlins (a 35 year old 39 and a 50 year old 336), but earlier this week, I stopped at a gun shop and was looking over a variety of guns. The Marlin Model 95 caught my eye, one was a pistol grip, blued steel, in .444 and .45-70 and the other was the octagon barrel in .45-70.

I already have a Ruger #1 in .45-70, but there's always room for one more.

Anyhow, the build quality on the rifles I handled was better than good, with excellent wood fit, action was a bit tight (expected) and the triggers a bit heavy. Quibbles? Bluing on the 35 with a pistol grip seemed a bit light, but the octagon barreled 95 had nicer bluing (had a spot of rust, which was concerning, on the barrel, but could have been from a number of people handling the gun).

Both calibers had Ballard rifling, 1-20 twist. Opinions?

std7mag · July 17, 2020, 12:13 PM

Because Henry is still building rifles...

45-70 will definitely kill some game!

FrankenMauser · July 17, 2020, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Give me a reason to not buy a new Marlin

There are plenty of used ones out there, available broken-in and at a discount.

New ones...
Levers have sharp edges, actions are stiff and rough, receivers have ugly barcodes, some screws haven't had bad batches phased out and are still brittle (bad heat treat), and Remington's customer service sucks (aside from the fact that the whole conglomerate is a mess right now, due to the bankruptcy). And Remington's greed has run Marlin into the ground.

If you can live with that, go for it. They are not the garbage heaps that Remington was kicking out 10 years ago, just fairly decent rifles with some annoyances ...backed by a bunch of sell-outs that are burning the company to the ground.

*Yes, I have owned post-buyout Marlins. About half a dozen of them. I am not some unnecessarily biased idiot, parroting what I've read on the internet. I might buy a 336. I would not buy a 444 or 1895. But the better deals are in the dimly lit corner of the store. You're better off browsing the used gun racks.

jmr40 · July 17, 2020, 02:56 PM

The 1st guns produced after Remington took over had some issues. By all accounts the more recent guns are just fine quality wise. If that is your only criteria then buy one.

Quote:

Give me a reason to not buy a new Marlin

Maybe ticky tac, but Marlin has tweaked their stock design and shape over the years. Personally there are only a handful made after the mid 1970's that I care for. But even then it is hard to know an exact manufacture date to find the ones with a decent stock.

Virtually all of the new ones, and many of the old ones look like a pregnant cow and all of that extra wood makes them much heavier than they should be. Many Marlin 30-30's are heavier than my old 300WM.

During other years the stocks are trim and light, much more like the Winchester 94. Those are the only Marlins I'm interested in and you'll have to go used to find one.

I'd pass on 444 and 45-70 too. The 444 isn't a significant step up over 30-30. It just a 44 magnum shooting the same bullets a little faster.

If you handload 45-70 has 3 levels of power. The lower level is safe for any rifle, but is a step down compared to 30-30. The mid-power levels are safe in the lever actions and are suitable for bigger game like elk, moose or bear. But offer recoil exceeding 375 mag while not offering any advantage over a 30-06 class cartridge. You'll see a lot of guys who will claim they are getting near 458 WM power from a 45-70 lever rifle. I guess it depends on how you define "near". You're still shooting a bullet 100 gr lighter and 200 fps slower than 458.

The top end loads are safe for your single shot and most bolt action rifles. Now you're getting closer to 458 power. But the best it will do is a 400 gr bullet at about the same speed as a 500 gr bullet from a 458.

That said, the one with an octagon barrel might tempt me. Not for the 45-70 performance, but just because I like the rifle. And IIRC those may have the trimmer wood on the stock.

PatientWolf · July 17, 2020, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Give me a reason to not buy a new Marlin

You summed it all up right here:

Quote:

The Marlin Model 95 caught my eye, one was a pistol grip, blued steel, in .444 and .45-70 and the other was the octagon barrel in .45-70.

It’s obvious you shouldn’t buy “a” new Marlin when you could buy two like these.

SIGSHR · July 17, 2020, 09:44 PM

I will not buy a Marlin with that safety added. The safety on all my firearms is behind the eyes and between the ears.

jimku · July 27, 2020, 01:46 PM

The only Marlin lever gun I own is my 1894P 44 mag that was only made 2000 - 2002. It is a just lovely little gun, very high quality, extremely accurate, smooth action and nice trigger. It has a 16" ported barrel, short and extremely handy. I have no idea why Marlin stopped offering this gun because it is the best woods / brush gun I can even imagine. .

