[28Shooter]

Okay, you fellas' are really starting to worry me. In the last few months, I've purchased two used, but unfired Marlins, an 1894C and a 338 MX. I haven't gotten them to the range yet due to my work schedule but from what I'm reading here, should I expect problems? Fit and finish appears to be good for recently made guns but now I'm concerned about function. I'll let you know how they do once I get them out to the range, but until then, what are your personal experiences with the newer guns?

 

[JohnnyLoco]

I'm not fond of the craftsmanship at all. They are equivalent to Ruger now. They function but the quality is in the gutter on many of them.

An example of the Ruger remark would be. You get one with a minimum cyl gap yet the grips look like hell or reverse.

 

[28Shooter]

My family were all machinists and I understand the slip in quality/craftsmanship compared to older guns. I have a Model 70 Winchester made in 1949 and there's no comparison to what they were building later. Smiths, Colts, Brownings, same way. I'm going to have to seriously start looking for older Marlins but they don't turn up much in the used racks in my neck of the woods.

 

[duster066]

It's a function of efficiency, and most makers are now building for efficiency. The truth be told modern manufacturing techniques can result in a better over all product line, and do so much faster. Serious deficiencies gun to gun will be fewer. The guns you older guys remember (the good ones) were all hand fit by craftsman, and the masses can't afford that anymore.

Also if you are lucky you can get a gun that is better than any craftsman can produce. If you get a perfect one (they do happen), you have a machine produced blueprinted gun, that will work exactly like the designer intended. That is only possible to do with the hands of an artist.

This is an edit: A good example appears to be the RIA 1911s. They are made in The Philippians and are surprisingly good guns, for the price they are hard to beat. I read an article on those guns a while back. The conclusions the writer drew to explain how a gun so cheap could work so well was that this company uses modern CNC machinery, and the crew knows how to use it. They make a good gun...cheap.

 

[MarkAD]

I bought a 1894C and it was hosed. Among issues would not take 9 rounds of 357. broken stock. unfinished welds/soldered joints, Front sight hood not fully installed. Abusive handling marks on screws. This was a new out of the box gun.
Marlin replaced it with no complaint. although they did lose a database and I had to call them to start the process again. It took about 6 weeks to get a new gun. I love the rifle. But I will be looking at older marlins from now on.

 

[28Shooter]

I bought a 1894C and it was hosed. Among issues would not take 9 rounds of 357. broken stock. unfinished welds/soldered joints, Front sight hood not fully installed. Abusive handling marks on screws. This was a new out of the box gun.
Marlin replaced it with no complaint. although they did lose a database and I had to call them to start the process again. It took about 6 weeks to get a new gun. I love the rifle. But I will be looking at older marlins from now on.

Man, sorry to hear about all the problems. I bought a new 1894C just before Christmas and didn't notice any of the quality control problems with mine. Same for my like-new used 338. I guess the proof will be in the pudding when I get a break and get them out to the range.

 

[Gaterskiner]

I have A 2009 1895 GS and I had A 2009 336 SS both are nice looking rifles with no real problems. The 1895 has A chipped hammer screw. They are not Remlins.

 

[bhale187]

Tough to find any used ones around here. I'd like to get a 357 or 44mag lever gun, was hoping it would be a marlin, but with the bad reports of new ones I may have to get one on gunbroker if I can't trade my ruger 10/22 for one here on the Wanted section.

 

[axxe55]

does Marlin still make a lever actioned rifle chambered in 44 mag.? or 357 mag? i wouldn't mind having one as i have a revolver in 44 mag. and it would be a good companion.

 

[bhale187]

does Marlin still make a lever actioned rifle chambered in 44 mag.? or 357 mag? i wouldn't mind having one as i have a revolver in 44 mag. and it would be a good companion.

They still list them on their website, and I've seen them listed for sale online, don't think they have stopped.

 

[28Shooter]

does Marlin still make a lever actioned rifle chambered in 44 mag.? or 357 mag? i wouldn't mind having one as i have a revolver in 44 mag. and it would be a good companion.

I bought a new 1894C in .357 just before Christmas. As Marlin pistol cartridge rifles are extremely hard to find new or used in my area I felt compelled to buy it.

