I tried to like it.

[Backwoodsdave]

Came across a new Marlin 1895 cb 26” barrel in a gun shop today, I’ve been pondering over one of these for a while now but haven’t seen one in the flesh, it was nice, not really heavy and felt pretty handy in the hand, the fit was ok but certainly not as nice as my old Marlins, I could get past that, the wood was very nice, even the ugly digital looking thing by the serial number I figured I could live with if I had to, but once I looked down the barrel and the front sight was canted off to the left I thought now that is ridiculous, I handed to the guy behind the counter and asked if it looked canted to him, his response, yea, but it’s not too bad, I really wanted to like that rifle but I just can’t, all I can think is what else is wrong with it, almost a thousand dollar rifle with canted sights, I just can’t like Marlin again yet, I really want to, but not yet, some day maybe.

[Ozark mike]

I just about wrapped a newer marlin around the owners head of the gun store here over the quality of the newer marlins After me and him got into a argument. I was asked to leave to say the least. The bean counters at Remington ought to be scalped for allowing those things to be sold to unsuspecting citizens. This aint china

[Harter66]

The cant might be ok for a lefty .......

[gpidaho]

The kids bought me a new Marlin CB 45-70 for Fathers Day a couple years ago. Nice looking rifle for the price until you got to looking it over. I felt real bad when I had to ask them to take it back. The front sight wasn't even close to strait up and when I took a look at the barrel with a bore scope there were actual chunks missing out of the lands. When it was returned from the factory there was a target shot by someone out of some rifle with about a three inch group fired at 25 yrds. as proof that the rifle needed no repair. What a joke. We finally got our money back from Impact Arms after the owner got involved and told the manager to get it taken care of. I'm DONE with Remington-Marlin. There's a good reason they are going bankrupt. Gp

[osteodoc08]

My last few marlins have been just dandy. Sorry you got a bad one.

[Mk42gunner]

Somehow I think this this always happens when the bean counters take over what was a quality gun company. Look at the stuff that went on at Winchester in 1964, we are still hearing about that 56 years and I don't know how many different owners later.

Hopefully Remington and Marlin can come out okay, but maybe not. I know I will closely inspect anything from either of them that I think about buying in the future. Especially if it was made in the last fifteen years or so.

The last Marlin I bought was a 336CB in .38-55, NIB, (made in 2001 IIRC).

Robert

[Harter66]

I have a 2010 1895G . It's an honest 3" @100 rifle and I suspect that it had been sent back as well . The muzzle radius is weird more parabolic than radius with the steep side being on the crown . More than once I've considered planing about 3/16" off all the way around the fore end . I've the rear sight was too high so I added an Williams FP that gets it down to about 2" high at 100 instead of 6 . It will pop the lever when you get above CIP rated loads for the 45-70 which is 28 not 22 kpsi vs the 34 kpsi limit for modern levers . Fortunately I like TD level loads a lot more after a brief dalience with 250s at 2000 fps a sub sonic 500 gr is almost a plinking round .
Over all it isn't a bad carbine . It's not a sniper rifle but it's plenty good enough for a woods/swamp gun to whack a pig or a whitetail , it would probably even be passable from moose or elk in the timber . I might have more complaints if I were a custom shop 96' kind of guy .

[Ozark mike]

The bolt block should contact the bolt before the lever opens id take that to a knowledgeable gunsmith to check and make sure the block is the right shape size and dimensions. Cause if it is forcing the lever open you could catch a case of boltineye syndrome

[Harter66]

Only happened with a couple of the real "high steppers" . It doesn't come full out it's possible that it was me during recoil bumping off the detent .

[john.k]

Funny thing was the post64 Winchester Mod 94s wernt bad guns ,and cosmetically couldnt be faulted when new .....I bought a Marlin 1895 same time as 94 ,and the 95 ,even in 1973 ,was far worse finished than the Winchester.....even had small dents in the barrel whers the sights had been hammered into their dovetails ...(still there today,for the curious)......the blued finish was garbage,reciever done on a belt sander ,on the sides ,left sandblasted top and bottom......The bore was OK ,in those day ,no one would dare sell a gun with a bad bore.......The post 64 Winchester was streets ahead in fit,finish,and blueing.......even if sweat would strip the blueing from the metal quick smart.

