Ruger buys Marlin

[TTv2]

Can't, Ruger now owns Marlin, but they do not own the facilities that Marlin is currently produced in. Roundhill will soon own the Ilion facility and the Huntsville facility is likely to be return to the City. Ruger will have to pick up Marlin and move it. How much of the vanishingly little remaining Marlin product expertise will be lost in that move?

I wasn't aware that Ruger didn't get the machines, actually I'd forgotten that Marlin became fully incorporated with Remington.

In that case, Ruger is going to pay a good amount more for this than I originally thought. They'll need to buy machines because they won't have the capacity to produce all the guns they currently do, they'll have to re-tool for improved manufacturing efficiency, they'll have to train new workers...

Yeah, I see the first few Ruger Marlin lever rifles being a quality nightmare. I would wait at least 2 years after Ruger releases the first lever actions before they get sent out of the factory made right.

 

[WrongHanded]

So now I'm wondering if Ruger will just start making lever guns using the same casting they use for other receivers. Perhaps...they already have some of that engineering done, but didn't see space in the market until just recently.

 

[TTv2]

Actually Ruger did produce a lever gun. The model 96.

Yeah, saw that. Corrected my original post.

 

[TTv2]

So now I'm wondering if Ruger will just start making lever guns using the same casting they use for other receivers. Perhaps...they already have some of that engineering done, but didn't see space in the market until just recently.

More than likely, Ruger is an industry leader in castings. IDK if Marlin used castings, forgings, or billet, but I don't see Ruger not using castings for the receivers, it'd be almost blasphemy for Ruger not to.

 

[Buzznrose]

All I want from this merger/buyout is for Ruger to keep the lever gun line gaining ground and maybe keep the Marlin M60 .22, but only if it’s profitable.

If I were Ruger, I’d consider it a waste of resources for them to bring on any bolt action rifle. Redundancy is expensive

 

[Cannibul]

More than likely, Ruger is an industry leader in castings. IDK if Marlin used castings, forgings, or billet, but I don't see Ruger not using castings for the receivers, it'd be almost blasphemy for Ruger not to.

Marlin lever action rifles have always been made from a forged receiver blank.

 

[WestKentucky]

So now I'm wondering if Ruger will just start making lever guns using the same casting they use for other receivers. Perhaps...they already have some of that engineering done, but didn't see space in the market until just recently.

I wonder if Pinetree Casting has the volume to take on another whole company worth of cast parts. Investment casting would be a feasible means to produce a Marlin reciever, lever, and loading gate. Most internal parts could realistically be stamped steel with refinement following the stamping process. Ruger does barrels in-house so that may be another bottleneck to overcome.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

I am 100% behind Ruglin in both pseudonym and a company.

Ruglin is the same format as the former Remlin, making the naming convention an easy carryover.

Frustrated side note: I don't know why do many folks, especially at gun shops, have a hard time understanding companies having competing products in their portfolio. Literally every market genre does this: cars, tires, computers, tools, home goods, food.

At least those are the things I pay attention to. I'm sure the list is endless.

 

[tommy.duncan]

Hey Ruger... How's about a 41 mag lever gun to go with the 41 mag GP100 that I have been asking about???

Just saying...

 

[jski]

I don’t see Ruger keeping anything but Marlin leverguns around. They’ll have to be folded into Ruger’s manufacturing processes. And since Ruger is THE leader in investment casting in gun manufacturing, I could easily see Marlin leverguns with cast receivers. Those would be of first class quality while getting control of Marlin’s manufacturing cost.

 

[chicharrones]

Ruger bought Marlin. Personally I think this is the best possible outcome for Marlin. Ruger is well managed by people who understand guns and the American gun culture. And, just as importantly, Ruger is a company with the assets to right the Marlin ship. Marlin’s market cap is ~$1.3 billion.

Comments? Opinions? Questions?

Just guessing here, but I think the rimfire bolt action Marlin's will be gone. Ruger has the RAR line, which are close enough in price to the Marlins and the Ruger magazines are superior.

I'm also thinking the Marlin Model 60 may be doomed. If you look at Marlin's bolt action line, they quit making tube mag versions of those rimfire guns some time ago. So, that might foretell the future of the 60.

