30-30 lever action

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missoulaz28

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I want to get a lighter rifle for deer hunting, and think a lever action would be a good addition to my arsenal.

I can get a new Marlin 336 at WalMart for $318, plain blue and wood, but a good rifle.

Or my local gunsmith has an older Winchester 94 top eject, with light colored wood for $325, probably get it for $300. It's older with lots of wear marks, but in good condition still, no major damage.

Which would be the better rifle between the two, or is it going to come down to which ever feels better?
 
I think you will find the Marlin action is much better than the Win 94 action. The Marlin side eject is a bonus also. If they could do a 30-30 in a Win 92 rifle I would say it would be toss up. Cycle both rifles before you make your mind up.



GC
 
The Winchester will always be more desirable to collectors and will therfore hold its value better. Also, that older Winchester very likely has walnut stocks, while the new from Wal Mart $316 Marlin is a 336A with lower end hardwood (usually birch or beech) stained to look like walnut. Further, if it's an older Winchester with no hammer block cross bolt safety it's even more desirable.

The counter is that it's a pain to scope top eject Winchesters. You can always upgrade the wood on the Marlin later, and it will be easier to scope if you so desire.
 
I have no plan to scope this rifle, the most i would do over the buck horn sights would possibly be a ghost ring set up.

The wood on the Win is a very light blond color, almost looks like pine, but i doubt it is.

I'll go give it a look tomorrow and check for the safety, and also see if they know what year it is. Anything in the serial number to check for to know the year?
 
I think the Marlin is a better choice but I would look for a 336C if you can find one for reasonable price. It's worth a little more IMO to get an American black walnut stock with a rubber rifle butt pad instead of a hardwood stock with a hard rubber butt plate like on the 336A.
 
if the Win '94 has light colored wood, its very possible that its the "Ranger" model which is the less expensive and less valuable version of the the '94. the rear sights are the same but the front sight is NOT the same. a standard win '94 replacement front sight will not work on the ranger and no one makes an aftermarket front sight for it so you're stuck with the front but the rear can be changed. i put a Williams Firesight on the rear of mine and it works great. it will say "Ranger" right on the top of the barrel if it is.

i know Marlins are fine guns but the Win '94 is a fantastic piece of Americana. i'd pick it over the marlin any day.

Bobby
 
I'll go check it out tomorrow, and see if it says Ranger on the barrel, might even see if he will let me take a quick pic of it to show you guys.
 
Good catch Bobarino, I'd forgotten that they made the '94 in a Ranger variant.
 
i know Marlins are fine guns but the Win '94 is a fantastic piece of Americana. i'd pick it over the marlin any day.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this.

Winchester 94 is my favorite rifle of all time. (So is the Garand!)

:D
 
If weight is the important thing then the 94 is lighter than the 336. If it doesn't have to be a lever action there are bolt actions that are lighter still, such as the cz carbine in 7.62x39 at under 6 lbs. But the price is higher there too.
 
A Winchester with no additional "safties" and top eject, even a post '64, is a better buy at that price than the Marlin. However, if you look around you can find used Marlins at lower prices yet and they will serve you well. Owning both, I don't see one as "better" than the other although you might have a preference. What it really comes down to is which best suits you.
 
As with a bunch of other people, a Win 94 30-30 was my very first rifle. 12th birthday present IIRC. I have freinds that shoot Marlins and we have them side by side all the time. Here are some observations.

The Marlin seems easier to load, somtimes the 94's loading is tight.

Marlin action is smoother. Might be age, but my 94 feels looser while working the action.

Marlin can be easy to scope, but use a Williams peep sight on mine anyway.

My 94 looks better. It is an early 70's, deep polished blue, fine walnut stocks while the Marlins have cheap white wood and rough steel finish.

I think mine shoots better. I seem to hit more milk jugs at 200 yards than they do. Not sure if accuracy can be claimed, but there is a steady track record of my 94 out shooting the Marlins.

My trigger is more crisp. With no side safties, there is nothing to get in the way.

My 94 is esier to take apart, clean and put back together. Still not bolt-gun easy, but esier than the Marlins.

However, all this asside, when I buy a 45 caliber rifle this winter, I will be looking for a Marlin Guide Gun.
 
