45/70 Lever Action
- Thread starter Biskithead
- Start date
Driftwood Johnson
New member
Howdy
Remington bought Marlin at the end of 2007. In 2010 Remington began transitioning Marlin production to their Ilion NY factory. That is when the quality issues began. The North Haven CT Marlin factory was closed on April 1st, 2011.
Overblown??? Then why did they completely shut down production a year or two ago?
Remington bought Marlin at the end of 2007. In 2010 Remington began transitioning Marlin production to their Ilion NY factory. That is when the quality issues began. The North Haven CT Marlin factory was closed on April 1st, 2011.
Overblown??? Then why did they completely shut down production a year or two ago?
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
I've not shot a Henry, but heard good things in general about their lever guns... only negative is they are heavy & bulky, a bit "cumbersome" & slow... generally talking about 45 Colt cowboy guns... don't know if the 45-70 is the same, or if that is acceptable on the heavier cartridge...
I have had 2 pre-Remington Marlin 45-70's... 1st was a blued "rifle" I used for "up north" deer hunting for several years, when a stainless guide-gun caught my eye, & I sold it to one of my best friends... love my guide gun...
I also agree, I think I'd like the Henry style loading gate, instead of the Marlin style...
In reality, if it's just a fun gun, & the OP is buying new, I'd probably get the Henry... but since it's for fun, rack the lever on one or two of each, & see what appeals the most to you...
I have had 2 pre-Remington Marlin 45-70's... 1st was a blued "rifle" I used for "up north" deer hunting for several years, when a stainless guide-gun caught my eye, & I sold it to one of my best friends... love my guide gun...
I also agree, I think I'd like the Henry style loading gate, instead of the Marlin style...
In reality, if it's just a fun gun, & the OP is buying new, I'd probably get the Henry... but since it's for fun, rack the lever on one or two of each, & see what appeals the most to you...
From what Ive seen personally, I dont think they are over blown, nor are they over quite yet. I picked up a 336 a couple of weeks ago, and while it "looked" good, it had issues that rendered it inoperable out of the box. I also looked a couple others when I bought it, and they are still coming out with crooked sights and ill fitting wood.
I appear to have lucked out with my 1895G. I got it a couple of years ago, an impulse buy, and unaware of the Remlin thing. Its fit and function are good, and since I replaced the recoil pad with a butt plate, its a lot more comfortable to shoot, now that it has a proper LOP.
Now that Ive got some experience pulling one apart and cleaning things up with the 336, Im going to do the same for the 1895. I find the Marlins are clunky and rough compared to the Winchesters, but the 336 seems to have cleaned up a good bit with a little attention. To bad they cant do that before they put them in the box.
As the owner of three Marlins -- a `55 39A for a lifetime, a very late 1894 that still had the JM stamp (but likely a RemLim), and a definite Remlin `95GBL -- I've been very fortunate that they've all been very functional.
Can you tell when your 336 was actually put togther? (earliest of bad RemLims or later with restored QC?)
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I have no idea as to when it was put together. Is there a serial number range you know of? Mine is MR165xxD.
Just recently and randomly looking around, from the few Marlin lever guns Ive seen on the shelves, it appears they are still having issues. Now whether or not those guns are earlier vs later, is anyones guess.
The exterior wood fit on mine was a lot better than some of the others Ive seen recently, but in my case, that was a misnomer, as the stock was inleted improperly, and needed to be shimmed to take up the slop, that wasnt initially apparent, until the gun was shot, and things loosened up.
The "AK" style front sights seem to be better, or at least, less common now, but the rear sights now seem to be an issue. The other two I looked at both had rear sights that appeared to be bent, and/or rolling off to the side. Mine were straight, although not zeroed, and the front blade was not centered in the dovetail.
The internal issues I had were something you wouldnt know until you fired the gun. I would assume they test fired them, and in my case, theres no way they could have missed it, as the lever jammed on the empty case on extraction, and you had to shake the empties out, and it wouldnt feed reliably from the magazine. Still, they called it good, boxed it up and shipped it.
I have two Marlins, the 336Y and the 1895G. Both are Remington era guns, and my luck has been 50/50. I was never really a big Marlin fan, and Winchesters were/are, more my thing. If they were still making the Trappers, I wouldnt have bought the 336Y.
Just recently and randomly looking around, from the few Marlin lever guns Ive seen on the shelves, it appears they are still having issues. Now whether or not those guns are earlier vs later, is anyones guess.
The exterior wood fit on mine was a lot better than some of the others Ive seen recently, but in my case, that was a misnomer, as the stock was inleted improperly, and needed to be shimmed to take up the slop, that wasnt initially apparent, until the gun was shot, and things loosened up.
The "AK" style front sights seem to be better, or at least, less common now, but the rear sights now seem to be an issue. The other two I looked at both had rear sights that appeared to be bent, and/or rolling off to the side. Mine were straight, although not zeroed, and the front blade was not centered in the dovetail.
The internal issues I had were something you wouldnt know until you fired the gun. I would assume they test fired them, and in my case, theres no way they could have missed it, as the lever jammed on the empty case on extraction, and you had to shake the empties out, and it wouldnt feed reliably from the magazine. Still, they called it good, boxed it up and shipped it.
I have two Marlins, the 336Y and the 1895G. Both are Remington era guns, and my luck has been 50/50. I was never really a big Marlin fan, and Winchesters were/are, more my thing. If they were still making the Trappers, I wouldnt have bought the 336Y.
Your 'MR' indicates a 2011 build, apparently four years into RemLin territory
http://www.homedefenseweapons.net/2460-how-to-identify-an-original-marlin-336-from-a-remlin/
(I'll have to go look at mine again when I get home)
You'd think that Detroit's demise would have sent a signal to American industry about the fatal effects of poor quality. But big business is no longer run by those who have their heart & soul in something they created. Rather it is run for greatest short-term profit margin gain on the quarterly earnings ledger.
...and après moi, le déluge.... somebody else's problem.
~~~~~~~~~
Thank God for FN in SC
http://www.homedefenseweapons.net/2460-how-to-identify-an-original-marlin-336-from-a-remlin/
(I'll have to go look at mine again when I get home)
You'd think that Detroit's demise would have sent a signal to American industry about the fatal effects of poor quality. But big business is no longer run by those who have their heart & soul in something they created. Rather it is run for greatest short-term profit margin gain on the quarterly earnings ledger.
...and après moi, le déluge.... somebody else's problem.
~~~~~~~~~
Thank God for FN in SC
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Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
For what it's worth, I handled a Remlin 1895 SBL yesterday, and the sights appeared straight, and the wood-to-metal fit was in the "acceptable" range (albeit barely). The cycling was rough, but it appeared functional, with no patent defects that I could see. I will give them another chance at some point, most likely.
Bigbuckeye
New member
1886 Chiappa.....one of my favorites. Highly recommended.
