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16 Posts
I just got an XT-22 tsr, which is the tube-fed version in stainless. I have always heard nothing but good things about Marlins, and my godfather literally owns over a hundred of them, a collection that I have always adored, and which really led me to getting this first Marlin of mine. I feel comfortable saying the following about this rifle because I am knowledgeable about firearms, and have owned and do own quite a few, even gunsmith on everything myself. After most things that I have read and been told, it seems that maybe the company has gone downhill since being purchased by Remington.. Maybe what I see before me is validation of that.
I am a pretty new member, and speaking to marlin fans, but this is my review. Deal wit it.
Now before I go bashing this gun, I'll first say that through the cheap plastic front sight I was easily plinking cans at 100 yards.. I really like the quality of the steel used in making the barrel, and the rifling seems to be flawless to the naked eye. The gun is well-balanced, and seems very durable. The rear flip-up peep sight is a great throw back that I think is awesome. I have only fired about 800 rounds through it and had only two malfunctions, both of which were failures to fire, which could be blamed on the ammo (as both times it was with the same munition), although I have not done enough shooting with it to be sure (I have fired 4 different types of ammo through it thus far). Also, it is a sexy looking gun, in my opinion. BEST PART = PRICE TAG.
First, and really most importantly, talking bout the machining. When I opened it up for the first time and started to give it a good clean and examination, there were near-microscopic, and some vary visible metal filings all over inside.. Most so small that on my rubber gloves it just shone sparkly in the light, some a bit larger, but none more than 3/4mm across really. BUT that means to me that these were made as quickly as possible in a factory line. Also, there were metal shavings that had not entirely come off on the "W" grooves on the underside of the bolt carrier. They did not affect anything as I removed and replaced the bolt a few times, but having owned high-quality bolt action rifles, a sako being the finest, the machining on some of these metal parts is a disgrace.. How can the manufacturer not have the time to even thoroughly de-burr and clean each part before assembly? Any gunsmith could have de-burred some of the edges in only a few seconds, just as I did.. Even with the very low-priced tag on this gun, I wouldn't consider that an excuse.
Second, the internals. I am a big supporter of being able to do EVERYTHING that could need to be done on your own guns. The trigger assembly seems to be almost impossible to take apart on your own.. the receiver seems to be the same. And I cannot find anything anywhere online to educate myself. I am aware that this is a new model, but from my experience, this sort of thing is done to promote the use of "authorized service centers." I shouldn't need someone else to do a deep clean of my rifle, no matter how rare the occurrence that the trigger ass'y would get too gunked up to function. The receiver is also something that maybe I just have yet to understand about these guns... The owners manual, in all it's gibberish, had only a few lines, and not a single picture, about the cleaning of the receiver.. Even the trigger assembly, the directions seem to just gear towards lubrication and pushing the grime away until later.
I hope i can get some feedback from you all about further take-down of this gun, especially in how to clean the barrel without constantly having collateral damage (ie dirty splatter all over surrounding and seemingly unmovable parts. Maybe it is just that I am unaccustomed to Marlins, but it seems that almost every part I clean I am just pushing grime into further recesses of the gun. Help with further dis-assembly? That is really my biggest concern from here on out..
Hopefully this wasn't too critical for anyone and it can spread a point of view about these XT rifles. By the way, mine came out of the batch just released, 3rd quarter, 2012.
EDIT: Since spending a little more time with the trigger assembly, I see that it may be taken down to an extent by removing 3 C-Brackets, but it still looks somewhat limiting. I am hoping maybe someone can post a video or pictures or something of their assembly being taken apart. Thanks
I am a pretty new member, and speaking to marlin fans, but this is my review. Deal wit it.
Now before I go bashing this gun, I'll first say that through the cheap plastic front sight I was easily plinking cans at 100 yards.. I really like the quality of the steel used in making the barrel, and the rifling seems to be flawless to the naked eye. The gun is well-balanced, and seems very durable. The rear flip-up peep sight is a great throw back that I think is awesome. I have only fired about 800 rounds through it and had only two malfunctions, both of which were failures to fire, which could be blamed on the ammo (as both times it was with the same munition), although I have not done enough shooting with it to be sure (I have fired 4 different types of ammo through it thus far). Also, it is a sexy looking gun, in my opinion. BEST PART = PRICE TAG.
First, and really most importantly, talking bout the machining. When I opened it up for the first time and started to give it a good clean and examination, there were near-microscopic, and some vary visible metal filings all over inside.. Most so small that on my rubber gloves it just shone sparkly in the light, some a bit larger, but none more than 3/4mm across really. BUT that means to me that these were made as quickly as possible in a factory line. Also, there were metal shavings that had not entirely come off on the "W" grooves on the underside of the bolt carrier. They did not affect anything as I removed and replaced the bolt a few times, but having owned high-quality bolt action rifles, a sako being the finest, the machining on some of these metal parts is a disgrace.. How can the manufacturer not have the time to even thoroughly de-burr and clean each part before assembly? Any gunsmith could have de-burred some of the edges in only a few seconds, just as I did.. Even with the very low-priced tag on this gun, I wouldn't consider that an excuse.
Second, the internals. I am a big supporter of being able to do EVERYTHING that could need to be done on your own guns. The trigger assembly seems to be almost impossible to take apart on your own.. the receiver seems to be the same. And I cannot find anything anywhere online to educate myself. I am aware that this is a new model, but from my experience, this sort of thing is done to promote the use of "authorized service centers." I shouldn't need someone else to do a deep clean of my rifle, no matter how rare the occurrence that the trigger ass'y would get too gunked up to function. The receiver is also something that maybe I just have yet to understand about these guns... The owners manual, in all it's gibberish, had only a few lines, and not a single picture, about the cleaning of the receiver.. Even the trigger assembly, the directions seem to just gear towards lubrication and pushing the grime away until later.
I hope i can get some feedback from you all about further take-down of this gun, especially in how to clean the barrel without constantly having collateral damage (ie dirty splatter all over surrounding and seemingly unmovable parts. Maybe it is just that I am unaccustomed to Marlins, but it seems that almost every part I clean I am just pushing grime into further recesses of the gun. Help with further dis-assembly? That is really my biggest concern from here on out..
Hopefully this wasn't too critical for anyone and it can spread a point of view about these XT rifles. By the way, mine came out of the batch just released, 3rd quarter, 2012.
EDIT: Since spending a little more time with the trigger assembly, I see that it may be taken down to an extent by removing 3 C-Brackets, but it still looks somewhat limiting. I am hoping maybe someone can post a video or pictures or something of their assembly being taken apart. Thanks
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