Recent content by TnBigBore

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    Knowledgeable about lever-actions? Marlin vs. Mossberg

    I have seen nothing in the most recent examples studied that leads me to believe that the fit and finish of the Remlin rifles is getting any better. In 336, 1894 and 1895 models I see extremely poor wood to metal fit, poor finish and canted barrels. You could give me a Remlin levergun, but I...
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    357 lever action weak?

    "Using .38 spcl rounds for plinking in a .357 rifle may not be a good idea. Depending on the powder you use in your plinking handloads, there may not be enough gas generated to reliably push the bullet out of the longer carbine barrel. If your plinking loads are light and put together with a...
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    Marlin 1895SS 45-70

    Take the first two digits of the serial# and subtract from 2000. You will have your year of manufacture.
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    Marlin 336 Questions

    You should be able to get a very decent presafety Marlin 336 30-30 for under $300. I have had several that were MOA shooters, some even with factory ammo. When equipped with a Williams or Lyman aperture sight or compact, low powered scope they remain handy and your accuracy potential is...
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    Couple of Marlin questions

    Back when the plant in CT was still open Marlin had something of a custom shop although they did not advertise it as such. You could get barrels traded out and different wood etc. Now that Remington has taken over Marlin and moved the production to NY you can pretty much forget any custom work.
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    Budget Deer Rifle

    If you are not going to be taking long shots (over 200 yds) it is really hard to beat a levergun for handiness. An older Marlin 30-30, 35 or similar fitted with a Williams or Lyman aperture sight or low powered compact scope is what I would recommend. No bolt gun, pump, or autoloader is as...
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    Very Very Poor Marlin Customer Service

    What a shame. Marlin customer service used to be excellent before they closed the CT plant.
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    Which lever action?

    Hard to beat one of the long barreled Marlins made from the 50s-70s. I have had some that were scary accurate.
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    30-30 Lever Gun - 18" or 20" barrel?

    Remington is producing some awful leveractions at this point. I would not buy one at all. There are too many good used Marlins on the gun auction sites and at pawn shops etc. 20" is the standard barrel length for most Marlin 30-30s though they have been made from 16.25" to 24" in the past. I...
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    Early Christmas Present - Marlin 1894CSS

    There is just no matching the handiness of a levergun.
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    Favorite odd ball caliber

    300 Savage, 32 Winchester Special and 25-20 WCF are all oddball cartridges I use and like.
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    Looking for good powders for 35 Rem

    I have had good luck with IMR-3031, H-4895 and H-4198.
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    22 rimfire rifle scope recommendations

    I'll sencond the recommendation of the Weaver Rimfire. They can be had for around $100-110 on ebay from time to time. They are almost as small and compact as the Leupold and a good bit more compact that the Nikon. They are a lot of scope for the money.
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    Front sight...Brass or "Pearl" bead?

    Brass for cowboy shooting, white if you plant to hunt in woods or brush country with it. The brass bead will disappear faster in poor light than the white bead will.
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    Pistol Caliber Carbines - Opinions

    For your purposes, it would be hard to beat a Marlin 1894 in 357 mag. They are light, handy, cheap to reload for, plenty powerful and innocuous looking. To me a levergun receiver is easier to wrap my hand around and carry than any other type of carbine.
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