This doubles as my bug-out gun. I know that to many of you I have sinned and will go to hell, but I put a 3 -9 Leupold on it ... in QUICK-DETACH military grade LEVER mounts ... I can remove that scope in about 3 seconds, put it back on in another 3 seconds, and it holds zero perfectly. On 3 power it has a great field of view and gathers light wonderfully, and on max power I can consistently DRILL pop cans at 100 yards. So ... if you are a perp in a firefight with me, do NOT stick your head up!

.

Ruga Booga · July 27, 2020, 02:02 PM

Post #4- "I'd pass on 444 and 45-70 too. The 444 isn't a significant step up over 30-30. It just a 44 magnum shooting the same bullets a little faster."

Not a significant step up??? Have you ever shot a 444 Marlin? This is pure opinion, completely void of fact. Look up the ballistics and see for yourself

jimku · July 27, 2020, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruga Booga

I'd pass on 444 and 45-70 too. The 444 isn't a significant step up over 30-30. It just a 44 magnum shooting the same bullets a little faster."

Not a significant step up??? Have you ever shot a 444 Marlin? This is pure opinion, completely void of fact. Look up the ballistics and see for yourself

If in griz country, I will pick either a 444 or a 45-70 over a 30-30 every day of the week! NO COMPARISON. I would even pick my little 1894P 44mag loaded with Buffalo Bore bear rounds over a 30-30.

Reloadron · August 13, 2020, 09:59 AM

My wife bought me a Marlin 444 maybe 25 years ago. Served its purpose well using it for deer in West Virginia. It gave me a slight edge over my little Ruger 44 Carbine but the reality is all my shots were inside 100 yards so that likely negated any added range. Anyway, I liked the cartridge but do not recommend shooting it on a summer day wearing only a T Shirt.

Still have the gun:

Consider a clean used one if that's what you decide.

Ron

Tony Z · August 13, 2020, 11:19 AM

I've looked multiple times at the new ones, and could not pull the trigger! I will say that the Marlins currently on the rack, look (externally) better than those of a few years ago. What I was looking were the 1895 (I believe that is what your .444 is), with bluing a bit deeper and the receiver polished better before bluing. I'm indifferent to the safety, as a replacement plug can be readily had and easily installed.

I already have several other Marlins (39 and a 336) with the 39 circa 1980 and the 336 circa 1970. I just have a bug for either the 444 or 45-70, so I'll keep looking on Gun Broker!

FrankenMauser · August 13, 2020, 12:10 PM

That is a Model 444P, otherwise known as the 444 "Outfitter". It is obvious to some people, but not to others, that the P is for "Ported". It was the Model 444 equivalent of something between an 1895 Trapper and an 1895 Guide Gun. They are well loved by people that are not recoil or muzzle blast sensitive. They are very hated by people that are sensitive to one or both.
Often imitated in a more 'friendly' form by chopping standard 444s, but not porting the barrel. (I built something similar, myself, but stopped short of porting once I realized I might be suppressing it. - Which I eventually did.)

The 444 was Marlin's flagship rifle from 1964 to 2008. They typically put the best stocks and best employees on 444 assembly and finishing.

Nice rifle, Reloadron. I had a very nice 2008 for a time, but ended up passing that gem on to another owner once my custom 444 was done.

--

Evolution, in the smokeless cartridge era:
1893 -> 1936 -> 36 -> 336 -> 444 -> 1895 -> MXLR

1895s are 1895s.

444s are 444s.
...Except for the first year, when the initial production run was marked "336-444 Magnum". Though, 336-44 Magnum rifles are often stamped with an additional, awkwardly-inserted '4' for a similar marking, when converted to .444 Marlin.
And, except for the initial production run from Remington's reintroduction of .444 Marlin, which were marked and sold as "Model 1895 in .444 Marlin".

The Model 444 was derived from the 336, and is essentially just a 336 with some additional milling.
When Marlin decided to create a model that could handle .45-70, they turned to the Model 444 receiver, cut even more metal out of it, milled an ugly cut so the antiquated .45-70 rim could be ejected, reduced reliability by cutting a slot in the operating arm on the finger lever, and called it the "New Model 1895". This is Marlin's weakest centerfire receiver.