 

[MarkAD]

I saw a 44 a the gun show yesterday. If I had not another gun on lawaway I would have though hard about buying it.

 

[Rooster59]

The more recently they were made the greater chance you may have an issue with them. Not saying they are all bad. Guns are like anything else. Fewer people publicly notify you of a great product that meets their expectations but let one guy get a crappy rifle............

That said, my wife got a JM stamped 1895G in November of 2010. It was built at Marlin just after Remington started their influence. It had issues that were solved with some action tuning style TLC. Now my wife thinks I am a genius gunsmith. I probably wouldn't have taken the effort to tune it if it hadn't been so rough cycling. So I am actually thankful it had a problem. It forced me to make an effort to try tuning one. Now I've done the same action job on a 336TS, 1894C, 1895CB, and even sought out info and did it on my Rossi M92 45LC.

When life gives you lemons....................

 

[duster066]

I'll forward a link to a good review. It needs a trigger job, but I'm other wise happy.
http://www.marlinforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=328

 

[Rooster59]

Annie and I visited the NRA Annual Meeting show floor yesterday. The Marlin booth displayed a short list of their actual catalog offerings, not to mention the 1895CB isn't even in the 2012 catalog.

Annie was really perturbed they didn't have an 1895G on display (her rifle). The 1895SBL she handled cycled very klunky. Even worse than the 2010 G model I had to tune up for her. Very disappointing. All I saw was 30-30, 45-70, and the 308MXLR.

The staff in the booth looked like they were nervous you would even try to talk to them. They were trying to look busy on their smart phones talking or texting. Their display was long on cowboy theme and short on substance.

Got to say that Rossi had about two dozen different levers on display. They all looked good and cycled nice. Just like my M92/45LC.

The new Henry 30-30 and 45-70 looked nice but all were in glass cases. Mr. Imperato was very personable. Something to be said for the president of the company not being afraid to be in the booth to answer customer questions. Not sure Remington even has a head guy at the moment.

 

[BodySnatcher]

I had a horror story with a 336w .30-30 at Christmas time. Note, I HAD. Marlin made it right. But it was pretty hard on my 13 year old who saved all year for his part of the cost to wait till the end of February for his gun to get back from the shop.

In its original 'new' condition it just wasn't safe. Lever and bolt weren't locking up, but it would still fire. How it left the factory I'll never know. But the gunsmith, did a great job, and its like butter now and functions correctly.

I am amazed how well that boy can shoot that gun now.

 

[Rooster59]

That must have been excruciating for your son Bodysnatcher. I would have hated to have been him!

 

[duster066]

I can feel your boys pain. My mom gave me my first COX airplane for Christmas when I was ten, an F4U Corsair. It ran once for about 30 seconds, and never ran again. It likely burned a glow plug but my step dad knew scissors and shampoo. I was crushed. She gave me another for my next birthday, a Red Baron tri-plane, and I made it a point to learn how they worked. I flew the crap out of that thing having the time of my young life. He'll never forget that disappointment, and it will make every shot he takes that much more fun.

 

[mwest479]

Hello . new member here. Joined yesterday. I picked up this 1975 .30 cal. for $225. Cleaned but not been to the range yet. Rifle does not appear to have been used much. Never owned a lever before.

 

[hombre243]

Mid 2012 I think, I bought a 336W W/S 30-30. I never owned a lever gun but I always wanted one. That would have been my hog gun when I moved to Texas but I didn't get to stay long enough to test it on hogs. But I did shoot it a lot and it never failed me, and was very accurate, some say more accurate that a lever gun is supposed to be: appx 1.5" at 100 yards. And that was before I had eye surgery.

All that for this...I don't even know when Remington took over and I don't know if it was an older new gun. But it was perfect in all respects and if I had not needed rent money when I came back to Iowa I would not have sold it. Now I have a non-Marlin 3030 lever gun and it sucks. Well, after having experiencing perfection nothing else compares. I don't really need a lever gun but, I wanted another one so I went in a different direction.

My advice; stick with the Marlin. They have more experience building lever guns, and also fixin em than about any other company.