Why have lever action rifles in particular seen such a price increase?

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ATCDoktor said:
With respect to the increase in Marlin levergun prices, when Remington (who manufactured Marlins) went bankrupt and was parted out and sold off, Marlins were no longer being manufactured.

The fact that they were no longer being manufactured coupled with "perceived" scarcity of the older ones (because individuals weren't selling them) drove the prices through the roof.

Since the sell off of all Remington's assets, Ruger bought the Marlin name and all the tooling and has begun manufacturing the model 1895 chambered in 45/70 (in a couple of versions) with a stainless finish and has stated that other models, calibers, finishes (but not all) will be built in the future; all will most probably have an MSRP of over $1000 (double what I could get a new Remington built Marlin 1895 pre covid).

Edited to add:

I bought this Marlin 336Y with 16” barrel and laminated stock from my LGS 3 months before Remington closed its doors.
View attachment 1100543

It sat in the store for almost a year with no takers and when they finally marked it down to $300 I bought it.

Back then everything had to be 6.5 something or it wasn’t gonna get sold.
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Sweet buy indeed! :thumbup:

I wanted one of those 336Y Spike Horn models for quite a while to be a SxS scabbard gun, but I never did buy one. Now I am kicking myself every time I see the prices being asked for them. :(

Stay safe.
 
GooseGestapo said:
Bought gasoline or diesel fuel lately?

The day Joe Biden was inaugurated,
I paid $1.67/gal for unleaded 87octane regular. Today it was $3.34gal. Exactly double, but down from $4.57gal at peak.


It’s not that the guns have gotten expensive, it’s that the currency has lost value.
Click to expand...
Two weeks ago here in Ca.
Filled about 2/3 of my F350’s tank for $175.00.
Six months ago $175.00 was 1/2 tank.
B7A7F89F-15E8-4610-92F3-01A48610E451.jpeg

Gun and ammo prices here are just as outrageous.

Stay safe.
 
Probably for the same reason Bolt action Rifles have increased in price ; Lack of them being made , at affordable prices anyway . The Black Rifles and their modular platform have become the dominant contender now days .

I haven't seen Diesel for $0.14 a gallon in decades nor Gas for $ 0.22.5 a gallon . Yet when I was in HS ,that's what I PAID ,in SoCal no less !. Yesterday is an Old Day Now ,as the song goes .
 
Here in Ohio I haven't noticed lever actions being any higher than other firearms price increases. My guess for the reason is Ohio changed the deer hunting laws to allow straight walled cartridges back in 2014. Almost overnight pistol caliber lever actions doubled in price locally, and then very quickly 30-30's and rimfire's followed suit (especially the pre-Remington Marlins). They had just begun to start come back down in 2020 when panic buying brought all gun prices up again. In this state we've been paying more for lever actions for a while now.
 
Doug444 said:
Um, not to mention I don't recall a lever gun has been included in any of the anti's attempts to ban anything (except in Australia - go figure) despite the recent predilection to "tacti-cool" them. Keep that up and watch them be the next "evil rifle".
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That’s because the government doesn’t want to play “Cowboys and Politicians”. :rofl:
 
Goosey said:
New Winchesters are not all that expensive in perspective, a new '94 carbine is $1300 MSRP, typically less in the store (if you can find one). When it came out in 1890s a Winchester '94 was 1-2 week's wages, if you had a decent job. And the new Winchesters are very well-made.
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Except they have that godawful safety. That would be a hard pass from me at half the price
 
What, exactly is wrong with the Henry's? They may not look like Winchester's or Marlin's exactly[except their 1860 Original]. I have two, a .357 and .45 Colt. Wonderfully built, very accurate.
No issues for me. Have a Win Mod 94[30-30] I like as much. I simply don't find anything wrong, to me, with the Henry's. But, to each their own.
 
.45Coltguy said:
What, exactly is wrong with the Henry's? They may not look like Winchester's or Marlin's exactly[except their 1860 Original]. I have two, a .357 and .45 Colt. Wonderfully built, very accurate.
No issues for me. Have a Win Mod 94[30-30] I like as much. I simply don't find anything wrong, to me, with the Henry's. But, to each their own.
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I'm really not that fond of the Marlin 336 and the Henry is a clone of them.
 
.45Coltguy said:
What, exactly is wrong with the Henry's? They may not look like Winchester's or Marlin's exactly[except their 1860 Original]. I have two, a .357 and .45 Colt. Wonderfully built, very accurate.
No issues for me. Have a Win Mod 94[30-30] I like as much. I simply don't find anything wrong, to me, with the Henry's. But, to each their own.
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I am willing to change my mind and nearly have several times but---. I do not like their Zamak 22 rifles. I do not like the tube fed silliness on their center fire rifles, I do not like the coopting a name for which there is no historical lineage and I prefer stainless steel over chrome plating for my uses. I prefer the half cock rather than a transfer bar even with the CBS (which I like) of the Marlin and I guess I just do not like the look of the Henry, the belly of the receiver is kind of tucked up or something, not sure, just does not look right to me. But I am almost interested in the All Weather in a .44 Magnum but just do not get over the chrome plating instead of stainless steel.

