Marlin 1894C

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

joseph5156

Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2008
Messages
25
Location
AZ
Hi everyone. Yesterday after driving 120 miles one way (at today's gas prices) I bought a new Marlin 1894C in .357. Got it home and took it out of the box and readily saw that the stock was in terrible condition. Looks like Marlin tried to force the stock on and pinched a corner. Glazing or whatever is cracking and very apparent where wood meets metal. Also, terrible fit overall. I have never saw such POOR quality right out of the box!!!!!! Yeah, it's under warranty, but will I get reimbursed for shipping it to them? I guess my fault for not inspecting it before paying! ANYONE else out there have such an issue with Marlin?? They just lost a customer!
Joe
 
All of the Marlins I have bought new were very good to excellent, including two 1894's, one of which I purchased without seeing first.

A tank of gas a fair amount of 'dumb tax' (and I know from experience about dumb tax...) to pay for not inspecting before paying. I'm betting you don't make that mistake again.
 
Last edited:
My friend would make fun of me for taking everything out of the box and looking at it. Its better to be safe than sorry. I would call the gun shop up and talk with them. The salesman should have cought it. I mean he did have to open it to get the SN off of it. If the shop will swap it out just consider it a lesson learned. If not call Marlin and see if they are willing to do anything, shipping it to them would be less than a tank of gas.
 
I just bought an Uberti 1866 that had some minor damage to the wood in 2 places. It just sucks when you get something that should be brand new and shiny and its not.

My fit is good, just minor abrasions, so I'm not taking it back or exchanging it (turn around would be forever). I will learn to love it.

Sorry to hear about your 1894, usually people only have great things to say about them.
 
All of my products from Marlin are excellent. The wood on the newer rifles are as nice as older ones, but still shouldn't be pinched.

This goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, inspect the gun you are about to buy.
 
Last few i purchased that were not special orders, the dealer brought out all he had in stock so I could pick and choose for wood quality and anything else. If you have it in the front of you inspect before taking it.
 
I've never seen that with a Marlin, but everyone has goofs along the line.

Call them, and they'll make it right. Their customer service is excellent. I'd purchased a used rifle, which was missing the hammer spur. I told them it was used when I called, but they insisted on sending a free one anyway. :)

I have the same rifle as yours, and it's a great gun!
 
update... thanks gents! i did call MARLIN and complained. they first offered to ship me a new butt stock, but i told them it may not match forend stock so they said to ship it back; i then said i need reimbursement. they then said they would mail me a UPS shipping label. i'm still waiting on the shipping label to return it. i just wanna be done with this and enjoy some shooting! joe. :)
 
My first thought was wonder why you didn't take it out of the box and look it over before you let the salesperson start the paperwork. Personally, at a retail gun store I never assume that what's in the box they bring out is going to be just like the one on dosplay and always insist on examining the item I'm buying before any cash changes hands.

I own several Marlins and have only had one minor issue with a single rifle. The Marlin factory handled it under warranty quickly and politely at no cost to me other than the phone call.

Just a cynical guess, but if a rifle with the obvious problems you describe got by QC before it was shipped it probably was made the day that the workers at the plant heard rumors that Marlin was being sold to Remington and didn't yet know whether they were still going to have a job to go to.
 
I completed a search for a new 1894c several months ago. Unlike the experience some of you mention (nothing but good ones), I came across SEVERAL Marlins with poor fitting wood. I'm not talking about wood with poor figure or wood with very minute gaps. I'm talking about wood that looked like it had been fitted by beavers (in the tang region).

The wood was jagged and very poorly fitted. It looked to me like the cutters they were using were dull. I don't expect the wood to be absolutely flawless on a $450-$500 gun. I can even understand if there is a slight gap or the wood is slightly proud. I DO expect the edges to be crisp (not jagged), though.
 
Sorry that happened to you...

I also wanted to add that in the uncommon event that you have to send something to Marlin, they do their very best to make it right. I had to send something in once, and I had a very positive experience.

I'm pretty sure they will come through for you. I hope so, anyway. I know the feeling when that happens to you, and it's bad.
 
Wait a minute - You signed for and took possession of a gun without even looking at the serial number???
 
