Marlin quality improved?

[mshootnit]

All I can say is they are ruining many a beautiful walnut stock with that excuse for checkering. If thats how theyre gonna do it they might as well sell the walnut UNcheckered.

 

[kcofohio]

I've heard an apocryphal tale that some of the soon-to-be-terminated employees from Marlin messed with the machinery prior to it being moved to New York and that is one of the causes of the issues. Can anyone verify this one way or another?

morcey2, I too have heard that tale more than once. Even a gun mag writer I just read mentioned it only as a hearsay.

I have to wonder whether there is any truth to that. Just the move of machinery and process from one place to another in the same plant can play havoc on the machine process. Let alone not knowing if new workers received proper training. Throw in some management pressed by timeline(s) to get the product out the door. Somebody gave the "Okay" for the product to ship.

Could of sabotage happened? Yes! But did it? We may never know, as anything can be posted without consequences on the internet.
Edit: In bold added to clarify statement.

R51 anyone?

 

[DPris]

The machinery was old & largely worn out, aggravated by the lack of technical drawings & knowledge by the new workers on how to nurse the old equipment along.

I won't comment on the sabotage rumors.
Denis

 

[ilmonster]

Here are some pic's of my newly acquired 1895. Pretty reasonable fit and finish... Also went to the range this past Sunday, and shot some Rem 405 gr. JSP's. Cycled as smooth as my 1894c. Shooting offhand, very reasonable recoil. Off the bench, not so much! Need to replace that rubber butt pad with a real recoil pad.

Also, time to begin accumulating a single stage press and supplies to feed this beast!

 

[ilmonster]

Update: I bought a Limbsaver grind to fit pad, and actually ground it to fit! Just had to use the belt sander at work and 15 min. of patience. Went back and shot some more of the Rem. 405 JSP rounds with the Limbsaver, and it was night and day. Now the rifle just rocks you back a bit, but doesn't kick your a$$.

Also bought a Lee Classic Cast press and a set of RCBS Cowboy dies in 45-70 and reloaded 50 rounds. 300 gr. RNFP MBC bullets over 15.0 gr. of HS-6. A really nice easy shooting load I could shoot all day.

Regarding Marlin's recent quality, I have shot in two range sessions around 35 rounds. Six or so factory Rem's and 25 of my reloads. Not a huge amount of rounds yet, but the gun has cycled every round perfectly. It may be only anecdotal, but my rifle has functioned perfectly and I'm really pleased. As it's winter here in Wisconsin, I've only shot it at my local indoor 25 yd. range, but the handholds group about the size of a fist shooting offhand at around 20 yds. What a fun gun!

 

[bikemutt]

I happened to be a LGS last week when a deputy came in to pickup his new Marlin 1895 GBL, 45/70. We all got to fondle the rifle, if I didn't already own a converted 2001 Guide Gun I'd be proud to own the one he bought. The store also had a new production 1894 (336?) in 35 Rem, I inspected it quite thoroughly, mostly out of curiosity, it was fine. Handled real nice, smooth action, good fit 'n finish.

I bought an entry-level Marlin in .17hmr recently, it patterned nicely, almost as good as my Rem 870 Express. That's probably the story with everyone's $200 rifle though.

 

[AStone]

... a new production 1894 (336?) in 35 Rem...

.35 Rem is 336, along with .30-30. 1894 is their .357 mag, 44 mag, and .45 Colt rifles.

Glad to read this story that quality is going up. The Marlin name must not be sullied.