[indian joe]

Funny thing was the post64 Winchester Mod 94s wernt bad guns ,and cosmetically couldnt be faulted when new .....I bought a Marlin 1895 same time as 94 ,and the 95 ,even in 1973 ,was far worse finished than the Winchester.....even had small dents in the barrel whers the sights had been hammered into their dovetails ...(still there today,for the curious)......the blued finish was garbage,reciever done on a belt sander ,on the sides ,left sandblasted top and bottom......The bore was OK ,in those day ,no one would dare sell a gun with a bad bore.......The post 64 Winchester was streets ahead in fit,finish,and blueing.......even if sweat would strip the blueing from the metal quick smart.

This is an interesting argument
Heres my winchester timeline
1) I own a post '64 model 70 in 22/250 - its a quality made rifle - good shooter - purty wood (after I refinished it and got rid of the original gunk finish) - I would not trade it for a pre '64 mauser style model 70 in a fit - its a far better gun.

2) 22 rimfires - had a model 150 - junk alloy frame wore out - good barrel - passable cosmetically. They woke up eventually and presented the 94/22 - too good - too dear - too late!

3) Post 64 30/30 - had one of those - they did stuff to cheapen the manufacture that made the action more clunky than the older ones but they put good barrels on them.

4) Big Bore 94 in 375 Winchester - top eject model - about as good as a lever gun gets

4) They tried to revive the finances with a steady parade of "collectibles" (I have an Oliver F Winchester)- what I have seen of those - most of the higher priced ones were well made - smoother action than the cheap 30/30's - but the garish finish put a lot of blokes off - and the "collector value" was less than zero in most cases

The bean counters are about as smart as your average fence post - while winchester and marlin go slowly broke trying to sell cheap crap - the Italians and Japanese make hay selling quality made reproductions - there was a market there all the time!!

[Ozark mike]

I have heard that miroku is making good rifles i hope to get a miroku highwall if i can ever git some riches saved up

[yovinny]

Sorry to hear that..
My remmy standard model 95 is easily the best Marlin I've ever owned, but I judge by accuracy.
It shoots cloverleafs with just about any ammo that fits,, including my ranchdogs at up to max loadings...
If any of the 3 old 336's Ive owned shot anywhere even close,, Id still own them...

[RKJ]

My last few marlins have been just dandy. Sorry you got a bad one.

I was thinking the same thing; I've only got one (1895GG) that I got a couple of years ago when WM was doing a clearance but it's nice and shoots very well.

[indian joe]

I have heard that miroku is making good rifles i hope to get a miroku highwall if i can ever git some riches saved up

I have a browning (miroku made) model 71 - really well finished gun - but its made pre all the lawyer safety stuff

[Backwoodsdave]

After reading lots of good reviews and videos I tried to be very optimistic about the rifle, and I had thought maybe since the cowboy model seems to be a lower production, more towards the upper end of Marlins selection they would apply a little more QC scrutiny towards them, but just a simple look down the barrel seems to be beyond their abilities, if I had several of the same rifle to sift through maybe I’d think different but for now I’d absolutely not buy one without handling it firsthand.

[MrWolf]

I had looked a new Remlin in Sportsman's Warehouse in Altoona, PA when I had visited my gf. Same thing, the site canted left. Showed it to the kid behind the counter who was kinda new but willing to learn. We discussed pros and cons of old Marlins and why I will not buy a new one until and if they get their act together. That was earlier this year.

[missionary5155]

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

[444ttd]

The cant might be ok for a lefty .......

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

[444ttd]

Funny thing was the post64 Winchester Mod 94s wernt bad guns ,and cosmetically couldnt be faulted when new .....I bought a Marlin 1895 same time as 94 ,and the 95 ,even in 1973 ,was far worse finished than the Winchester.....even had small dents in the barrel whers the sights had been hammered into their dovetails ...(still there today,for the curious)......the blued finish was garbage,reciever done on a belt sander ,on the sides ,left sandblasted top and bottom......The bore was OK ,in those day ,no one would dare sell a gun with a bad bore.......The post 64 Winchester was streets ahead in fit,finish,and blueing.......even if sweat would strip the blueing from the metal quick smart.


i own a 1972 win m94 and i hated the sintered steel that they put on the action. the firing pin was broken(me) and was replaced in the early '80s.(took it to my gunsmith and he replaced it with pre 64 firing pin.) the barrel was ok, but JES got it and he rebored to 35/30-30. its on front sight number 4:oops:, but you can blame that on me, i threw the front sight hood away. the fit and finish are good but the wood is plain. my rear sight has been replaced with a williams fp sight, my eyes ain't what they used to be. but all in all, i luv her.

