Marlin / Winchester / Henry???

[jbjh]

I’ve got a Marlin 336 in 30-30 and an 1894c in .357Mag. Both are older JM stamped, and both have just short of a bajillion rounds thru them. I’ve never had a carrier jam (but I have read about it), or any other jam for that matter.


Sent from 80ms in the future

[AndyLate]

My 1971 336 wears a Weaver K4 and will put 3 round into less that an inch at 100 yards consistently. I have both Win (1980s) and Marlin (1964, 1971) 30-30s and just don't remember having any issues with either brand.

I prefer the Win 94 because its light and slim, even compared to a straight-lever 336 "Texan". I also like the Win 94 because you can open the action carefully, remove the round that was chambered, then close the action on an empty chamber. Tough to do that with the Marlin.

Much easier to scope a Marlin of course.

Andy

[utahjeepr]

I'm a Marlin fan. Love the nostalgia of a Winchester, but I just like the feel of a Marlin better. I also fondle every Savage 99 I find on the used racks, but none have followed me home yet.

+1 on roll your own scout rifle. The Ruger looks cool, but it's pretty heavy. No experience with the 110 scout, but a couple of friends have the std 110s. They are nice accurate guns. But any 700 can be made to take mags, many other rifles come with them. It ain't magic to get a forward scope mount. Frankly I'd shoot someone else's to make sure you actually like the "scout" style.

[matemike]

A Marlin 336 in 30-30 would be my desired rifle to search for based on your #1 quest. Preferably a JM stamped one, but a new production should be good as well. Just look it over well in person if you go new.

For a Marlin lever gun I'd use ranger point precision for a couple little upgrades, but most importantly get some skinner peep sights. I don't like scopes on a lever gun.

I have a few marlins. 1894c JM, Model 60 JM, and a Remlin era 1894SS in 44Mag. All flawless.

My son has a Henry youth 22 lever action and it jams a feed every now and then if he is not racking the lever correctly. He's about to turn five, so there's some practice and maturity yet to come. It functions great for me. Really fun little gun.

[Rmorris]

I have to agree with much that is already been said. I have two Winchester 30-30s and would prefer a Marlin given the ease of mounting a scope. The older Winchesters are especially difficult, but the newer ones with the angle eject would be better for scope mounting. Unfortunately, the much older ones are the higher build quality. The most recent look good as well, but the guns somewhere around the 80s too early 2000s seem a bit cheapish.
I would not have too much concern with function in any of them. They should all work relatively well. Every problem that is ever going to be had with a gun has been hand by Winchester and Marlin because there are so stinking many. The same cannot be said for Henry, therefore you probably don’t see as many complaints.

I have had better luck finding a Steyr scout rifle than any other brand recently. Consider other general purpose 308’s in addition to scout rifles. They are a great many practical 308 bolt guns if you give up the forward optic. There are other conversions that can be done if you desire the Forward optic as well. Spend some time on the scout rifle forum, look at The Scout Rifle Study by Richard Mann, and watch “Rethinking the Scout Rifle” on YouTube.

A Browning BLR in .308 with a scout rail might fit most of your needs.

[GoToAle]

I bought a 336 in 44 mag that may be unfired or used very little. I have heard of feed issues but mine feeds ammo just fine. Does wear over time lead to feeding issues or do only some rifles have the issue?

[B Cart]

I have always wanted a lever gun as well, and just barely picked up a Henry Big Boy in .44 Mag. I've really liked it so far, but i'm far from experienced with lever guns, so not sure how it stacks up to others.

[Chubbs103]

I grew up thinking Win was the only way to go. I started shooting and really found an appreciation for Marlins. I like peep sights on lever guns, and there are different options for different Marlins depending on age. All of the Marlins (at least semi-modern) have easy optics mounting. Micro-groove barrels can be problematic for cast lead (there are work-arounds in sizing).

The Henry action is based on the Marlin 336 action. My FIL bought me one as a .mil retirement gift and I have been really happy with it. My FIL called Henry and told them the reason for the purchase and they hand picked really nice wood for the rifle. It is heavy in comparison tp other options. Depending on the Henry you are looking at, it might / might not have a loading gate. Mine tube loads like a .22. Much easier on the thumb for a day at the range and a breeze to unload after a day in the field. Not something you can top off in a SD/HD scenario.

You can get an really nice Miroku made Winchester new. I don't think I have ever seen a Browning, Winchester, or muzzleloader that came out of the Miroku plant that wasn't a quality product.

I really hope Ruger sorts out Marlin. I'm sure it will take some time.