Marlin 336W for "knock-around" rifle..?

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My 336 Texan, made in 1967, is THE deer rifle I use now.

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Deaf
 
There's nothing wrong with a Marlin 336, especially for $250. That's a hell of a deal.

The strength of that gun is its ease of mounting a scope, so get the most out of it, I would use the $50 you saved and put a cheap scope on it. Maybe even a red dot.
 
MedWheeler,

When I was a kid I almost wondered why anyone in Florida that was primarily a hunter rather than sport shooter would want anything other than a .30-30. Now I have to admit that even though my first Center-fire rifle experience was a store branded Marlin back in the 1960s that I tend to favor the Winchester 94....but that is just personal taste. BTW the 150 grain jacket soft point commonly used in Florida .30-30s IS NOT the cartridge for North Florida Swamp bunnies......just saying....

I knew few folks that opted for the 170 grain loadings as a kid but the biggest thing in North Florida woods were Black Bear and some big pigs.

You know you want it......it's on sale....there is a REEEEEEEEE-BATE. Come closer to the rocks, sailor. Listen to the music..........

-kBob
 
I have one in my truck, but I think I have $200 in it. Still too much, IMO- I really don't care for them. I could never pay that much for one of them- especially since that price is close to street price on a S&W sport or Ruger AR. I would look for a used one, or something else in the $200-$250 range.
 
I have an old 30AS from the Kmart days, good shooting rifle for the Piedmont region.....
 
MedWheeler said:
I've been hankering for a few things lately, a centerfire lever gun, a long "truck gun", and an easily-handled, multi-purpose carbine. I figure something like the Marlin could fill all these roles, and for a price that backs up a "truck gun" or "knock-around" gun.

So, who's got one, and what do you think of them for the purposes I describe? It's not likely to be used as a hunter or in any utility that demands match-grade precision, but I do want it to shoot straight and be rugged and reliable.
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"Knock-around " gun sounds like one that is going to see some hard-use with the minimum of care. I would not start with a new gun for this type of duty. Used 30-30's are not find. Taking a finish challenged gun adding hard-chrome and synthetic stock and forearm would make a great rough service and Everglades carbine.
 
BSA1 said:
"Knock-around " gun sounds like one that is going to see some hard-use with the minimum of care. I would not start with a new gun for this type of duty. Used 30-30's are not find. Taking a finish challenged gun adding hard-chrome and synthetic stock and forearm would make a great rough service and Everglades carbine.
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that's all good but here in Oklahoma used one's are typically higher than new! so best thing to do is check used compared to new as here they think used means it's made of gold!
 
^^ Well, tried after work this evening to at least put hands on it (OP here.) Unless I had found something wrong with it, I then would have bought it.

I arrived at WM at 1855 (6:55PM.) No one was at the sporting-goods counter. After waiting and looking around for several minutes, I called the store's main number, then watched as my name and number flashed repeatedly on the phone sitting on the countertop. No answer. Finally left the area and hiked across ZIP codes to the CS desk and asked for someone in management. Within a few moments, I was greeted by a young lady, and I asked her to walk with me to sporting goods. She agreed and we started off, but she stopped when I told her what I was there for, telling me she would not be the person that would be able to help me. She called (by headset) someone we'll call Chuck, then told me he'd meet me there. Several minutes after I got back to SG, a young kid approached. I knew he couldn't be "Chuck", and I was right. His voice hadn't sounded like the one I'd heard on the young lady's earpiece. He said he could help me (he'd been told I needed ammo, not a gun.) As soon as I said "gun", he almost when into tremors, stammering that he had "never done a gun sale" before and didn't know how. I heard him call two other people, who both responded that they didn't know how to "do a gun sale", either.

By this time, it was 1925hrs. "Chuck" finally showed up. He told me that, since BG checks take up to two hours, it was policy that, despite the sign that said "Firearms and Ammunition Sales Conducted 9AM-9PM", they could not show or sell a firearm this late in the day. I pointed out that BG checks have not typically took nearly that long since November, but he cited "policy."

So I left, of course. Not sure at this time if someone's trying to tell me something. I tried looking at this exact same rifle probably a year ago, when it was priced 43 dollars higher, at about 1915 hours, and had been told something similar, but I was ahead of the 1900 deadline tonight. It just took too long to get someone there.
 
MedWheeler said:
^^ Well, tried after work this evening to at least put hands on it (OP here.) Unless I had found something wrong with it, I then would have bought it.

I arrived at WM at 1855 (6:55PM.) No one was at the sporting-goods counter. After waiting and looking around for several minutes, I called the store's main number, then watched as my name and number flashed repeatedly on the phone sitting on the countertop. No answer. Finally left the area and hiked across ZIP codes to the CS desk and asked for someone in management. Within a few moments, I was greeted by a young lady, and I asked her to walk with me to sporting goods. She agreed and we started off, but she stopped when I told her what I was there for, telling me she would not be the person that would be able to help me. She called (by headset) someone we'll call Chuck, then told me he'd meet me there. Several minutes after I got back to SG, a young kid approached. I knew he couldn't be "Chuck", and I was right. His voice hadn't sounded like the one I'd heard on the young lady's earpiece. He said he could help me (he'd been told I needed ammo, not a gun.) As soon as I said "gun", he almost when into tremors, stammering that he had "never done a gun sale" before and didn't know how. I heard him call two other people, who both responded that they didn't know how to "do a gun sale", either.