Marlin will make it right if they goof, which they do from time to time. I have had nothing but good experiences with their customer service. Try that with one of the foreign made lever guns.
 
got the ship label yesterday in the mail from marlin. now, my neighbor is telling me that when they ship it back they will likely send it to a FFL since this happened to him 7 mos ago involving beretta? geez, i can't see how this could happen when you are the weapon owner and initially send it onto them? anyone experience this issue? i knew better and did not inspect the rifle before leaving. incidentally, if any of you get to owensboro, ky check out WHITTAKERS. fabulous display of weapons and SUPER prices!! joe
 
I have had to ship guns back to different manufactures and they all shipped them back to me. Anytime a gun is sent back to the company or even to a gun smith for work, it can be sent back to you without going though an FFL.
 
Never, ever leave a gun dealer without first pulling the gun you bought out of the box and inspecting it thoroughly.

This sounds like one someone else bought and used for a while then returned it. They just cleaned it up, put it back in the box and sold it for new again.

Hope you learned a valuable lesson from this. I feel for you. It happened to me once too. Things worked out for me. I hope they do for you as well.

Molon Labe,
Joe
;)
 
my gun dealer is a buddy's dad who doesn't stock anything I am usually interested in but gives me a good deal on orders. I bought an 1894c in 357 about a year and a half ago and had no complaints about the gun i would call marlin and talk to them about it. from the rest of the post it doesn't look like a normal issue so they will probably work with you. Unless it's an order inspect it takes two minutes and can save you a lot of money and headaches.
 
Got it home and took it out of the box and readily saw that the stock was in terrible condition. Also, terrible fit overall. I have never saw such POOR quality right out of the box!!!!!! Yeah, it's under warranty, but will I get reimbursed for shipping it to them? I guess my fault for not inspecting it before paying! ANYONE else out there have such an issue with Marlin?? They just lost a customer!
Click to expand...

While I can't agree on the stock and it's condition/fit I would think that anyone SHOULD look over ANY purchase BEFORE buying it. Admitting it's one's own fault for not inspecting and then saying Marlin lost a customer? :uhoh: If you buy the wornd item at the grocery store does that store lose a customer too because you didn't check your purchase? :neener:

owensboro, ky check out WHITTAKERS. fabulous display of weapons and SUPER prices
Click to expand...

Hope this isn'y where you purchased this Marlin. Can't believe they'd sell a defective item without looking it over first. After all they had to verify the serial number. they might have just lost a customer.
 
joseph5156,

Don't jump all over Marlin just yet. Trust me on this one. I had a Model 1894 .32 H&R lever action that had problems feeding any kinds of rounds. Sent it back into Marlin. I wrote a letter to Marlin describing when Igot it, what the problem was and how unhappy I was. I did this and I had a call back 3 days later stating that the rifle should have never left the factory. Before I got a word in edgewise, I was told I had 3 choices: 1 get it fixed, get a new rifle, or get a full refund. I opted for the refund. I just had to send a copy of my receipt to them. They paid everything back, the tax, the NICS fee (it's a VA thing), and the full purchase price of the rifle. While I wasn't pleased with the rifle, Marlin could not have handled the situation better. While at SHOT Show I ran into the head of customer service and told him how the person who had handled my product return was spot on, and then I explained how I was looking at a Marlin for my next hunting rifle.

The money I got back, I put toward a CZ 527 Carbine in 7.62X39 instead.

Call them, talk to them. They will do you right!
 
I bought a "Big 5" 1894C and it took quite a bit of looking around to find one with an acceptable stock. Of course, these are value guns, so I wasn't expecting high-grade walnut or anything. Still, there were some pretty sloppy stocks on the ones I looked at. Function and metal work were fine.

I bought a 336C recently and the stock was just "ok", but not great.
 
Update on Marlin 1894C

Hi Gents,

Yesterday I recd my Marlin lever action back from Marlin and it's beautiful. The wood / stock is gorgeous! I'm now happy with the quality and proud to own it. Now, if only this damn rain would stop so I can fire some rounds thru it! Quick response from Marl;in and they made it right without any issues. NEXT time I will definitely INSPECT all guns purchases. I guess I got caught up in buying it... Joe
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
Where to buy a Marlin 1894c???
Replies
5
Views
741
hirundo82
H
R
  • Locked
Marlin 1894C
Replies
3
Views
472
Brian Williams
Brian Williams
S
  • Locked
Marlin 1894c - Big 5 sale - no checkering?
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
DHart
D
M
  • Locked
Marlin 1894c Range Report
Replies
11
Views
601
Mauserguy
M
R
  • Locked
Marlin 1894C at Big 5
Replies
5
Views
482
ArmedBear
A
Back
Top