First off, let me say I'm more of an AK/HK guy and know next to nothing about lever guns(other than I carried one my first deer season) so I have a few questions and will likely pester you more knowledgeable fellers for info in the future.

So, this weekend, my father bought a Marlin 336(serial number range 26096xxx if it matters) off a friend for $250. It appears at least somewhat used, a little bit of pitting/light rust around the rear sight, a few handling marks/light-small scratches. I'm not sure why he wanted it, but I'm glad he did, because now he has NO excuse to not come hunting with me now that he has a good deer rifle!

Okay, for the questions.

First and foremost, since I do all the maintenance/cleaning of the family firearms, how do you take apart this rifle for cleaning, if at all? I can't find any obvious pins/hinges/buttons like on the battle rifles I'm used to, only LOTS of screws... are these rifles like revolvers, in that you just don't take them apart to clean? Or is there a set order to taking out the screws and popping out parts for maintenance cleaning?

Second, the rear sight is not adjustable for windage, however, there are two screws(one in front, one behind) the front sight. Does the front sight adjust via these screws for windage/elevation or are these to take off/replace the front sight? If they do adjust, which ones do I turn for which direction of adjustment?

Thirdly, what kinds of .30-30 ammo do these guns like? I'd like to just buy one kind of ammo and stick with it, and I'd like it to be effective on white tail. Are the Hornady Leverevolution rounds any good? I've been very pleased with Hornady's TAP rounds in my .45s and .308s, but don't know anything about this round they make. For sighting in, are there any set distances that work like on battle rifles(e.g. 50 yard zero = 200 yard zero) or should I just go with the tried and true 100 yard zero?

Fourth, the lever action I borrowed from my father's friend for my first deer season was a pre '64 Winchester 94 and required COPIOUS amounts of oiling to prevent rust from forming on the ancient, thin bluing. Does the Marlin 336 have the same maintenance intensive requirement or will the light oil coating I use on my other firearms be sufficient?

Fifth, the rifle smells of cigarette smoke, I'm assuming from being kept in the open at the previous owner's house. Is there any particular product I should use on the wood stocks to get rid of the nasty reek?

Thanks for your time and help in advance!

Lets see what I can help ya with here.

As far as cleaning, if you want to pull the bolt you unscrew the lever hinge screw and slide the lever down and out.  Make sure you do this in the open position.  Then you can grab the bolt and slide it out.  Do this slowly and with the gun on its left side.  Then look inside and see the ejector spring sitting in its slot.  The little pin on it can be seen on the outsde of the reciever.  Once you see how that sits in there you can pop it out.  Its no big deal if it falls out.... I was just wanting you to get a visual first to make it easier to put back in.  A minutes dinking around and you could figure it out anyway.  Thats about the extent of the takedown.

I put peep sights on all my levers so I cant visualize your rear sight question,  Sorry.

I used to feed my Marlins regular Remington green box 170 gr stuff, but I have found the Leverloution ammo to be worth it.  I sight them in at 100 yards.

I think Marlins have a very good blueing that seems to hold up really well.  Of course the point of balance for carry is on the metal so that will get some wear, but of all my firearms, I think Marlins need the least maintenance.

I inherited a rifle from my best friend after he rolled his 4 wheeler over and it suffocated him.  His boys gave me his favorite rifle and it smelled of smoke bad.  I used....  drumroll.... Lemon Pledge, and it cleaned it right up.  The lemony smell did not last too long either.

Lets see,

For regular cleaning simply remove the bolt, open the action lever about halfway,remove the lever attachment screw, remove the lever and the bolt will come out from the rear, be careful, without the bolt in the rifle the ejector will fall right out.
The rear site is drift adjustable for windage, loosen the front screw and drift, the rear screw should be for elevation.
The leverutions are good but I prefer a simple 150sp,works fine on deer for me,been doing the job for around 100 years.
50 and100 yard zeros are similar, 50y being a little flater, 50 on my rifle/load is within an inch POA out to 110 yards. 5.56 and 7.62x39 are a lot flater calibers, no comparison really, people say the dirty 30 and 7.62 Russian are similar, they are terminally but not ballistically.

No. The screws on the front sight ramp are the mounting screws, they are not adjustment screws. Leave them alone. The rear sight is mounted on a dovetail set into the barrel, is it not? That is how you adjust it for windage. Get a hammer and drift (a fancy word for brass punch) and drive the rear sight dovetail to the left or right. Drive the dovetail to the right to move point of impact right. A little dab will do you.

Fabreeze helps with bad smells.

Thanks, it disassembled exactly as you said.

Sorry about your friend... reason I ask about cleaning up the stocks is I know some wood stocks have a lacquer or laminate finish, while others are straight up wood with a stain, I didn't know which these were and if any particular cleaner might damage them/make them peel.

