The State of marlin Firearms - article in Rifle Magazine

[kd115]

Thats to bad about you marlin workers not getting an offer from Rem.

[TNWoodsman]

I am glad you liked his article, but what facts have you investigated to agree with his statements? Were you somehow affiliated with Marlin Firearms for many years before the FGI purchase and have information that long term management employees do not? You should share this info with the rest of us.

I'm still trying to get my head around the bogus claim that blueprints had to be redrawn so they could use CNC equipment, nevermind the rest of the items I brought up.

Dom

Quality had been going down hill for years. They are simply trying to cut cost and get all the equipment that was falling apart replaced. The former owners of Marlin sold out their employees. No reason to be mad at the new owners for saving the brand.

[RonHc213]

Wow! What a great informative thread. I would like to first thank you Dom and all of your previous co-workers for putting out the best quality lever action rifles on the market. I am sorry to hear about what happened and I wish all of you the best. I do have a question though; I am in the market for a model 1894css that was manufactured before Remlin came along and I would like to know if there is a way that I can tell the difference? Thanks.

[eaglesnest]

Wow! What a great informative thread. I would like to first thank you Dom and all of your previous co-workers for putting out the best quality lever action rifles on the market. I am sorry to hear about what happened and I wish all of you the best. I do have a question though; I am in the market for a model 1894css that was manufactured before Remlin came along and I would like to know if there is a way that I can tell the difference? Thanks.

Just look for a "JM" on the left hand side of the barrel up near the receiver, that will tell you it was made in the real Marlin factory. A REP on the right side it will be a Remlin. Of course you really wont even need these once you get more familiar as the difference in quality is pretty dramatic. I would also be familiar with the modern Pre Remington Marlin serial numbering system. The first 2 numbers tell the date of manufacture. Take those 2 numbers and subtract them from 100. a 92 would be made in 08, a 12 would be an 88 and so forth. Where it gets tricky is the 91, which was used through 2009 and 2010, even after the factory was closed and assembly was moved to NY. Those 91xxx assembled by Remington will NOT have the JM but will have a REP on the barrel. Pay no attention to what else is on the barrel, they all say made in North Haven CT on them, just to add to the confusion no doubt!

[MustangP51d]

I think you all have hit the nail on the head. However, just to make a point, just look at the 870 shotgun Remington is selling today, a POS and its manufactured in China. I hate to say it but Reminton is headed for the bone yard. Their product lines will be sold off to nich investment companies who will rehire the knowledge base for the porfit potential of the brands..Marlin fits that mold. Will take a few years, but remember consultants are making $150/hr, and North Haven might even be back in business. You can't keep bleeding red ink and stay in business, I don't care how deep the pockets of the parent company are. Thank you all for your craftmanship, all my Marlins are 1997 or earlier with JM stamps. These will go to my kids and grandkids, with the stories behind them.

[domct203]

Quality had been going down hill for years. They are simply trying to cut cost and get all the equipment that was falling apart replaced. The former owners of Marlin sold out their employees. No reason to be mad at the new owners for saving the brand.

Are you serious? You call the JUNK they have been putting out for the past year "saving the brand"?

I call it disrespecting the Marlin name, and the consumers.

Remington took every last piece of manufacturing equipment from North Haven, and that is what they have been using for the past year. Believe me, Remington has been using the same type/age of machinery for the Remington brand rifles, this is fact as witnessed by visits to the Ilion N.Y. plant.

I'm not mad that Marlin was sold, I'm not mad that Remington bought Marlin. When I initially found out that we had been bought by another century old gunmaker I was actually excited, at least until I learned about the Cerebus involvement.

I am mad that Remington/FGI is trying to blame all their shortcomings on the old Marlin employees and equipment. I am mad that they think we (gun owners) are stupid enought to except their "pass the buck" attitude.

Marlin did not start bleeding until Remington gutted them. If you feel that Marlin quality had been going downhill, then Remington/FGI has driven the bus off the cliff!

You say you agree with everything that Pearce wrote, do you agree he visited Marlin in New Haven? Marlin rifles have been made in NORTH HAVEN since 1970. Did Mr. Pearce/Rifle Magazine not even care to get that fact straight?

Do you agree it is OK to knowingly sell a defective product to the customer while they replace old equipment? They claim the machinery was/is no good, but continue to use them to produce product to market regardless.

Frank Kenna was in his 80's when he sold, and I don't blame him at all for selling. Did you expect him to just hold on to the company until his death so it could end up in probate court, auctioned off to the highest bidder?

The only ones that "sold out the employees" and the customers is Remington/FGI.

