Hunting 44 mag rifle?

[Obturation]

If you believe this, then I recommend against buying used Marlins from the mid 70’s through the mid 80’s. ‘Cuz they’re making better fit and finish stuff today than they did for about that entire decade.

I dont know, ive seen horrors from marlin - and yes, recent production. Cant match barrel to reciever finish even remotely close, wood fit by a beaver, tooling marks everywhere inside. I thought they were getting better but was sadly disappointed, want that 1895 trapper but i wont buy anything from them sight unseen. Sad, loved marlin. Hope they come back, im sure something decent comes out of there now and then but fact is trash rolls out of there still.

 

[Varminterror]

And I have a ‘75 336 in my safe with different colored stocks, different colored barrel and receiver, and a bolt that sticks out from the receiver about 1/8” when fully in battery. An ‘82 1894 with the same bolt protrusion (and an 1894SS I forget the vintage, something in 90’s with the same), and a forend fit bad enough it wiggles. My uncle’s ‘62 1894 shipped with the wrong forend wood - barrel band wood on a tip cap rifle, but instead of fixing it, he wrapped tape to hold it on...

They might still send out a lemon here and there, but they always have.

Touch it before you accept the transfer, pretty simple.

 

[ChanceMcCall]

If you believe this, then I recommend against buying used Marlins from the mid 70’s through the mid 80’s. ‘Cuz they’re making better fit and finish stuff today than they did for about that entire decade.

OK. We obviously have a difference of opinion, so I will lay out why I made that statement. First, in full disclosure, every Marlin I own, except one, and one I used to own are 1971 or earlier vintage. So, I have no ownership experience with the newer guns made by "Remlin". So, what am I basing the statement on?

First, a local gun store that used to be very enthusiastic about Marlins has quit carrying the guns because he felt compelled to send every one that came in back based on his inspections of the guns. I actually participated in a couple of those inspections and certainly concurred. I should disclose the rejections were based on fit and finish and working the actions only, and that the guns examined were all lever actions.

Second, I did examine a 39A from the relocated Marlin at the Shot Show several years ago at the Marlin booth, as did a number of others I know and trust. It was horrible in fit and finish. The quality of the wood was substantially lower as well.

Third, I belong to the Marlin Firearms Collectors Association, which is a pretty serious pro Marlin group. While the association is not going to go on record with anything negative about current products, the quality of both current and recent production are regularly discussed, and not very favorably, by many of the members.

I have had one experience with new Remingtons which now owns Marlin. I bought a brand new 1100 Classic Trap. It took two trips to factory service to even get it to even get through a box of shells. I sold it for a loss with less than 200 shells through it with some of the bluing chipping off. (I didn't even know blue would chip.)

Finally, I am well aware that the quality control at Marlin during their last few years, was sometimes not acceptable. Most knowledgeable Marlin owners won't buy any lever actions new enough to have cross bolt safeties (1983).

Now, I have to admit I have no qualifications or experience to comment on any Marlin if it isn't a lever action. So, nothing I write has anything to do with any of their other guns.

 

[Obturation]

I have an 1897 marlin (1906 built) perfect fit and finish. A 39 (1954 built) exceptional quality. A 336 (2004 ) reasonable, wood isnt fantastic but blueing is good and the wood fits well. I went to buy a 1895 guide gun 2 years ago, every single one i touched was dumpster grade. The best of 6 i looked at had horrible tooling marks inside, a slightly canted barrel and you could fit maybe 5 business cards between the stock and reciever. Unreal how bad. I keep an eye on them when i see them on the rack, ill be honest i havent seen a decent remlin yet. I know many guys have gotten good ones but when the barrel is glossy black and the reciever is matte blue its just plain wrong. Im in no way a marlin hater, actually the opposite- i love the design. Just wish i could find one that was ok. My personal opinion of remington (modern freedom group) couldnt really be lower. From their junk pistols to model 700s that the drilled and tapped holes protrude into the chambers and infinite other horrors ive seen first hand. I got a box of remington umc 45 acp with a bullet loaded backwards somehow and several in that box that were very undercharged. Ill keep looking but i have little faith.

 

[Varminterror]

Imagine that, our collectors association assigning greater value to their older items....

Yet another non-owner talking about one rifle they saw on a shelf... yup. Done here.

 

[ChanceMcCall]

Imagine that, our collectors association assigning greater value to their older items....

Yet another non-owner talking about one rifle they saw on a shelf... yup. Done here.

Hey. I'm open to being corrected, but not to be insulted. The fact that I and other Marlin collectors have found the older guns better made than the newer ones has nothing to do with what we already own. As I wrote I have owned two newer Marlins - a stainless steel .44 magnum which I still own which I had a gunsmith bring up to snuff, and a .45 Long Colt I used for SASS matches which also needed considerable gunsmithing to make it right. I also own 14 older Marlin lever guns that have never given me any concerns on fit and finish, operational function, or accuracy.

As to Marlins made by Remington, I clearly disclosed there was no ownership, just careful inspection of fit and finish and operational function. None of the guns examined met the standards we had come to expect in a gun marked Marlin. We didn't need to own them to observe the poor cycling of the actions or the lousy wood or the poor fit and finish.

I get the dislike of internet commandos who read someone else's opinion and parrot it without knowing what they are talking about or about the qualifications of the OP whose views they plagiarize to make them "experts". I don't fit there and I try very hard to only offer information as fact that I have the experience and expertise to evaluate and offer. I would think the differences would be easy to spot.

Now. For what it is worth, in the last year, some of the Marlin lever guns coming off the line have much improved fit and finish over guns made since 2005. They should all be the same, but they aren't. Frankly, it puzzles me and many others whose expertise I respect because Remlin has invested in new and more modern capital equipment that should eliminate variations in production the old hand fitting couldn't. Notice I said some better guns were happening, but not all or even the majority.

 

[Obturation]

As to Marlins made by Remington, I clearly disclosed there was no ownership, just careful inspection of fit and finish and operational function.

Yeah, really tough to come to own something i wouldnt be willing to pay money for. Not sure how that would work.

I'm open to being corrected, but not to be insulted.

Some people just like to throw stones, im fine with that and just dont validate them with a response. Especially when i know what has been true in my experience, im open minded and have no dog in this specific debate and if i did it would be marlin. Ill usually just take satisfaction knowing that i dont need anyone to think im right, makes no difference to me and hasnt since i was too young to know the difference. All i can say is i wish marlin would come back.