The 336 Club

[JustsayMo]

Nem,
Are you SURE your front sight has only one hole?

On some of my 336/1895's there is a second hole beneath the sight blade itself. The sight blade must be drifted out of the way to access the screw. Not a big deal once you get your sight system dialed in but a pain in the arse while you're doin' it.

 

[JackCrow]

I'd like to join!

I have the 336 in 30-30. Mine looks almost identical to Savetheclaypigeons'.

 

[JustsayMo]

There's a new Cowboy in town

My 336CB arrived today!

Upon seeing it for the first time I was impressed with the aethetics. The wood on this one is lighter with a modest amount of figuring. Purty.

As I hefted it for the first time I noticed the weight. It "feels" heavier than my 1895 Cowboy in 45-70 with a 26" barrel and much heavier than my 336RC. I haven't weighed them yet but I am now curious. I guess the big .452" hole in the 45-70 lightens that barrel a good bit more than a .308" hole.

Ergonomics feel spot on. It handles like a Rifle and NOT a carbine. The longer 24" barrel seems to bring the target closer and hangs on it magneticly. It balances on the rear of the forearm stock so it doesn't feel nose heavy when aiming offhand.

I haven't shot it yet but I did cycle some ammo through to test for function. It loaded, cycled and ejected EIGHT rounds perfectly. Another advantage of the longer barrel magazine. "Load on Sunday and shoot all week" or something like that.

This Sunday I plan to put it through the paces. I have several loads ready to go. 170 grain Sierra and Hornady Bullets over Varget and IMR 3031. I have Hornady 150's over IMR 3031 too. If I get a chance I'll load up some 170gr cast bullets over some pistol powders and see how it does with reduced loads. I supect it will be even quieter than the 20" barreled 336RC and hopefully just as accurate. I'll post a report when I get back.

My only complaint is the seller said that I "couldn't this one from a brand new one" and he is for he most part correct. The exception is the Williams Peep sight that looks grossly out of place on the Cowboy version of the 336 and one big ding in the stock, probably from the cleaning rod handle ramming forward once the patch cleared the barrel. I'll live with both for a while anyway. I'm certain I'll shoot better groups with the peepsite and that will help me develop the loads it likes. Once I've accomplished that I'll find and install the factory opens.

Yeeeee haawwww!

 

[AStone]

JCrow, T'cat, Sav, Gauge, welcome in.

Mo, congrats on the new one. Pics when possible, please.

Are you SURE your front sight has only one hole?

Actually, the "only one hole" part is on my barrel. That is, there is only one hole on my barrel. That's with the front sight removed. (Yes, I just double checked that by taking the front sight off.)

The XS sight has two holes: one behind the blade, one in front.

But there's only one hole in the barrel with which to attach it.

 

[AStone]

Club roster (who have posted at least once)

Posts: 529
Views: 17,168

Senior 336 club members (= 10 or more posts in this thread ) are bold:

_N4Z_, .45Guy, 4fingermick, Action_Can_Do, Airborne Falcon, applekev, Appsy, ArfinGreebly, Atticus_1354, AWMP, B.D. Turner, BamBam-31, batex, Bob79, Brassman, Bud Tugly, cane, Cato the Younger, cavman, chad1043, Charshooter, chorlton, christophera, CliffH, CrackerJim , D-Man, DAdams, Dave Markowitz, davera, dbernie5, Digital Falcon, DouglasW, Dr.Rob, Duckbill, electrode1998, Essex County, evil_brother, Fast Frank, fiVe, FXR, glockman19, gns4me, grizz, Gustav, Hokkmike, hqmhqm, Ironbarr, JackCrow, JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone, jimrichter, jkingrph, JNewell, JRLaws, JustsayMo, Karate, KMBRTAC45, kmrcstintn, Lee Lapin, Legionnaire, Logan5, LotI, magyars4, Mannlicher, MarkL, Marlin, Matt Dillon, mattw, MDig, mgh, MikeWSC, MinScout, Mr. 16 gauge, Nematocyst-870, News Shooter, NWAttorney, nwilliams, OldWolf, oregonhunter, Otony, PapaDog, Quickdraw Limpsalot, ReadyontheRight, retrieverman, Risky business, rockerz71, ryoushi, Sav .250, savetheclaypigeons, scrat, shootinstudent, Sistema1927, Sniper X, sorensen440, squid8286, SSN Vet, starsandstriper, Taffnevy, TexAg, Texas, the lone gunman, THE OUTPATIENT, TnBigBore, Tomcat47, tubeshooter, tuna, ugaarguy, velojym, VMIRat1995, W Turner, Waywatcher, WJR, xd9fan, yongxingfreesty, Z_Infidel, ZeSpectre

