Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin 336 Lever Actions I've always liked Marlins...

So when did this cross bolt safety crap start anyway? I own two Marlins and prefer them over any Winchester any day, but damn I hate that safety. I am seriously thinking about putting that replacement kit on both my 1895G and my 336CS but hate to mess with a perfectly functioning gun. And these two are without functional flaws. I have no intentions of ever selling them and they will most definately be living with my son when I am gone.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Earliest reference I can find is 1983. I did not mean to imply that the quality of the gun OR Marlin in general has deteriorated. I just don't care for the way it looks. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Actually, I think that the quality of the newer Marlins has fallen a bit . My 336cs is probably from the mid eighties and my 1895G dates to first year GG production. That 336 is better made. The stock is plain and un-checkered but the action is smooth as can be. I cant say that about my GG. The wood and general appearance of my GG is beautiful but you can tell that it is from a production oriented manufacturing facility. I have had the honor of handling a few early production Marlins and they are "sweet". Marlin's quality is still in my oppinion far greater than many new production rifles, but America is getting used to accepting a lower quality mass produced pruduct. I am a CNC Machinist by trade and am seeing this corporate tactic first hand. The shop I work for produces ultra precision components for the Department of Defense, Semi Conductor and Laser industry. We are making a comeback , but a lot of our contracts have gone over seas to be made by illiterate third world workers that have no concept of quality. In fact many of these components come to us after they have been manufactured so that we can fix them and bring them into print tollerance. It is actually cheaper for these parts to be made wrong over seas and then fixed here. It is this new corporate mentality that is killing the American craftsman.

. I am a CNC Machinist by trade and am seeing this corporate tactic first hand. The shop I work for produces ultra precision components for the Department of Defense, Semi Conductor and Laser industry. We are making a comeback , but a lot of our contracts have gone over seas to be made by illiterate third world workers that have no concept of quality. In fact many of these components come to us after they have been manufactured so that we can fix them and bring them into print tollerance. It is actually cheaper for these parts to be made wrong over seas and then fixed here. It is this new corporate mentality that is killing the American craftsman. [/quote]

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> We are sort of in the same boat. I will soon be 60 and have been a tool and die maker since 1968. I work for a large electronics company that mainly produces test equipment among other things. 90% of my work has gone overseas and I just took a $12,000.00 pay cut just to stay employeed. You hit the nail on the head when Americans are willing to expect less. Marlin is a great gun. Competition is fierce and quality has dropped. I don't buy many guns anymore, but when I do it is generally a Savage product, 99, 23, 219, or a Savage Fox SxS. AND you can bet it will be 1960 or before. I have two wonderful (actually 3) Marlins. .444S,1895S with straight stock, and a beauty of a 62 levermatic in .256 Win. Mag. I bought a new Rem supermag 3 1/2" 12 ga. and have had nothing but trouble with it until I took it upon myself to fix it. Since I did it had been perfect. I had a heated discussion with a service rep from Rem and wound up asking him why Remington Country wasn't in Hong Kong. You talk about quality going south, just look at Remington AND Winchester. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I love them Marlin lever actions next to my Savage99's...

Marlins are built strong and solid. A very very fine rifle.


..keep your powder dry..
.

Are you sure those 99s were at full cock? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> If you hold the trigger on a Savage 99 back when you close the lever the sear doesn't engage and it doesn't cock but you can still apply the safety. Lots of older 99 users carry them that way. Since, as you pointed out, you can't see the hammer you can't tell whether they're cocked or not without x-ray vision. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Skidrow you can do the same thing with a bolt action but it would be more for storeing the gun on an empty chamber and to keep pressure off the fireing pin spring for long periods of time. What would be the advantage of doing this while hunting with a bullet in the chamber? you would just have to work the lever again to cock the gun and that would just throw the already chambered shell on the ground. I would bet that anyone carrying a mod 99 in the woods with the safety on has a shell in the chamber and the gun is cocked. And if there is not a chambered round why hold back the trigger and apply the safety when closeing the lever? that doesn't make sense.

Do you own or have you ever handled a M1899 or M99 Savage? Just as you don't have to open the bolt of a cocks on opening bolt gun to cock it, but rather just simply raise and lower the bolt handle, you don't have to fully open the lever on a M1899 or M99 Savage to cock it. A 1899/99 Savage cocks on about the last 1/4 of the closing motion. That's not nearly far enough to eject the cartridge in the chamber. I know several old timers that carry that way 'cause they just don't feel comfortable with loaded chamber and a cocked hammer. They didn't carry their M1894 Winchesters that way and when they moved on to something better they found that they didn't have to carry their M1899 or M99 Savages that way either. They seemed to feel that carrying a gun that couldn't be accidently fired was an advantage. I think you'd lose your bet. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> But you continue to believe what ever you want. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Skidrow it's always interesting to converse with someone who has true knowledge on a subject and I'll be glad to take your word on this. It's too close to Christmas to argue about such a minor thing. Thanks for setting me straight and have a terrific Christmas.

Thanks for your kind words but I'll have to defer to others on the Savage board who are much more knowledgeable than I. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

As to Christmas, I wish you and everyone at the 24 Hour Campfire a very Merry Christmas.

The cross bolt safety is not as bad as the rebounding hammer...yuk!

Dang, you boys is kind of hard on Marlin & winny on this safety thing. I had no idea ther were so many that felt this way. No wonder all of the pre safety guns have shot up in value. I guess with me having kids that I will be teaching to hunt, the cross bolt safety & the tang safety put them lever guns (m94 & marlin levers) into my list of possibles for starter guns for my boys/daughter. My dad taught me on a M94, I could shoot like crazy with that thing but when I was a kid I slipped letting the hammer forward & damn near blew the tire off dad's truck. I know of many who can tell similar stories, some more serious than a truck tire...
Anyways, I've got a post cross bolt 450 marlin & I love it, safety & all. I guess I don't know any better. Personally though I don't have a problem with the safety, I think it's a good thing for novice hunters, women, kids, beginners etc. To tell you the truth I kind of liked seeing the cross bolt appear on the little marlin rimfire, I think it made it a better kids gun.
Now, on the other hand I guess I have to sympathize with you died in the wool tube feed lever fans who cherish the classic cowboy styling & such. I get real mad when I see plastic replacing steel on some of my favorite rifles. So I guess I can relate. It wasn't too long ago you could pick up a marlin or winny 30-30 lever for a hundred bucks or less. Now them pre safety guns are worth a pile more than a hundred bucks. Back then people I grew up around stayed away from them guns because of the whole safety thing, lack there of. I always thought that must be why they were so cheap. I had no idea that it was part of the appeal that draws people to the guns.

That trick of keeping a round in the chamber but the rifle uncocked sounds safer than it actually is. A lot of rifles will fire that way if you drop them, cocked or not, due to the effect of inertia on the firing pin.

FWIW, at least some of the 19th century rifles had no safety whatsoever. They will drop the hammer from half cock as readily as from full cock. The chance of firing that way is less than from full cock, but is a lot higher than zero. I have an 1889 Marlin that I really like, but I carry it with an empty chamber even if it does say "Marlin Safety" on the receiver.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Lots of good feedback here, BOTH for AND contrary to the Marlin design change, and that is what I was looking for. The answer to me, is two fold, it lies in the old saying, that it is PEOPLE that kill people NOT guns. Be smart. Learn the function of your firearm. AND YOU be safe. Don't depend on mechanics because they WILL fail. Mechanical safety or not, safety is up to you. Thanks to everyone for keeping this thread intelligent. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />