Unusual Marlin

[exblaster]

I picked up an unusual Marlin 336 SC in 35 Rem. at the gun show today. It is vintage 1952 or 3 from the serial number but it has a straight non-pistol grip lever.
Have you all ever seen one like this?


Exblaster

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Over at the Marlin sight are some fellers that could probably tell you how many were made in each month of that year.
But over the years marlins can get a new stock as the old one gets mashed or the lever flipper decides those pistol grips are not the best for him or her.

[crazy mark]

Straight stocks were pretty much made starting in the 60's. It is possible it was a special order or somebody changed it over. Nice find however on one in 35 Rem. Mark Pictures, where is the pictures....

[6pt-sika]

A circa 1952 Marlin 336SC should have a 20" barrel with a PG and NOT a full length mag tube . Also it should be stamped 336-SC on the barrel .

Does yours have this ?

[6pt-sika]

Also there shouldn't be any barrel bands . Just a nose cap at the end of the forend and a dovetail under the barrel at the end of the mag tube .

Is this also the way your rifle looks except for the PG ?

[exblaster]

A circa 1952 Marlin 336SC should have a 20" barrel with a PG and NOT a full length mag tube . Also it should be stamped 336-SC on the barrel .

Does yours have this ?

As you described but no pistol grip. It has a straight lower tang The serial number starts with a J so 52 or 53 manufacture?


Exblaster

[exblaster]

Straight stocks were pretty much made starting in the 60's. It is possible it was a special order or somebody changed it over. Nice find however on one in 35 Rem. Mark Pictures, where is the pictures....

Mark I am not proficient with a camera. But the next time you pass through Woodland Wa. on your way to Pe Ell stop by and you can fondle the Marlin to your harts content.


Exblaster

[Firebricker]

If you ever want to make it a pistol grip stock let me know. Been looking for a parts swap I've alway's liked straight grip on lever guns. Of course if it's original I'd keep it that way that a nice find I love the early Marlin's. You got a keeper ! FB

[6pt-sika]

I don't mean to sound negative but ......................

I've spent as great deal of time and effort over the last 10 years chasing , buying , selling and researching Marlin firearms .

And I have never seen or even heard of such a rifle coming from the factory .

And for the time period when that gun was made I don't believe they were making any 336 rifle with a straight grip stock .

I would "assume" as others have said someone swapped out the bottom plate , lever and stock .

[pietro]

You might want to speak to the nice folks at Marlin about your rifle, while there are still some old-timers left.

It just might have been a special order SC (Sporting Carbine), with a straight grip stock/lever/etc, ILO the issue PG items.

My reasoning:

Your rifle's SN prefix = "J" = 1952, period (not "52 or '53")

The first straight grip cataloged M336 was the Texan in 1954 - which would have a SN prefix of "L".

In those days, the Marlin SN was marked in TWO places on every levergun
A) On the lower tang, under the lever
and
B) Into the wood, hidden in the area of the tang inletting.

If someone "switched out" the PG bottom metal for straight grip parts, the 1952 SN would have gone with the PG metal lower tang, and the tang would have the later, straight-gripped SN of "L" or later (M/N/O/P/etc).

You can pull off the buttstock, and see if the SN stamped into the inletting is the same as the lower tang's - but that only verifies that the wood belongs to the lower metal.

Call Marlin.

.

[357maximum]

I had one just like it for about 30 minutes. You see I had a 1951 SC and a 1953 RC sitting here at the same time. I switched the straight grip rc butt and tang over on the sc just to see how it felt, shot it a few times and then changed it back, and sold the RC as I do not like straight grips. You very likely have exactly that a 336RegularCarbine buttstock and tang on a 336SportsCarbine. Someone did a switcheroo is all. If you like it..shoot it and do not worry about it would be my suggestion.

[izzyjoe]

come to think i've never seen a strait grip in sc. they may have made them but i've yet to see one.

[Marlin Junky]

The only difference between an 'SC' and an 'A' from that time period is the barrel length. 20" for the former and 24" for the latter.

MJ

[enfield]

my 1957 ( p serial #) 336 rc 30-30 has a straight grip stock. I bought it from the guy who bought it new.

[crazy mark]

Mark I am not proficient with a camera. But the next time you pass through Woodland Wa. on your way to Pe Ell stop by and you can fondle the Marlin to your harts content.


Exblaster

I might take you up on that. Next trip will be over the 4th of July Holiday. I have a friend that runs the Sewer plant in Kalama and I try and stop and visit with him also.

[exblaster]

One other possibility with the Marlin I have is it was re barreled with a later S C barrel. If Marlin did the re barrel thy may have a record. I will try to contact them . If I find any information I will Post it.


Exblaster

[exblaster]

You might want to speak to the nice folks at Marlin about your rifle, while there are still some old-timers left.

It just might have been a special order SC (Sporting Carbine), with a straight grip stock/lever/etc, ILO the issue PG items.

My reasoning:

Your rifle's SN prefix = "J" = 1952, period (not "52 or '53")

The first straight grip cataloged M336 was the Texan in 1954 - which would have a SN prefix of "L".

In those days, the Marlin SN was marked in TWO places on every levergun
A) On the lower tang, under the lever
and
B) Into the wood, hidden in the area of the tang inletting.

If someone "switched out" the PG bottom metal for straight grip parts, the 1952 SN would have gone with the PG metal lower tang, and the tang would have the later, straight-gripped SN of "L" or later (M/N/O/P/etc).

You can pull off the buttstock, and see if the SN stamped into the inletting is the same as the lower tang's - but that only verifies that the wood belongs to the lower metal.

Call Marlin.

.

Thank you Pietro and all of you for the information. I knew I would find well informed advice here.



Exblaster

[jlchucker]

come to think i've never seen a strait grip in sc. they may have made them but i've yet to see one.

I've seen them. There are a few in the area where I live. They're owned by older guys who bought them new, and don't handload. I'd never seen them before moving to this area. The ones I've seen were 35 Remington, and look like they've been used hard since bought, with much blueing worn off. I asked about these on another website, and was told that they were "Texans". I wonder about that, since there's no "Texan" name on them. We're pretty close to Canada. Did Marlin ever make straight-grip sc's with slender forearms for Canadian export? These old 35's around here are much-prized by their owners, who've obviously hunted hard with them for decades.

[BruceB]

The "Texan" was made from 1954-83 in .30-30, .35 and .44 with 20" barrel and straight stock. 18.5- inch barrels were available in 1983 only.

Another straight-grip 336 was the "Marauder", 16.25" barrel in .30-30 and .35, 1955-58 (?), and only 5,271 were built.

They're out there!

[beagle]

Better watch him, he'll take it home with him./beagle


Mark I am not proficient with a camera. But the next time you pass through Woodland Wa. on your way to Pe Ell stop by and you can fondle the Marlin to your harts content.


Exblaster

[crazy mark]

Well I stopped on my way back to Springfield and had a very nice visit with Exblaster. I looked at that Marlin very close and nothing tells me that it isn't really a J serial number. No signs of any changes except for the wood might have been refinished. The serial number even looks properly spaced. I can only conclude it was a special order by it appearance. The bluing and rust freckles matched on all parts of the rifle and it's topped with a period correct scope and rings. Mark

[madsenshooter]

6 or 7 groove rifling? Just curious as I recently bought a 35 Rem made in 1955 and it has the 7 groove rifling.

[ricksplace]

My Marlin 336 says "model 336rc 30-30" on the barrel. It has a pistol grip stock and a fairly thick forend ( almost a semi-beavertail compared to other leverguns) Ser # KXXXXX. I've had it for about 30 years. It has a four groove barrel. Weird.