Which really leaves only Marlin lever guns. Henry has proven lever guns still sell in this country and Ruger knows it.

Besides, there is this statement on Ruger's website, which seems to say it all. "Long Live the Lever Gun"

View attachment 945908

A bit more in the link below.

https://ruger.com/corporate/marlin.html

 

[Stophel]

Other than MAYBE some lever rifles as "cowboy guns" to go with the Vaquero, I really don't expect to see anything coming from the new Marlin that actually resembles a Marlin.

So many people going "Ooh! I hope they reintroduce the Model 39!".... Dude, keep dreaming.

 

[jski]

This is interesting:

Once the purchase is completed, the Company will begin the process of relocating the Marlin Firearms assets to existing Ruger manufacturing facilities.

 

[chicharrones]

Other than MAYBE some lever rifles as "cowboy guns" to go with the Vaquero, I really don't expect to see anything coming from the new Marlin that actually resembles a Marlin.

So many people going "Ooh! I hope they reintroduce the Model 39!".... Dude, keep dreaming.

I think the 39 could be done again, considering Browning still has their BL22 line.

What I wonder is, would the 39 be made like the traditional 39 and would it be made in more than one configuration? Or, would Ruger do some Ruger voodoo on the 39 and come up with a different, but similar looking, rimfire lever gun in place of the 39?

 

[chicharrones]

This is interesting: "Once the purchase is completed, the Company will begin the process of relocating the Marlin Firearms assets to existing Ruger manufacturing facilities." https://ruger.com/corporate/marlin.html

Yep. This makes one guess that some Marlin machinery may be changing addresses.

 

[reddog81]

I wonder if Ruger bought Marlin just to prevent someone from buying it and shut down Marlin as a competitor to Ruger firearms?

That’s probably pretty close to as correct of an answer you’ll get. They paid $30 million for Marlin and have $35 million of cash on hand according to their most recent financial statement. $30 million is a pretty small investment for a company like Ruger, yet there aren’t many other firearm manufacturers out there that could pay that much in cash.

I'm sure they’ll have to buy equipment, hire employees, and they’ll be a learning curve but the same issues would apply to every other buyer out there.

 

[kidneyboy]

Shot Show 2021 should be interesting. Marlin brand will need to be out there. There will be prototypes and preproduction models. More tactical lever guns.

You guys longing for the 39 of your youth crack me up. If they made one that met up with your memories/expectations you wouldn't buy it because it would be to expensive. If they made an affordable one you wouldn't buy it because it wouldn't be the same as the ones you remember.

 

[Ivy Mike]

This was nothing more than the purchase of the name and maybe the IP from some of the leverguns, but most of the good designs are already out of patent protection.
Ruger is going to keep making the lever guns, likely with various castings replacing expensive forgings that need not necessarily be forged. I wouldn't look for a new Model 39 of any sort, not when Ruger owns the rights to the Marlin XT series of bolt action 22 rifles and has its own .22 rifles.I'd love a new Model 39 with Ruger castings though, not so much because I want another .22 lever gun, but because it would make my original Marlin Model 39 with the Star even more valuable. My Browning BL-22 is a nice little lever gun for taking the kids out shooting.

With something like a new cast receiver in a lever gun, Ruger can use its existing rifle barrels without having to change much in the way of production. Design your casting to take Model 77 or Ruger American barrels and you're off to the races.
You might find some new lever guns in Ruger calibers like the .480 Ruger. That would be nice for guys who actually went with the .480 Ruger in revolvers, and want a longer option. A Marlin 1895 Dark in .480 Ruger could be a great hog gun.
Maybe a new line of .444 and .450 Marlin-chambered bolt action rifles (Ruger M77 or American line) for those who don't want lever guns. And Ruger could stand out as a producer of weapons capable of tolerating seriously stout loadings in .444 and .450 Marlin such as those made by Buffalo Bore. This move also means Ruger can directly compete with Browning's BLR which was already chambered in 450 Marlin, though out of production for some time now. A solid cast steel receiver 1895 in .450 Marlin that can take more than the 3 rounds the BLR held, would be awesome. You'd have a very reliable gun for any animal in the world.

