List of pro's and con's to the new Marlin (Remington-owned) 30-30's

Someone please list the Pros.

If you got a good one, yuou got a good one.

I haven't looked at or touched a new one. Not that I don't want to .. ;D

Has anyone actually seen a 336C from the new plant? I'd like to know what the walnut looks like and how the fit 7 finish stacks up to the older guns.

I have seen three now. One of the three was OK. One was horrible. The pros of buying used just outweigh the pros of buying new. Like five to one.

I saw my first of the new 336W at walmart today. The pistol grip is very thick looking. I didn't like that but the fit & finish looked ok. I didn't cycle the action.

John

Congrtas Softpoint on your new Marlin.
Pro's: You now own a Marlin
Con's: You will now want to buy more Marlins so that one will not get lonely.
Enjoy what your rifle will do and do not worry about what other rifles will not.

This is my 7th lever action marlin. It's an addiction

I saw a couple on the shelf a Dicks a month or so ago. Had to show my wife. From in front of the counter the stocks looked like plastic. There was no wood grain to be seen. They looked fake! My wife agreed. Could of been balsa wood under the ugly finish from what I could see. I asked what caliber; 30/30

Just for clarification, Marlin started putting the SN on the side of the receiver and dropped the side holes long before Remington took over.

The wood is not supposed to be as nice on the Walmart guns. That is how Walmart cheapens then. Holes on the side have been MIA for some time. Wood/metal fit is easily identified prior to purchase. And I have Marlins from decades ago that have poor wood/metal fit. Serial number on side would be a non issue except I have read that it was poorly done leaving a burr. I have also read here, that it is a plus because you can add a tang sight (illegal if the serial number is on the tang and you have to cover/deface it to mount the sight).

You are paying $100 less for a W than you are a C and the trade off is the birch stock which I think looks horrible. In the grand scheme of things if you want a better looking rifle save up the extra $100 and find one with a nice walnut stock that has some grain. You are still going to get the lousy "MarShield" finish, but that's just what Marlin insists on putting on their guns.

I don't know when it changed, but it changed. Take a look at a Western Field 740 sometime. They generally have much nicer wood than a walnut 336. I like birch. Lighter and stronger than walnut. Just does not look as nice.

LuckenbachTexas said:

"The wood is not supposed to be as nice on the Walmart guns"

I remember the days when Montgomery Wards, Harware stores, Kmart, all had good wood. So when did the above quote become standard?

Click to expand...

It "became standard" when Wal-Mart was the biggest gun dealer in the nation and wanted to be able to sell a 336 cheaper than the going rate of the 336c

This is a 10/22 Sporter 22" Stainless with a nicely grained Walnut Checkered stock, specially made for Walmart. You won't find one like it anywhere else. I think WE should not accept poor standards!

Click to expand...

Ain't trying to pick an argument here, but if your "Wal-Mart exclusive" 10/22 has a walnut stock, then you're right about "not finding one like it anywhere else" because the "Wal Mart exclusive" is a gun with a 20" stainless barrel and a BIRCH stock styled like the walnut stock on the Ruger 10/22 Deluxe. I have a 10/22 deluxe with an even more nicely grained walnut stock that what I saw in the picture -which looks like birch to me.

T-C

"It "became standard" when Wal-Mart was the biggest gun dealer in the nation and wanted to be able to sell a 336 cheaper than the going rate of the 336c"

It became standard because people accept it, not because of Walmart.


"because the "Wal Mart exclusive" is a gun with a 20" stainless barrel and a BIRCH stock"

Nope, not the same animal. This one is has 22" barrel and light colored walnut. The regular Walmart 20" Deluxe has birch much the same tone. If the pic was closer and better quality where you could see the dark graining shadows and tone difference between the forend area and the stock, especially on the other side, you'd might agree.

Maybe stock got mixed up with the Sportsman's Warehouse version ???

LuckenbachTexas said:

"It "became standard" when Wal-Mart was the biggest gun dealer in the nation and wanted to be able to sell a 336 cheaper than the going rate of the 336c"

It became standard because people accept it, not because of Walmart.


"because the "Wal Mart exclusive" is a gun with a 20" stainless barrel and a BIRCH stock"

Nope, not the same animal. This one is has 22" barrel and light colored walnut. The regular Walmart 20" Deluxe has birch much the same tone. If the pic was closer and better quality where you could see the dark graining shadows and tone difference between the forend area and the stock, especially on the other side, you'd might agree.

Maybe stock got mixed up with the Sportsman's Warehouse version ???

Click to expand...

Ahhhhhh. Thank for that. The Ruger 10/22 is another of my passions. Thought I'd seen just about every version of them. I had no idea there was more than one Wal-mart exlusive with the "deluxe" style stock like the one on my rifle. And it is hard to tell about wood looking at digital pics on the Internet. A 22" tube AND a walnut stock, eh? I think I am enious. No. I am SURE I am envious!!!!!

T-C

LuckenbachTexas said:

"The wood is not supposed to be as nice on the Walmart guns"

I remember the days when Montgomery Wards, Harware stores, Kmart, all had good wood. So when did the above quote become standard?

This is a 10/22 Sporter 22" Stainless with a nicely grained Walnut Checkered stock, specially made for Walmart. You won't find one like it anywhere else. I think WE should not accept poor standards!

Click to expand...

I think the WalMart Special 10-22's have birch stocks. I just looked at one of the two that I bought for Marla, and the rather straight grained wood looks pretty good, but I don't think it's walnut. In any event, I'm planning on converting the one I looked at to a bull barrel silhouette rifle with a maple stock that I have. And, the barrel on the rifle is indeed 22."

I don't know if WalMart is still getting them, but I haven't seen one in my local stores for a long time.

Brian in FL said:

I think the WalMart Special 10-22's have birch stocks. I just looked at one of the two that I bought for Marla, and the rather straight grained wood looks pretty good, but I don't think it's walnut. In any event, I'm planning on converting the one I looked at to a bull barrel silhouette rifle with a maple stock that I have. And, the barrel on the rifle is indeed 22."

I don't know if WalMart is still getting them, but I haven't seen one in my local stores for a long time.

Click to expand...

My Wamart Special is a birch stock and I'm pretty sure they quit making the rifle in 2008 as I got mine in early 2008. Here is my post in the Rimfire forum ...
http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,84967.0.html


bjm

I have not seen any of the brand new Marlin rifles in the stores since the good CT plant closed up. I think that MM has seen one or two of them around this town but I was not with him at the time.

Before I got my Marlin 336C in a 30-30 a couple of years ago, I was thinking of asking my local gun store to get one (Marlin 336) for me in birch wood not the walnut wood. Anyway, MM talked me into the walnut because I had walnut for my other Marlin Golden 39A and my quality - name brand rifles, past and present, were all in a walnut stock except for that one Papoose that my late husband and I shot. If I ever saw a Marlin 336 with the birch wood and it looked GOOD... and if I needed/wanted another Marlin 336... I would buy one.

Take care.

Catherine