Marlin .30-30 M36

[26Charlie]

Bitten again by the gunbuying bug -

Picked up a Marlin M36 (square bolt as opposed to round bolt M336) .30-30 this past week, another nice old hunting gun - $180. What accounted for the low price, you ask? It is marked M36A, but the barrel is 20". It looks like a sporting carbine, and should be marked M36SC. The serial # indicates it was made in 1946. What I think is that a previous owner saw a sporting carbine and determined to make his 24" bbl rifle into a carbine. fortunately he took it to a real gunsmith, because the work is nicely done. The barrel has a factory-looking rounded crown. There aren't any blueing discolorations. The original ramp & front sight have been relocated, onto a slight flat milled on the barrel and fastened with a dovetail key, apparently to both put it at its original height above the bore (the milled flat) and keep it from moving fore & aft (the key). There is a Lyman 66 rear sight, and a slot blank where the old sight was. Only thing to fix - Elevation knob is broken off the elevating screw on the sight, looks like adjustments have been made with a pair of pliers for awhile.
If you are far enough away so you can't read the barrel marking, it looks just like a M36 sporting carbine. Stock is excellent, blueing shows carry wear but not bad.

Now to the shooting -
I tried a few loads at 50 yards - it has been unpleasantly cold for outdoor bench work, and the sun was at 90 degrees and very bright on a snow field, so I had a difficult time locating the blindingly bright gold bead against the target, but given the possible sighting errors the groups were pleasing.
Two loads gave me 5-shot groups between an inch and 2 inches - the Lyman 311291 175 gr. GC with 19.0 gr. XMP-5744, and the SAECO 304 170 gr. FPGC with 17.0 gr. MP-5744.

A RCBS 32-98-FP .32 Long bullet, 98 grs, with 3.3 gr. of Bullseye gives me a plinking load for 25 yards off the back porch.

[Marlin Junky]

26Charlie,

How is that old Marlin throated? What I'm driving at is: will your M36 take a round loaded with a .311" RCBS 30-180-FN loaded to a COL of 2.57"? If interested, PM me and I'll send you some boolits. What is the date code on your M36?

MJ

[Four Fingers of Death]

The job might have been done by Marlin, sounds good. Mick.

[gregg]

WHAT A DEAL>
I have a 36A been cut to 16.75.
handy great gun.
Someone drilled and taped it for a scope.
Its one of my best shooters with J bullets.
it will Shoot with my bolt guns. You got a keeper.
If you don't think so post and call me I will buy it. :-0

[4060MAY]

Mine stamped Model 36-RC
swapped a Jap carbine +50.00, got it from a friend
he knew the original owner, shot once, one hunting trip
in the closet since
RCBS 150-fn shoots great in it

[26Charlie]

Marlin Junky - The date code (serial # prefix) is a C, meaning to me 1946. Its a serial in the 15000 range. I saw another one in the RC ("regular carbine", I suppose) configuration with the serial # D-215 being touted as a low serial number collector's gun, but it would have been made in 1947. My conclusion is that they started each production year with a new range, or at least started 1947 with a new range. Mine does not have a dash before the C, and it is separated a bit from the serial number, so maybe the serial range is continued from before the WWII hiatus. It is blued, and I understand the prewar M36's were color case hardened.

As to a .311 bullet, I'm not sure. I size most of my .30 bullets .309, and that will work in the throat - the 311291 when crimped in the crimp groove snugs tightly into the front of the throat and puts slightly visible rifling marks on about a quarter inch of the nose. The .30-180-FN does about the same sized .309, but the nose is maybe a half-thousanth slimmer, so does not touch the rifling hard enough to make a clear impression, although I think it is touching.

I'm going to give it a workout with both those bullets when chance permits - I cast up about 300 of each a couple of weeks ago, and I still have the moulds out to make some more.

[Marlin Junky]

Marlin Junky - The date code (serial # prefix) is a C, meaning to me 1946. Its a serial in the 15000 range. I saw another one in the RC ("regular carbine", I suppose) configuration with the serial # D-215 being touted as a low serial number collector's gun, but it would have been made in 1947. My conclusion is that they started each production year with a new range, or at least started 1947 with a new range. Mine does not have a dash before the C, and it is separated a bit from the serial number, so maybe the serial range is continued from before the WWII hiatus. It is blued, and I understand the prewar M36's were color case hardened.

As to a .311 bullet, I'm not sure. I size most of my .30 bullets .309, and that will work in the throat - the 311291 when crimped in the crimp groove snugs tightly into the front of the throat and puts slightly visible rifling marks on about a quarter inch of the nose. The .30-180-FN does about the same sized .309, but the nose is maybe a half-thousanth slimmer, so does not touch the rifling hard enough to make a clear impression, although I think it is touching.

I'm going to give it a workout with both those bullets when chance permits - I cast up about 300 of each a couple of weeks ago, and I still have the moulds out to make some more.

26Charlie,

Blued receivers started appearing on 2nd variation M36's, which are "C" prefixed guns, near the end of "C" gun production. I believe Marlin started using the "C" prefix in 1938 with the 1st variation M36 and changed to the "D" prefix when they brought out the 3rd variation M36 near the end of '46 or perhaps the beginning of '47. The "C" prefix was used for several years during the late 30's to the mid 40's and was not intended as a date code like the alpha-character code found on the M336.

I'll be looking forward to your results with RCBS 30-180-FN. BTW, what weight boolits does your 30-180-FN drop in 15 BHN metal. Mine (I have two) drop about 191 grain boolits and I think they have longer gascheck shanks than earlier molds.

MJ