jm marlins keep going up $$$$?

[FergusonTO35]

I could see someone opening a small factory building new high end lever actions similar to what Connecticut Shotgun Mfg. does.

[Gray Fox]

It will be interesting to see if Ruger does in fact have lever guns out the door this fall as their press releases have said, and what quality they show. One of the releases said that the wood furniture is still being made in the plant in the NE, and if that's the case there will still probably be fit and finish problems. I guess we'll have to wait and see. GF

[green mountain boy]

Look on the barrel just forward of the receiver, should be a capitol "JM" stamped in it on the side opposite the ejection port.

thank you sir. oddly enough it does have that stamp ! perhaps i should trade it in on a full tank of gasoline....

[Eddie Southgate]

Even if Ruger makes a perfect copy of the original JM models , the Ruger guns won't likely effect the price of the JM's . People collecting the original Marlin Company Marlin products keeps the prices up . JM marked guns started going up in price the day that Remington took over the Marlin name . Winchester 94 prices have gone up since the Winchester Company went out of business . The $125 - $275 used price on Lever Actions by either company are over , get used to it. If you want a cheap used rifle in my area it's been either a .300 WM , .270 W , or a 30-06 bolt gun , lots of those in the pawn shops and nothing much else . The levers dried up almost 10 years ago , prior to that , every pawn shop around here had as many as a dozen 94's or 336's in the above mentioned range .

[FergusonTO35]

Very true, the plastic bolt actions (which usually shoot really well) have completely displaced lever actions and single shots in the cheap gun category.

[zarrinvz24]

JM Marlins are the Pre-64 Winchesters of today. There was a time they too were common and affordable. Get while the getting is good.

[smkummer]

A mid 70’s clean 94 Winchester 30-30 is a $5-600 gun now.

[zarrinvz24]

A mid 70’s clean 94 Winchester 30-30 is a $5-600 gun now.

Remember when one couldn’t practically give them away?

[murf205]

Even if Ruger makes a perfect copy of the original JM models , the Ruger guns won't likely effect the price of the JM's . People collecting the original Marlin Company Marlin products keeps the prices up . JM marked guns started going up in price the day that Remington took over the Marlin name . Winchester 94 prices have gone up since the Winchester Company went out of business . The $125 - $275 used price on Lever Actions by either company are over , get used to it. If you want a cheap used rifle in my area it's been either a .300 WM , .270 W , or a 30-06 bolt gun , lots of those in the pawn shops and nothing much else . The levers dried up almost 10 years ago , prior to that , every pawn shop around here had as many as a dozen 94's or 336's in the above mentioned range .

Very true. !0-15 yrs ago a 30-30 336 Marlin or a 94 Winchester was a 200$ gun-max. A few days ago a Marlin CB 45/70 sold on Gunbroker for $1900! Got to be kidding! My 30-30 336 was $67 when I bought it in 1967 and it was a used gun in 99% condition.

[charlie b]

I bought a Win94 in 2015 for $400. It was the cheapest one on the rack. The older ones (pre-70) were going for $500 or more. Marlins on the rack were also in the $400 range. A .357 Marlin was listed at $600 and disappeared in days. The Marlin .45-70 Cowboy model (long barrel) has always been a lot more. Used ones were usually close to the new price and sometimes more if they had custom sights.

[snowwolfe]

I think some of the Remlins have easily exceeded the value of JM’s. I turned down $2800 last week for a new Remlin 1895 SBL 45-70. I paid $900 and change for the rifle about 18 months ago.

[GasGuzzler]

Sadly a JM gun made in the last decade of Marlin is no better than the first decade of Remlin. The money slinging collectors with no idea how to tell a good Marlin from a bad one have falsely created a scenario wherein all JM's are good guns and no Remlins are. This is not true.

If I buy a Marlin it's JM stamped. Not because the stamp means anything itself but because I won't buy a Marlin made after about 1995...WAY before the buy out. Like others in this topic I bought all my fish at the right time. What is the total value of the Peanut, Waffle Top, 783 with Marlin sling (Marlin slings are selling on eBay for $150-200), and a LSBHO long barrel Model 60? A lot more than I paid for them.

