Bought my first lever action tonight. How'd I do? - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Bought my first lever action tonight. How'd I do?

Posted: 10/13/2014 10:31:23 PM EDT

I bought my first lever action rifle tonight. JM stamped Marlin 336. While I've always thought I should add one to the collection, I wasn't actively looking for a lever gun. But while I was in the process of buying a used chest freezer from a local guy he mentioned he was selling some guns and asked if I wanted to take a look. This Marlin immediately caught my eye, asking price was $200 and so it followed me home. So how did I do?

The scope is a Simmons fixed 2.5X. It probably won't stay, and I'm thinking of replacing it with as compact of a 1-4x scope as I can find for deer season.

Posted: 10/13/2014 10:51:41 PM EDT

[#1]

Very nice I bought one made in 1965 for $350 . You stole that. Nice find.

Posted: 10/13/2014 10:59:49 PM EDT

[#2]

beautiful lever .. highway robbery at that price.

Posted: 10/13/2014 11:02:33 PM EDT

[#3]

Dang... You STOLE that thing... bastard.

Well done.

Posted: 10/13/2014 11:09:14 PM EDT

[#4]

Great deal on that!

Posted: 10/14/2014 12:21:03 AM EDT

[#5]

Good FO!

Posted: 10/14/2014 1:04:15 AM EDT

[#6]

At that price I would have pulled my wallet out so fast it would have caught fire.

Posted: 10/14/2014 1:17:45 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I bought my first lever action rifle tonight. JM stamped Marlin 336. While I've always thought I should add one to the collection, I wasn't actively looking for a lever gun. But while I was in the process of buying a used chest freezer from a local guy he mentioned he was selling some guns and asked if I wanted to take a look. This Marlin immediately caught my eye, asking price was $200 and so it followed me home. So how did I do?

http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q779/geosynchronous_orbit/Rifles/FA1C62AF-3455-4AA1-8CF1-227DCDAFB246_zpscgmlylsy.jpg

The scope is a Simmons fixed 2.5X. It probably won't stay, and I'm thinking of replacing it with as compact of a 1-4x scope as I can find for deer season.

View Quote

You stole it, looks like it was well cared for too.

Congratulations.

Posted: 10/14/2014 2:29:28 AM EDT

[#8]

Congratulations.

I'm placing you under arrest for stealing....

All joking aside, that was a steller buy at that price.

If the seller was happy, you should be more than happy.

Posted: 10/14/2014 9:22:15 AM EDT

[#9]

I wasn't really up on my knowledge of lever gun values, but since I know even one of the "entry level" bolt guns goes for around $300 these days I figured $200 for a rifle that was all steel and wood wasn't going to turn out to be a bad deal. From the SN I determined it was manufactured in 1981.

I think the seller was interested in moving it fast. It had been his deer rifle, but from what I gathered, health issues made it impossible for him to keep hunting. I had a chance to really inspect it last night during the football game, and it is in fantastic condition. The furniture has only a few small dings/scratches. Blueing is still strong almost everywhere. Therer are a few spots on the barrel where I'm going to rub it down well with a cloth and some gun oil because in the right light I can see a hint of speckling. The breach and bore look almost brand new. Essentially this rifle spent most of it's life sitting in a safe. Previous owner said he only shot it a few times before each season started to verify zero.

All told I'm extremely happy. What I thought was going to be a good deal looks like it was a fantastic deal. I stopped by Wallyworld this morning and picked up a box of 150 gr Core Lokts to see how it shoots.

Posted: 10/14/2014 11:07:40 AM EDT

[#10]

How did you do...?

While I do have a fondness for leverguns, the fact is I don't shoot .30-30, I don't own a .30-30, and I don't want to start messing with .30-30 at this stage. But at that price, it would absolutely followed me home too. You did beyond good.

Posted: 10/14/2014 11:23:49 AM EDT

[#11]

Looks like a pre safety gun too, nice. (Pre 1983)

First two digits of the serial number will tell you the year it was manufactured.

Posted: 10/14/2014 11:38:47 AM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Looks like a pre safety gun too, nice. (Pre 1983)

First two digits of the serial number will tell you the year it was manufactured.

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Yep, 1981 manufacture and no safety.

Posted: 10/15/2014 8:49:54 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

How did you do...?

While I do have a fondness for leverguns, the fact is I don't shoot .30-30, I don't own a .30-30, and I don't want to start messing with .30-30 at this stage. But at that price, it would absolutely followed me home too. You did beyond good.

View Quote

+1 to every part of this!

Posted: 10/16/2014 1:41:43 PM EDT

[#14]

The 336 is my favorite.

$200 is a steal for sure. Seldom see one priced for less than $400 in Utah.

Posted: 10/16/2014 1:57:56 PM EDT

[#15]

Nice score, that's a great price!

Posted: 10/16/2014 2:09:58 PM EDT

[#16]

FINE PURCHASE!

A great resource for leverguns is Paco Kelly's leverguns.com

I have a Marlin in .357, with an Aimpoint 9000SC red dot sight, it offers both eyes open instinctive aiming with a 2 MoA red dot.

Oh, and to add the line from Paco Kelly: "Can you trust a man that calls himself a rifleman but does not own at least one levergun?"

Posted: 10/16/2014 2:23:10 PM EDT

[#17]

Nice!

