Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Opinions on the 336

Ok, so I am not well versed in lever actions (to be honest, I'm not terribly well versed in anything, but I digress) what this there not to like about the Marlin 336? I am especially interested in the laminated BL version, but what are the strengths and weaknesses of the 336 action in general? Thanks.

Larry

Mine would jam up with lever extended on second shot. Good saddle gun, thats it, if you don;t do horses then get something else.

I own two Marlin 336 rifles in .30-30. I have never had a jam in mine using Fed., Win., and Rem. factory ammo. And over the years, I've fired a whole lot of rounds through one, and about 75 through the other which I recently bought at a good price.

Not saying Canuck's problem is this, but if you do not keep the lever screw tight, and the loading gate screw tight, jams can happen sometimes. I keep mine tight.

I've owned five Win. 94s and sold them all.

I'll take a Marlin 336 any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

L.W.

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I agree with Leanwolf, and the 336 is much easier to clean from the receiver end than a 94. One screw removed and the lever and bolt comes out for cleaning. Accurate too, most 336 will group around an inch with many grouping under an inch.

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I have several and have had several more. Can't recall a problem but they are like Mausers, the action is meant to be WORKED, wimpy don't cut it.

Never had a problem with my 30-30 336. Can't recall a single jam, come to think of it. Awesome and fun weapon to work.

I think the 336 is a great rifle. However in the Marlin line I am more fond of the 1894 in a pistol cartridge.

One thing to avoid jams is to do a smooth and fast lever motion. Do not stop or hesitate. You can also "slick" it up a bit with regular old tooth paste. Just apply tooth paste to the areas where the metal parts touch and work the action. Then clean it off. Then repeat. You wil be surprised how well you can "slick er up". Tom.

The Marlin 336 is a well proven platform. In any of the available cartridges, one will give you many of years of dependable service. The 336 is a classic woods rifle.

If hard pressed to chose, I would say the Marlin 336/1895 is my favorite rifle of all (the Savage 99 and Winchester 1886 would also be in the running). I have owned dozens of different configurations in just about every chambering ever offered by Marlin. I have yet to own one that was not accurate. Some have been scary, bolt action accurate. The only one I ever had trouble with was the very first Marlin I ever owned. It was a 1985 336 in 35 Remington. It would jam fairly often. Since then, no trouble at all. The 336 is handy, well balanced, solid, reliable and very easy to accessorize with aftermarket sights, scope mounts etc. They are so ubiquitous that it is easy to dismiss them as mass produced middling quality rifles. In fact, they are very well made.

+1 with Leanwolf for all but the Winchester comments.

I like my older Winchesters, a lot. But the Marlin is easier to clean and generally more accurate overall.

My 36, precurser to the 336 (same action)is a great gun. Accurate, have not had a jam, and dead on reliable.

Typical Marlin 336.

Yeah I chose the 336 over the 94 because of the ejection and the not requiring to pull up on the lever to shoot. The barrel has some slight rust powder now. Parked for 35 years now. Isn't that something -a rifle never fired for 35 years; I don't think I need it anymore. Nobody wants them old rifles in 30-30;

I do.

I've had a few 336's and never anything but good consistency. I much prefer the side eject of the 336.

CLB

Agreed, I wonder how many fellas got the neck burn from the 94 because of this?

I have too many of both the 336 and the 94. The 336 in .35Rem may be one of the most favored rifles for northern woods. I like the sporting carbine with the short magazine. Most of my 94's are in .32win. My favorite may be a 16" Wrangler that I replaced the hoop lever with a standard lever. A great pickup seat and scabbard gun for the 4-wheeler.

I like both for different reasons. Marlins favor scopes. Winchesters pull like Winchesters. I have never had problems with either and accuracy has always been acceptable with my experience leaning to the Marlins. Good luck.

the only jams I've had with my 336 are with the hornady leverevolution ammo, when the magazine is loaded to capacity. Something about the way that soft tip behaves in there sometimes causes that first shell out of the magazine to hang up partway out. If I don't load it to capacity, it's fine. Other "regular" lever action ammo has been fine.

Never had that happen with mine and LR ammo.

I gave $350 for this 1974 model a couple of years ago,....American made,..all walnut and steel. It now wears a Weaver V3 scope and will shoot into 3" at 100 yards with a variety of loads. It's just *awful* hard to buy this kind of quality for $350,..in firearms or anything else.



