[shootrj2003]

I generally only buy real Marlins,for two reasons,1 is quality,2 is history,my third pieve is because Remington nearly destroyed the Marlin brand , they put a whole factory of trained Marlin guys out of work,they could have kept operations right there and kept the Marlin factory running just as is with all its faults and also it’s positives,but 5hey moved it putting Marlin guys out of a job,but then ran a brand into the ground AND putting a whole bunch of guys who thought THEY had a job out of work too,when they could not even make thier guns right.I’ll bet all the management guys left with a golden parachute too. Labor got screwed,the product got screwed and Marlin guys have to pay three times as much for Marlins now! I got a grudge,I’m Union too.

 

[shootrj2003]

I’m not sure how real Ruger Marlins will be unless they figure a way to produce for more reasonable price,how many guys today can afford how many Marlins at Rugers price? JM Marlins sold a lot,because they were affordable,even then layaway was how I bought.That in consequence caused used Marlins to go up,unsure why ? A reasonable priced rifle these days is a plastic piece of trash.

 

[shootrj2003]

JM is the proof mark of the original Kenna family owned real Marlin company,everyone thought thier production and factory was out dated but they seem to have been the only ones that could produce well made ,good looking,Marlin rifles with real walnut stocks at prices that could be realistic to the regular working guy. Remington tried to destroy thier reputation ,then shot themselves in the head,and Ruger only makes them with laminated stocks ,only 45/70 and at prices three times what the real Marlin made them for,Most guys I feel want a simple ,no frills well made lever in a variety of calibers,with maybe real wood ,at a working man’s price,not a collectors price.

 

[shootrj2003]

It is a puzzlement.

 

[shootrj2003]

They didnt sell because they had to,they sold because no family member wanted to run it( Kennas) all they needed was a good business head.The prices on Marlins did not go up from inflation alone,they started going up with Remingtons acquisition,somebody had to pay for the new machinery,even if the operators could not run them right.I believe JM Marlins were cheaper because the machines were paid for years ago but the longtime operators knew how to run them and how to build Marlins.every curve and cut was handed down ,sometimes from father to son.there is probably a little extra padding on the price above and beyond the inflation and new machines too.the JMmarlins I looked at for sale were mostly pretty nice rifles,well fit,well made ,with straight sights ,nicely finished,even if it was Marshield,I kinda know,I was back in time!