I originally wrote this for a Texas Hunting Forum but would like to fine tune it for my web site that I'm remodeling. I plan on having information such as this, that would take a bit to research. If you have any comments, corrections, or photos that I could use please post them.
Marlin catalogs remain the best source of models and years. If you have additional information directly from a catalog, please post a reply and I will update the info.
Serial numbers often bled over either side, before or after, the model run dates. The information Marlin printed in their catalogs is what is considered the date range of the model run.
The firearms of interest are described as follows:
Marlin catalogs remain the best source of models and years. If you have additional information directly from a catalog, please post a reply and I will update the info.
Serial numbers often bled over either side, before or after, the model run dates. The information Marlin printed in their catalogs is what is considered the date range of the model run.
The firearms of interest are described as follows:
- 336 Action[SUB]1[/SUB]
- Carbine Stock[SUB]2[/SUB]
- Barrel:
- 30-30, 35 Rem, and 44 Mag
- 20" only if identified by roll stamp as "T" or "Texan". 44 Mag might also be identified as "336-44"
- All barrels less than 20" if 336 action and carbine stocked
- 444 Marlin
- 24" barrel only
- 30-30, 35 Rem, and 44 Mag
[SUB]2[/SUB]Straight lower comb on the stock, no pistol grips, with a rounded or square lever
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In 1951 Marlin introduced the Texan. It differed from the "rifle" in that it had the carbine stock. As the years went by, it became a true carbine as the barrel was shortened from 20" to 18 1/2" and finally 16 1/4". Here is a look at the rifle and I've listed the features as the years progressed.
336T
1951 - 1984
30-30 Win & 35 Rem
20" barrel
Notes:
1962 - Marlin roll stamps 336T "Royal Canadian" for the Canadian market.
1963 - "Royal Canadian" production ceases (123 rifles sold).
1964 - Stopped chambering in 35 Rem
1965 - Also chambered in 44 Rem Mag (some barrels roll stamped "336-44").Western Auto Supply Co marketed this rifle as #200-2554.
1965 - Added saddle ring to left side of receiver
1967 - Stopped chambering in 44 Rem Mag
1970 - Rounded lever squared
1972 - Saddle ring discontinued
1979 - Glenfield 30GT introduced. Same as 336T but with 18 1/2" barrel.
1980 - 336T barrel changed to 18 1/2". Production of Glenfield 30GT stopped.
1988 - Production stopped, now 336TS
1979 Glenfield 30GT. 1980 model added deer head in butt stock and leaves in the forearm stock checkering
336DT (Deluxe Texan)
1962 - 1963
30-30 Win & 35 Rem
20" barrel
Select walnut stocks with hand-carved longhorn steer and Texas map in oval on buttstock.
Two other rifles played a part in this timeline and they are quite rare. The Marauder's 16 1/2" barrel was reintroduced many years down the road and the Magnum gave us the 44 Rem Mag in this carbine stocked 336.
336 Marauder
1963-1964
30-30 Win & 35 Rem
16 1/4" barrel
Dropped in favor of 336T above.
Serial number starts with W, Y, or Z
336 Magnum
1963-1964
44 Rem Mag
20" barrel
Dropped in favor of 336T above.
The 336T became the 336TS with the introduction of the cross-block saftey but only had a few years to go before production stopped.
336TS
1984 - 1988
30-30 Win
18 1/2" barrel
Notes:
Replaced 336T
Change is side safety (S)
The 336T resurfaced as the LTS in the late eighties with the 16 1/4" barrel of the Marauder.
336LTS
1988 - 1989
30-30 Win
16 1/4" barrel
Marlin has made many rifles under the private brand agreements; J.C. Penney, Sears, etc., but as far as I am aware, the only Texan manufactured under these agreements was the 30TK for K-Mart Stores. With a 1990 manufacture date, these rifles represent the last Texans manufactured.
30TK
1989-1990
Manufactured under a private brand agreement with K-Mart Stores
30-30 Win
18 1/2" barrel
3/4 tube magazine
The T, the TS, and the LTS were a huge influnence on the introduction of the Guide Gun and Outfitter series of rifles and a discussion of Marlin's Texans would not be complete without including the Big Bore Marlin gave us.
In 1966 Marlin introduced the 444 Marlin. This rifle had a 24" barrel and Monte Carlo stock to help manage recoil with scope use. This rifle is still in production today but in 1971 there was a design change that reduced the barrel to 22" and changed the stock to the lower comb and pistol grip of the standard 336. Marlin threw us Texans a bone by stamping the barrels 444T in 1971! The early 444s, those with rifles without the pistol grip, have all become known as the "Texans".
Marlin didn't know it, but they introduced the 444 to Texans as the as the original "Sendero" rifle! The cartridge is quite capable of delivering devasting energy to whitetails at good distances.
"Sendero" hunting isn't the same as it is now. During this time period no one hunted feeders, we hunted seismic lines, pipelines, and power line right-of-ways as the South Texas Brush was simply to vast and deer densities where to low. In fact we didn't hunt much until the rut as you simply didn't see the deer you do now. You would see a doe cross the sendero and you would try to shoot at the buck following it as it crossed. Deer where lost from bad hits and blood trails were hard to follow in the cactus and sand. The hunting was totally different than it is now.
Hunting shows were also different than they are now. A show would be hosted by some known hunting personality at a local theater where a series of films would be shown. In the late sixties at Ayers Theater in Corpus Christi, I attended one such event. One of the feature films was a 16mm movie that featured Marlin 444s being used to hunt rutting whitetails in Zapata County. From 50 to 300 yards the cartridge knocked these testosterone charged whitetails in the dirt!
This made quite an impact on me at my young age as my dad and I where hunting in Zapata County and I had seen first hand how difficult it was to stop bucks on the rut. Seeing these buck fold up when whacked with that big bullet made me want one of those big rifles bad! Of course, all the old guys around the campfire liked to laugh themselves silly. The 270 Win and 30-06 ruled. Well, Marlin was right and they were wrong. I shoot a 1972 444T and have never lost a buck! My rifle is unusual in that it carries the 1972 serial number dispite production ending in 1971. It was built to complete an order but I like it because it was the year I graduated from High School and entered the Army!
Whitetail taken "rut trailing" doe with Marlin 444T. DRT!
The 336Ts are common especially those chambered in 30-30 Win. The rifles that represent the "lions", we know they are out there but they are rarely seen, are the 336T chambered in 35 Rem or 44 Mag, The Marauder, the Magnum,and the 444T. The "Chupacabra" rifles, said to exist, are the Marauder chambered in 35 Rem.
This last sentence was written for South Texans, we all know lions are in the brush but few see them. The Chupacabra is... well, the Chupacabra!