When .450 Marlin was in development, they realized that the safety margin for the cartridge could not be maintained with the standard Marlin square barrel/receiver threads. So, they went to a V-thread for that cartridge.

The XLR rifles and Marlin Express chamberings are a little bit of a hybridization.
They use different heat treat on the receiver appropriate for each cartridge, respectively, but may or may not have an 1895 lever and any version with an MX cartridge will have the V threads developed for .450 Marlin. The MX cartridges also have bespoke cartridge lifters, because they didn't get along with the generic lifters that Marlin was using for everything else while those rifles and cartridges were in development.

Tony Z · August 13, 2020, 04:28 PM

Thanks FrankenMauser! Very good and helpful info!

stagpanther · August 16, 2020, 07:47 AM

I bought a new 336 30-30 a couple of years ago and I thought it was well made and machining looks very good, only minor quibble is the new wood doesn't look as good as a vintage stock--but I didn't expect that anyway. I have a newer Henry big boy in 45-70 with the longer octagonal barrel; it's a bit on the heavy side, but it can handle full-power big boy loads and send them out there with authority. I was deliberating between a shorter trapper style 45-70 and the longer barrel--but when I took a look at the ballistics potential decided the extra length/weight was the way to go to be able to reach out greater distances.

ilmonster · August 16, 2020, 09:07 AM

I have both an 1894C (in .357) that was of Marlin manufacture (2005 or 2006), and an 1895 that was made by Remington a few years ago. One wouldn't be able to say one is better quality than the other. The Remlin made 1895 like the ones you saw has straight sights, good wood to metal fit, a smooth action, etc. I have close to 400 rounds through it and couldn't be happier.

Only mod's are a Limbsaver recoil pad I fit myself and also added a Wild West trigger as the stock one was a bit stiff. I also have a Henry (H009 CCH) and like it too. Wouldn't get rid of any of them. Like the two Marlins, and also like the Henry. Let us know what you ultimately decide on!

COSteve · August 16, 2020, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmr40

Maybe ticky tac, but Marlin has tweaked their stock design and shape over the years. Personally there are only a handful made after the mid 1970's that I care for. But even then it is hard to know an exact manufacture date to find the ones with a decent stock.

Virtually all of the new ones, and many of the old ones look like a pregnant cow and all of that extra wood makes them much heavier than they should be. Many Marlin 30-30's are heavier than my old 300WM.

During other years the stocks are trim and light, much more like the Winchester 94. Those are the only Marlins I'm interested in and you'll have to go used to find one.

Spot On. Absolutely This!!

TXAZ · August 16, 2020, 10:58 AM

There are no reasons not to buy (another) gun in these times, where the caliber is less important than the weapon.

FrankenMauser · August 16, 2020, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Maybe ticky tac, but Marlin has tweaked their stock design and shape over the years. Personally there are only a handful made after the mid 1970's that I care for. But even then it is hard to know an exact manufacture date to find the ones with a decent stock.

Butt stocks have had the same shape since 1936 (except on '66-'72 Model 444s and squishy-pad 1895s). You have to go to the 1893 to find a slimmer butt stock.

Fore-ends, however, have varied over the years and on different models. But, even then, it's pretty much only the tip-cap models that got the pregnant cow. Unless you go back to the Model 1936 / 36, the 336 family of actions has had very, very few fat barrel band fore-ends since 1947 (last year of the Model 36).

Whatever your preference may be...
Marlins are the AR-15 of the levergat world. Everything is plug-and-play, or close to it. If you don't like the pregnant cow on a certain model, you can get the slimmer fore-stock from a different model (with same fore-end arrangement) and put it on the rifle in a matter of minutes.

Right now, the most popular swap for a slim fore-stock are 'waffle top' deluxe model stocks from Numrich. Marlin's wood supply, staining, and finishing were extremely consistent, and the deluxe model's wood even nicer. So, even if the stocks come from different rifles, they usually match very well.

Obambulate · August 16, 2020, 07:37 PM

Because why is a gun named for a fish?

