Marlin 336W for "knock-around" rifle..?

[MedWheeler]

Been eyeing these at Wal-Mart lately, and they had been running at around $387 for quite a while. Now, I see they've dropped it to $345.

I've been hankering for a few things lately, a centerfire lever gun, a long "truck gun", and an easily-handled, multi-purpose carbine. I figure something like the Marlin could fill all these roles, and for a price that backs up a "truck gun" or "knock-around" gun.

I know about the questionable level of quality in Marlin products since Remington acquired the outfit. My birthday is next week, and I'm thinking this might make a cool gift to myself.

So, who's got one, and what do you think of them for the purposes I describe? It's not likely to be used as a hunter or in any utility that demands match-grade precision, but I do want it to shoot straight and be rugged and reliable.

Incidentally, I was handling a stainless 336 at Bass Pro earlier today, and a fellow next to me, who I'd already been chatting with, mentioned he had a 336 that lost the pin holding the barrel band on when he fired his second shot from it..

 

[rabid wombat]

My first centerfire is a 336. I got my first turkey and deer with it. I have shot my best group (yeah, I am a sorry shot), but 3/4 inch at 100 yards with LeveRevolution. Paid a $150 at a gun show for it. For handiness, recoil, impact, availability of ammunition, the fact it does not look "evil", and a host of other reasons - I will keep it.

You could do a LOT worse than a Marlin 30.30 - buy it

 

[jmr40]

Everyone should have a lever 30-30. That said, there are better options that cost less, are more accurate, weigh less, shoot more effective rounds with less recoil and are over all better options. But that doesn't make a 30-30 a bad choice.

The current production 336's, especially the budget W versions just don't do anything for me though. Not that they are bad guns, but between Marlin and Winchester they have built over 14 million lever action rifles over the years. Most are in 30-30 and it isn't hard to find an older one that is much better quality than the new ones and selling at comparable prices. That is where I'd look 1st.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

The Marlin 336W has a hardwood -- not walnut stock -- the 336C has a walnut stock with the bullet insert in the stock (that is NOT where you put the sling swivel! It brands the stock as walnut!)*

My current .30-30 is a 336W I bought in 1999. My first 336C I bought in 1970; had to sell it. My son liked my 336W and bought a 336C. (He remembered my 336C tooo.) My 336W shoots just as accurately as my old 336C or my son's 336C. But I don't have to worry about messing up the wood. Marlin made a number of 336 clones as house brands for Sears, Western Auto, etc but never compromised on the internal quality.

I have heard horror stories about the first Marlins when Remington bought them out; I have heard Remington has improved their act; buy still, inspect the gun before buying.

If I could have only one centerfire rifle, it would be a Marlin 336 in .30-30. It's solid and useful.




* Sorry for the exclamation points but the previous owner of the used Marlin 39 Mountie I bought used the bullesye as sling swivel mounting point and remembering it triggers a reaction.

 

[RPRNY]

Spend some time in GB and you will find a Sears or other department store branded, Marlin made 336 for under $400. I love the Glenfield with the endcap and 3/4 length magazine myself. The Sears JC Higgins models and Montgomery Ward Western Field are pretty plentiful.

 

[MedWheeler]

jmr40 writes:

Everyone should have a lever 30-30. That said, there are better options that cost less, are more accurate, weigh less, shoot more effective rounds with less recoil and are over all better options.

I agree wholeheartedly. But I'm still a kinda old-fashioned, tried-and-true seeker. I like some "classic" or "iconic" character as well with my guns. I favor my "steel wheels", don't own a Glock, and prefer wood-furnished long guns over polymer-framed ones (and I am short a 30-30!)

I'm not in much of a hurry over this, and I'll be keeping my eyes out still on the used fodder out there as well...

 

[C-grunt]

Ive read that the horror stories of the 336s being built right after Remington took over have pretty much disappeared. People are saying the new ones are much better that before but still not as good as the true Marlins were.

 

[cdb1]

I believe the QC issues on 336's have been resolved. I've had a 336W for quite a while and have no complaints. I did install a Happy Trigger myself and had a gunsmith install a grind to fit recoil pad. I use it for hunting hogs. I may have just gotten lucky but mine is very accurate.

 

[CaptTripps]

If I wanted a Marlin 30/30 , (and I kind of do), I would keep my eyes open online and at local sales and shops for as nice, older, used one in good condition. Usually these can be found for around a couple hundred dollars

 

[Sav .250]

You`ve got a lot to learn................ Thinking of buying something your bad-mouthing, never a good idea.
J s/n.