The rear sight on this one is a leaf-spring type that hooks on top of a pyramid-type elevation adjustment, like on a bb gun. Looks like its permanently fixed, but I'll try tapping it with a brass punch if it turns out it shoots left or right.

Tap on the small piece of metal that is set in the slot in the top of the barrel. That is called the dovetail. Pictures always help.

EDIT:

The owner's manual in pdf form can be found here: http://www.marlinfirearms.com/pdfs/manuals/MFC_Centerfire.pdf

You want the instruction that is titled "For Models Equiped With Elevator Adjustable Open Rear Sights." Although the sight illustrated is the current screw adjustable rear sight, it is useful in that it too is mounted with a dovetail, which is the vaguely trapezoid shaped portion at the right side of the picture(Front of the sight unit.)

PDF of the user manual

I've got AO ghost rings on mine now, but IIRC, loosen the screw holding the rear sight in place, and then you should be able to drift it pretty easily. Tighten the screw.

The vast majority of the millions of Marlin model 1893 / 36 / 336 rifles, like the OP's do not have the screw adjustable rear sight.

Awesome, thanks for that info.

Just to confirm, here's pics of the rear sight. Would have had them up sooner, but photobucket takes forever to load up.







I'm pretty sure the dovetail is under the wings of the leaf right above my thumb in the last pic.

Thanks for all the replies and help folks.

You've got it.

As to rust.....use a Sentry Solutions Tuff-Cloth. Brownells and others have them.

Wipe the gun down, all of it.....it won't hurt the wood and will bond with the metal. I've used them on every gun i have since 2002 and everywhere from humid parts of the middle east (where rust really was a problem) to Texas, it works. One wipe down after a hard day in the field, and a regular $3 silicon cloth for day to day handling wipedowns.....the Tuf-Cloth is like $11 and well worth it. it won't make the other pits go away but it'll prevent more.

First off, let me say I'm more of an AK/HK guy and know next to nothing about lever guns(other than I carried one my first deer season) so I have a few questions and will likely pester you more knowledgeable fellers for info in the future.

So, this weekend, my father bought a Marlin 336(serial number range 26096xxx if it matters) off a friend for $250. It appears at least somewhat used, a little bit of pitting/light rust around the rear sight, a few handling marks/light-small scratches. I'm not sure why he wanted it, but I'm glad he did, because now he has NO excuse to not come hunting with me now that he has a good deer rifle!

Okay, for the questions.

First and foremost, since I do all the maintenance/cleaning of the family firearms, how do you take apart this rifle for cleaning, if at all? I can't find any obvious pins/hinges/buttons like on the battle rifles I'm used to, only LOTS of screws... are these rifles like revolvers, in that you just don't take them apart to clean? Or is there a set order to taking out the screws and popping out parts for maintenance cleaning?




    Check out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1YZso7rEz8

                     I use grease on the end of the lever , where it slides into the bolt .  If you live in a colder climate , you may need to use a good oil .







Second, the rear sight is not adjustable for windage, however, there are two screws(one in front, one behind) the front sight. Does the front sight adjust via these screws for windage/elevation or are these to take off/replace the front sight? If they do adjust, which ones do I turn for which direction of adjustment?




    Typically , you use a brass punch and a hammer to knock the rear sight , slightly , to zero for windage .  But settle on a standard load first .







Thirdly, what kinds of .30-30 ammo do these guns like? I'd like to just buy one kind of ammo and stick with it, and I'd like it to be effective on white tail. Are the Hornady Leverevolution rounds any good? I've been very pleased with Hornady's TAP rounds in my .45s and .308s, but don't know anything about this round they make. For sighting in, are there any set distances that work like on battle rifles(e.g. 50 yard zero = 200 yard zero) or should I just go with the tried and true 100 yard zero?




    I am not a hunter , but My marlin seems to be pretty accurate with cheap Federal 170 grain soft points .  Used to buy this ammo at Walley World , before the ammo & gun crazies started .  I have also shot some home cast lead bullets that I reloaded .





Fourth, the lever action I borrowed from my father's friend for my first deer season was a pre '64 Winchester 94 and required COPIOUS amounts of oiling to prevent rust from forming on the ancient, thin bluing. Does the Marlin 336 have the same maintenance intensive requirement or will the light oil coating I use on my other firearms be sufficient?



    If you live in a wet humid climate , you might rey grease or even Johnson Paste Wax on the external metals , instead of gun oil ?





Fifth, the rifle smells of cigarette smoke, I'm assuming from being kept in the open at the previous owner's house. Is there any particular product I should use on the wood stocks to get rid of the nasty reek?




    Hoppies # 9 on the metal & good wood  / furniture polish on the wood ?  Or , even the Johnson Paste wax on the wood .





Thanks for your time and help in advance![/quote]


God bless
Wyr