3C
 
ATCDoktor said:
With respect to the increase in Marlin levergun prices, when Remington (who manufactured Marlins) went bankrupt and was parted out and sold off, Marlins were no longer being manufactured.

The fact that they were no longer being manufactured coupled with "perceived" scarcity of the older ones (because individuals weren't selling them) drove the prices through the roof.

Since the sell off of all Remington's assets, Ruger bought the Marlin name and all the tooling and has begun manufacturing the model 1895 chambered in 45/70 (in a couple of versions) with a stainless finish and has stated that other models, calibers, finishes (but not all) will be built in the future; all will most probably have an MSRP of over $1000 (double what I could get a new Remington built Marlin 1895 pre covid).

Edited to add:

I bought this Marlin 336Y with 16” barrel and laminated stock from my LGS 3 months before Remington closed its doors.
View attachment 1100543

It sat in the store for almost a year with no takers and when they finally marked it down to $300 I bought it.

Back then everything had to be 6.5 something or it wasn’t gonna get sold.
Click to expand...
Dang that's awesome! I'd buy one for 300 all day long... What caliber is that one chambered in?
 
3Crows said:
I am willing to change my mind and nearly have several times but---. I do not like their Zamak 22 rifles. I do not like the tube fed silliness on their center fire rifles, I do not like the coopting a name for which there is no historical lineage and I prefer stainless steel over chrome plating for my uses. I prefer the half cock rather than a transfer bar even with the CBS (which I like) of the Marlin and I guess I just do not like the look of the Henry, the belly of the receiver is kind of tucked up or something, not sure, just does not look right to me. But I am almost interested in the All Weather in a .44 Magnum but just do not get over the chrome plating instead of stainless steel.

3C
Click to expand...

Ok, fair enough. I have to admit, Henry's are a bit heavier than other lever guns, but, I no longer hunt, just plink in the desert. For what I do, they are fine. Thanks for your reply.
 
Pat Riot said:
The safety they installed 58 years ago? Or is there a new safety?
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The tang safety is the one I was referring to that came out in 2003 or thereabouts. I'm not fond of the rebounding hammer they came out with around 92 but it wouldn't be a deal breaker at half the price. The angle eject sucks tho. They didn't come out with a new safety 58 years ago.
 
What's the problem with the angle eject? You can mount a scope easily, the spent cases go to the right instead of on top of your hat.
Don't see a downside here. That, of course, is just my thought.
 
hawg said:
The tang safety is the one I was referring to that came out in 2003 or thereabouts. I'm not fond of the rebounding hammer they came out with around 92 but it wouldn't be a deal breaker at half the price. The angle eject sucks tho. They didn't come out with a new safety 58 years ago.
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Oops!
I thought you were talking about Winchesters and the cross bolt safety and I fudged the years.
 
Well, everything is up. I don't know why people expect guns to be any different. The cost of materials was going up before COVID. Then COVID, now rampant inflation. There's also no longer any economy of scale with levergun production. That said, the newer Rossi's are very good. Uberti is now making 1894's and has always done very good on their rifles. I would also wager that the new Marlins will be better than what people 'think' the JM guns were. I'm most interested in the newer Chiappa 1892's with the standard twist barrels, (not stupid slow 1-30" or 1-38"). They're still $1200, Rossi's are half that.


herrwalther said:
Less supply means higher prices. Winchester and Rossi don't make nearly the same number of lever actions as Marlin did during any year of production. And Henry has been the "gucci" of lever actions for awhile.
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Henry "gucci"??? When did this happen? Henry made their name making cheap pot metal guns. I was always very critical of them but got over it and bought two. Now both need to be returned to the mothership. Their steel centerfires are decent guns for the money but Gucci? I don't see it.


3Crows said:
But I am almost interested in the All Weather in a .44 Magnum but just do not get over the chrome plating instead of stainless steel.
Click to expand...
I'll take hard chrome over stainless any day of the week. It's more corrosion resistant, wear resistant, slicker and easier to clean and lasts forever.
 
CraigC said:
Henry made their name making cheap pot metal guns.
Click to expand...

Since when is Zamak 5 pot metal. It's stronger than aluminum and there have been many guns made from aluminum. I've had a Henry Golden Boy for about 15 years and I wouldn't trade it for a Marlin 39A.
 
hawg said:
Since when is Zamak 5 pot metal. It's stronger than aluminum and there have been many guns made from aluminum. I've had a Henry Golden Boy for about 15 years and I wouldn't trade it for a Marlin 39A.
Click to expand...
It's an alloy that is primarily comprised of zinc, i.e. "pot metal". If it was stronger than aluminum they would make AR's out of it. Like it or not, it's used because it's cheap and easy to manipulate. Like I said, I've got two and they are crap. Likewise, I've had 94/22's for almost 30yrs and wouldn't trade them for a truckload of Henry rimfires.
 
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