Great club thread idea! Hopefully we can get this one going, because I know there are a lot of marlin semi-auto fans out there.
My first rifle, that I bought myself on my 18th birthday, was a Glenfield M60. It has been used A LOT, plinking and shooting prairie dogs. It needs a new feed throat, and a refinish job on the stock (a nice light color stock with the squirrel) and the receiver. It will be getting both, and will live to shoot again!
When the M60 developed the feeding problem, and I decided to stable it for an overhaul and preservation because of sentimental value, I bought a 795. I didn't care for the synthetic stock, so I switched to a wood stock, and then added a GI sling and tech-sights. It is a great little rifle, set up for appleseed shoots. I haven't gotten a chance to do one of those yet, but it is in the plans. In the meantime, the little 795 is a great little plinker-light, accurate, and inexpensive to shoot. It is easy and non threatening for new shooters too, which is an important tool for every firearm enthusiast to have on hand.
I will get some pictures and put them up, although it may be a month or so because I have a lot going on (I will resurrect the thread if it has gone by the wayside!).
I am a Marlin .22 enthusiast, but I am willing to acknowledge that there are certainly nicer guns out there. I also get the 10/22 thing (but I have an AR for that). Bottom line though, IMHO for inexpensive, simple shooting fun it would be really hard to beat one of the marlin semi-autos!