 

[TTv2]

I don’t see Ruger keeping anything but Marlin leverguns around. They’ll have to be folded into Ruger’s manufacturing processes. And since Ruger is THE leader in investment casting in gun manufacturing, I could easily see Marlin leverguns with cast receivers. Those would be of first class quality while getting control of Marlin’s manufacturing cost.

Let's look at what else does Marlin makes that's not a lever action:

Model 60. It's an perhaps the second most popular .22 semi auto in the US behind the 10/22. The model 60 is like Tom Brady in that... it's not going nowhere.

XT-22. This is an interesting one. The XT22 doesn't have the history the model 60 does and Ruger already has bolt action rimfire rifles, but they don't have any that are tube fed. There's not much reason to keep the mag fed models around, but the tube fed ones, especially the .22 Mag, those may hang on. IDK, but what I do know is...


795. Already said it, but I'll let Vince McMahon spell out the future of the 795...
well, I can't get the thing to start at the right time, so just skip to 1:24

 

[CapnMac]

no reason Ruger had to buy Marlin

Best reason is the trade name and identity IP.
Allows Ruger to expand production and isolate the risk to the parent company.

Also, while this looks to be a done deal, the Bankruptcy Court still has to approve the bid Ruger put in, otherwise it goes to the runner-up bidder.

But, with that being said, Ruger, at least, does appear to want to make Marlin a going concern, and not just use the company assets for financial gain, unlike the Remlin deal.

Mind, if Ruger wants a quick splash, all they have to do is turn out Camp Carbines in popular pistol calibers (9/40/45/10) in popular magazines. Price those at under $500, and they'd probably fly off the shelves.

 

[chicharrones]

Shot Show 2021 should be interesting. Marlin brand will need to be out there. There will be prototypes and preproduction models. More tactical lever guns.

You guys longing for the 39 of your youth crack me up. If they made one that met up with your memories/expectations you wouldn't buy it because it would be to expensive. If they made an affordable one you wouldn't buy it because it wouldn't be the same as the ones you remember.

I have an old 1994 Guns and Ammo Annual with retail prices from back then. The 39TDS had a retail price of 92% of a similarly outfitted 1894CS from the same year. $418.85 vs. $454.80.

So, would someone these days consider a Marlin 39 that retailed for $769.06 when a new 2020 Marlin 1894C retails for $835.94? Considering what Browning's BL22 line retails for, the Marlin and Browning won't be bought by people wanting "only a .22".

Then there is street price to consider. Perhaps we'd see the typical street pricing being a bit lower than retail pricing after a few years of Ruger ownership. My particular Marlin 39AS I bought in the same aforementioned year of 1994 was 75% of retail pricing, per my old receipt I have here.

 

[chicharrones]

Let's look at what else does Marlin makes that's not a lever action:

Model 60. It's an perhaps the second most popular .22 semi auto in the US behind the 10/22. The model 60 is like Tom Brady in that... it's not going nowhere.

Yet Brady did go somewhere. And, except for lever guns, tube magazines are a dying type of ammo storage system. Marlin's own bolt guns haven't had a tube magazine version offered for some time now.

 

[Obturation]

This is excellent news. Ruger makes awesome guns and marlin made my favorite lever guns until Henry came along and the Marlins coming from the factory were disfigured mutant junk.
I'll be waiting on the 1895 trapper "rugerlin".
I hope they put in what freedom group took away, marlin is too good to go extinct , despite the best efforts of a bunch of people who destroyed several companies that have been around well over 100 years .

 

[jski]

I wonder if Ruger bought Marlin just to prevent someone from buying it and shut down Marlin as a competitor to Ruger firearms?

What? Nonsense! The idea that Marlin was making guns that directly competed against Ruger and hence, presented a risk to Ruger is nonsense.

Ruger makes wheelguns, autoloaders, and boltguns. They’ve never had a levergun presence. Actually, leverguns would fit in perfectly with Ruger’s existing products.

 

[Deus Machina]

Almost bought a new Model 60 today, decided not to because the current quality probably wouldn't hold up to the pre-remington one I had.
Now I may reconsider, depending what Ruger does.
I do hope they keep the 60.
Heck, I hope they copy the micro-groove rifling. Don't know if it was because of design or quality, but that thing was stupidly accurate.