Old Judge Creek":2yhwq43i said:
DGW1949":2yhwq43i said:
...
To me, the 336 is a bit bulky and cumbersome. That, and I don't scope my rifles....so there goes the only practical advantage that a Marlin has over a Winchester.
Different strokes for different folks.
DGW
DGW we agree and disagreee. I too think the 336 is a bit cumbersome and my centerfire rifles don't wear scopes with the exception of my Models 77 243 and 270. Those are my
extreme precision rifles.
To use Mel Tappans term, most of my rifles, and all of my lever rifles, are working guns, and I respecfully disagree that there isn't a world of difference between Marlins and Winchester.
Yes, it's personal opinion, but for me, my working rifles generally need to be easy to pack along, easy (or "slick") handling, handy when I need 'em and out of the way when I don't - which is almost all of the time.
Marlins come out of the box with far better quality iron sights than any production Winchester I've seen in the last 50 years and the Marlins also come out of the box invested with the most critical feature of all:
options. The receivers are pre-drilled and tapped for either receiver sights or optics.
And I have absolutely nothing againt Winchester. One of my all time favorite rifles is a rare Pre-USRAC 30-30 Trapper:
Well OldJudge.....me thinks that we are closer than you think.
I once had an older strait-gripped Marlin 336 SRC that came with thinner wood than either a "regular" 336 or their "Texan" model. It was a very nice looking carbine, and accurate enough, and slim enough...but to me, it just didn't carry nor balance as well as a Winchester. But that's a personal thing.
Marlins are easier to field strip than a Winchester '94......and lend themselves well to cleaning from the breech end. That matters to some people, so I can see where that would certainly be a consideration when they're choosing which rifle they wanted.
I should have mentioned that in my first post, but failed to.
Far as sights go....I can't say about the new offerings, but I've got quite a few Marlin and Winchester (rear) sights in my parts box and I can say for sure that aside from the semi-buckhorns and a few fold-down leafs, there aint a nickel's worth of difference in any of their "standard" stamped-out rear sights. In fact, a lot of the rear sights that came on 336's is also the exact same sight that they were putting on their cheap 22's......which don't matter much to me because I always modify my rifle's sighting arrangement to better suit me anyway.
I don't care for front sight beads on any gun. So whether the bead is silver, ivory, black or brass, pressed-in or machined-on simply doesn't matter....'cause it's getting swapped for a straight post anyhow. But that's just me.
Far as I know, most every 336 and Winchester '94 of modern manufacture is D&T'd for a reciever sight. If either isn't these days, it's a recent change.
I'm with you 100% on the working gun/scope thing.
As rifles go, I only got three....and all three of mine are "working guns". It's probably been over 20 years since I've even owned gun that had a scope.
And just for the record....
I liked my old straight-gripped 336 a lot. I just didn't like it as much as my Winchester '94. And being's how I am basicly a tite wad, I couldn't rationalize owning more than one 30-30 carbine.
If it weren't for that particular character flaw of mine, I too would still be a Marlin owner. :lol: .
DGW
