FLORIDA KEVIN
Member
Get the darned pump 12ga with a rifled barrel and slugs ! By the way ! Whats a Hominid ?
Bearly an excuse for a lever action
- Thread starter telomerase
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Take a little better care of the gun than throwing it in the back of your pick up in the winter and you can get over the Stainless idea. Guns have been made of iron and then steel for a good many years and it isn't a big deal.
Keep a little oil on them,clean them the same day if they are shot with surplus ammo or if they get wet and you will be well served with a blued steel gun.
Look for a used marlin in 30/30,put a peep sight on it and you are in decent shape for a couple of hundred dollars. Brand new with plain wood at one of the discount stores for about $400.
Keep a little oil on them,clean them the same day if they are shot with surplus ammo or if they get wet and you will be well served with a blued steel gun.
Look for a used marlin in 30/30,put a peep sight on it and you are in decent shape for a couple of hundred dollars. Brand new with plain wood at one of the discount stores for about $400.
mc223
Member
Up here in Wisconsin where the bears are regularly walking thruogh the back yard, I keep the 870 sitting by the door for the one that just wants to hang around and dig thru the trash. A load of 9s will usually send em back to the trees, and they stay away for a while.
jimmyraythomason
Member
"Marlin Jam"?
Never heard of it. I've owned Marlins for a long time. Marlin M336s in .35 Remington and 30-30 and an 1894 in .44Rem.mag. I bought the 1894 in 1972 and kept it for 30 years. I never shot .44 specials in it and NEVER experienced any sort of jamming.
Never heard of it. I've owned Marlins for a long time. Marlin M336s in .35 Remington and 30-30 and an 1894 in .44Rem.mag. I bought the 1894 in 1972 and kept it for 30 years. I never shot .44 specials in it and NEVER experienced any sort of jamming.
telomerase
Member
Over-thinking a plot to purchase a new toy? There's no such thing
.But that would cost as much as a real gun, and be twice as bulky! (Not saying your idea is wrong at all, just saying they'll have to pry open my cold dead fingers to put a shotgun in there
). BTW, why doesn't anyone make a stainless pump with an 18" barrel and rifle sights?
Hominids are the second most dangerous organism on the planet after the poxvirus. They kill more people than bears and bathtub falls COMBINED.
There may be one near you... yes! HE'S CALLING FROM INSIDE YOUR HOUSE! GET OUT OF THERE!
That's where I started, I wanted to see if there was anyone with more experience to point out failings of the 336. If any. Or if anyone knew of a load to make an SKS into a 336. (Actually no one has said much bad about the Marlin 94, either).
Of course I'll have to face the Wrath Of Fred for not re-mortgaging the house and buying an M1A...
"If" they get wet? You had me up to then...
Dave Markowitz
Member
Step 1: Pick up a used Marlin 336 in .30-30 or .35 Remington.
Step 2: Clean and lube rifle, then give the it a nice coat of car wax. Reapply as needed.
Step 3: BA/UU/R
Step 2: Clean and lube rifle, then give the it a nice coat of car wax. Reapply as needed.
Step 3: BA/UU/R
telomerase
Member
That makes sense on the outside. How to protect the bore?
jimmyraythomason
Member
If the bluing is good to begin with why do you need any extra protection? Standard cleaning (and diligent) practices should be all that is necessary to prevent rusting.
jaholder1971
Member
Sheesh, you've about talked yourself out of any firearm.
Go get a new Marlin 336 and some 170 grain ammo. If it's purely for bear defense/ shooting forget the scope, zero for 50 yards and you're good to go.
Go get a new Marlin 336 and some 170 grain ammo. If it's purely for bear defense/ shooting forget the scope, zero for 50 yards and you're good to go.
The thing about the 30-30 lever gun is that it is one of the most versatile rifles out there. You might have to defend against bear, but it is nice if the rifle also does a bunch of other stuff well. The 30-30 does it all except long-range shooting, and with the the new LeverEvolution ammo, the range is extended to 250 yards or so.
As you can tell, I am a big lever gun fan. I just wish Marlin made one with a 16" barrel. That Trapper- length is so convenient.