[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:veryconfu. 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:wink:, 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:bigsmyl2: ?

[Backwoodsdave]

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.
Randy

Well, I can’t show it to you in person or send you a photo of it so I suppose you’ll just have to go on my word, a mans word is still worth something today right ? I know a canted sight when I see one and the guy behind the counter agreed, the barrel was not over clocked as I looked closely for that issue myself, I’ve built muzzleloaders with octagon barrels and cut sight dovetails both by hand and on the mill, mine aren’t canted, my point is, a major manufacturing corporation should have a better quality control department, especially if they are serious about getting their reputation for quality back, I have several older Marlins, non have had to have the extensive work needed that you’ve experienced, it boils down to I don’t believe I should need to time a barrel or do extensive work on a thousand rifle to get it functional, ymmv.

[indian joe]

Well, I can’t show it to you in person or send you a photo of it so I suppose you’ll just have to go on my word, a mans word is still worth something today right ? I know a canted sight when I see one and the guy behind the counter agreed, the barrel was not over clocked as I looked closely for that issue myself, I’ve built muzzleloaders with octagon barrels and cut sight dovetails both by hand and on the mill, mine aren’t canted, my point is, a major manufacturing corporation should have a better quality control department, especially if they are serious about getting their reputation for quality back, I have several older Marlins, non have had to have the extensive work needed that you’ve experienced, it boils down to I don’t believe I should need to time a barrel or do extensive work on a thousand rifle to get it functional, ymmv.

we believe you but you have to admit its a pretty obvious question? -any fool with a cheap mill in their garage would get the sight dovetail aligned with the barrel flats - might cut it too deep or too big but getting it canted out of skew with the barrel flats is a whole nuther level of slackness ...................

[Shawlerbrook]

Yes, modern guns on modern equipment should have better tolerances, but as far as fit and finish, these newer guns can’t hold a candle to the older leverguns. Just go over to some of the other sites and read the nightmares that have been coming from Remlin. Canted sites, barrel droop, insufficient rifling, etc. They may be better now, but they are still putting out clunkers and it’s everything that Remington makes. I am glad for the people that think the older rifles are junk because I wii take them.

[Shawlerbrook]

Yes, modern guns on modern equipment should have better tolerances, but as far as fit and finish, these newer guns can’t hold a candle to the older leverguns. Just go over to some of the other sites and read the nightmares that have been coming from Remlin. Canted sites, barrel droop, insufficient rifling, etc. They may be better now, but they are still putting out clunkers and it’s everything that Remington makes. I am glad for the people that think the older rifles are junk because I wii take them.

[Shawlerbrook]

Sorry for the double post.

[Backwoodsdave]

we believe you but you have to admit its a pretty obvious question? -any fool with a cheap mill in their garage would get the sight dovetail aligned with the barrel flats - might cut it too deep or too big but getting it canted out of skew with the barrel flats is a whole nuther level of slackness ...................

His actual quote was, (”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”) that’s not so much a question as it is an insinuation that either I’m full of it, or, I just don’t know what I’m looking at, and you’re statement about any fool being able to mill a dovetail on a flat makes an excellent point, the problem is, fools in basements aren’t milling new Marlin barrels, cnc machines are, and they do occasionally make mistakes, it’s up to QC after the fact to catch these mistakes, Remington seems to be slacking in this department imho.

[indian joe]

His actual quote was, (”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”) that’s not so much a question as it is an insinuation that either I’m full of it, or, I just don’t know what I’m looking at, and you’re statement about any fool being able to mill a dovetail on a flat makes an excellent point, the problem is, fools in basements aren’t milling new Marlin barrels, cnc machines are, and they do occasionally make mistakes, it’s up to QC after the fact to catch these mistakes,

Remington seems to be slacking in this department imho.

That was my whole point !

[CamoWhamo]

I ordered a 336C in .35 Rem last year. I received a rifle made in 2017. Got it home and noticed the sights were canted. Mainly the front sight was canted to the right and i couldn't get a Skinner peep sight properly zero'd.
I couldn't return it because i'm in Australia and it was the last one in the country and warranty returns take months to get back.

