I recently decided that I need a .30-30. Actually, it happened in about 2 minutes when I happened across a bargain on a 20 year old Marlin 336. I bought it for cheap and I decided that I liked the idea of having a simple, classic .30 rifle in a common caliber.

Less than a week later I got a chance to check out a like new Winchester 94AE and decided that I liked it better. It was slimmer, lighter, felt better balanced and I liked the sights and the straight stock better than the ones on the Marlin. The owner of the 94 liked my 336 better so we quickly worked out a trade.

While researching my new Winchester, I found pics of Trappers and Ranger Compacts and decided what I REALLY needed was a 16" .30-30. I started searching online for the shorter 94s and found that the used prices for these are nuts. Like somewhere around higher end AR-15 prices.

In the meantime, I found through practice that I really, really, really, don't like the way you have to load the Winchester. Compared to the 336, it just plain sucks. The spring is much stiffer and you have to load the cartridge part of the way, then push it in with the next round and so on. I could smoothly load the Marlin without even looking. In comparison, the Winchester is clumsy and tedious at best. This goofy system also precludes me from being able to top off the magazine tube once the last round is loaded.

Yesterday, I stopped at a gun shop to pick up some ammo and found they had a Marlin 336Y Spikehorn in stock. I asked to check it out and really liked the 16" barrel and inch shorter youth sized stock. It was very compact and fast handling and only held one less round than my 94 which is over 5" longer. I also liked that it had a parkerized finish and laminated stock, both more durable than the older rifles I'd had that were both blued steel and walnut.  A 16" lever gun just seems to have been made to be a knock around truck/brush gun so the tougher finish and stock seems to make a lot of sense.

The Spikehorn was a demo model and was priced attractively at $329. If weren't for the fact that I'd just bought the other 336 and traded it for the 94, I would have bought it on the spot. As it was, I handed it back t the clerk and left with a few boxes of ammo.

I met a few friends for lunch and but the more I thought about the Spikehorn the more I liked it. Finally, I decided to go back and buy it but by the time I got back, despite only 1.5 hours passing by, it had already sold.

Now I'm stuck on the idea of getting one of the youth model Marlins. Although I prefer the aesthetics of my 94, from a practical standpoint, the Spikehorn seems like the way to go. Compact, light weight, durable, easy to load. I think I could be happy with one of these with a set of modern peep sights. If I get one, I  might also look for a youth sized straight stock set.

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to get rid of the Winchester. It's so nice looking I might just hang it over the fireplace.

The Marlin I had.


The Winchester I have.

Why not have both.  I have a Marlin 336 a pre and post 64 Winchester 94.couldn't see parting with either.

I have a Win 94 angle eject pre safety.  Pretty narrow window to get both of those features. Anyway, like it except for one thing, the rebounding hammer. It's possible to retrofit it with the trigger plate from an older gun and do away with the rebounding hammer, but I haven't made the effort to track one down yet.

Have you looked at a 357 lever gun?  I like my 357 and 44 levers so well that I rarely shoot the 30-30s any more. The 357 is especially sweet, it has a lot of pop from a rifle barrel, yet almost no recoil.

I have a Winchester 94AE Trapper in 357 Magnum. It is my favorite rifle by far. I just wanted to add that you actually can top off the rifle with the magazine partially loaded. The inside of the loading gate has a sharp edge that catches against the rim of the last round. You have two simple options: polish the sharp edge at the back of the gate, or you can load the ammo slightly differently. Try this: you have been pushing the round against the front of the gate to open it. Instead, try starting the round at the back of the gate, sliding forward as you press inward. It will easily open the gate. Works for me 100% of the time.

I bought one of the 336Y rifles two weeks ago but haven't had time yet to shoot it. When you find one, check it over good. The rear sight on mine is cock-eyed as hell. It sits at about 8 degrees off TDC. I had already decided on a receiver mounted peep anyway, but WTF with quality control these days. I have already polished the ejector groove in the bolt and the bearing surface on the ejector. That Parkerizing was rough when cycling, but it's good now. It handles good as far as I have played with it.

This is my perfect .30-30 lever gun.



Its medium weight 30" barrel will shoot inexpensive 150 grain plated bullets with 10 shot group 1.5 MOA accuracy out to 250 yards with a Marbles Tang Sight and Lyman 17A front sight.




If you move up to a 250 gr JSP it will launch them about 150 fps faster than a 20" carbine, and between the accuracy and the addition velocity it's an honest 30-30 300 yard deer rifle as it is still portable enough for hunting.  Regardless of how you use it, it's a joy to shoot, and few things are as enjoyable as shooting a smoothly operating 1885 High Wall .