 

[electrode1998]

xs sights

Hey Nem.,
I know you don't want to hear this but so far I have had none of the problems you are having with your xs sights. As you know when you got your xs sights I bought a set of Skinner sights. They have performed GREAT!! The front blade Skinner sent me simply slipped into the factory front sight so there was no problem with the "single hole in the barrel" problem. I am not gloating by the way. If it were me, before you go any further with the xs people, like paying for a new front sight that "might" work or pay a gunsmith to tap the barrel, I would order a set of Skinner sights and try them out. They are only about $45 or maybe $50 so this might be cheeper than your other options.
Hope this helps,
e'trode 1998

 

[electrode1998]

status?

Hey Nem.
I have a question on my status. According to your latest list I am a Senior Member due to the number of posts I have. When I enter a new posts on the thread however my status shows up a Member. This is no big deal I was just wondering why this is?
Thanks,
e'trode1998

 

[ZeSpectre]

Well I now have a decent stockpile of 150 and 170 gr Ammo but durned if I can find any leverevolution in my area. I suppose I could order some online but I think I'll wait for huntin' season and see if the stores decide to carry it.

 

[Taffnevy]

So if I understand correctly, the 336 is most accurate within 200 yards or so?

My question is, at that range doesn't a 12 gauge with a 26" barrel and slugs cover that?

If you were to have one pistol, shotgun and rifle, would the 336 fit the bill or would you opt for something with a bit more range?

 

[JustsayMo]

The Skinner Front sight is available seperately. I believe it is $10 shipped ($50/ shipped for the front AND rear sights complete). It is just a simple post that fits in the dovetail groove on the sight ramp. It can be filed if it prints too low. Since your front sight ramp is a "one holer" the Skinner sight would be an easy install. The two holers require three hands and installed with the ramp on the rifle

My 39 didn't require a new post but my 1895GS did. I'm satisfied with it and a pard of mine shot an Idaho bear with it last month had no complaints even though he had never used peep sights before. Made the shot exactly where he was aiming. Complete NW to SE penetration too! He expired within seconds of being hit. No tracking required. Thumb+ sized permanent wound channel. The 425 cast bullet (Beartooth) over a very modest load of IMR 4198 (<1600 fps) was last seen eastbound.

Back on topic. I think the Skinners are the best thing goin for Marlin Leverguns and aging eyes.

 

[retrieverman]

Taffnevy

If I could only have one pistol, shotgun, and rifle (and I shudder at the thought), my rifle would be my 336SS 30-30. For where I hunt in east Texas and NW Oklahoma, I can kill anything that needs killing with a 30-30.

 

[Z_Infidel]

Nem: I think I brought this up before, but I am using the XS front sight that only has a single screw on my 336XLR. I had them send it to me because the hole spacing on the XLR is different than that on the 336C so the regular front sight ramp wouldn't work. The new front sight was easy to install and is very solid. In addition to the screw that fits in the hole there is also another screw that snugs against the barrel. Use the stuff they include in the tube and you won't have any problem installing the sight and it won't budge. They sent mine for no charge and simply asked that I return the sight that originally shipped -- which of course I did.

The Skinner sights do look to be a very fine product as well. But I like the XS front sight blade because the white line makes it so easy to pick up in low light situations.

As a side note, since my 336C with the XS Ghost Ring sights is performing so well for a quick handling carbine at distances within 75 yards I am thinking of putting a conventional scope on the XLR and reinstalling the factory sights. Once done, I will probably only shoot the Hornady LeverEvolution ammo in that rifle while staying with conventional 170 gr bullets in the 336C.

That will easily cover all my shooting needs out to 200 yards or so. My CZ550FS in .30-06 gives a little more power and range yet (same goes for my Enfield No4Mk1). Some day I might decide to get another Marlin in .45-70 or .450 Marlin to fill the big-bore slot. I really don't need one, but I might just have to have one anyway -- we'll see...

