The Best Marlin You Have Owned...?

[Bossloper]

Over the years I have owned a bunch and am down to just four - 336cb in 38-55, 1894cb in 45 Colt, 39a and 25mn. And of all of them that I own or have owned, the 336 Cowboy in 38-55 is my favorite. It handles all of my hunting needs and it's a blast shooting at 200 & 300 yard dingers.

[Winter Hawk]

The one(s) I sold....   

-WH-

[DANNY-L]

model 375 in 375win

[Halwg]

I have 10 Marlins, 3 have sentimental value.  My first deer rifle, a 1966 336RC in 35 Remington.  This one I used to take my first deer.  A 1975 39A which my wife bought me for Christmas right after we were married. And a 1974 336C in 35 Remington that belonged to my dad and I got after his passing.  Are any of them "best?" I don't know, but the 39A gets shot the most, and is the most accurate 22 I have ever shot.

Of the other 7, they are all really good guns, mostly used models I liked and wanted like a 336SC, a 444, a 57M, a Glenfield 30.  I just like them all.

[bigjeepman]

I have many favorite Marlins and have added 7 more this year already. If I had to pick one (this isn't easy because I have yet to fire 3 of the recent ones,) I guess I'd have to choose the 1894 CBC .45 colt that I gave my son a few years back. A fine shooting iron with the slickest action I have witnessed to date. I think my 39A would come in second followed by the three .35 Rem.

bjm

[Goat]

This is a tough one for me since "best" is hard to quantify. I would probably choose my 336 in 35 Remington. It is nothing fancy, just a 1977 model I picked up in a pawnshop many years ago. I have actually owned it twice. I sold it to a friend who has a lot of Marlins and then a couple of years later asked him to keep an eye out for me another. He responded by GIVING it back to me! It has a lot of sentimental value now as well as the memories of the deer taken and the many outings just setting in the woods. I have redone the stock to an oil finnish and mounted a scope or two on it. It now wears a Leupold VX III 2.5-8x in Weaver Grandslam rings and bases. It sits so low I had to remove the rear sight to get it all together. I used to have a 2-7x Leupold shotgun scope on it but this one is optically better. I love the way it all fits me and when the gun hits my shoulder the "target" is usually in the crosshairs. I have but one load that it gets fed because it likes them so well. It involves AA2230 and a Remington 200gr Core-lokt. Deer hate this combination and I love it.
My second choice is likely my 1894CL in 32/20. It is just flatout fun and accurate with most anything I load for it. I know I could do about anything I need doing with that rifle and do it for a long time with the components on hand. Would it be ideal for shooting deer? No but it would be better than a rimfire and I can shoot it for almost the same price. I guess I like it for the versatility as much as for the gun itself.
                                                                           Goat

[whitetailmaniac]

Model 336 30-30 my dad gave me that he bought in 77 the year I was born. It is a rifle I will never part with.

     Chris

[temmi]

My 450 Marlin in a XLR... very nice… if you like Stainless steel and composite wood stocks

My son has one of the first 450 Marlin Rifles in a 22 inch barrel... very nice too.

I would like to see a 450M in a "buffalo" gun... octagon barrel and all

[gaileyr]

Of the two I own... 35Rem and 444Marlin. I usually pick up the 35Rem when I'm going hunting. Don't know why... guess because it's short, light, and handier than the 444.

[223Shooter]

My 1969 Marlin 336 in 35 Rem caliber. Great looking firearm, mechanically perfect and will shoot anything I feed her with excellent accuracy.

[kingj]

My 1959 336 SC Zipper.

[Old Fart]

336 in 35 Rem, I want to say 1952, but not real sure.
I picked it up off a guy whose dad ran a pawn shop.
Some guy pawned it shortly after buying it.
His dad took it home and stuck it in the back of his safe.
It sat there until 2008 when this guy sold it after inheriting all his dads stuff.
It's a tack driver out to 100 yards using the Hornady Leverevolution ammo.
It will be in my family for years to come now.

[choppa]

owned
336 30/30's x 2
1895M 450 ported
1894CS 357
1894SS 44 mag
1895GS 45/70

All with ghost rings, favorite was probably the 1894CS in 357 mag was a sweet little rifle, only own the 1895GS at the moment

[RIFLE MAN]

Choppa:
If I may ask, why did you part with the 450 Marlin and the 45-70?

Thanks,
Rifle Man

[choppa]

Rifleman,

I still have the 45/70 but parted with the 450 because it was just too loud with the porting, I got rid of the others because I moved from the east coast of Australia (Victoria) to Western Australia, and the gun laws here in WA are ridiculous and it was too much trouble to take them with me, also availability of ammo and brass for the 450 was hard to get hold of here, where as 45/70 brass is quite common and readily available from interstate, I think if we were only aloud one rifle and calibre here my choice would be the 45/70, purely for the availability of projectiles, case life and knockdown power, not to mention the handiness of marlins guide guns configuration.
I aslo have two 458 Lotts it makes it easier for buying in projectiles, we are 1000 miles from the nearest gunshop so we have to think well ahead in terms of reloading supplies.

Hope this answers your question.

Chris

[RIFLE MAN]

Chris:

Thanks for your reply. Indeed, you have immensely
helped me. I was unaware of the stringent laws that
are prevalent on your side of the world. That makes
me appreciate what we have here in the U.S. even
though lawmakers do miss it from time to time!

Rifle Man

[WyoStillhunter]

My best Marlin (of three) is a 1977 Marlin 444S.  In past years it has accounted for deer and elk using a Weaver K2.5 scope.  This time next week it will be with me in the deer and elk woods of SE Wyoming with Williams FP and gold bead sights.  Load is always 265 gr. Hornady FN ahead of just the right amount of H4198.

2007 Elk



For a couple more pictures check this thread http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,201039.30.html