I tried to like it.

[Static line]

There never was and never will be custom quality out of factory made guns. You want custom quality, you have to jump through the hoops and reach deeper into your pockets. Even though our machines for building and producing have gotten better the mind set of the people making those factory firearms are not of the same standards as our old timers were in building them. The American pride just isn't there anymore and you darn sure aren't going to get it with bean counters. Hate to say this but we brought this onto ourselves. And it just isn't Remington either.

[Norske]

It took a while for Remington to get Marlin rifles right. The popular reason was that Marlin's machinery was badly worn, but their senior technicians knew how to compensate (but didn't write anything down). Remington bought the brand, closed the factory, laid off the technicians and moved the worn machinery to their own factory. Common flaws with the early "Remlins" was barrels screwed into the receiver crookedly or twisted as mentioned earlier. Another was mis-timed cartridge lifters. considering the number of pump and semi-auto shotguns Remington makes, they should have recognized the latter problem very early. I was at a sporting goods store, part of a big local chain, when the gun manager returned an entire shipment of Marlins because of atleast one of the above problems with each rifle he inspected.
It took a while, but what I've seen of current "Remlins" looks like the CNC machines are working now.

[444ttd]

There never was and never will be custom quality out of factory made guns. You want custom quality, you have to jump through the hoops and reach deeper into your pockets. Even though our machines for building and producing have gotten better the mind set of the people making those factory firearms are not of the same standards as our old timers were in building them. The American pride just isn't there anymore and you darn sure aren't going to get it with bean counters. Hate to say this but we brought this onto ourselves. And it just isn't Remington either.

thats why i got rid of most of my newer guns. there is no pride in "plastics" anymore. i try get 1950s and under rifles and actions. as of right, a 1944 98 mauser(sporteried) in 8x57 is my "newest" rifle. i have two 1898 springfield armory actions(1898 & 1901), two 1893 spanish mauser actions(1922 & 1926?), remington m14 (1924?), 95 chilean mauser action, 1891 argentine mauser(1901).......and i forget what else. i also forget the dates that they are produced on. but i build them back up and shoot them. i stay away from old military models that are pristine. that is the way they are made and don't want to disturb their history.

[Backwoodsdave]

It took a while, but what I've seen of current "Remlins" looks like the CNC machines are working now.

From what I saw at the gun shop I’ll have to disagree that they’ve got things going now, maybe better than early remlins but certainly not good enough to earn their reputation for quality back imho, a cnc machine certainly can machine a perfect dovetail for a front sight but I boils down to the human putting in the program and the QC catching mistakes after the fact that makes the difference, the Italian makers seem to have a better handle on this than Marlin in my opinion.

[Gray Fox]

I have a mid-80s Miroku version of the 1895 Winchester in .30-06. It is without doubt the finest fit and smoothest action of any lever action I've ever handled. I put a reproduction of the side mount aperture rear sight on it and fabbed a higher blade for the front sight. I shoot either cast or jacketed in it that weight 200 grains and pretty much load it to .30-40 Krag levels and it is a sweet shooting gun. Hope to try it on hogs this fall and winter.

I also have two Remlin guide guns that haven't given me any problems. I load the Ranch Dog 300 grain TL GC to a little higher than trapdoor velocities and that will take care of anything I'm going to hunt in the mid-Georgia brushy woods and creek bottoms. GF

[BigAlofPa.]

I have been lucky with my Remlins. Had my 2 XT'S out today. My 22lr has a wood stock. My 22 mag has a synthetic. I do plan on getting a wood stock for it. Both of my 60's i like a lot. I have stainless and blued. Only complaint about them is scope rings walking. I did get better rings and used blue loc-tite on where they clamp onto the rail. So far they have been holding up.

[Harter66]

i shoot the right way, LEFT handed, and they ain't.

Me too .

[Jeff Michel]

I've purchased four of the 1894 CB's and 1 1895 CB and a buddy has picked up a 94 S and an 1895 since the change of ownership and neither of us has any complaints. Maybe just lucky.

[Walks]

I have a M1895CB from the first year of Production, and a M1894CB from first year of Production.
Both are smooth actions with never a problem. The M1894CB functioned with everything and has had at least 15,000 rds thru it. The only modification was a permanent removal of the safety.