 

[jkingrph]

JustSayMo

I have a few of the cowboys, the favorite is an 1894 in 44 mag with a Marbles tang sight. Then next is a 336 I got in 38-55 , then the 1895, 45-70. I tried the tang sights on them and the shape of the Marbles base with the recoil did a number on my right hand so off they came. The 1895 has a 26" barrel but is still too light weight to handle recoil well, but makes for a great carry rifle. Lastly we have a 1897 22LR my wife likes.

I would like to have one of these in the old 32-20 chambering. I prefer the longer rifle barrels to the shorter carbine versions.

 

[Risky buisness]

Well I finally had the time to sort thru this pile of postings on 336 Marlins, good stuff in here fellas, count me in if you want, (call me risky, saves typing)
my 336 is a CS and it's old enough to have missed the micro grove bbl, since I prefer cast projectiles it's perfect, even trying some paper patch stuff. Great old rifle and even tho I grew up with Winchesters I like the Marlin better, also glad to see some mention of tang sights too, they are my favorite hands down and my 336 wears a marbles with pride

 

[AStone]

Great discussion on the sights issue, folks. Thanks for the ideas. More on that later.

For now, I'll just address a "membership" issue.

According to your latest list I am a Senior Member due to the number of posts I have. When I enter a new posts on the thread however my status shows up a Member.

Sorry for the confusion there, E'trode. My bad for not being more clear. I've clarified it now in that "roster" post, above.

I was actually just goofing around last night (boring Friday night after work), and decided to arbitrarily (totally arbitrarily) assign "senior" status to those who have posted 10 or more times in THIS thread. Could just as easily be more than 5, or even more than once.

I'm open to suggestions if anybody cares. I don't want to offend anyone. Membership status is somewhat of a crock anyway since members that post only a few posts often contribute quality instead of quantity.

"Club threads" like this - where we're experimenting with a different kind of ... um, feeling than most threads, with more of a welcome, inclusive "club house feeling" where everyone knows our names - are just that - an experiment. Nothing is set in stone.

And just for the record, so no one gets their hackles up (some THR members don't like the concept), "club" membership does NOT require ownership of a 336. We're not trying to be "exclusive" at all. Anyone can post in this thread just like any other thread. We're just a group of people who have an interest in or questions/comments about 336 (and relatives), and want to have a running discussion about them while getting to know each other rather than start a whole bunch of independent threads every time some new question comes up. IMO, it adds to the community feeling of THR rather than subtracts. (Or at least that's my experience; when I enter a "club thread", even one that I don't own the gun for, I feel a sense of community and sharing that I don't always get in other threads.)

The membership status you see on the left side of the page under your user name reflects your THR membership status. One becomes a "senior member" on THR at 100 posts.

Which means, E'trode, you'll become a senior member very soon. Heck, you could make it today with three more posts!

(Some of us who've been around THR for a while - in my case almost two years - start "celebrating" the thousand posts benchmarks: 1000, 3000, etc. My next one is 5000, coming up in ... oh, who knows?)

Anyway, hope that clears things up. Sorry for the confusion.

Nem

 

[AStone]

Taffnevy and Risky, welcome in. I've added your names to the roster above.

Taff, I'm a person who likes a minimalist tool kit - given my semi-nomadic lifestyle, I want a few guns that cover a wide range of uses. So, for a while I considered just using my 870 with slugs and a longer barrel for deer. (My 870 is a P, and sports an 18" barrel for everyday wear.)

But even with a longer barrel, my sense is slugs are only reliable up to maybe 100 yds. Beyond that ... well, not for me. YMMV.

So, I decided to go with the 336. I doubt I'll ever take a shot longer than 150. Just not my style. But this way, I can keep the shorter barrel on the 870 and keep it for camp SD duty.

Others more knowledgeable about slugs may disagree with me, though. Maybe with a rifled slug barrel...?

Nem

 

[electrode1998]

Hey Nem.
Thanks for the info. Just kidding on the status. I just found a great range not too far from the house and not bad membership fees either. I have to complete their gun safety course first and pay my dues. The range is in the middle of a sugar cane field here and has a max range of 600 yards. I hope to send some range results and pics in the next 30 days.
e'trode1998

 

[AStone]

Just kidding on the status.

