I've been keeping an eye out for a Marlin 336 for awhile now, and a buddy that works at a local shop just had two come in, a 1979 and a 1980. Both seem mechanically good, and have good bore's and barrels, and smooth actions.

The 1980 has a decent finish(for its age), some slight surface rust on the receiver, and a small crack in the front of the forearm(doesn't extend past the rear of the barrel band), and the target on the stock is not intact, and it appears as though someone removed the rear sling swivel, and "extended" it about 1/2-3/4" with a metal post of some sort and epoxied the post into the stock. Also has an old Bushnell 3-9 in see through rings, and is missing the front sight hood.

The 1979 is missing a good amount of the finish(probably half of the finish on the receiver), and looks like it spent a good amount of time in an ATV Gun Rack. Wood looked good.

Plan for either of them would be to strip the finish have it refinished(reblued/parkurized/cerakoted TBD), and strip and refinish the wood.

Both of them are $250(might be able to get it a little cheaper), and it seems around my area the 336's in particular hold a premium(decent condition JM marked go for $400+ usually). Thinking I could get one of these and do some of the elbow grease myself and have a nice lever gun to hand down to my kid someday and save some money in the process(hell if I can pick up both for $400, I might do that and rework both to either sell one or give it to my little brother)

Opinions?

ETA: Gonna head back on Tuesday and take another long look at them both. If I can get em down to $400 or maybe $425 for both, I'll end up with both, but if not then I'll pick up the better of the two. If I can pick uo both, I might have one of them Black Nitrided and install one of the new MI forends on it, and then just refinish the other and keep it original.

I love project lever guns as much as the next guy and would probably be in at $200 each.  A bonus would be if one or both were a .35 Remington.

Both of them are 30-30, but it's funny you say that. I rebuilt one in 35rem a few years ago from this same shop that I stripped the finish off of and cold blued myself at home. Turned out ok, but definitely not "good". Ended up selling it for twice what I paid for it(paid $150, sold it for $300). Never did get to fire it though, couldn't ever find any 35 ammo locally and I wasn't gonna pay shipping for a single box online lol

I'd go for it, personally. $250 is a great price for a beat-up 336.

If you want a project go for it. I picked a very nice JM 336 for $400 but they normally are $500+ around here.

Personally, I'd get the one with the good wood. I might try to touch up blue but not park or paint. To me, worn blue is character. Oxpho blue will darken worn bluing, not to factory, but in common wear areas it brings back years. For handing down, I want original as much as possible.

ARFcom rules: get both.
Either will cost about the same in the time/money tradeoff to get back into shape.
If you only want / can afford one of them, get the '79.
Anyone who would mount a cheapo Bushnell in see-thrus and drill out the bullseye in the stock is likely to have done other unsavory things to that poor 1980 rifle.

What's so special about having a .35 Remington?  I'm curious what the reasoning is.  I have one.  And thinking about selling it.  I've shot 3 deer with it and it worked well though.  2 were 1 shot quick kills down the boiler room.  Other one I didn't have to shoot twice, but it just took a little longer for it to bleed out.  Was not an ideal placement.

It's sort of a cult cartridge. Those who like it really like it, everyone else is kind of "meh".
With greater diameter and heavier bullets v. the .30-30, it tends to put game down somewhat faster than the .30-30.
At this point, it's mostly a handloading proposition, since factory ammo is only seasonally available in small runs.
You shouldn't have any trouble selling your .35 Rem on gunbroker or someplace that will reach the few, scattered .35 Rem devotees (i.e., probably not your local gun store or pawn shop), and probably for more than you paid.

Get 'em both. Maybe the pair for 400/450?

I'm also a member on MarlinOwners, and if you're serious about selling it, I would sign up over there and post it there. Lot of Marlin collectors on that board, that's where I sold the 35Rem that I rebuilt first.

I picked up a JM Marlin 336 a few months ago, like brand new that looks like it had never been fired for $400.
I was walking around a local flea market when I spotted it. I came back the next day and bought it,very happy I bought it !
Attached File

It did work very well when I used it.  Thor's hammer I guess...  LOL.  I don't think it worked any better than the .30-06 though.

And therein lies the secret to the .35 Remington's popularity: hits like a .30-06, but comes in the light, handy levergun format. Sure, you give up the .30-06's capability at longer ranges, but most deer are 100 yard propositions.