Dom

[Tomray]

Are you serious? You call the JUNK they have been putting out for the past year "saving the brand"?

I call it disrespecting the Marlin name, and the consumers.

Remington took every last piece of manufacturing equipment from North Haven, and that is what they have been using for the past year. Believe me, Remington has been using the same type/age of machinery for the Remington brand rifles, this is fact as witnessed by visits to the Ilion N.Y. plant.

I'm not mad that Marlin was sold, I'm not mad that Remington bought Marlin. When I initially found out that we had been bought by another century old gunmaker I was actually excited, at least until I learned about the Cerebus involvement.

I am mad that Remington/FGI is trying to blame all their shortcomings on the old Marlin employees and equipment. I am mad that they think we (gun owners) are stupid enought to except their "pass the buck" attitude.

Marlin did not start bleeding until Remington gutted them. If you feel that Marlin quality had been going downhill, then Remington/FGI has driven the bus off the cliff!

You say you agree with everything that Pearce wrote, do you agree he visited Marlin in New Haven? Marlin rifles have been made in NORTH HAVEN since 1970. Did Mr. Pearce/Rifle Magazine not even care to get that fact straight?

Do you agree it is OK to knowingly sell a defective product to the customer while they replace old equipment? They claim the machinery was/is no good, but continue to use them to produce product to market regardless.

Frank Kenna was in his 80's when he sold, and I don't blame him at all for selling. Did you expect him to just hold on to the company until his death so it could end up in probate court, auctioned off to the highest bidder?

The only ones that "sold out the employees" and the customers is Remington/FGI.

Dom

Dom,

Hey, thats a well written reply! I was going to reply to TNWOODSMAN too, but after re-reading his statement, and seeing his post count and the date he joined,.............I deceided to let it go...........

Personally, I've written enough, detailing what happened to Marlin at the hands of FGI and remington...........I re-read that post, and decided TNWoodsman would just have to get the real story from someone else..........Thanks for stepping up.

NO disrespect is intended toward TNWoodsman. As I see it, he just dosn't have any real history of the issues..........But to be fair.....I think the quality of everything we buy today, has slipped, so its easy for him to generalize, huh?

I chuckled at Mr. Pearce visiting NEW Haven too..................I know I parked in NORTH Haven each morning.....I didn't realize I was walking to NEW Haven to get to my office!..........Oh, well.........I did enjoy the walk.

Like you, Dom, I was EXCITED too, when I was told we (Marlin) was being purchased by another well known gun company.........Even if Remington and their products were of NO interest to me, as a shooter and hunter. I fully expected things would get better for all Marlin employees, with new capitol equipment, better benefits and policies..........The chance to release new and exciting products, maybe a custom shop??..............The lists of possibilities was quite long among employees, and the new owners let us run those those expectations...........It was a time of great expectations for all of us........The reality was, the new owners didn't want to spend a Dime, unless they had a 3 month study complete with music and powerPoint presentations by at least 6-10 people to promote the expense......What actually followed, was a time of penny pinching on all facets.

Little did we know what was actually in store for us, but it started to become apparent to all of us with some of the changes.

The promotions for some, that were nothing but empty promises. The promises of Six Sigma Certifications, and the accompanying rewards that really never materialized. The scheduling of meetings until "after the work day" to allow us all to concentrate on MFG........(Don't forget, we were all salary in most cases, and weren't paid for those after hours meetings)...........

Those of us in salary positions in Engineering especially enjoyed the new work ethic..........were if someone left the company, their job as split up among those that were left. That was controlled attrition in it's finest sense.


Let's not forget the "suggestions" that all salary people work 12-14 hours a day, and be tethered to Blackberrys 24/7...........expected to reply to e-mails immediately.......Or, those Assembly Cells......... Honestly, those assembly cells were a throw back to slave labor in Roman Galleys! And all the electronic timers and "Real Time" TV monitoring took the place of the guy with the drum on the Galley..........what those assembly workers were forced to endure was simply cruel and inhumane in todays (politically correct) world.

Well, I said I wasn't going to get into it again...........But I guess I got dragged into it, just to justify your comments to TNWoodsman.

Tom

[eaglesnest]

I wonder if Remington knew all along since the first day that they were going to move the operations to NY and just played everyone in order to squeeze extra parts to make the transition smoother?

[Tomray]

I wonder if Remington knew all along since the first day that they were going to move the operations to NY and just played everyone in order to squeeze extra parts to make the transition smoother?

I have not data or proof of that, but I kind of think they had a plan, too.

Tom

[GaGuideMan]

What did Freedom start doing while Marlin was still in CT that started hurting the quality?