What did you pay if you don't mind sharing? I'm still kicking myself for missing the one Saturday for $329.

I paid $299.99 @ Wallyworld. Couldn't believe the price and I had to jump on it. It's the first of the "Rem-lin" Marlins I have bought and it does not have the fit and finish of my 1895SS or my 1963 336RC. It is however very handy to carry around so far. Once I get my sights on it (either Skinner or AO ghost rings) I will try to give my first proper review. I'm excited to have it. I almost chopped and modified my other 336RC but I couldn't bring myself to do it as its in good shape.

Those sights being crooked though...who sends those out of the factory like that? I thought the stories were just Internet jive but it's not.

Still it wasn't a deal breaker considering my intentions of peeping it out.

I decided the same as the OP in April 2012 that even though a 30-30 is a poor choice for deer here in Colorado, I needed a 'thudy-thudy' just because. I first compared Marlins (clunky, too thick stock, poorly fitted, gritty action, all in all a piece of junk at the time) and Winchesters (overpriced, sloppy action, terrible trigger) and for a while I was down.  Then I chanced upon a new Mossberg 464 with a walnut pistol grip stock and I was surprisingly impressed with it.  Decent action, nice trigger, nice stock, decently fitted, and great Marbles sights.  Out at the range I loaded it up and confirmed that it's a hoot to shoot.  No, it won't replace my 30-06 and .308 hunting rifles but it's part of my evolution collection of 30 caliber firearms.  





2012 Mossberg 464: 1894 style levergun in 30-30 - 150grn hunting bullet at 2,300fps


1949 Savage 99:   1899 style levergun in 300 Savage - 150grn hunting bullet at 2,630fps


1959 Winchester 88:  1955 style levergun in .308 - 150grn hunting bullet at 2,820fps


1951 Winchester 70:  1936 style bolt action in 30-06 - 150grn hunting bullet at 3,000fps



 

You do realize that is the way John Browning designed the Model 1894. I love the 92s action and always thought the way you did about the 94. Then I found out that's what Browning did to handle the smokeless powder. It locks up tight when you close the lever. Trigger still sucks no matter what vintage 94 you have.

email sent

pre-'64 Winchester 94.

/thread/



Just my opinion.

Yes, I know about the action and the trigger, I owned one many years ago and it was . . . . . uninspiring to say the least.  You see, back in 1968, I acquired an Antique Carbine as payment for a $37.00 gambling debt while in the Army in Germany.







While it looked nice and all, it had a terrible trigger and the action was grim at best.  In the 28 yrs I owned it I put less than 20rds through it as it shot as bad as it functioned.  Luckily I sold it off in 1996 for $500 to a co-worker who had bugged me to sell it to him for almost 10 yrs so I believe I did alright.  The new 2012 versions I looked at with those stupid rebounding hammers and dumb safety made my Antique model look good by comparison.



 

People look down their nose at Rossis saying that they are foreign made.  What difference does it make if you get a new 1892 today? They are all copies of the original.  None are made in the US by a US company.  Rossis are Brazilian 'Brazchesters', Winchesters are Japanese 'Japchesters', Chiappa/Armi Sports are Italian 'Wopchesters'.  None are made in the US.





As far as a 30-30, the only USA made versions are the Remlin, Henry, and the Mossberg. None are copies of the 1894 Winchester but have their roots in John Browing's design.  The Henry is heavier and doesn't have a side loading gate for some inane reason and is therefore out of the running as far as I'm concerned.  Of the remaining 2, the Mossberg is likely the best made.



 

Mossberg 464 is the way to go IMO. It has the hinge point inside the receiver which is what I like about the Winchester, and a side loading gate. Which the lack there of is why i don't like the Henry. Almost still want a Henry just because it's all American made. I might buy one anyway this tax season.

When I decide that I can't stand not having a .30-30 lever gun, this is what I'm gonna get.

Henry .30-30, "Made in America or it won't be made at all."

The loading method will forever keep me from buying a Henry. I can't understand why they would forego the receiver loading gate for that complicated crap.

It's tube fed... about as uncomplicated and simple as it gets.

Unscrewing the plunger, pulling it out, dropping rounds down the tube and putting it back together is slow and awkward compared to feeding rounds through the gate. Not to mention you have to have the gun backwards and pointed up versus loading through the gate at low ready.

I want a Glenfield 30GT.

I never wanted a Marlin because of the fat forearm. Uncomfortable.