I would personally rate hominids as the MOST dangerous animal. Richard Connell would agree, I think, as would the noted big-game hunter Sanger Rainsford.
As you can tell, I am a big lever gun fan. I just wish Marlin made one with a 16" barrel. That Trapper- length is so convenient.
I would personally rate hominids as the MOST dangerous animal. Richard Connell would agree, I think, as would the noted big-game hunter Sanger Rainsford.
mic214
Member
If it were me, I would choose a Marlin 1895 in .45-70......very good bear medicine (Or anything else that might want to charge at ya!):
dstorm1911
Member
To make the SKS feed softpoints ya simply need a dremel and a polishing wheel, see the feed ramp at the front of the mag? thats were ya start...... to protect the bore? Well then ya deffinetly need the chrome lining of a Norinco SKS then as opposed to a big bulky Yugo SKS want compact? Get a Paratrooper CC version with 16" barrel plus if ya manage to miss the bear and it gets too close........ ya got a nifty spike bayonet which ya won't find on any 336 (I could sell ya a Norinco clamp on version for $50 though if ya really wanna add it to a lever gun) But then ya can do all of this with a Yugo AK too plus have the ability to twist a grenade launcher onto the muzzle to really chase em off......... no grenade launcher option for the 336 however ..... sorry .. now why would ya need a second morgage for a G3? go to the CETME for $500 instead actually a lil tougher than the G3 which had many ease of manufacture changed made to elliminate the number of milled parts found in the CETME...... or go Enterprise arms STG58 (Belgium FAL with chrome lined barrel) tunable gas system which will allow ya to custom tune it for the ammo ya happen to be using be it milsurp stuff or hot and heavy slugged commercial stuff, I can usually dial any of my L1A1s to any ammo ya hand me within 2 shots to provide a super soft recoil resulting in no bolts slammin into any kind of buffer etc... always cracks me up when I see someone tryin to sell aftermarket buffers for a FAL LOL! Anyway brand new with warranty $899 and ya can find Century built IMBELS for around $400-$500 at most gun shows the last SAR show I bought 3 that were walkin around with assorted prices on flags haggled each down to $300-$350
OH And any NON WASR AK will feed softpoints just fine, ya know like the $429 from Classic arms YUGO M70AB1 or if ya want real compact M70 AB2 UF for the same price.....
OH And any NON WASR AK will feed softpoints just fine, ya know like the $429 from Classic arms YUGO M70AB1 or if ya want real compact M70 AB2 UF for the same price.....
Telo, The hominids have become a problem around here too, why only last night I could have sworn I saw an australopithecus loping along the road.......
My two cents- nothing carries easier in the hand than a lever rifle (except a bottle!) Bolt and semi's are clunky by comparison. A pistol caliber carbine is sort of short on power unless you get specialty ammo. A 30/30 is cheap, ammo is cheap (on sale for $8-10 a box) and effective. If bear protection was the sole concern, a 45/70, 450 marlin,444 marlin would be better- but$$$ for ammo.
And the 30-30 have a long track record against Homo Erectus and descendents.
My two cents- nothing carries easier in the hand than a lever rifle (except a bottle!) Bolt and semi's are clunky by comparison. A pistol caliber carbine is sort of short on power unless you get specialty ammo. A 30/30 is cheap, ammo is cheap (on sale for $8-10 a box) and effective. If bear protection was the sole concern, a 45/70, 450 marlin,444 marlin would be better- but$$$ for ammo.
And the 30-30 have a long track record against Homo Erectus and descendents.
MD_Willington
Member
No real story to it, while in Africa, my best friend met & married a very nice lady who is part of a large tribe. His mother had to fly to Africa for the wedding, she had to pay a dowry to the ladies family. Kind of a reverse dowry, he pays to become part of her family.
They have visited my family here in SE WA State. His wife was finishing up her Doctorate in NJ.
They have visited my family here in SE WA State. His wife was finishing up her Doctorate in NJ.
MCgunner
Member
Actually, when I got my first one, I did like I always do for a new caliber and ordered dies from Midway.
