marlin model 336 30/30 vs winchester model 94

head v. heart

I've owned several M94 Wins, and although I have not a a Marlin 336, I have had an 1894 Marlin carbine (technically the 336's predecessor, design wise) for a long time.

The Marlins have a lot going for them. The lever can be undone and they can be cleaned from the breech, and the bolt, ejector and extractor are easy to access for cleaning and repair. Not so the Win. Marlin's can be easier to scope. The fact that they are a tad heavier, and stocked with a pistol grip (most of them) and a wider butt make them easier to shoot for many folks.

For a long while, until recently, you could buy a package deal Marlin with a scope and sling, cheaper than an unscoped bolt rifle, and ammo was a bit cheaper too. Marlins were always the poor boy deer rifle around here. The public range always had a good bit of .30-30 brass on the ground (not any more!). NOw days, with the poly stocked budget bolt rifles, the Marlins have faded.

But when I hunted deer w/ a .30-30 lever, it was always a Win. They are lighter and I was into covering ground high and rough in the laurel thickets. And they seemed more simple, earthy, straightforward. I regret selling mine, though the Marlins make sense from a tech standpoint.
 
There's only one cure for this, you'll have to buy both. Beware lever guns have a way of affecting you mind and 1 is probably not going to be enough. I bought my Marlin 336 in .35 Rem back in October and now I want one each in .30 WCF and .32 Win Spcl. They're addicting.
i can believe that. i just realized yesterday that i had been using the win. 94 several years ago bear hunting. i had no clue that's what i had borrowed. man that little gun would shoot. it had adjustable peep sights and while i never did shoot a bear i bagged several grouse and a couple rabbits with it. i was able to shoot it well enough to not waste a single bite of meat. i really liked that thing. always reminded me of the "rifleman" tv show that dad used to watch. i always wanted to rapid fire it from the hip but never did. safety and stuff. lol
 
I have had an 1894 Marlin carbine (technically the 336's predecessor, design wise) for a long time.

While they are both lever-actions and one may have preceeded the other, the Model 336 and the Model 1894 are two different and distinct designs.
 
so i decided to go with a model 94. i nabbed it for 235 at a local pawn shop. i love it. i found a marlin 336 in 35 caliber and decided i should have that too. i bought it for 325 and it's beautiful. it's got an over/under scope and is absolutely mint. it shoots great too though for handling and quick shouldering i have to say i prefer the winchester, it just seems to fit like a glove. i have my eye on a winchester in 32 special now. it's 400 and in excellent condition. i don't need it for any reason. i think my woman is preparing an intervention
 
You're toast dude. You've caught the bug.

You may enjoy the leverguns forum, there's a bunch of enablers over there too.
 
My all out favorite gun is the Winchester 94 dated around 1970 that my grandpa built for me. It came with a Marbles Arms semi buckhorn rear site and I used it for a few years just like that till I fell into the hype of scopes.

I mounted several cheap scopes on it that it rejected and ended up spending about $70 in the mid 90's on a better scope. I have killed an equal amount of deer with the iron sites vs. scope but I have a feeling when a longer range scoped rifle replaces the scope category I'll go back to iron sites and it will probably still stay my first choice for deer rifle.

Not to trash the Marlin's because they aren't trash either but the Winchester fits and thrills me a lot more. My dad has the marlin in 30-30 and 444 but sometimes he still pulls out his old 32 Winchester to remember all the deer, bear, and small game it shot.

When I started the conversion to rifle from a 20 gauge shotgun with slugs the 32 Winchester was the first gun he had me shoot. I almost wonder if it was a secret mission between him and my grandpa because about a month before deer season my Winchester appeared.
 
Both

I have a Marlin in .35 and the Winchester in 30-30.

Marlin is scoped; 'chester not.

The only superiority factor I can find is that the Marlin is smooth as glass, while the Winchester is tight as a drum to cycle as well as load.

Rmocarsky
 
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