Marlin 336 Enhanced Survival Carbine

[Z-Michigan]

Accurate Plating charges $245 just for a matte Cerakote refinish. David Clements charges $275. Couple that with the $450 (best I can do is $475) base price and you're already at $700.

Aftermarket finishes are expensive because each of them is done on a one-off basis, not production line, and the finisher has to inspect and clean each part, and maybe disassemble as well. In contrast nitrocarburizing treatments cost little more than blueing, and if done on the assembly line add trivial cost to the end product.

It's the nature of all aftermarket "upgrades" to cost more than if the factory had done the same thing on the whole production run.

 

[CraigC]

I think that would be obvious but factories don't tune actions and triggers. Doesn't sound to me like we're talking about a factory offering.

Also bear in mind that manufacturers like Marlin are not setup to do nitro-carburizing.

 

[Waywatcher]

I think the porting and the Red Dot are a complete waste of money for this application. I would also prefer to see the barrel length tailored for maximum magazine capacity, rather than the legal minimum (E.g. if the mag was extended 1.5", could an additional cartridge fit?)

I like the concept, but loud porting and a Red Dot that needs batteries for a survival/car gun makes no sense.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I think that would be obvious but factories don't tune actions and triggers. Doesn't sound to me like we're talking about a factory offering.
Also bear in mind that manufacturers like Marlin are not setup to do nitro-carburizing.

I didn't see tuning of anything in the original post. I have no idea if the OP is a minor dealer, distributor, or some bored teenager. I'm commenting on the concept. Many manufacturers will do special runs for distributors, or even just big dealers like Cabela's. Most or all of my list could be done within such a special run.

As for nitrocarburizing, most manufacturers send parts out for that work. There are two or three industrial firms that do it for a lot of different gun manufacturers. It's easy to add if there's a will. Here are some of those firms:

http://www.northeastcoating.com/SaltBathNitriding_1.htm
http://www.hefusa.net/
http://blacknitride.com/index.html

 

[CraigC]

Post #3.

 

[sharpshooter81]

Lets look at it another way.

Winchester 1866's, 1873's, Marlin 1881's, and Sharps rifles won the west & Alaska gold rush days with minimal maintenance you had to carry on horseback, open wagons, or on your back.
With no modern chemical rust preventatives, and corrosive primed black powder cartridges.

All were blue steel and walnut, at least in part.

What do any of us expect to have to survive in the wild that a blue steel & walnut 336 wouldn't survive longer then we will??

EXACTLY!!!!

 

[mac66]

I think you guys scared off the OP.

Certainly the rifle he brought up is a pretty cool concept. I guess the point is not the money or whether it is needs all the stuff, the point is whether anyone is willing to pay for it because of all the stuff. To me, none of that stuff is of value to make the rifle work and shoot. A standard lever action with a sling is perfectly adequate for harvesting game. On the other hand I am sure there are people who would like to have a custom, one of a kind rifle.

 

[Waywatcher]

Yeah, we might have, we'll see.

I still hold that a battery operated scope and loud porting has no place on a survival/car gun--the concept the OP suggested the rifle was for.

The other stuff is fine, maybe not all necessary, but at least not detrimental. A red dot that runs out of batteries and making a gun louder is detrimental, in my opinion.

 

[jmr40]

That is actually a bargain.

Rifle, $500+
XS sights, $100
SPARC sights, $200

You are at $800 before any gunsmith charges for the work.

If someone wants, or needs to make the changes are a personal thing. I wouldn't want to, but you could spend $1,000 on a lot of rifles and not get as much for your money.

 

[jim243]

That is actually a bargain.

That may or maynot be so. What we do to our own rifles is one thing, but not all people will buy into it. Porting the barrel, very questionable. I personally do not like the finish he used, but that's me. Reducing the length by 2 inches, maybe but not the best deceision.

It is a used rifle and should be looked at as such.
Jim

Original cost $495.00 336C in 35 Remington.

 

[Averageman]

 

[jmr40]

That is actually a bargain.

That may or maynot be so. What we do to our own rifles is one thing, but not all people will buy into it. Porting the barrel, very questionable. I personally do not like the finish he used, but that's me. Reducing the length by 2 inches, maybe but not the best deceision.

It is a used rifle and should be looked at as such.
Jim

I also said

I wouldn't want to, but you could spend $1,000 on a lot of rifles and not get as much for your money.

If you look at the actual costs of the components included with the rifle a $1,000 price tag is a bargain. If I were putting together my perfect "Enhanced Survival Carbine", I'd spec it out much differerently than the OP, as would most of the other folks who responded. I don't think anyone is right, or wrong. We just have different ideas of what we would want. That is why they are called "Custom Rifles". I sort'a like the idea, I'd just go in a slightly different direction.