I have worked as a gunsmith for nearly forty years. A good portion of that time was spent as Winchester warranty 'smith. I had to work on far more Model 70's than I did model 94's. Over the years, I've had to work on even fewer Marlins.
As far as working under adverse conditions is concerned,I have seen both bolt and lever actions come in to the shop in such condition that I was amazed they worked at all, but they did.
Just like a double action revolver, the old lever actions are an example of a complex design which, nonetheless, works amazingly reliably.
In the end, any rifle which has been well tested will probably be reliable regardless of what type it is. It worth noting that shooter error has always played a larger part in failures to function than has rifle design. GD