I have many guns that have never fired a factory round, but milsurp is cheap and I don't have to chase down the brass at the range. There is Wolf 154 grain soft point I've read about, but finding it is another question.
I have some of that hollowpoint "hunting" ammo, but, well, I don't have a lot of confidence in it for deer. However, I plan to test it on hogs sometime. Maybe the added bone and muscle mass will help the expansion. Big bear, I'd want penetration, anyway. I would probably handload a Barnes X bullet for that duty, though, and KNOW I had the best possible ammo. I used to handload the 135 Sierra Pro Hunter bullet for deer hunting and it worked fantastic in the SKS, but it's been discontinued. Yeah, effective ammo is a problem for the 7.62x39. But, then, I have a .257 Roberts, a .308 Winchester, and a 7mm Remington Magnum if I wanna hunt. I don't think any of those would have a problem with a bear except that going on experience, if I hit it with the 7, there wouldn't be a lot of bear meat left for the table. He'd drop dead on impact, though, with good shot placement.
Clipper
Member
We have a Savage 99 in .300sav, AK, Mosin-Nagant, Hi-Point carbine and a model12 in 12ga, but my favorite, for ease of carry (I don't use slings), versatility and power is an old Remington 141 pump in .35rem with a set of Williams firesight front and peep rear. One-hole accurate at 25 yards, fast, and the action is not too bulky to take a grip around when I'm walking with it in my left hand. I like a shorter LOP than most, so I had the stock shortened and a shotgun-style recoil pad installed (mostly for my wife, as it's really her rifle) for a 13.5" LOP, and the last thing I want to do is shorten the barrel (personal tastes), but man, this old rifle is great, and the mag tube design allows for the use of pointed bullets, as the points cannot touch the pirmer ahead of it. However, I find Remington 200gr CoreLockt to be devastating enough for just about anything.
tubeshooter
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I would say get an SKS or a .30-30, either one. I'd lean toward the latter if I thought I might want to hunt. .35 Rem should be good also if you wanted.
If a bear threat arose, either should make the kill if you emptied it into the bear. Not talking 'hunting' here, just pure defense. It doesn't have power to spare, but it has enough.
Although theoretically slightly weaker, you get a few more rounds of insurance with the SKS with stock fixed mag over the .30-30 lever. I always see the energy difference mentioned, but rarely the capacity difference. Something to consider.
I think you can get a Marlin .44 mag lever in stainless. This might fit the bill also, capacity is more like the SKS and you get to keep your stainless. It will cost 2 or 3 times what the SKS or .30-30 solution would, though. Load it fairly hot for the bear.
x39 surplus ammo is still much cheaper than .30-30, even with recent price increases. Plus you can buy it by the (half-)case. This makes the SKS a clear winner on plinking and blasting off for funsies, and is a plus in my book. This may or may not be a factor for you.
I'm not going to say you are "overthinking" the problem... but any of these guns will get the job done fairly economically. You can spend more from there if you want.
If a bear threat arose, either should make the kill if you emptied it into the bear. Not talking 'hunting' here, just pure defense. It doesn't have power to spare, but it has enough.
Although theoretically slightly weaker, you get a few more rounds of insurance with the SKS with stock fixed mag over the .30-30 lever. I always see the energy difference mentioned, but rarely the capacity difference. Something to consider.
I think you can get a Marlin .44 mag lever in stainless. This might fit the bill also, capacity is more like the SKS and you get to keep your stainless. It will cost 2 or 3 times what the SKS or .30-30 solution would, though. Load it fairly hot for the bear.
x39 surplus ammo is still much cheaper than .30-30, even with recent price increases. Plus you can buy it by the (half-)case. This makes the SKS a clear winner on plinking and blasting off for funsies, and is a plus in my book. This may or may not be a factor for you.
I'm not going to say you are "overthinking" the problem... but any of these guns will get the job done fairly economically. You can spend more from there if you want.
ThomasT
Member
Go for the 30-30. Ammo is everywhere and most people don't reload for it and so brass is no further away than picking it up off the ground. Get the supplies to reload. Keep wax on the gun and it won't rust.