 

[T.R.]

Last winter, I attended the huge Sportsman's Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where I handled many 30-30 rifles. The current built Marlins appear to be well made with no outward appearances of fit or finish concerns. I was favorably impressed. But I really liked the Mossberg 464 with walnut stock and curved lever pistol grip. It has the same balance and classy look of the Winchester 94 models from yesteryear. The Rossi Rio Grande model impressed me as well. This Rossi comes with a soft recoil pad.

Good shooting to you.

TR

 

[MedWheeler]

Sav .250 writes:

You`ve got a lot to learn................ Thinking of buying something your [sic] bad-mouthing, never a good idea.

And I guess I won't be learning it from you. Thank you for contributing, anyway.

For others here, I probably didn't phrase the statement Sav .250 finds so improper correctly. What I meant was that I know about the reports of questionable level of quality of Marlin products after Remington... I was hoping to prevent those reports from coming up in the thread unless they were coming firsthand. So far, it seems like you all got that. Thank you.

 

[herrwalther]

I have a 336 in 35 Remington. If I remember right, without looking at the SN, it was made in 1985. Well before Remington came in and shortly after they started putting cross bolt safeties. I really like the rifle, and as previously said "Everyone needs a lever gun in 30-30." Naturally my thought was to buy another Marlin in 30-30. I have fondled one or 2 Marlin 336Ws probably every year since the buyout. And not a single one of them feels close in quality to my older Marlin. Many of which actually wobble between the receiver and butt stock. For a truck gun, I would say go for it. But for something you would want to take half way decent care of, I would buy an older rifle.

 

[HOWARD J]

I have 2 Marlin 336C.
I have to admit I did more hunting with my Win 94.
I don't hunt anymore but I have scoped the 336C & take it out 2 -3 times a year for target shooting.
If you get one you will learn to love it

 

[redbullitt]

Have a 336w that is just fine. Its not pretty and the fit and finish is not perfect, but the price was right and it shoots well. Added a peep and fibre optic front. Shoots plenty well and is very handy. Fits what you are describing pretty well I think.

Cast bullets do just fine and jacketed too! I had a few subsonic (800 fps) cast loads (rabbit killers) that were easily under half inch at 50 yards. Supersonic deer loads were easily 2 inches at 100 yards, but probably could be tightened up a bit. Never worked on them any more as that was plenty good enough!

 

[boom boom]

.30-30 is a classic round and was available for reasonable prices even during the great ammo shortages from 2008-16. If you are scoping it, the Marlin 336 works fine and from the recent ones that I have handled iin 2015-16 at stores such as Cabelas, Remington seems to have gotten it together on the outside appearance fit and finish. Remington also has always made some pretty good barrels so accuracy should be decent. Have no opinion on the 1892 Win clones.

 

[cdb1]

I believe the QC issues on 336's have been resolved. I've had a 336W for quite a while and have no complaints. I did install a Happy Trigger myself and had a gunsmith install a grind to fit recoil pad. I use it for hunting hogs. I may have just gotten lucky but mine is very accurate.

I bought a 336W in 2011 for my son, he wanted a lever gun for his first deer rifle. Since I knew the rifle would be scoped I got him a Marlin though I like the look of Winchesters better. I didn't do much forum reading then and had no clue about the Marlin 336 issues. The receiver was drilled and tapped at an angle so there was not enough windage adjustment to sight in the rifle. The store where I purchased the rifle, Academy sent the rifle to Remington under warranty. Remington kept the rifle five months, so my son wasn't able to use it for deer season, and stated they had replaced the ejector when we finally got it back. They didnt address the problem the rifle was sent in for.

I was obviously not happy. The Academy store manager had someone bring out every 336W in the store and let me pick the best one which is the rifle I have today. As children tend to be within a year the Marlin lost its cool factor and my son had to have a 30-06. I had developed an attachment for the Marlin so my son got a Vanguard S2.

My Marlin 336W is very accurate as previously stated. I have no complaints. Fast forward to 2014. I had a friend working at Cabela's part time. The dealer programs were awesome if one wanted to upgrade optics which I did. I applied and was hired to work the gun counter part time. Not long after I was designated to mount scopes, and work in the gun vault if the counter was covered. I did this from August 2014 to November 2016. To toot my horn a little you don't work in the vault unless you are pretty competent, errors made in the vault will get a store in trouble with BATF most ricky tic.