Have a 35yr old M1894CS, never a problem with it either.

Never had that dreaded Marlin jam I hear about.

[Shawlerbrook]

Sorry, but if even 10% of the rifles coming out of Remlin still have quality problems like canted sights, etc., after 10 years of trying to make Marlins it’s time to give up on them. Even the Remington products have problems. I grew up in the shadows of the Ilion plant and drooled over their catalog every year, but IMHO they no longer exist.

[DDJ]

I have a made in May 2019 Marlin CBA the carbine version of the CB and I absolutely love this gun. I only have 100 cases of brass and yesterday I finished off the 3 rd round so I guess 300 rounds through the gun. Absolutely flawless. Wouldn't give this gun up for anything

[indian joe]

The miroku (jap) rifles are very nice..... once the rebounding hammer is done away with.

mine was earlier - has the proper half cock hammer but did had the lawyer firing pin - fixed that and its all good now

[sghart3578]

I too am one of the lucky ones I guess.

4 new Remlins and all are excellent.


Steve in N CA

[samari46]

Have both post '64 Winchester lever actions including the BigBore in 375 Win. And a couple '94's in 30-30. And almost forgot two Canadian Centennials one with 20" bbl and the other with the 26" bbl. Love my '84's. Marlins In 20-20,444 marlin 1894's in 357 mag and 44 mag. None of the Marlins I have were made by Remington.
Heard too many horror stories about the quality,fit and finish and barrels with no rifling. Now that Remington has again filed for bankrupcey for the second time is as many years, and they must still be churning out as many firearms as possible to make money don't thing things are going to improve soon. Frank

[Randy Bohannon]

To many older lever guns in great condition for usually less money than what is being produced today to consider buying one.
The Winchester Big Bores 94’s are perhaps the best made 94’s ever made in a production gun. Good gun steel and polished to perfection and beautiful bluing,outstanding fit and finish that rivals any period of Winchester lever guns. Had Winchester offered a few more chamberings would have helped with sales, many languish on GB for less than $1K. The 375 Win. Is a great cartridge that can be treated like a 38-55 and shoot B/P with 38-55 brass or push 250 gr. jacketed bullets 2K FPS . Winchester put 38-55 Win. Barrels on the .375 which are big and shoot cast bullets better than jacketed. They are the best bang for your money in a lever action rifle.

[indian joe]

To many older lever guns in great condition for usually less money than what is being produced today to consider buying one.
The Winchester Big Bores 94’s are perhaps the best made 94’s ever made in a production gun. Good gun steel and polished to perfection and beautiful bluing,outstanding fit and finish that rivals any period of Winchester lever guns. Had Winchester offered a few more chamberings would have helped with sales, many languish on GB for less than $1K. The 375 Win. Is a great cartridge that can be treated like a 38-55 and shoot B/P with 38-55 brass or push 250 gr. jacketed bullets 2K FPS . Winchester put 38-55 Win. Barrels on the .375 which are big and shoot cast bullets better than jacketed. They are the best bang for your money in a lever action rifle.

Yup ! had one of those - it was everything you say
Sad ending - the 375BB wasnt really where I wanted to go at the time so I sold it to a little islander guy that was a new member of our club - he wanted something he could shoot Blackpowder at the club and also go pig hunting with his buddies at the weekend - ideal! - until he got on the kava with his buddies one weekend, punched his missus in the face, cops came, domestic violence charge, guns seized, licence cancelled, gun went in the crusher (supposedly)

[Drm50]

I have all older JM Marlins as my new guns. They all work and have worked with no problems. Bro jammed my 94 once with a load for his TC. OAL to much. I sold guns for years and am pre 64 a win guy. The post 64 model 94s never stirred up the mud like Remlins. No function, fit or accuracy problems at all. In 70 -90s they weren’t in demand. They were always sleepers in used rack, $100 average, same with used 336. We almost would close up and go have a beer if we offed one. I just had a nice one for over a year and ended up selling it for $350. I’m not in business any more and not going to take them on trade no more.

