I like the Winchester over the Marlin
- Thread starter Porsche911
- Start date
gaseousclay
New member
Nice collection. I just bought a Winchester 94 xtr the other day. I should be getting it at my FFL soon.
Just curious, what problems have you had with Marlins??
Admittedly, between the 336 and the 94, my experience has been with rifles made between 30 and a hundred years ago, neither one has given me problems and both are accurate for what they are. Some shoot better than others, but I've never noticed Win being overall any more or less accurate than Marlins.
Can't speak to the newer made stuff, no personal experience with them, though I've heard Marlin's made after Remington took over weren't good for a few years.
Of course, the Win 94s made after the 1964 changes weren't good for a few years, either...
Admittedly, between the 336 and the 94, my experience has been with rifles made between 30 and a hundred years ago, neither one has given me problems and both are accurate for what they are. Some shoot better than others, but I've never noticed Win being overall any more or less accurate than Marlins.
Can't speak to the newer made stuff, no personal experience with them, though I've heard Marlin's made after Remington took over weren't good for a few years.
Of course, the Win 94s made after the 1964 changes weren't good for a few years, either...
Accuracy depends on what you think is accurate and your shooting ability . With good ammo and shooter the Marlin is the more accurate of the two . Or at least that is what my 30 years with a public range and running rifle matches has told me . Plus my personal experience with many more of the rifles than in the photo .
Porsche911
New member
Nothing wrong with the earlier Marlin (the Remlin are not so good). I have two 336's with scopes.
I grew up with the Winchester and just like them better.
I grew up with the Winchester and just like them better.
gaseousclay
New member
What ammo do you guys use for your lever guns? I haven't been able to find any 30-30 win ammo locally but in case I do, i'm curious what you like and why. Or, does it not make a difference?
Porsche911
New member
I have 200 rounds of the 150g and 800 rounds of the 170g. The lower stuff is good practice rounds.
Pathfinder45
New member
For me, it depends on which Marlin vs which Winchester. Out of all those in the picture, I'd take the third one from the top; the one with the long forearm wood. That's the carbine configuration that Winchester was producing from about 1937 to about 1949 or so. The so-called, "Wartime", carbines looked thusly. Sometime around 1949, the checkered hammer was changed to a serrated version. Shortly after that, the forearm wood was shortened, I think about 1950.
I've been a big fan of the Hornady 160gr Leverevolution since it came out. I've got a 1974 20" 94 that does it's best with the old Federal 125gr as far as accuracy. I haven't shot those at anything but paper and yotes so I wouldn't have any idea how it would do on other critters.
ammo.crafter
New member
Have both
The Marlin is better made and more accurate.
The Marlin is better made and more accurate.
Me either, Sarge.
Regarding scopes vs irons when it comes to how intrinsically accurate a rifle is as opposed to how accurately an aimer can shoot it, it's important to note that no kind of sight makes the rifle more accurate but a type of sight might well make the rifle easier for the aimer to shoot it more accurately.
FrankenMauser
New member
It's just Ford vs Chevy, with personal experience thrown in.
They're all okay. ...Regardless of my inflated opinion shared below.
Personally, I am a Marlin man.
I think the Winchesters are rattle traps, and the post-'64s feel cheaper than Turkish budget shotguns.
Marlins are easier to fit parts to, when worn or broken; but usually only need it because of abuse by previous owners. They don't disassemble themselves like Winchesters.
I own, or have owned Marlins from pre-war to 2018, including every decade except the '50s. After skipping the absolute worst of the Remington years (2009-2014), they're all fine.
Some of the years when Marlin had prolific quality issues were worse than the 2015+ Remlins. And some of the store-brand and 'alternate brand' 336-based models were built from parts rejected on the main assembly line. Some of those old Western Field, Kmart, Sears, and Glenfield "336s" were built by Marlin to an even lower standard than the vilified 'Remlins'.
I always thought they were "the same", just as you'll see parroted a million times on the internet and in every gun store. But they aren't. I learned that the hard way, by buying the cheap 'off brand' guns and parts. Marlin's "secondary" brands were normally built with the same parts as the flagship brand. But parts that didn't meet standards on the main line were also kicked over to the secondary brands and used there when possible.
