336 RC stands for Regular Carbine. As for the but stock I can't tell, but the early ones look like there is a tighter curve by the grip.

 

Welcome to Marlin Owners.
The 20 inch barrel is standard for the carbine.
Marlin installed "Semi beaver tail forearms for about 10 years, then went to a slimmer forearm.

 

Welcome from Goldthwaite, TX! We'd love to see a pic of that great Marlin! John

 

This is my 1952, 336 SC (Sporting Carbine) in 32 special. click on the thumbnail, then click on the picture, for a full size picture. Take a close look at the lever-pistol grip area. compare it to yours.

 

Welcome to Marlinowners from Louisiana!!!!Nothing I can add to what has already been said!! Congrats on picking it up!!!

 

Contrary to popular belief, it's not mandatory to post pictures, but if you don't, these guys will hound you to no end!
We love to see picturs of old guns, especially first year 336s. I like the lever on the 1948, and 49 guns. It's too bad they changed it.
Post pictures as soon as you can, please. As they say here, "without pictures it didn't happen".

 

I am a pretty experienced handloader and bullet caster and have been told the .32 Winchester Special is a very easy one to get good results with in cast.

The .32Spl is a great rifle for cast boolits. The 1 in 16" twist is very kind to soft lead. Welcome to the forum.

 

Thanks to all. I will have to try to get a picture or two up soon.

I have a .35 Remington Marlin from about the same era. It has a similar fat forend, but a longer barrel (24") and 3/4 magazine that I love. I killed a couple of deer with it back in the deep south and like the cartridge.

I've always heard good things about the .32 Special and cast. WHile I've loaded .30-30 for quite a few guns, never for a Marlin and I was always a bit concerned about the Microgroove and lead bullets, so I was glad to get one this old. Gotta find dies and a suitable mold now.

 

Welcome to MO and good luck with your project.

 

I haven't done this to a '48 model, but have with my '53 and '55 models; and based on that experience, your stocks should/will interchange with any other Model 336 RC stock set. I've purchased several M336 checkered stock sets from eBay sellers and they fit my older M336's with uncheckered stocks perfectly; and the reverse is also true as I have fit a late 50's vintage stock set to a 2009 vintage 338MX. The only inletting differences I've noted in the new vs. older stocks is the little half-moon wood lip on the butt stock that fits inside the gun frame of older M336's. As this lip feature is a quarter-moon shape on new/newer (CBS) stocks, it is not an issue when fitting a new stock to an older pre-CBS Marlin 336 frame; but when fitting an older pre-CBS stock to a post-CBS M336 frame, that half moon lip must be cut down to the quarter-moon shape (easily done with a sharp pocket knife).

 

Gotta love the .32 Special as I now own four of them. Two Marlin 336SC's and two Winchester Model 94's. I have the older RCBS 08-170 mold that originally was sold for the 8mm family of cartridges and casts them @ .323. My rifles all love that bullet sized to .3225. I'm able to achieve 2300fps with that 182 grain 08-170 with lube and gas check seated. Accuracy with that bullet is match grade whether fired at 1650fps with 358 Alliant 2400 powder or 2300fps using the new LVR powder from Hodgon. Today RCBS sells a mold for the .32 Winchester Special labeled 32-170, but it is my understanding the bullets come out of it closer to .321, unlike the .323 size from the 08-170 mold. The 08-170 is I believe available on special order from RCBS.
358 Win

 

If the rest of the butt stock is in good shape, it isn't all that hard to finda peice of plain walnut and form an extension. With a little creative work with a fine artist brush you can "extend" some of the grain from each piece before putting your final finish coat on the stock. Done right the joint visually disappears. Another alternative would be to see if Boyds would use your current stock as the master for their duplicating machine and make you another with the proper grip angle for the early guns. However, Boyds may already have dealt with the issue and have what you need. Talk to them first.

 

Thanks, the Boyd's stocks look good and that is probably the way I'll go.

In my experience, bullet molds don't get much better than RCBS, but I think I have a line on a six cavity Ranchdog mold. I used the .30 caliber version of that bullet with the rifle in my avatar to take a nice Kansas buck on opening day last Fall, so I know the design is good for hunting. The Lyman 321297 looks like it ought to be a good terminal performer too if I can find one.

 

I would look at Precision Gun Works.........for a stock, and forarm