LOL.

Oooooh, I got baited. Nice job.

Nice op to clarify what we're doing here, nonetheless.
Good to discuss "club" issues on occasion.

Wow! A 600 yd range in a sugar cane field.

Puts a new spin on the expression, "Swwweeet!"

 

[Dave Dembinski]

Hey guys, can I play too?

Just got it last Friday (the gun, not the boots). It's a 336A and I do believe the "A" stands for "Awesome!"

 

[Z_Infidel]

Nice looking rifle, Dog.

 

[JustsayMo]

336 CB goes to the range

I try to cover most of the bases the first time to the range with a new (to me) gun in order to get to know its tendencys as quickly as possible. I took a variety of ammo and a set of back-up opensights just incase the Peep sight didn't work out for me... it didn't.

First loads through were favorites of my previous 336RC, A max load of Varget under a 170gr Hornady JFP bullet. It showed some promising accuracy, grouping ~1" @ 50 yards and averaged 2078 fps over the chronograph.

The same dose of Varget under the 150 gr Hornady JRN bullet, also a favorite of my other 336 did NOT fair as well. The groups expanded to 2"

The Varget powder burns better in the longer barrel.

The same two bullets over IMR3031 (.2 grains under the IMR published Max for the 170 gr bullet) had OK results but nothing to write home about. The 170 gr producing similar groups as the Varget load but the 150 gr bullets improving upon. 170gr averaged 2142 fps and the 150 gr averaged 2101 fps. I will test the 150s again with a closer to max charge for it.

The Sierra 170gr JSP bullet over the IMR 3031 performed very well producing sub 1" groups at 50 yards and averaging 2134 fps. The Stadard Deviation of 24 was half of the Varget loads.

After shooting up my jacketed ammo I decided to switch to cast bullets. I did NOT clean the barrel so some degraded accuracy was expected. I loaded them over Red Dot and SR4756 Powders for some fun plinking/grouse/quiet shooting and was very pleased with the results. Rimfire quiet and nearly zero felt recoil.

The Red Dot proved to be more accurate than the SR4756 and produced a slightly higher velocity with a half grain less of powder. Five and a half grains averaged 1089 fps and excluding the fliers printed at 1" at 50 yards. At 25 yards it would cluster them inside of a half inch. Certainly a capable small game load.

The Zero difference between the full strength 170 grain Jacketed bullets and the 170gr Cast bullet reduced loads was 4 notches up (on the open sighted elevator ramp) at 25 yards (which put me at the top of the ramp).

With the 170gr jacketed bullet zero these cast reduced loads print 6" low at 50 yards and 2-1/4" low at 25 yards. A small amount of holdover on small game inside of 25 yards could be viable if you wanted to quietly pot some meat while big game hunting without changing your hunting zero.

This first trip out gave me some insights on how to proceed. The 336 CB does seem to favor the 170gr bullets but I'll give the 150's another go. I will try some factory ammo too.

The 336 CB functioned flawlessly though lacks the smoothness of 1960 vintage 336RC. The trigger has some creep but if it is like my other Marlins it will get better with use.

I started the day using the Williams Peep sight but switched early on mostly because the HUGE bead on the stock front sight didn't allow for the precision and is better suited to the open sights.

All and all, it was a good first day out with the 30-30 Cowboy.

 

[AStone]

Imagine a 336 in .45-70.

Got the image in your mind?

OK, go here and discuss.

 

[tubeshooter]

I have always wanted a .45-70 to round out the whole levergun thing for me... but I have to get the .357 first!

2 out of 4 ain't bad, though...


Of course it's way, WAY more gun that I would ever need in my neck of the woods... but I still want one, though. It would make a great "big brother" to a 336.

 

[Atticus_1354]

I am going to be picking up a 336 for hog hunting and I was wondering if anyone knows where I can get the best price. I will be checking some pawn shops around here, but I don't hold much hope that I will find it.

 

[dbernie5]

Spent some time making holes in paper last night with the 336. I had put a new Williams WGRS sight on. I couldn't adjust it low enough. Now I'm ordering a new taller front sight from Williams so that I can get it adjusted for height. I love the rifle but I've got a little work to do to make it accurate again. Oh well, that's part of the fun.................