I have one Glenfield, in particular, that is only ~4,500 units off from a Marlin of the same type; yet, it had a bad receiver, bad trigger plate, bad lever, and strangely machined locking bolt when I bought it. None of the parts fit any other 336 properly.
(Glenfield lever action receivers were not machined to lower standards than Marlin. They were, in fact, produced at the same time and in the same serial number sequence. Lots/blocks were pulled for Glenfield production, as needed, and stamped with the Glenfield 'G' on the side of the tang. But those rejected from the Marlin line were also kicked over for Glenfield production and got stamped with the 'G' by the hidden serial if they were usable.)
At least Winchester didn't do *that*.
As for my Marlins...
Some shoot pretty well.
Some shoot great.
Two, in particular, are amazing.
The only one that shoots poorly was amazing until a dirty, lying, scheming "gunsmith" butchered the barrel.
They're all okay. ...Regardless of my inflated opinion shared below.
Personally, I am a Marlin man.
I think the Winchesters are rattle traps, and the post-'64s feel cheaper than Turkish budget shotguns.
Marlins are easier to fit parts to, when worn or broken; but usually only need it because of abuse by previous owners. They don't disassemble themselves like Winchesters.
I own, or have owned Marlins from pre-war to 2018, including every decade except the '50s. After skipping the absolute worst of the Remington years (2009-2014), they're all fine.
Some of the years when Marlin had prolific quality issues were worse than the 2015+ Remlins. And some of the store-brand and 'alternate brand' 336-based models were built from parts rejected on the main assembly line. Some of those old Western Field, Kmart, Sears, and Glenfield "336s" were built by Marlin to an even lower standard than the vilified 'Remlins'.
I always thought they were "the same", just as you'll see parroted a million times on the internet and in every gun store. But they aren't. I learned that the hard way, by buying the cheap 'off brand' guns and parts. Marlin's "secondary" brands were normally built with the same parts as the flagship brand. But parts that didn't meet standards on the main line were also kicked over to the secondary brands and used there when possible.
I have one Glenfield, in particular, that is only ~4,500 units off from a Marlin of the same type; yet, it had a bad receiver, bad trigger plate, bad lever, and strangely machined locking bolt when I bought it. None of the parts fit any other 336 properly.
(Glenfield lever action receivers were not machined to lower standards than Marlin. They were, in fact, produced at the same time and in the same serial number sequence. Lots/blocks were pulled for Glenfield production, as needed, and stamped with the Glenfield 'G' on the side of the tang. But those rejected from the Marlin line were also kicked over for Glenfield production and got stamped with the 'G' by the hidden serial if they were usable.)
At least Winchester didn't do *that*.
As for my Marlins...
Some shoot pretty well.
Some shoot great.
Two, in particular, are amazing.
The only one that shoots poorly was amazing until a dirty, lying, scheming "gunsmith" butchered the barrel.
bamaranger
New member
for what it's worth, my 2 cents!
I hunted a 20" Win '94, 30-30 for a while and kept it as a second rifle for some time after. I always felt the Winchesters with equal barrel lengths and calibers, were a bit lighter and slimmer in the hand than the Marlins. Younger then, I shot the factory iron sights which were suitable for my use.
I never did acquire a Marlin 336, but as I aged began to appreciate the fact that a Marlin could be scoped practically and easily (top eject Win '94's could not) and the Marlin could be properly cleaned from the breach by removing lever and bolt. I've got a Marlin 1894 in .357 that I have shot quite a bit.
I hunted a 20" Win '94, 30-30 for a while and kept it as a second rifle for some time after. I always felt the Winchesters with equal barrel lengths and calibers, were a bit lighter and slimmer in the hand than the Marlins. Younger then, I shot the factory iron sights which were suitable for my use.
I never did acquire a Marlin 336, but as I aged began to appreciate the fact that a Marlin could be scoped practically and easily (top eject Win '94's could not) and the Marlin could be properly cleaned from the breach by removing lever and bolt. I've got a Marlin 1894 in .357 that I have shot quite a bit.