As for the Marlin jam it is a notch worn into the lifter by a sharp corner on the lever. There is a web site that dicusses this. I don't remember where it is. A google search will most likely turn it up. I think it is a non issue myself. It takes thousands of rounds to make the notch. I took my two most used Marlins apart and found no sign of wear.
Bigfoots were brought up. I know for a fact as long as you don't walk through the woods eating Jack Links brand jerky you will never see one. I don't know why all the frustrated Bigfoot hunters have not picked up on this.
As for the Marlin jam it is a notch worn into the lifter by a sharp corner on the lever. There is a web site that dicusses this. I don't remember where it is. A google search will most likely turn it up. I think it is a non issue myself. It takes thousands of rounds to make the notch. I took my two most used Marlins apart and found no sign of wear.
Bigfoots were brought up. I know for a fact as long as you don't walk through the woods eating Jack Links brand jerky you will never see one. I don't know why all the frustrated Bigfoot hunters have not picked up on this.
telomerase
Member
Thanks! Seems easy enough to check for.
ZeSpectre
Member
Marlin guide gun, stainless in .45-70
Learn what parts to polish a little bit (it's easy)
DONE!
Learn what parts to polish a little bit (it's easy)
DONE!
Dave Markowitz
Member
A light coat of oil and a piece of electrical tape over the muzzle. Since the bore won't see any wear unless you shoot it, or any weathering, you should be good to go. You don't need to remove the electrical tape from the muzzle before firing, it'll blow off without raising pressure or affecting POI.
ThomasT
Member
The Marlin Jam
Go to google and type in marlin jam. The first one up has the info for the supposed problem.
I did the radius break on the lever as shown in the photos. I used an EZ lap diamond sharpener after i popped the metal off of the wood base. Only do enough to knock off the sharp corner. It only takes a couple of minutes to do. I did this a year ago and forgot about doing it.
Is it worth doing? Who knows?
Go to google and type in marlin jam. The first one up has the info for the supposed problem.
I did the radius break on the lever as shown in the photos. I used an EZ lap diamond sharpener after i popped the metal off of the wood base. Only do enough to knock off the sharp corner. It only takes a couple of minutes to do. I did this a year ago and forgot about doing it.
Is it worth doing? Who knows?
moooose102
Member
maybe i am biased, but for bear,a 45-70 400 grain flat nose is going to be hard to beat. my marlin 1895g shoots them quite well, but these ain;t no pop gun loads. they are going to kick. both you, and the bears butt! anyway, the only thing i have experienced that might be called the "marlin jam" is when i am emptieing the gun back at the truck. i have the gun tilted sideways so i can get all the rounds to fall onto the seat and am racking it with out very much force. both my 1895g and my glenfeild 39a (30-30) do this. but like i said, it only happens when the gun is tipped sideways to unload.
Fisherman_48768
Member
Sounds to me like you need a quality SKS loaded up with some good soft point bullets. The SKS's are relatively inexpensive, deliver a high volume of firepower that is roughly the equal of a 30-30. No levers to operate, no bolts to cycle once a round is chambered, just flip the safety off and start pulling the trigger. Target loads are cheap too. For the price of one Marlin lever gun you can buy two SKS's and a whole bunch of ammo.
SSN Vet
Member
overanalyzing.....
Being prone to overanalyzing everything myself.... I think this is you real problem.
Just pick up a 336 Marlin in .30-30 and enjoy shooting it. You'll have to put several hundred rounds through it before you can shoot beyond it's capabilities.
They're fun, well made and handy rifles.
I've never experienced the "dreaded Marlin Jam" and doubt any rifle with a newer date of manufacture will.
Being prone to overanalyzing everything myself.... I think this is you real problem.
Just pick up a 336 Marlin in .30-30 and enjoy shooting it. You'll have to put several hundred rounds through it before you can shoot beyond it's capabilities.
They're fun, well made and handy rifles.
I've never experienced the "dreaded Marlin Jam" and doubt any rifle with a newer date of manufacture will.
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