Until I ran across and old, and I mean very old, Marlin at a shop. It had a skinny Winchester style forearm and a more slender butt stock with a curved metal butt plate.

Take a rasp to your fat Marlin forearm and stock.

And where, pray tell, do you think Mossberg is manufactured? Eastern Slobvolia?  How about New Haven, Connecticut and Eagle Pass, Texas.  Is that American enough for you?  Look, I'm not knocking Henry Arms as I own an H001 and it's a nice little carbine. Their 22s are nice, smooth rifles and a ton of fun to own.  However, their decision to produce a center fire rifle without a side loading gate plus the fact that their products are pounds heavier than their competition, eliminates them from my consideration.  They're not bad or poorly made, they just don't have the features I want.  But to claim they are worth something extra because they spout "Made in America or it won't be made at all" is no big thing as compared to Mossberg as both are Made in America.





Truth about Henry Repeating Arms is:




The truth about Mossberg and Sons is:


Oscar Frederick Mossberg was born on 1 September 1866 in
Sweden and emigrated to the United
States in 1886. He worked in the bicycle plant of Iver Johnson, a native of
Norway who became famous for his revolver. When Mossberg left Iver Johnson, he
went on to manage the small factory of the C.S. Shattuck Arms Co. in nearby
Hatfield, Massachusetts. From there he went to work for Stevens and finally for
New Haven, Connecticut based Marlin-Rockwell. In 1919, when Marlin Rockwell
went out of business (they primarily made machineguns, and World War I had just
ended), the unemployed 53-year-old O.F. Mossberg, and his two sons Iver and
Harold started a new firearms company of their own, O.F. Mossberg & Sons.
Let's see now.  Both founders were immigrants, however, the Mossbergs started their company in 1919 while the Imperatos started theirs in 1996, some 77 years later.



 

The best thing about Henry is their marketing.

I used to feel that way about Henry/HINO (Henry In Name Only).

But I've changed my mind.  I think they've come a long way since 22s.  I checked out a 30-30 and would have bought it on the spot if I wasn't broke, disabled, and unemployed.  I love the ghost ring peep.  I'll find a way to have one.

Henry is the new Ruger and I mean that in a good way as in back in the back-in-the-50's-Ruger making great guns WITH NO STUPID LAWYER ENGINEERING OR BILLBOARDS.

I'm not knocking the Henrys.  I'm just saying that while they have a smooth action which is a big plus, they also have a huge minus (to me) of no receiver loading gate.  Yes, the tube feed works just fine but it's a pain in the ass to hold the spring tube while reloading, especially it one is out in the field.  Further, keeping muzzle control of a loaded weapon is more difficult when you're looking at the muzzle rather than having it pointed at a safe angle down toward the ground away from you.  
Everyone has the right to their own opinion but I consider Henry's decision not to include a loading gate in their centerfire rifles a safety issue as well as a hassle issue, not an aesthetics issue and will never consider a Henry because of it.  That their 20" pistol caliber 44mag Carbines are overweight on top of that (almost 2lbs heavier than my 20" Rossi 357mag Carbine and over 1lb more than my 24" octagon bbl Rossi 357mag rifle [the heaviest versions due to the smaller bore]) is just an annoyance.





ETA: As this thread is about their 30-30s, it should be noted that they seemed to have 'gotten the message' on weight as they came out with a 7lb steel round barrel version at the same time as their 8.3lb brass version.  But alas, still no side loading gate.




 

Tip of the hat to the OP for finding the Marlin Youth with all the features he really wanted then walking away . We all have a couple of guns that got away from us

I wouldnt' say got a way in this instance, more like thrown away.

After playing with the Winchester for the past couple of days I've come to the conclusion that it was still stiff from being unfired. It's rally starting to break in and make loading much smoother. Now I just need to find a 16" gun.

It seems like a Ranger Compact would be just about right. 16" barrel, short stock, tang safety, simple, no frills and a tad over 5 lbs.

I prefer the way Henrys load.  No pinched thumb to the point that you raise a blister and easier to unload.  But I understand if you don't like them.



I found a cherry 1945 vintage 94 priced decent at the Cabela's gun library and bought it on the spot.  It has some recoil with factory ammo I was surprised to discover.  I understand that may have something to do with the stock drop on these old Winchesters, that latter day Winchesters are different in drop for that very reason.

I may have found a very good Marlin model 36 which is a precursor to the 336.  Anybody know if they have less recoil?

The Marlins seem to run 3/4 to 1 lb heavier so I would suspect so.