By this time, it was 1925hrs. "Chuck" finally showed up. He told me that, since BG checks take up to two hours, it was policy that, despite the sign that said "Firearms and Ammunition Sales Conducted 9AM-9PM", they could not show or sell a firearm this late in the day. I pointed out that BG checks have not typically took nearly that long since November, but he cited "policy."

So I left, of course. Not sure at this time if someone's trying to tell me something. I tried looking at this exact same rifle probably a year ago, when it was priced 43 dollars higher, at about 1915 hours, and had been told something similar, but I was ahead of the 1900 deadline tonight. It just took too long to get someone there.
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I think it's less of a sign about the rifle, and more of a sign about the establishment.
 
"Welcome to walmart,get your **** and get out!"


-Walter the puppet


Dealing with lazy folks in retail can be very frustrating,most seem to only do the bare minimum. Worked retail for 4years and would never do it again....hopefully youll have better luck if you go back!
 
Horsey300 writes:

I think it's less of a sign about the rifle, and more of a sign about the establishment.
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Yep. Just figuring I have to deal with it for fifty bucks off the rifle. Might try again tomorrow (Thursday), as I'm off work. I don't get off until 6PM when I do work.
 
Walmart is good for teaching young children to behave. Whenever I'm in a Walmart some kid is always getting a beating from a parent. When my children were small and we were at Walmart, when a beating occurred I'd tell my kids they'd get worse if they ever acted up in public. It seemed to work.

I hate Walmart and everything it stands for.
 
Carried a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington through the northeast woods and fields every day for years 40 years ago. Great woods gun for deer and other things. Never gave me any trouble and it was pretty accurate and I beat it up pretty good.
 
Okay, the OP is back to update.

The Marlin is still sitting at Wal-Mart. I saw it this evening when I went in there for some other stuff.

But, earlier in the day, I stopped by my favorite pawn/gun broker just to look around. There, I found a Norinco SKS "Paratrooper" carbine, one of the two guns I had considered for the role this thread is about. They had had one several months back, but someone beat me to it; it was marked $450, I believe. The other gun I had considered was a Mosin-Nagant M44 I had seen, also around $400 or so, and that also had gotten away.

Today's Norinco isn't in as good a condition as that last one I saw, making it more acceptable for its intended role. There is some light rust on the bolt top and some slight bluing wear on the gas tube above the barrel and on the receiver. In addition, the cleaning rod (who uses that?) and the bayonet are missing. The bore, though, is practically gleaming. Also, I have plenty of ammo for it already, having bought it for my N-PAP (which I've never gotten around to shooting) so I don't even have to start a new-caliber addition to my stock.

After Remington's $50 MIR, the Marlin would have set me back $295, plus sales tax and the NICS fee. The Norinco cost me $290 total OTD. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to recoup that if I decide I'd rather have the Marlin (or the money.)
 
So you got the Norinco, right? congrats! Beware, the lever action temptation will likely return...
I just had a similar situation - was hankering for another long gun, and was looking hard at the 336W. The combination of the Bass Pro NRA Freedom Days sale and Marlin rebate had me close. Just couldn't quite warm up to the 336W. Stopped by my local hardware/gun store after work for something else and an old Remington 788 followed me home.
 
Around here, the hill and hollers of the Missouri Ozarks "30-30" and "deer rifle" are used interchangeably to describe a tool to kill deer with. Everybody has one albeit Marlin or Winchester.
My Missouri deer hunting goes back some 50 years. The crowd I hunted with, both friends and family to a man used some sort of lever action rifles with a milsurp of some sort thrown in now and then. My wife's Uncle carried a waffle top Marlin in 35 Rem. He was a knowledgeable hunter. The first shot heard opening morning usually was his Marlin. He taught me many things about deer, how to read sign and where the deer should be...... I miss him.
I don't deer hunt any more. I see deer daily while setting on my front porch. I wouldn't gut another one for it. I still have a 336 Marlin 30-30. I lean it against the porch railing during season and pretend to be a deer hunter. Most of those I hunted with over the years have passed. As I look at the rifle leaning there I think of them.
"JM" stamped Marlins are a tradition in this part of the country. They're like belly buttons.
When I look at the display case of ammunition at the little C store down the road I see overwhelmingly 30-30
 
Mosin Bubba said:
There's nothing wrong with a Marlin 336, especially for $250. That's a hell of a deal.

The strength of that gun is its ease of mounting a scope, so get the most out of it, I would use the $50 you saved and put a cheap scope on it. Maybe even a red dot.
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sorry, but I have to disagree about cheap scopes - way too likely to disappoint you!
 
Congrats to the OP, a used but not abused SKS will probably serve you well for the intended role. Since you already have ammo it's a win-win.



I am a fan of them, and have a couple. I would rather subject either of them to "knock around" or truck duty than my Marlin 336 any day.
 
littlelefty writes:

So you got the Norinco, right? congrats! Beware, the lever action temptation will likely return...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the congrats. And, yes, I'm still drawn to the lever gun, though I've yet to shoot the Henry .22 one I bought in 2015. Not too many places to shoot long guns around here other than indoor 25-yard pistol ranges. The Norinco might even become trade fodder toward one... nah... probably not. I can get a .30-30 without having to give this one up. I don't like to trade off guns that are likely to maintain or increase in value.

By the way, are you a fellow left-handed shooter..?
 
DDDWho writes:

I still have a 336 Marlin 30-30. I lean it against the porch railing during season and pretend to be a deer hunter. Most of those I hunted with over the years have passed. As I look at the rifle leaning there I think of them.
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That's a nice reflection. Creates a good picture. Thanks for sharing..
 
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