Yep, no .30-30 in the 1894.
The lineage is 1893 -> 1936 -> 36 -> 336. (-> 444 -> 1895)
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Buy the .30-30.
And knowing that you should be looking at JM rifles is an excellent start.
I'm not going to talk you out of it, or try to find a way to justify it. I don't know your needs, wants, or desires.
But I will tell you, that as a man that never really liked lever-guns much, the bug bit me once I spent some quality time with a 2002 Marlin 336 in .30-30 (quality time - not just random plinking and screwing around, which was the norm).
Now, I freely admit that I didn't particularly like that rifle, and I turned it into something else (chopping, grinding, etc.
).
But it started a fire that I have been unable to control.
The Marlins keep multiplying, and, with only two exceptions, all of them are .30-30s or .444s.
Don't be afraid to "molest" the rifle.
Make it what you want.
There were MILLIONS of 336s manufactured, and even if every member of this forum cut one up, it wouldn't be a drop in the bucket.
Collectors already have the collectible rifles. The rest are fodder for people that
use their firearms.
I only own two Marlins that I haven't 'molested'. One is an heirloom. The other is brand new (2008 JM) ... and I simply haven't gotten around to messing with it.