winchester 94 ae vs. henry vs. marlin 336

changed

Originally, I was a Win 94 guy. I've owned 2 or 3, and wish I had never sold the last one, which had the dangest good trigger on it. But, we were buying the place, I had other carbines that were filling the same role,and I let it go. Who knew they would become extinct? In those days, I could run bead/blade sights well, and felt I never gave up much at woods deer ranges. Had I put a peep on the old Wins, I would likely have been even more satisfied. And they were a delight to tote, slim, light.......near ideal to ramble the country side.

But we age and things happen. Namely, I cannot run bead /blade sights for general shooting, and a peep helps but my peep days are limited too. I never have cared for the the Angle Eject Winchesters, and the lawyer safeties either. (I'm with Wyosmith on that). But the solid top Marlins allow for scope mounting as is, and many were factory drilled to that end. For a lever .30-30 these days, I'd have to go with the Marlin. My Marlin '94 is on the list for a tidy scope.....maybe a Leupold 2.5x.

The Henry....never shot one. I'm all for the NY based business......don't you know that just galls some folks up there....their making GUNS in NYC!!! But the Big Bores I've handled seemed way to heavy for a .30-30 carbine. I don't care for the tube mag all that much either.
 
The Winchester 94 is my favorite based on looks and history and it functions well.

The 336 is easier to take down to clean, the action is a bit smoother, and it has better sights, but it just isn't a 94.
 
I like the Winchester 94 and Marlin 336 equally. Modern "Henrys" are knock off Marlins that they were to cheap to put in a real tube magazine and gate into.

The Winchester handles better for me, it feels like a long pistol. I can easily hold it steady on my shoulder, one handed.

The Marlin has the better feeling action. Smoother and the action feels nice and tight.

The .30-30 is such a light-recoiling round, even with the lighter Winchester, especially for its performance.

Beware the man who says that Marlins are easier to disassemble, he never had taken down either and is parroting what he's read but knows not.

Neither are hard to disassemble but the Marlin has a lot more screws. The Marlin bolt may pop out easily but gunk accumulates in the action on both in the lower part of the receiver, periodic assembly and cleaning will keep them both repeaters. The Winchester has an open top design, hence the bolt needn't be easily removable.
 
The Marlin is far easier to break down as far as getting the bolt & lever out, giving access for bore cleaning from the back end.
Once those are out, good access to the inside of the frame, and in all the years I've owned Marlins I've never gone beyond that.

Gun Scrubber sprayed inside the frame with the bolt, lever & ejector out, followed by a good re-lube, covers it.
Every few years take the mag tube & follower out and swab the mag.

Much as I like the Win, I find the Marlin much easier to maintain, with one tool- a single screwdriver.
Denis
 
"The Winchester has an open top design, hence the bolt needn't be easily removable"
And it's not! :D
 
I own both a 94 and 336. Bother are from the late 60s. The 94 was used by a mounted police unit and traded in while the 336 belonged to a good friend.

The 336 action is much nicer then the 94 for my use. The 94 is a nice gun but I don't think it's as nice as the 336. But, i won't part with either.
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100 percent agree.

Go look for a used Marlin 336 made in the 60s - 70s.

Kind of like mine!

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Deaf
 
If I get to the point where I want to break a levergun down for more involved internal cleaning, makes no difference if it's an open-top design, I want that bolt out.
Denis
 
For my Marlin pictured above, to take the bolt out just unscrew that one screw at the front of the lever. First half way lever the action (unloaded!), then unscrew that screw, then pull the lever down and pull the bolt out! Just watch out for the ejector, it will drop out many times but its real easy to put back in.

Deaf
 
My first deer rifle was a beat up M94. It was fun to shoot and I got a couple blacktails with it.

Last year I got a Marlin 336. Haven't got any deer with it, but it is also fun to shoot.

Buy the one that fits your shoulder.
 
That looks like a 336T, "Texan". I'm wondering, Deaf Smith, does that Marlin have microgroove rifling, or conventional?
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Microgrove Pathfinder. And yes it's a 336T.

Thanks Jeff for the complement.

See when I was 17 I got a Texan for hunting. My mother traded a refrigerator to my Uncle for it. Killed my first five deer with it including the longest shot I've ever taken (275 yards, fired one shot and yes I got him.) Had a 2 1/2 power Bushnell scope on it.

This Texan is not the same one as I had but it's made in 67, about the same year mine was. Added a Skinner 'minimalist' sight and I handload 170s with LeverRevolution powder. 2300 fps for the 170 from that 20 inch barrel. I sure don't need more power!

Sighted dead on at 100 yards with the bead right on where I want to hit. With Federal 125 HPs it shoots maybe an inch high (I just put the target on the very top of the bead at 100 yards.)

Notice the blue saddle ring. Seems it came without one but Bob's gun parts on the net has blued ones. I use a 'tactical' one point sling and yes, the gun hangs strait down while I walk!!!

Now gang I have two Trapper Winchesters. They are good guns but I have to say the Marlins, especially the older ones, are ROCK SOLID. And if I cant the gun some right or left it will still feed perfectly, something a Winchester might not do.

Deaf
 
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