Tony Z · August 17, 2020, 11:06 AM

As the OP of this thread, I should give my reasons for looking at a new Marlin (yes, I have several vintage, but what I have is not what I want!). When I started hunting 55 years ago (doesn't seem that long ago, but it is!), I used an uncle's 336 in 35 Remington. When he passed, a brother-in-law of his claimed that 336 for one of his sons, that did not hunt or shoot. Anyhow, I watched Gun Broker for at least three years, and not one 336 has come up that looks similar. Now the new Marlin 1895, with a pistol grip butt stock and wide forestock, with tip-cap does! The bluing and metal is no where polished to the 336 was that I hunted with, but I would not be opposed to buying a gun and having more work done on it. I'm actually thinking that if I do buy one, it will go to Doug Turnbull for deep rust bluing on barrel and the received, as well as getting rid of the cross safety, a bit of adding some red color to the stock and some slicking up of the action.

There you have it! I'll probably spend a couple of grand on it (if I do buy one), but, I'm figuring it will end up as something my two grandsons will fight over who gets it!

FrankenMauser · August 17, 2020, 12:21 PM

It sounds like what you're looking for is a late '50s / early '60s Model 336A.

They show up on auction sites very regularly and you can usually find at least one (among the dozens of other Marlins) in a decent size metropolitan area or city. Whether it will be .35 Rem or .30-30 is a coin flip. But if you keep flipping that coin, it will eventually land in your favor.

ilmonster · August 18, 2020, 08:30 AM

Yup, your grandsons will certainly fight over a Turnbull 1895! Those are beautiful firearms. Great choice!

jetinteriorguy · August 19, 2020, 06:17 AM

A reason not to get a new Marlin, Henry now makes side loading gate models.

3Crows · August 19, 2020, 09:59 AM

I have six Marlin rifles, four JM and two REP, actually seven including my 39A Mountie. I have found no issue with the two REP and factually they vie with one another for my all time favorites. As to Henry, just do not care for them, I do not need to justify my preferences, they have their own issues with QC and I prefer what I am most familiar with and know how to tune, maintain and shoot. As with any firearm purchase, look over the individual rifle and educate yourself on what to look for.

Tony Z · August 19, 2020, 12:00 PM

I've got Henrys, I've got Marlins, I got Winchesters and I got a Rossi. Side loading gate is nice, but not a show stopper. I have a specific style I'm looking for, and if I find it vintage JM, great. If I have to go new, well, it can be made to work, if there are issues.

July 17, 2020, 12:13 PM	#2
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	Because Henry is still building rifles... 45-70 will definitely kill some game! __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

July 27, 2020, 01:46 PM	#7
jimku Junior member Join Date: January 2, 2017 Posts: 291	The only Marlin lever gun I own is my 1894P 44 mag that was only made 2000 - 2002. It is a just lovely little gun, very high quality, extremely accurate, smooth action and nice trigger. It has a 16" ported barrel, short and extremely handy. I have no idea why Marlin stopped offering this gun because it is the best woods / brush gun I can even imagine. . This doubles as my bug-out gun. I know that to many of you I have sinned and will go to hell, but I put a 3 -9 Leupold on it ... in QUICK-DETACH military grade LEVER mounts ... I can remove that scope in about 3 seconds, put it back on in another 3 seconds, and it holds zero perfectly. On 3 power it has a great field of view and gathers light wonderfully, and on max power I can consistently DRILL pop cans at 100 yards. So ... if you are a perp in a firefight with me, do NOT stick your head up! . Last edited by jimku; July 27, 2020 at 02:13 PM.

July 27, 2020, 02:02 PM	#8
Ruga Booga Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2017 Location: SE Kansas Posts: 116	Post #4- "I'd pass on 444 and 45-70 too. The 444 isn't a significant step up over 30-30. It just a 44 magnum shooting the same bullets a little faster." Not a significant step up??? Have you ever shot a 444 Marlin? This is pure opinion, completely void of fact. Look up the ballistics and see for yourself Last edited by Ruga Booga; July 27, 2020 at 06:09 PM.

