Western Auto Marlin

[richhodg66]

Ran across one in a local shop for $279 asking price Saturday. I think I'm gonna go back and get it this afternoon.

Near as I can tell, it's a Marlin 335. Has the Micro Groove barrel which I have never used before. It definitely has a few scars, but does not have the dreaded cross bolt safety and is stocked in Walnut, with a nice blue on it, overall in pretty decent shape. The bore is good, someone actually cleaned it before it went on that used rack.

The only other Marlin lever I've shot is my pre Micro Groove .35 Remington and I like it a lot. I kind of subscribe to the theory that "there's always room for another .30-30, and for what Marlins seem to be going for these days, this seems to be a good deal. I'm also getting into deer hunting with cast and this would be another good one for that.

Thoughts on the house brand Marlins?

[adkpete]

I picked up a Western Auto Revelation in 30/30 about a month ago. Nice gun, It will be a cast boolit shooter only. I paid a bit more for mine than you.
Pete

[richhodg66]

Honestly, despite the wear on it (which wasn't real bad) this one looked better to me than the modern production Marlins. I don't think I ever saw a Marlin sold under a department store name, I've seen a lot of Winchesters and Mossbergs though.

[Lonegun1894]

My only Marlin (so far) is one I picked up in a pawnshop around here for $120 about 4 yrs ago and it was originally sold under the Western Auto brand. Before anyone gets excited about the price, the finish was trashed to include some light pitting, the front sight was broken, the rear sight was bent, and both the forearm and buttstock were cracked. The shop was asking $200, I offered $100, and paid the $120 when they asked for it. Well, I took my time with it, and it took me a year after purchase, but the rifle has had the sights and stock replaced, and the metal refinished, for a grand total of $200 for the gun, parts, shipping, etc. To be honest, the main two reasons I bought it was cause the bore was good, and I wanted a beater rifle to leave in the truck. Well, after working up a couple loads, the gun shoots into 1.5-2"/100yds with the iron sights when I do my part, and 2-4" when I dont, and has really grown on me. It has been out hunting quite a bit, and has made meat. It lives in the house, and not under the seat of the truck as intended. If it isn't obvious enough yet, I like mine, and would buy the one you found if I had found it before someone else finds it, especially the condition you say yours is in. Wish mine would have been that well taken care of.

[starmac]

The very first trip I ever made to alaska, a guy needed some help one night.
I helped him about 4 hours in trade for a revelation 30/30. It would up being my sons first rifle.

[dmize]

My Uncle had a Western Auto 30-30 and I bought a Revelation Model 60 from my Grandpa. I dont remember for sure but was the Sears rifles Revelation too or Ted Williams?
And if you find one of those it definately wont have a cross bolt safety.

[W.R.Buchanan]

A Western Auto Marlin is a very desirable rifle. The last one I had a shot at was priced at $475 and it was in about 80% condition. It was Western Field brand name.

I know Marlin made them for Montgomery Wards and Western Auto.

I thought the Western Auto brand was Western Field? or was that MonkyWards? Which one was "Revelation"

Randy

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK I just got the definative answer for a good friend who knew for sure.

Montgomery Wards was "Western Field."

"Revelation" was Western Auto.

Randy

[dmize]

It was bugging me so much I used the dreaded Google.
Revelation was Western Auto,Western Field was Montgomery Wards and Ted Williams was Sears

[richhodg66]

This one is Revelation. I went and picked it up for $260 out the door, it was in a little worse shape than I remembered, some pitting on the external surfaces of the barrel in a few places, but solid and sound with a pretty decent piece of Walnut on it.

I broke out my Ranch Dog 165 Grain TL mold for the first time today and I have to take back bad stuff I've said about Lee molds before (I HATE their two cavities, but this was a first with a six cavity). Anyway, now I have a pile of them to try in this and various other .30-30s and .308s in my quest to get a stadardized deer load in each. This Marlin came along at about the right time it seems.

[Lonegun1894]

Congratulations! I hope yours shoots as well as mine. But if the reports around here are right, the bad ones seem to be the exception to the rule. I have no doubt that you'll love it. And I used to talk a LOT of **** about Marlins when I was younger. Now I like them almost as much as Winchesters.

[richhodg66]

I'll be curious if it has that Marlin jam you seem to read about. I have an old .35 that does, one of these days I gotta pull it down and figure it out. Great rifle and shoots well though.

I hope this one shoots that Ranch Dog bullet well at velocities good for hunting. I really want to kill a few deer this year with cast, did it for the first time with a breech loader last year and the bug bit hard.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Richhodg66: if you take out the lever (one screw) and put about a .030 radius on the point of the cam nearest the pivot screw. It will fix the Marlin Jam.

Or you can go to www.leverguns.com and look in the resources section on the right side of the page and read how to do what I just told you.

Not much to it.

Randy

[richhodg66]

I've heard that, the old .35 I have probably has that worn lifter, but as luck would have it, I have another one and will do that mod at some point. It's going to be a while before I get back to a range to check the Revelation one out.

I was thinking I'd scope this one, but the open sights are pretty good for open sights, or I may get a Lyman or Williams peep sight for it.

[GARCIA]

Sears also used to sell the "Revelation" brand

Tom