I agree about the X7 Marlin. I think it was the king of the economy rifles, but apparently the market didn't agree with me. It seemed better thought out and put together than the Ruger American, and the stock was stiffer.
The market didn't kill the Marlin X guns, sometime after Remington bought Marlin in 2007, they made the decision to move Marlin's bolt action CF products to Remington and the X guns morphed into the not nearly as attractive Remington 783 line.