August 13, 2020, 12:10 PM	#12
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	That is a Model 444P, otherwise known as the 444 "Outfitter". It is obvious to some people, but not to others, that the P is for "Ported". It was the Model 444 equivalent of something between an 1895 Trapper and an 1895 Guide Gun. They are well loved by people that are not recoil or muzzle blast sensitive. They are very hated by people that are sensitive to one or both. Often imitated in a more 'friendly' form by chopping standard 444s, but not porting the barrel. (I built something similar, myself, but stopped short of porting once I realized I might be suppressing it. - Which I eventually did.) The 444 was Marlin's flagship rifle from 1964 to 2008. They typically put the best stocks and best employees on 444 assembly and finishing. Nice rifle, Reloadron. I had a very nice 2008 for a time, but ended up passing that gem on to another owner once my custom 444 was done. -- Evolution, in the smokeless cartridge era: 1893 -> 1936 -> 36 -> 336 -> 444 -> 1895 -> MXLR 1895s are 1895s. 444s are 444s. ...Except for the first year, when the initial production run was marked "336-444 Magnum". Though, 336-44 Magnum rifles are often stamped with an additional, awkwardly-inserted '4' for a similar marking, when converted to .444 Marlin. And, except for the initial production run from Remington's reintroduction of .444 Marlin, which were marked and sold as "Model 1895 in .444 Marlin". The Model 444 was derived from the 336, and is essentially just a 336 with some additional milling. When Marlin decided to create a model that could handle .45-70, they turned to the Model 444 receiver, cut even more metal out of it, milled an ugly cut so the antiquated .45-70 rim could be ejected, reduced reliability by cutting a slot in the operating arm on the finger lever, and called it the "New Model 1895". This is Marlin's weakest centerfire receiver. When .450 Marlin was in development, they realized that the safety margin for the cartridge could not be maintained with the standard Marlin square barrel/receiver threads. So, they went to a V-thread for that cartridge. The XLR rifles and Marlin Express chamberings are a little bit of a hybridization. They use different heat treat on the receiver appropriate for each cartridge, respectively, but may or may not have an 1895 lever and any version with an MX cartridge will have the V threads developed for .450 Marlin. The MX cartridges also have bespoke cartridge lifters, because they didn't get along with the generic lifters that Marlin was using for everything else while those rifles and cartridges were in development. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe. Last edited by FrankenMauser; August 13, 2020 at 12:15 PM.

August 16, 2020, 07:47 AM	#14
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,784	I bought a new 336 30-30 a couple of years ago and I thought it was well made and machining looks very good, only minor quibble is the new wood doesn't look as good as a vintage stock--but I didn't expect that anyway. I have a newer Henry big boy in 45-70 with the longer octagonal barrel; it's a bit on the heavy side, but it can handle full-power big boy loads and send them out there with authority. I was deliberating between a shorter trapper style 45-70 and the longer barrel--but when I took a look at the ballistics potential decided the extra length/weight was the way to go to be able to reach out greater distances. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

July 17, 2020, 11:42 AM	#1
Tony Z Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2013 Location: North Central Pennsyltucky Posts: 749	Give me a reason to not buy a new Marlin First, I have several vintage Marlins (a 35 year old 39 and a 50 year old 336), but earlier this week, I stopped at a gun shop and was looking over a variety of guns. The Marlin Model 95 caught my eye, one was a pistol grip, blued steel, in .444 and .45-70 and the other was the octagon barrel in .45-70. I already have a Ruger #1 in .45-70, but there's always room for one more. Anyhow, the build quality on the rifles I handled was better than good, with excellent wood fit, action was a bit tight (expected) and the triggers a bit heavy. Quibbles? Bluing on the 35 with a pistol grip seemed a bit light, but the octagon barreled 95 had nicer bluing (had a spot of rust, which was concerning, on the barrel, but could have been from a number of people handling the gun). Both calibers had Ballard rifling, 1-20 twist. Opinions?

July 17, 2020, 09:44 PM	#6
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	I will not buy a Marlin with that safety added. The safety on all my firearms is behind the eyes and between the ears.

August 13, 2020, 09:59 AM	#10
Reloadron Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2016 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Suburbs Posts: 1,750	My wife bought me a Marlin 444 maybe 25 years ago. Served its purpose well using it for deer in West Virginia. It gave me a slight edge over my little Ruger 44 Carbine but the reality is all my shots were inside 100 yards so that likely negated any added range. Anyway, I liked the cartridge but do not recommend shooting it on a summer day wearing only a T Shirt. Still have the gun: Consider a clean used one if that's what you decide. Ron

August 13, 2020, 11:19 AM	#11
Tony Z Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2013 Location: North Central Pennsyltucky Posts: 749	I've looked multiple times at the new ones, and could not pull the trigger! I will say that the Marlins currently on the rack, look (externally) better than those of a few years ago. What I was looking were the 1895 (I believe that is what your .444 is), with bluing a bit deeper and the receiver polished better before bluing. I'm indifferent to the safety, as a replacement plug can be readily had and easily installed. I already have several other Marlins (39 and a 336) with the 39 circa 1980 and the 336 circa 1970. I just have a bug for either the 444 or 45-70, so I'll keep looking on Gun Broker!

