Lightweight 336

[ScoutMan]

As it stands right now the 336 comes in at about 7 lbs. Add scope, rings and bases, and you are now up to 8 lbs. or more. Suggestions for cutting the weight down. Fiberglass stock and forend, etc??

[JWP58]

lose the scope....

[jlchucker]

It seems like those fiberglass gray or black stocks are heavier than the wooden ones--at least they feel that way.  Marlins could be a lot lighter with better wood design.  I've got a 336 early-version Texan that feels as light as a Model 94 Winchester.  My other Marlins (30-30, 45-70) feel a lot bulkier.  One of life's great mysteries to me seems to be why Marlin insists on using half a cord of wood on the stock and forearm of every levergun they produce.  Not even the "cowboy" ones seem as graceful as the ones made by that company before WWII.

[NickSS]

I do not like the fat fore ends that Marlin puts on most of their rifles.  So a few years ago I took a belt sander to the fore end of my 336 SC carbine that I use for hunting deer and other woods critters.  I slimed it down to about what a Winchester 94 has for wood out front.  Several coats of linspeed oil after final sanding (I refinished to butt stock as well and took some wood off of it but not nearly what I did to the fore end) and my rifle was nearly half pound lighter and felt better when I carry it.

[pastorp]

I agree with the diet for the wood idea. Not only will you remove some weight but it will feel better in your hands.

If you must scope it use a short fixed scope like the Leupold 2 & 1/2 x or their older 3x and the Talley one piece ringmounts. I think you can get the scope & mounts down to less than 12ozs.

If you want to get radical, you can remove some wood under the butplate by hollowing out the butstock some but be careful not to mess up the balance. And fineally you can cut the barrell back to 16 & 1/2" and give it the half mag treatment.

I believe you could end up with a scoped 336 in 30-30 that will weigh about 6 & 1/2 pounds.  

There ya go, now Get er done,  

[Sixgun]

My model 94 38-55 weighs in at 6.5 lb with a 24 inch barrel and a marble sight.  I was looking at getting a 336 rebarrelled at the factory with a 24 inch octogon 38-55 barrel until I had a chance to shoot one.  It was HEAVY.  I don't know why the 336s weigh so much.  I don't think the wood weighs that much.  I do agree that you can loose the scope though.  A good reciever sight or tang sight is good out to 200 meters with my 60 year old eyes and I don't plan on shooting any game at that distance with a 30-30, 35 rem, or a 38-55.  Besides a scope just looks bad on a nice leveraction rifle.

Sixgun

[pastorp]

Sixgun,

Your gun no doubt has a light contour round barrell so the winchesters are lighter. If you had a heavier contour or octagon barrell then it would be heavier like the marlins are. 

The wood will make a difference, just look at the thickness of a marlins wood compared to your winchesters wood.

Regards,

[Dixie Dude]

I read where a guy took a Marlin 1894 44 mag and drilled two holes in the stock lengthwise large enough to put about five 44 cartridges in each.  Then he shortened the magazine and magazine spring to only hold 5 rounds.  Shortened it to just a little longer than the forearm wood.  When he was finished he said it weighed about 5-1/2 lbs unloaded and without cartridges in the butt of the stock.  He found a butt pad that would open to access the hollow area.  He carried it in the mountains of Kalifornia since it was so hard to deal with getting a revolver and cc permit.  He said there were bear and cougers there.  He wanted something legal for protection.  Strapped it to his backpack.  I think he also shortened the barrel to 18".  It was a legal rifle but lightweight.  Carried some shot shell cartridges as well as solids for survival if needed.