Got the 1895 SBL after that dinosaur movie (was on my short list long before).
Out of the box the Remlin's fit & finish was very good, but cycled like it had rocks inside and was, at best, a 4 moa rifle.
After a few hundred rounds, it now cycles like butter (as smooth as my Bergara HMR Pro bolt action) and is a solid 1.5 moa rifle with heavy hardcast lead. Has never liked Hornady LeveRevolution 325gr.
There is something incredibly primal about shooting a big bore lever gun and heavy lead that one must try it to fully appreciate.
My own 336 was mangled something fierce straight from the factory; some of the receiver cuts had obviously missed their marks and were sloppily redone, to the point where the rifle wouldn't feed straight out of the box.
I had sent it in with an analysis of the problem and some photos, but they wrongly assured me that all cuts were proper, and accomplished a mediocre fix by adjusting the carrier. I can't blame them for not wanting the headache of having to forge an entirely new receiver for my rifle, but I was so disappointed that I decided never to buy another (Rem)lin. Alas, I couldn't keep myself away.
Rifle feeds well enough now, albeit not perfectly. Action has definitely smoothed out some after several hundred rounds. Glad to hear yours worked out too!
Marlin was bought out by another company ( Remington I believe) some years ago. The rifles made shortly thereafter were an abomination. They seemed to have worked out the kinks now.
Get yourself an older model with the “JM” stamp on the barrel. The really early, pre 1905 model 1894 guns were a precision made work of art. The design remains basically unchanged to this day.
Got the 1895 SBL after that dinosaur movie (was on my short list long before).
Out of the box the Remlin's fit & finish was very good, but cycled like it had rocks inside and was, at best, a 4 moa rifle.
After a few hundred rounds, it now cycles like butter (as smooth as my Bergara HMR Pro bolt action) and is a solid 1.5 moa rifle with heavy hardcast lead. Has never liked Hornady LeveRevolution 325gr.
There is something incredibly primal about shooting a big bore lever gun and heavy lead that one must try it to fully appreciate.
You've just tempered my resolve.
My own 336 was mangled something fierce straight from the factory; some of the receiver cuts had obviously missed their marks and were sloppily redone, to the point where the rifle wouldn't feed straight out of the box.
I had sent it in with an analysis of the problem and some photos, but they wrongly assured me that all cuts were proper, and accomplished a mediocre fix by adjusting the carrier. I can't blame them for not wanting the headache of having to forge an entirely new receiver for my rifle, but I was so disappointed that I decided never to buy another (Rem)lin. Alas, I couldn't keep myself away.
Rifle feeds well enough now, albeit not perfectly. Action has definitely smoothed out some after several hundred rounds. Glad to hear yours worked out too!
Marlin was bought out by another company ( Remington I believe) some years ago. The rifles made shortly thereafter were an abomination. They seemed to have worked out the kinks now.
Get yourself an older model with the “JM” stamp on the barrel. The really early, pre 1905 model 1894 guns were a precision made work of art. The design remains basically unchanged to this day.