August 13, 2020, 04:28 PM	#13
Tony Z Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2013 Location: North Central Pennsyltucky Posts: 749	Thanks FrankenMauser! Very good and helpful info!

August 16, 2020, 09:07 AM	#15
ilmonster Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 180	I have both an 1894C (in .357) that was of Marlin manufacture (2005 or 2006), and an 1895 that was made by Remington a few years ago. One wouldn't be able to say one is better quality than the other. The Remlin made 1895 like the ones you saw has straight sights, good wood to metal fit, a smooth action, etc. I have close to 400 rounds through it and couldn't be happier. Only mod's are a Limbsaver recoil pad I fit myself and also added a Wild West trigger as the stock one was a bit stiff. I also have a Henry (H009 CCH) and like it too. Wouldn't get rid of any of them. Like the two Marlins, and also like the Henry. Let us know what you ultimately decide on!

August 16, 2020, 10:58 AM	#17
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	There are no reasons not to buy (another) gun in these times, where the caliber is less important than the weapon. __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes

August 16, 2020, 07:37 PM	#19
Obambulate Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2011 Posts: 582	Because why is a gun named for a fish?

August 17, 2020, 11:06 AM	#20
Tony Z Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2013 Location: North Central Pennsyltucky Posts: 749	As the OP of this thread, I should give my reasons for looking at a new Marlin (yes, I have several vintage, but what I have is not what I want!). When I started hunting 55 years ago (doesn't seem that long ago, but it is!), I used an uncle's 336 in 35 Remington. When he passed, a brother-in-law of his claimed that 336 for one of his sons, that did not hunt or shoot. Anyhow, I watched Gun Broker for at least three years, and not one 336 has come up that looks similar. Now the new Marlin 1895, with a pistol grip butt stock and wide forestock, with tip-cap does! The bluing and metal is no where polished to the 336 was that I hunted with, but I would not be opposed to buying a gun and having more work done on it. I'm actually thinking that if I do buy one, it will go to Doug Turnbull for deep rust bluing on barrel and the received, as well as getting rid of the cross safety, a bit of adding some red color to the stock and some slicking up of the action. There you have it! I'll probably spend a couple of grand on it (if I do buy one), but, I'm figuring it will end up as something my two grandsons will fight over who gets it!

August 17, 2020, 12:21 PM	#21
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	It sounds like what you're looking for is a late '50s / early '60s Model 336A. They show up on auction sites very regularly and you can usually find at least one (among the dozens of other Marlins) in a decent size metropolitan area or city. Whether it will be .35 Rem or .30-30 is a coin flip. But if you keep flipping that coin, it will eventually land in your favor. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

August 18, 2020, 08:30 AM	#22
ilmonster Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 180	Yup, your grandsons will certainly fight over a Turnbull 1895! Those are beautiful firearms. Great choice!

August 19, 2020, 06:17 AM	#23
jetinteriorguy Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2013 Posts: 3,175	A reason not to get a new Marlin, Henry now makes side loading gate models.

August 19, 2020, 09:59 AM	#24
3Crows Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2017 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 220	I have six Marlin rifles, four JM and two REP, actually seven including my 39A Mountie. I have found no issue with the two REP and factually they vie with one another for my all time favorites. As to Henry, just do not care for them, I do not need to justify my preferences, they have their own issues with QC and I prefer what I am most familiar with and know how to tune, maintain and shoot. As with any firearm purchase, look over the individual rifle and educate yourself on what to look for.

August 19, 2020, 12:00 PM	#25
Tony Z Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2013 Location: North Central Pennsyltucky Posts: 749	I've got Henrys, I've got Marlins, I got Winchesters and I got a Rossi. Side loading gate is nice, but not a show stopper. I have a specific style I'm looking for, and if I find it vintage JM, great. If I have to go new, well, it can be made to work, if there are issues.