I received firearms, inspected them, checked them in to inventory and assembled and prepped them for display. The two guns that stick out the most as not being top notch were Remington 870 Expresses and Marlin leverguns. A significant number of 870's had rust on the barrel and/or receiver. I would give them a quick going over with CLP. The Marlins had wood to metal fit issues and rough lever cycling.

Around the end of 2015 it dawned on me that the Marlins were getting better and had for a while. Then the 870's started getting better. By the time I quit the quality of the Marlins was such that I'd have no issue buying one new.

The reason for such a long missive is this. You read so much negativity but very little positive on the internet. Second hand gossip and hearsay is quoted as gospel. Remington got a new CEO a while back who made it the company's mission to improve the quality of the firearms being manufactured under his aegis. I believe Remington quality is now on par and sometimes better than other mass produced firearms manufacturers today. I'm not a Remington fanboy either. I prefer Winchester, CZ and Weatherby rifles. My next shotgun though will be a Remington V3.

 

[midland man]

I own a marlin 336w 30-30 and mine is excellent no issues! I even reload using cast .311dia bullets from MBC their whitetail number 4 uncoated and it loves them bullets using trailboss at 7.5gr powder! plus I also load sierra 150gr jsp using Winchester 760 powder works great with shots in the neck up the deer will drop like a hammer!! so yes the rifle is just fine try it you I bet will like it!!

 

[Hanzo581]

Didn't see this mentioned yet, but if you need another reason to go for it, looks like they have a $50 rebate going right now on the 336W.

https://www.marlinfirearms.com/sites/default/files/Marlin_Rifle Rebates_Long Form.pdf

 

[MedWheeler]

^^ Dangit! And I had been re-thinking this, wondering if I really needed to spend the money. Now, it's looking like a 336W new for under $300 (plus tax and NICS, of course.)

 

[tubeshooter]

Didn't know about the rebate - that is icing on the cake.


I would say go for it. I got my Marlin 336 in .30-30 awhile ago (well before the changeover) for the reasons you describe, and I have not been disappointed. I don't think you will, either.

 

[Riomouse911]

I wish the 336 Spike Horn model was that inexpensive. I find the 16" barrel "trapper" models are really handy. (You could add a regular stock or a recoil pad to lengthen the pull if you needed to)

 

[Choctaw]

I've had multiple Marlin levers over the years and they have all been good rifles. I think my next one will be the 336 Compact with a 16.25 inch barrel. I like shorter rifles for tromping in the woods.

 

[ThomasT]

I wish the 336 Spike Horn model was that inexpensive. I find the 16" barrel "trapper" models are really handy. (You could add a regular stock or a recoil pad to lengthen the pull if you needed to)

I want one of those for the same reason. I have wanted one of the youth model 30-30s for many years but never saw any for sale. I have wanted a Papoose too but never found one of those either.

To the OP. I have looked at the new marlins at Academy and everyone I have looked at has been a good looking gun with the sights on straight and a good wood to metal fit. Are they as good as a JM branded gun? I don't know. But the ones I have seen are close. And yes you can find a used JM Marlin, I just did when I bought a used 336 in 35 remington. I have only shot 20 rounds through it but it was neat. But it was no better than a new made Marlin I suspect. Mine is a hunting gun. As long as it is accurate and reliable thats all I ask for. Its for sure not a safe queen.

To me the biggest downside to the hardwood stocked guns are that if you scratch or ding them there is no good way to touch them up. I don't know what they use for a finish but it is not user friendly. Enough scratches and you can refinish it with a better finish. And hardwood doesn't take stain well. But brown Kiwi shoe polish seems to penetrate the wood. On the plus side the hardwood seems to be very stable. Its heavy but makes really good stocks for bolt action rifles. Its a hell of a lot better than the plastic fantastic crap that long guns are stocked with now.

 

[MedWheeler]

Ratshooter writes:

And yes you can find a used JM Marlin, I just did when I bought a used 336 in 35 remington.

Funny, I just stopped by the famous "gun-store-that-turned-down-the-Orlando-shooter" near me, and found two 336 rifles in .35 Remington. One was stainless with some sort of grayish stock. It felt really slick, but I want the "classic iconism" of a blued-and-brown lever 30-30. The other one was blued-and-brown, but had fiber-optic sights. That, and a $500 price tag. Nope.

I'm actually kind of re-thinking the whole thing. I have enough .22LR rifles that I could spare one as a 4x4-gun, and I've been thinking that I should be spending gun-money on guns that have more value-retention potential (though I doubt I'd have much trouble re-couping $300 on a 336W if I didn't like it.)