"The Marlin seems easier to load, somtimes the 94's loading is tight.

Marlin action is smoother. Might be age, but my 94 feels looser while working the action."

I notice these 2 differences alot in mine too. The Winny seems to rattle a little bit more also but I prefer it over the Marlin. Both are fine rifles so go with the one that feels good to you.
 
Can't go wrong either way. In my opinion, the major difference between the two is the ease of scoping the Marlin. The other cosmetic difference is that most Marlin 336s have curved pistol grips, whereas the Winchester has a straight stock. My taste favors a straight stock, but I prefer the Marlins for their side ejection. So my choice was to look long for an older, pre-safety Marlin 336RC that has a straight stock. You should also be able to beat that "new" price by a good piece if you take the time to look for a good second-hand Marlin. But either way, a lever .30-30 is a classic.
 
Go with the Marlin, it is easier to put a scope on it, with the side ejection. I bought my Marlin 336, from Wal Mart or $318, It was accurate out of the box, and after 2 hunting seasons, It fell out of my tree stand twice and a swim in the lake, it still shoots just as accurate, and true as the day it came out of the box.
 
.

The OP said he wasn't going to scope it, so its amazing how many people
have mentioned that when offerring suggestions.

Its my experience that the difference comes down to grip preferences.
The Win is straight stock and very narrow forearm, while the Marlin has
a more modern stock and thicker forearm.

If the grips on the Win are ok with you, I would choose it over the Marlin.
I like all lever actions including Marlin, but that's what I would choose.
There is no 'bad' choice here! However:

You can get a Marlin any day of the week. The same is not true for Win.
This means it will retain its value better, and it is a classic. The Win will
also shoot just as well. I hope this helps!
 
whited hit the right point...

Marlins are all over the place...



Plus, I must bring up this point....



John Wayne didn't use a Marlin. :) lol
 
For nostalgia and ergonomics I prefer the Winchester 94 over the Marlin

For hunting rifle though that may get dinged or scratched or heavily used or if a scope is going to be mounted the Marlin gets the vote (preferably with a 1-4 Leupold or a Lyman rear peep sight).

A Winchester 94 was the first firearm I ever shot as a young kid it was my dads old deer rifle so these old Browning designed Winchesters always hold a place in my heart.:D

I also own a few Marlins I also like them as well they are nice shooters they are still being produced unlike the Model 94 so they can still be found any day of the week in any big sporting goods store.

The 94 is only going to go up in price especially if it does not have the silly safety on it, also Walnut stocks are a plus over Birch or any other softer wood IMO.

You can always get a new Marlin later but good model 94s should be tucked away when you come across one.;)

Marlin or Winchester Blond or Redhead Chevy or Ford its good to have choices.:evil:
 
the marlin has a stronger action but they both are strong enough to outlive you and me shootin 30-30.you can't go wrong with either.my 30-30 is a winni made in my birth year 1965 I bought it used and sombody used it (not abused) it still shoots strait and I love it.I also own marlins a 1894cb and a 1895cb love them both also.enjoy wichever you choose and we want range report and pics.
 
If the Winchester has light blond wood on it, it is either an early Post-64 of some sort, or a Ranger.
In either case, you don't want it.

Only pre-64 model 94's have any interest at all to Winchester Collectors, and they have to be really nice ones to bring any bonus money.

If you just want a 30-30 to hunt with, buy the new Marlin and don't look back.

You can take one screw out on a Marlin and shake it, and all the guts fall out on the workbench.
This makes cleaning the bore from the rear possible.
You can't do that with any Winchester model ever made.

Also, its possible to add a scope or receiver sight to a Marlin because they come factory drilled for them, and are side ejection.
Impossible with the Winchester unless you hire a gunsmith to drill & tap it, which ruins any collector value it might have had.

1224.jpg
rcmodel
 
The serial number puts it at 1969 for manufacture.
It's not marked as a Ranger, so that rules out that.

I went around town looking today, and found no other Winchesters, although I did find several Marlins.
Two of the Marlins were 336W's with the gold trigger, and the other was a 336CS. All three were in better condition then the Win and in between $250 and $300.

I also found an older Mossberg 30-30 for $200, anybody know anything about them?
 
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