I made a custom front sight with an off-set blade (0.040") which got me zero'd but looked odd and drove me nuts.
Eventually I stuck the barrel in a barrel vice and used a home-made receiver wrench to cinch the barrel the 1/16th of a turn to level the front sight.
This put the rear dovetail out of alignment but as i had removed the factory rear sight and put a blank in there i wasn't overly concerned.

A few months back i was looking for a .357 Mag rifle. I looked at 3 1894C's and they all had crooked sights.

I ended up getting a Dark series and happy to report that the XS sights and rail are mounted straight and true on that one.

[Ozark mike]

Jus get a henry and be on your way my 44mag is a real well put together rifle besides they dont have that stupid cross bolt safety jus a transfer bar which i have never had a problem with. I did file the carrier so it would accept a longer coal

[cwlongshot]

I sold off all three of my "COWBOYS". 45 Colt, 38/55 & 45/70.

LOVE all these calibers, but Ultimately Im better served with shorter barrels for them.

CW

[W.R.Buchanan]

Just go over to some of the other sites and read the nightmares that have been coming from Remlin.

And therein lies the root of the problem !

Sites like "Marlin Owners Group" are populated by the very same Ex Employees that ran the company into the ground in the first place.

When Remington took over Marlin they assembled guns with the existing stock of parts that all were made by JM Marlin Employees after they had found out their jobs were being moved to NY. There is a serious amount of well known documentation on the Disgruntled Employees and how they were retaliating on the move. They were all offered jobs in NY and the actual move was less than 100 miles but few went along.

Remington had to take each Marlin Gun and reverse engineer it, make new drawings, buy new machinery and generate programs to make each part to current manufacturing standards. This actually took some time and whole lot of money.

But the whiners were working overtime spreading their BS just like Adam Schifft does every day on CNN!!!

However the guns that they have been producing on the new machinery for the last 2-3 years have been far superior to anything JM Marlin ever made. The tolerances held with modern CNC machinery far exceeds anything you could do with a Broach which is exactly what was used to open the internal cavity on a Marlin Receiver.

Even the wood or whatever laminate they are using is cut on a CNC machine and all of the guns I have looked at that were above the Generic Truckgun class of Marlin IE: the ones above $5-600 have been excellent.

In case you guys haven't heard, there are 4 levels of Marlin Leverguns.

1. There is the Basic Truck Gun which has pretty bland wood and a painted finish, almost no hand work is put into these guns so they can make a price point.

2. The $7-900 guns which are much nicer have better quality wood and blued finishes and the actions run smoother due to some Hand Work put into them. All of these first two levels of guns need TLC to make them right.

3. The "LE" Rifles are MUCH nicer have premium wood and finishes and more hand work and run around $1300.

4. And the Custom Shop Guns which start at $3600 and can be anything you want. These are made in the Dakota Arms Shop which Remington owns.

Finally, please note, that I am not a big fan of Remington. Some of their business practices are pretty off putting to me. Buying DPMS, Bushmaster and TApco and killing them pissed me off!!!

But the idea that they "don't know how to make good guns?" is not part of that picture! That company has been making Quality Guns for the last 150+ years. And making someone else's guns after they bought a failing company is not a big stretch, and especially when they didn't even get decent drawings with the package. These guns are not really Marlins. They are Marlin designs made by Remington ! and better off for it !!!

Unless they actually sold the whole company to the Navajo Nation ? In which case it remains to be seen if it goes up or down.

Remlins have suffered most from Bad PR and if you haven't noticed this is running rampant in our society right now and getting worse everyday. Everybody want to bitph about everything because they are cooped up at home and the only outlet is the internet and Rioting in the streets at night.

Our current President suffers from the same type of endless attacks from people who aren't even qualified to wipe his rear, but seem to know more about him and how to do his job than they could possibly really know.

I choose not to believe Internet Drivel when it conflicts with what I already know to be true, and have seen with my own eyes, and I feel as a Machinist /toolmaker with 40 years in the trade and being a machine shop owner I have some idea of where I speak..

As far as a canted sight on a octagon barrel? Maybe the sight blade itself was bent? :holysheep

Randy

[sghart3578]

Randy,

Thank you for taking the time to make several points that I have had bouncing around in my head but don't have the eloquence to put on paper.