If you get the book on the Winchester Company you will see why they went under. They were the nearest thing to a custom gun in the industry. The inner plant bidding by work gangs would make union organizers heads explode. The tolerances they held then fit parts knocked them out of the market. Remington came along with stamped stuff and took over the market. Who would have thought they would lose out to Mossberg on shotguns and Savage on rifles. Moss was once what you bought if you couldn’t afford anything else. Still same gun it hasn’t got better, everything else has gotten worse. In old order it was Win, Rem, Mar, Sav . Browning was considered Belgian Co.
The new kid on the block is Ruger and their stuff has a fairly good rep but their bean counters are at it too, Bills probably flipping in the grave.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I'd have to see this in person or with a good picture as I see it being difficult for a gun with a Octagon Barrel to have the front sight canted with out the whole barrel being canted as well. If it wasn't timed right it is a simple fix to twist it back a few degrees.

The fit and finish of the current guns is way better than anything that ever came from JM Marlin, and I all of my guns are JM Marlins, and all of them have required significant amounts of TLC to make them even usable.

Nothing that Marlin put out after 2000 was nice and this is because all their machinery was worn out.. By the time everyone got wind that a take over was imminent, all the so called "gunsmiths" who had been producing such wonderful products, for so long, had given up and were just phoning it in!!!

My 1958 336 needed so much work to get it to even run right it was pathetic. So much for Old School Craftsmanship!
My 1894 CB (2003) was so bad it took me 3 hours to clean up the action and another week to refinish the wood to look decent.
My 1895 CB (2005) took the same amount of time to fix and the lever looked like it had been laser cut out of a piece of flat stock and then Blanchard Ground flat on both sides with no deburring afterwards. It cut my hand the first time I picked it up and I wasn't too happy about it either. I got all these guns cheap so it wasn't a big deal for me to fix them and bring them up to my high standards.

But every Marlin Levergun I have looked at in the last 3 years has been far superior in every way to the ones from the past that I have had direct experience with. That includes ones I've looked at in gun shows which were all pre 2000.

I always look at them as platforms to improve on, not perfection delivered from a worn out factory, being manned by worn out people, who didn't give a ship about what they produced. When Unions don't uphold the standards from which they draw their power the product suffers and then eventually goes away, and everyone wonders what happened?

Well machines are what happened, and they will do a better job every time.

I as a machine shop owner, have know for 40+ years that when it comes to machined parts, "the Less Human Hands actually touch a given part, the better off it will be !!!".

This is the reality of technology. And soon with advancements in 3 D Printing, even machine tools are not going to be around much longer!!!

My .02

Randy

[elmacgyver0]

I am sorry all you fellas are having problems with your rifles.
For a small fee I would be happy to dispose of them for you.

[indian joe]

I have all older JM Marlins as my new guns. They all work and have worked with no problems. Bro jammed my 94 once with a load for his TC. OAL to much. I sold guns for years and am pre 64 a win guy. The post 64 model 94s never stirred up the mud like Remlins. No function, fit or accuracy problems at all. In 70 -90s they weren’t in demand. They were always sleepers in used rack, $100 average, same with used 336. We almost would close up and go have a beer if we offed one. I just had a nice one for over a year and ended up selling it for $350. I’m not in business any more and not going to take them on trade no more.

If you get the book on the Winchester Company you will see why they went under. They were the nearest thing to a custom gun in the industry. The inner plant bidding by work gangs would make union organizers heads explode. The tolerances they held then fit parts knocked them out of the market. Remington came along with stamped stuff and took over the market. Who would have thought they would lose out to Mossberg on shotguns and Savage on rifles. Moss was once what you bought if you couldn’t afford anything else. Still same gun it hasn’t got better, everything else has gotten worse. In old order it was Win, Rem, Mar, Sav . Browning was considered Belgian Co.
The new kid on the block is Ruger and their stuff has a fairly good rep but their bean counters are at it too, Bills probably flipping in the grave.

interesting comment on Browning - when I was a kid there was Belgian Browning and Real Browning - the Belgian guns were not highly regarded at that time - they wore out - saw a truckload of tired belgian shotguns - knockabout side by side guns, different makes - they handled well - maybe they wore out from being used a lot ?