This morning I was able to pick up the Marin 1894 Cowboy Limited that I'd ordered and my overall impression is that this is a great little (and practical) rifle. It has a very nice walnut stock but when I got it home, I noticed that the stock on the left side where it butts up against the receiver was flexing way too much. My first thought was that this was a crappy design and a weak connection so I decided to strip the rifle down to take a better look. Once I had removed the stock, I noticed a large crack inside the stock where it connects to the receiver.
It's just not worth sending the rifle back so I plan on using Titebond III wood glue to repair the crack. Anyway, a little frustrating on a new rifle. Also, this rifle is supposed to be brand new so I would have preferred it if the factory could have cleaned the bore after firing it. I'm assuming they're the ones that fired a few test rounds and left it for me to clean. Do all US firearm manufacturers test fire EVERY rifle, shotgun, pistol and revolver that they sell? If so, I guess that'd mean a lot of cleaning which would probably mean higher prices!
It's just not worth sending the rifle back so I plan on using Titebond III wood glue to repair the crack. Anyway, a little frustrating on a new rifle. Also, this rifle is supposed to be brand new so I would have preferred it if the factory could have cleaned the bore after firing it. I'm assuming they're the ones that fired a few test rounds and left it for me to clean. Do all US firearm manufacturers test fire EVERY rifle, shotgun, pistol and revolver that they sell? If so, I guess that'd mean a lot of cleaning which would probably mean higher prices!