I am a Marlin lover. I have JM's and Remlins and I like them all.

As to the forum for the Marlin Owner's, I have been given a couple of timeouts over there. Why? Not because i flamed anyone, not because I went on a profanity laced tirade about anything. That is not my nature. I am a glass half full kind of guy.

I simply told them that the old Marlins are gone forever, just like Elvis, split window Corvettes and pre-64 Winchesters. And rather than let hate and malice burn them up they should give the new Marlins a chance.

On the subject of canted sights I wonder. Is the sight actually canted? Like the barrel is under or over torqued? Or is the sight drifted over to one side? And we all know that Marlin isn't the only one guilty of this. I have returned brand new Rugers and Smith and Wessons for sight alignment problems.

To me the answer is simple. If you see a problem then don't spend your money on it. And if you do then let Marlin fix it. Their customer service is excellent.

And finally, don't take it personally when someone here asks for more details. It's not an insult. And if you think that is then just ignore it.


Steve in N CA

[indian joe]

Randy,

Thank you for taking the time to make several points that I have had bouncing around in my head but don't have the eloquence to put on paper.

I am a Marlin lover. I have JM's and Remlins and I like them all.

As to the forum for the Marlin Owner's, I have been given a couple of timeouts over there. Why? Not because i flamed anyone, not because I went on a profanity laced tirade about anything. That is not my nature. I am a glass half full kind of guy.

I simply told them that the old Marlins are gone forever, just like Elvis, split window Corvettes and pre-64 Winchesters. And rather than let hate and malice burn them up they should give the new Marlins a chance.

On the subject of canted sights I wonder. Is the sight actually canted? Like the barrel is under or over torqued? Or is the sight drifted over to one side? And we all know that Marlin isn't the only one guilty of this. I have returned brand new Rugers and Smith and Wessons for sight alignment problems.

To me the answer is simple. If you see a problem then don't spend your money on it. And if you do then let Marlin fix it. Their customer service is excellent.

And finally, don't take it personally when someone here asks for more details. It's not an insult. And if you think that is then just ignore it.


Steve in N CA

back to the start I guess ? a barrel over or under torqued is a simple explanation - easy enough to mess that up and not a difficult fix --- sight dovetail out of alignment with the flats on an octagonal barrel? - in a modern machine shop you would need to try really hard to get that to happen - either way it should never get out the door of the factory.

[sghart3578]

back to the start I guess ? a barrel over or under torqued is a simple explanation - easy enough to mess that up and not a difficult fix --- sight dovetail out of alignment with the flats on an octagonal barrel? - in a modern machine shop you would need to try really hard to get that to happen - either way it should never get out the door of the factory.

I fully agree with you. My point was that every manufacturer let's some slip through. If you get stuck with one, regardless of how, let them try to fix it.

I work with a guy that bought a brand new Sig P220. Not exactly a cheap gun. First cleaning after the first range trip the take down lever broke. My friend was understandably peed off.

Bottom line, Sig fixed it and on top of that, they admitted that the flimsier levers were a cost savings measure.

They all do it. Marlin, Chevy, Microsoft.

I just have learned to deal with it. I wish it weren't so but wishes are cheap.


Steve in N CA

[Ozark mike]

My latest lever gun is a remlin and it holds a good group but the factory sights was garbage. Couldnt get the rear sight high enough to hit poa at any distance not to mention the action was a joke. Several hours of machine work along with some stoning/polishing and some mullah in parts i am proud to say i own a custom rifle that has the slickest action i have held to date but it cannot be compared to what marlin is pumping out nowadays

[W.R.Buchanan]

My latest lever gun is a remlin and it holds a good group but the factory sights was garbage. Couldnt get the rear sight high enough to hit poa at any distance not to mention the action was a joke. Several hours of machine work along with some stoning/polishing and some mullah in parts i am proud to say i own a custom rifle that has the slickest action i have held to date but it cannot be compared to what marlin is pumping out nowadays

Yes and my 1894 CB and 1895 CB took about 2 hours each cleaning up the actions and getting them to run smooth. Instructions are over at www.leverguns.com and it is worth a look because if you can operate a file and sandpaper you can do it too!

Took about a Week each to refinish the wood on each gun.