Posted: 10/16/2014 2:46:59 PM EDT

[#18]

Great find. Got a similar one for $150 once when a friend went through hard time. Wound up gifting it back to the guy (kicks self).

Posted: 10/17/2014 2:17:06 PM EDT

[#19]

Congrats OP, nice rifle, great price

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:23:29 AM EDT

[#20]

Nice rifle OP! You stole it. I bought this one in .35 Remington a few
years ago at an estate sale for $200 and am very happy with it.

Posted: 10/24/2014 8:16:51 PM EDT

[#21]

great buy OP

Posted: 10/27/2014 2:16:00 PM EDT

[#22]

A bargain

Posted: 10/27/2014 3:39:03 PM EDT

[#23]

Sounds like my marlin 336CS purchase.
for $500 I got the Marlin 336CS, a Star Modelo Super in 9mm Largo (I qualified for my CHL with) and 700 rounds of 9mm Largo Commercial Ammo during the shortage, a Ruger 10/22 I sold for $200 and an old JC Higgins Single Shot .22.

Posted: 10/28/2014 11:41:17 PM EDT

[#24]

Can't go wrong with a marlin, you got a great deal.

Posted: 11/3/2014 7:10:00 PM EDT

[#25]

Great price for sure!

Try some Federal blue box 150 gr. ammo. If it won't shoot that well, then there is something wrong.

Posted: 11/4/2014 12:02:55 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
Great find. Got a similar one for $150 once when a friend went through hard time. Wound up gifting it back to the guy (kicks self).

View Quote

I bought on for $50 once and like a dumbass turned around and sold it for $50. The guy I sold it to wasn't really even a friend, sometimes the stupid eats me alive.

Posted: 11/4/2014 2:44:05 PM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
Nice rifle OP! You stole it. I bought this one in .35 Remington a few years ago at an estate sale for $200 and am very happy with it.

<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jrinfoley/media/P1000359.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/jrinfoley/P1000359.jpg</a>

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That rifle is gorgeous, and now that I've been reading up on Marlin's I think I'm going to start looking for one in .35 Rem

Posted: 11/4/2014 2:50:57 PM EDT

[#28]

I took it out to the range and it functioned flawlessly with Remington 150 gr Core Lokt. I can't comment on accuracy, because I quickly discovered the scope was not securely mounted. After removing the cheapo rings, I saw the mount was only secured with three screws. Come to find out a previous owner completely stripped out the forwardmost receiver screw, so only used three screws hand tight to secure the mount

I've got a local smith lined up to drill and remove the stripped out receiver plug screw.

I also need to update the iron sights, since my eyes make buckhorn style open sights next to useless. I'm either going to remount a low powered variable scope or just go with some sort of tang or receiver mounted peep sight plus a fiber optic front sight. If I do go back with a scope I think I'll replace the barrel mounted buckhorn sight wiht a Skinner barrel mounted dovetail peep sight as a backup.

Posted: 11/5/2014 12:14:10 PM EDT

[#29]

As a 67 yr old shooter with poor eyes, I strongly recommend a tang sight over another scope on your Marlin. I'm firmly in the 'don't like carry handles on traditional leverguns' camp and have had great luck with tang sights on both my Rossi '92 and Uberti '73. That said, scopes on modern styled leverguns look good to me and I have both a Winchester 88 and Savage 99 with scopes.

Posted: 11/5/2014 12:40:11 PM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
I took it out to the range and it functioned flawlessly with Remington 150 gr Core Lokt. I can't comment on accuracy, because I quickly discovered the scope was not securely mounted. After removing the cheapo rings, I saw the mount was only secured with three screws. Come to find out a previous owner completely stripped out the forwardmost receiver screw, so only used three screws hand tight to secure the mount

I've got a local smith lined up to drill and remove the stripped out receiver plug screw.

I also need to update the iron sights, since my eyes make buckhorn style open sights next to useless. I'm either going to remount a low powered variable scope or just go with some sort of tang or receiver mounted peep sight plus a fiber optic front sight. If I do go back with a scope I think I'll replace the barrel mounted buckhorn sight wiht a Skinner barrel mounted dovetail peep sight as a backup.

View Quote

OP, you did real good on that deal. I have an older marlin too. While I'm not an expert on them, I found that the Hornady leverevolution ammo and a 3-9x ballistic reticle scope sold by Cabella's that is made just for that round completely changed everything I previously believed about 3030 lever guns. To me, a 336, those rounds, and that scope in quality mounting hardware all go together like peanut butter and jelly, with more peanut butter. With this set up, I can tag a head in a FBI qual target all day long at 300 yards- something I wouldn't even try with older "legacy" type 3030 ammo and the scopes that are typically mounted on them. Also, for cleaning the bore, I found that the Otis pull-through system is best for lever guns.

Posted: 11/5/2014 12:47:16 PM EDT

[#31]

I'll second the recommendation for the low to mid-power variable scope over a peep sight. Using peep sights can be fun, but if you want to take full advantage of modern .30-30 ammo, you need the scope.

I did want to disagree with the last poster's comments though about the pull through cleaning systems. Marlins are the easiest of the lever actions to clean. They come apart almost as easily as a bolt action. At least for bore cleaning. No need for an Otis unless you like cleaning in the field and even then, a pull through is worthless for removing obstructions.