[farmbif]

last week I found an 1894cb in 357 just listed on Williams gun sight for right about $850 by the time I turned around to click the buy it now button it was sold-- too late. gotta be quick and not hesitate when you find a deal. it will probably show up on gun broker in a week or 2 for double that price.
been watching parts guns missing the receiver on gun broker even a common 336 built after 1983/with a safety brings $300+ most every week lately.

[HATCH]

Sorry to bring up a year old thread but I was looking at a 1894fg in 41 mag and it was over $2000.
Are used but in excellent shape 1894 41 mag lever guns going for that much?
Or what do you think the price should be when purchasing one??

[charlie b]

Supply and demand. If it is the only one out there and more than one person wants it, the price can be almost anything.

Guns (and other collectibles) have value that is sometimes based on emotional aspects or perceived value. That can change from day to day or year to year. You can watch some gun values go up and down like the stock market. A good example is the Colt Python. When Walking Dead came out the prices spiked for a year or two, just because the gun was featured in the show. Later the prices dropped for a while when Colt announced the new mfg Pythons. Now the values are back up to 'normal' again.

Let it sit for a while and see if it sells. If not offer a lower price.

[Maine1]

Our money has less purchasing power
JM's have a good reputation, and thus have become a status symbol t some. It makes some people feel better about the quality of the gun they buy.
People are also starting to put their money into durable assets...........all these factors add up
Sometimes people get excited on GB and pay a bit more that they could in a local sale....but some guns are not as common in some areas.
For example: we had an old Gun/sport shop in my area that ALWAYS had a pretty good, always changing, selection of lever guns. I bought a 70's 94, and an early 80's 336 from him, among others. Paid less than 300 for each, and this was just 5-6 years ago.
He also always had 32 special levers, usually a few.
i NEVER saw a 357 lever of any type. In my area, 357 and 44 lever guns are usually 3X what a 30-30 sells at, because EVERYONE has a 30-30.
Right now im shopping for a 38-55....and i don't think I'll actually find one under 1200..

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Sorry to bring up a year old thread but I was looking at a 1894fg in 41 mag and it was over $2000.
Are used but in excellent shape 1894 41 mag lever guns going for that much?
Or what do you think the price should be when purchasing one??

Yeah, $2k or more.
Last Spring, I seen some over $3K.
In 2018, my LGS had a nice consigned 1894S 41Mag listed on GB, the auction ended at over $2400.
I watched that auction close and remembered it to this day, because I have a 1894S 41Mag (1988).

There weren't many made in 41 mag.
A small run (1K) of "S" in 1984
another bigger run (2.5K) of "S" in 1988
There was a real small run (250 maybe?) of "CCL" probably late 1990s?
Then some (IDK quantities) "FG" and "PG" from 2003 to 2007

[barnetmill]

I had to look up JM Marlin

John Mahlon Marlin was an American firearms manufacturer and inventor. Marlin was born in Boston Neck, near Windsor Locks, Hartford County, Connecticut as the son of Mahlon Marlin and Jennette Bradford. He worked at the Colt plant in Hartford during the American Civil War. Wikipedia

[john.k]

I got a 45/70 Marlin made around 1978.......everone tells me how marvellous it is ..........when I show em the hammer marks in the barrel where the sights were assembled ,and heavy roll stamp that actually dents the rifling....and the poorly done grinding or likely belt linishing .......they think Im mad ...cause the JM rifles are perfect ...beyond perfect!.

[stubshaft]

I got a 45/70 Marlin made around 1978.......everone tells me how marvellous it is ..........when I show em the hammer marks in the barrel where the sights were assembled ,and heavy roll stamp that actually dents the rifling....and the poorly done grinding or likely belt linishing .......they think Im mad ...cause the JM rifles are perfect ...beyond perfect!.

Compared to some of the abortions being produced today, that is a GEM!