Both of my guns are excellent shooters and look like the $1300 guns.
If you look at the "Generic Marlins" as starting points for making them into really nice rifles you get the picture. They all need TLC to be nice so just get over it, and learn to work on your guns. It's actually fun and it ain't that hard.

I don't own any guns that I haven't worked on at some time or another.

Randy

[indian joe]

The human is a strange critter - I decided at some point of my life that I dont like Marlins :bigsmyl2:- have absolutely no reason or logic to support that - never owned one - never even shot one. Maybe should say I like Winchesters better cuz a marlin is better than any bolt, pump or semi auto simply from the fact that it has a lever underneath to work it with.

Marlins are better because ???
you can put a scope on a marlin ! ........nah - go away scopes belong on bolt guns
they spit the emptys out the side ! .... nah - go away I like the sound of emptys landing on my hat brim

Winchesters are better because .... they just are (to a wincester fan)
just like fords are better than GM (to a ford fan)

[Ozark mike]

Hey you wont catch me downgrading a good 1886 They accept a longer coal also. My main complaint about winchester is how they screwed henry over in 1866. My marlin wouldn't even chamber a round from the tube it was a pretty crappy gun from the start. Wouldn't do it again thats for sure.

[444ttd]

The human is a strange critter - I decided at some point of my life that I dont like Marlins :bigsmyl2:- have absolutely no reason or logic to support that - never owned one - never even shot one. Maybe should say I like Winchesters better cuz a marlin is better than any bolt, pump or semi auto simply from the fact that it has a lever underneath to work it with.

Marlins are better because ???
you can put a scope on a marlin ! ........nah - go away scopes belong on bolt guns
they spit the emptys out the side ! .... nah - go away I like the sound of emptys landing on my hat brim

Winchesters are better because .... they just are (to a wincester fan)
just like fords are better than GM (to a ford fan)


i luv the old m94s and the old savage 99s even tho i don't have one. heck, i own one lever action and it is a win m94(1972) in 35/30-30. i think (just me) that a lever action with a scope aren't for me. i luv aperture sights so much so i use a williams fp sight on my m94.
https://i.imgur.com/nBFtFB6.jpg


i just luv my winchester.

[Mr. Crumbly]

Been around Winchesters all my life, as that is all my family ever swore by, except for my cousin that was an executioner in Louisiana and helped with the Bonnie and Clyde debacle, he had a Marlin in .30-30 at the time and it's still on a wall in my cousins saddle barn. That particular rifle, as a fact, has killed people. I remember when I was a kid, he always had a noose behind the seat of his truck, and in today's world that makes a great little story, but back then we didn't think much of it. But there were plenty 94's around. There were two 73's I remember, but goodness knows what happened to them. All this I recall from when I was just a little kid. I used an old 94' until I bought a new one in the late 80's, it's a 16" barrel, angle eject, and as of around 2000 to 2005 or so, had been through a lot, having ridden in the truck with me everywhere and through the pastures and woods, and developed a little excess headspace too quickly and rather strangely at that, as I only used factory ammo because it was cheap back then. The quality was just not there, like the older ones had, and a splinter occurred right where the knuckle of the index finger rests. Now I have a new Miroku 95' and 73', and they are light-years ahead in quality. I hope nothing ever happens to Miroku, because I'd love to get more. These two are enough, but that's no reason to stop adding to the cabinet. I have never had a desire for a Marlin for some reason. I guess because i don't like the way they look. The older ones like my cousins, look great, but the new ones with the bolt cut-out, and the stock shape, I just can't justify buying one, and when I hear of the awful mess that people have had with the new ones, it makes it even worse.

[If1Hitu]

Love mine......268359

[Cosmic_Charlie]

You know, the bean counters have really been leaning on the shop foreman. I have seen canted front sights on Rugers, Smiths and Marlins. Must destroy the morale of the guys putting them together who care about doing it right. And it's not just the firearms industry. It's why I'm willing to pay a premium for a nice older gun. Henry and CZ are two who are still doing it right.

[RKJ]

I didn't see it mentioned here so thought I'd bring it up. Ruger bought the Marlin line from Remington (The Bankruptcy court approved it yesterday). Anyway, here is what the CEO has said: https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2020/9/30/ruger-to-acquire-marlin-firearms/ Hopefully, this means good things for the brand. I'm not a big Marlin guy but I like the rifles.