Just in case anyone is interested i got word from a friend of mine who works at Marlin Firearms that there is Big problems with the new 338 Marlin as well as some of the .308 Marlin rifles. Seems the loads are a little to much for the action and are causing to much springing and some are locking up tighter than a cat's butt on a cold winter night. Being i live here in CT. and only a few miles away from the plant as well as have a lot of friends who work there and who have worked there and now are retired like me i get the scoop on everything new first hand and usually long before it becomes public knowledge. If anyone recalls
years back Marlin tried to reinvent the wheel by coming out with there version of the .307 & .356 caliber Extended Range cartridges in there 336 model rifle as well as the .375 Winchester caliber & the .307-.356 which Winchester came out with first in ther Big Bore 94 Model. They both died off in a very short time, both the Winchester Big Bore's as well as the Marlin's. Same problem with the Marlin but not winchester being they built a bigger Stronger version of the original 94 and called it the big bore as mentioned in part of this letter. In any event they did not learn much from there mistakes. Now they come out with it again and give it a new name and model name as well and it's come back to bite them again. There is nothing wrong with the rifle/action as long as they stick with the original calibers it was designed for. The .308 marlin and the .338 Marlin are just to much for the action design of this rifle. They should have either beefed it up like Winchester did or go to a much stronger action like the Browning BLR Lever which is chambered in all kinds of calibers as well as magnum's as well as .308 Win & .358 win. calibers which are far more superior to any of them as well as there .338 Marlin which is nothing more than a copy of the New Federal .388 cartridge which is a .308 Win. Case necked up to .338 diameter. Enough said. If you want .308 Winchester capability/speed & power then buy a .308 winchester caliber rifle and if you want it in a lever then buy a browning and you will not regret it. I have owned both the .308 & .358 Winchester in the Browning and they are very well built and very accurate as well and function flawlessly. The bottom line is always wait and see if it new then it is best to wait it out. Just some old time advice from an olf timer. P.S. I love Marlin's and own several as well as have owned many over the years.
