jerdog,
Let me see if I can I help right this apple cart which has been overturned. Trust me, a lot of those who have commented have nothing but the best intentions and we love to see new people come into the Marlin family - especially when you have goals of passing this Marlin passion on to your prodigy.
I've been watching your threads and I'd like a little clarification that might put everyone at ease.... Let's try and remove the frustration both you and your commentors have experienced.
The fact that you want a Marlin with problem-free sights and proper barrel alignment is a given. We all want that, and we are all disheartened that so many Remington-made Marlins have serious QC issues (say nothing to the business practices which occurred during the Marlin/Remington transition).
With that in mind, let me see if I'm hearing your goals correctly...
You would like a
1.) "Custom" gun
2.) particularly a stainless Marlin 1894 chambered in .38/.357
3.) with the action slicked up
4.) having heirloom qualities
5.) with a future safe from CA gun-grabbers because a tube-fed lever action style likely isn't in their aspirations to ban
I would like to address these individually, and by all means, if I misrepresented your goals, please correct me and we'll re-evaluate a path forward.
1.) You keep using the word "custom" and I think they way you are using it may be very different than many Marlin Owner members are interpreting it. For the typical MO member, custom refers to gun made with both exceptional materials AND craftsmanship. This invokes images of high grade walnut, perhaps limited edition or even one-off engravings, and very, very fine fit and finish. Many guns which fall into this category are relegated as "safe queens" and are rarely fired or even handled. Understandably, these firearms come with BIG pricetags. From reading between the lines, this isn't exactly what you have in mind. I think you primarily want #3) which we will continue to discuss below...
2.) We all think it's awesome that you want a 1894 in .38/.357. We all want that (for ourselves and for you). I own a lot of Marlins, but that one has eluded me so far. My question is why that model and why that round? There's nothing wrong with your choice, but you've certainly picked a more challenging model to find. What is your plan for this rifle? Are you simply investing a nice, quality firearm to pass down which you plan on staying safe from gun-grabbers? Do you plan on going out and doing some plinking or hunting with it? Do you want to use it to teach your kids/grandkids proper gun handling/safety skills? Is this for home defense? All of these answers will help us point you in the right direction. Just be prepared, depending on your answers, we might point you towards a 336 in 30-30 or even a Henry.
3.) Again, as I read between the lines, I think having a gun smith work over the gun action (and upgrade the sights?) is what you are primarily after. Any competent gun smith should be able to accomplish this. You don't need to send the rifle off to a national level smith to have this work done with a bill of thousands of dollars. I'm going to ask since I saw you had a rail put on your first attempt - are you wanting a "tactical" lever gun? It's fine if you do. There will of course will be purists on this site who will poo-poo you for doing so, but so what. There is a whole
thread dedicated towards that on this site if that's what you're into. Check out the initial post - if that's what you actually want (a tactical levergun), that's the best place to discuss your build. ...from the first post in that thread...
This section we are trying out for those that make and use tactical leverguns for home defense and other than the normal realm of applications..
There will be no digging or slamming members for their personal choices of what to do with their own firearms.. NONE..
If you don't like altered firearms stay away from this section.
4.) We all think Marlins, Glenfields, and even the "store-brand" Marlins have intrinsic heirloom quality. You don't need s gunsmith to alter your gun to achieve that. When our great grandparents were buying their Marlins decades ago, they didn't think to themselves, "Whelp, someday this gun will be too old to shoot and my great-grandkids will have to buy a new gun." They bought their Marlins to shoot and they knew with basic, proper care and maintenance, they would last generations. Whether you find an old JM stamped gun or a decent Remlin, before any gunsmith touches it, you already have a fine rifle you can be proud to hand down to your offspring. Whatever work you want done is just icing on the cake.
5.) This last part is pretty politically charged and you'll find lots of opinions. If you're looking for a lever gun solely for the fact you think it will be safe from future California gun laws, my personal opinion is you will be disappointed. There are those on the left who want to outright ban gun ownership and there was a former presidential candidate who stated just that. If your motivation is to be safe from California gun laws (and for personal reasons won't/can't/unable to take up a pro-2A cause in your state - we all have our own lives) than your best option is to MOVE. If you believe your children/grandchildren's 2A freedoms are in danger in California's future, AND you have a goal them being able to be legal gun owners, than you really only have two options - get involved now or MOVE. Neither are easy or convenient. If moving is better option for you, start planning it now. If you're thinking about them in the future, don't leave it to them try to move out of California later - you can do it now and you should probably do it soon. Again, this opinion and you know what they say about opinions...
Take a look at the above, see if I've gathered your thoughts correctly, think about how to answer #2) and #3), then we can likely find a solution that makes you happy. I think we just need a little more clarification to provide answers which won't ruffle your feathers. Who knows? It could be as simple as you saying your friend inherited a really cool Marlin that was valued at $2k and you just loved it and want to recreate it for yourself. That's cool too. As soon as we have a better idea of what you really want to hold in your hands and how you want to use it, we can probably help out.
Best of luck!