Paid $450 for this 1950 model,..which sports cut Ballard rifling and an old steel Lyman receiver sight.



My opinion on them?,..they're not for sale.

Nice rifles Bristoe, here is one made in 1979 that I bought last month from a friend. I put the scope on it last week, been too hot this week for the range, so I will get out next week to zero it.

I've had two, both in the bigger calibers (.444 and .45-70), and both have run perfectly with more-than-acceptable accuracy. My father had a .30-30, and I've known several people who have them, and again, they've been very dependable.

Zeroed the 35 Rem in the picture above this morning and then began testing some handloads using A2015; the 34.0 grain/Speer 180 HotCore/CCI-200 load is shooting three round, 3/4" groups at 100 yards! The load measured 2056 fps with my Beta Master Chrony set at 10' at 82 F. These M336 Marlins blow my mind, outshooting many of my bolt guns with no more tweeking than a scope and a handload. I think I am going to swear off bolt actions and go completely to Marlin leverguns.

The Marlin 336 is a proven winner, made its bones a long time ago and has been serving sportsmen for many years with success..If one has a bad one, it would be my guess somebody has been monkeying with it at some point..I have never had one jam and have owned a number of them over the years..Not my favorite rifle but certainly a great rifle.

Ray's advice sums up Marlin 'Thutty thuttys' quite nicely...especially the last line.....one's favourite rifle might be a fullwood AAA grade walnut stocked M 98 custom whatever....... but when its dusty n' dirty and the huntin's rough... you're going to reach into the gunsafe for the Marlin...

I like them, and I'll always have more than one. They're well built, good looking, very accurate, and reliable. A friend recently got me interested in reloading, so once I get that all set up, it should make them even more fun.
All I own in centerfire rifles any more is 336's, 1894's in .357 and .44, a 95 in 45-70, and a Savage 99 (love them too- more of those would be VERY nice, like a .358 )
The only bolts I have left are rimfires (and I think somewhere, Grandpa's old JC Higgins 20 guage )

I�ve owned and used a 336 for over 40 years. I currently own 3 and have as many as 5 at one time. A 336 was the only rifle I used for about 20 years. In all that time I�ve only had one jam and it was my fault. I was loading the rifle with gloves on and let a cartridge slip back under the loading gate.
They are well built and the actions are very strong.
They are heavier and quieter than a M94.

Sherwood, I had on I one those but mine didn�t have the pressed checkrein. I got used in January 1968. I bailed I friend out of jail on DUI charge and he gave me the rifle. He bought it new in October of 1967 from Sears for $80. It cost me $50.
I killed a truckload or two with that rifle. But in a weak monument I traded it and $150 for a new M700 in 1987.

Boy did you get took HaHa

Marlin Pro's & Con's ???
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I'm "Pro" on just about 'Everything' Marlin.

I'm "Con" on (maybe) the 'thickness' and the 'checkering' of stock on some Marlin models. Also, whether 'straight grip" or "pistol grip" configuration, on some models.

Otherwise, NO real complaints!

I have two Marlin 336 lever rifles, a 336-Y "Spikehorn" (30-30 Win.) and a 336-C (35 Rem.) - Great little hunting rifles to 'carry' when walking through tall-grass and brush.

The modern '336' round-bolt design is of a stronger and superior design than the old "94" actions. But, ALL the Marlin lever guns are built 'Strong', IMO.

I also have Marlin M-1894's (.357 Mag, and two .41 Mag's.) And one Marlin 1895-GS (45-70 Govt.)

I have found all of my Marlins to be 100% reliable and accurate right out-of-the-box ... and if that's just "luck"? , I'll take it.

I do regret having ever sold the old Winchesters that I have owned through the years ... as they were all good rifles too.

Most M336s dont do anything for me, but I want to own
every 336SC that I see. Dont have one now, but want to
get a drilled and tapped "shooter" in .35 Rem.

Marlin 336's are great guns. I have several. Most issues like jamming or letting a 2nd round in can be because of loose action screws. (loading gate). They are a little heavier then a Win 94. Just as well made and usually more acurate.(at least the one's I have owned) They really come into there own if you want to scope them, it's a natural fit.
Karl

I haven't owned a lot of 336's but have owned at least a couple .30-30's (one sold by Montgomery Ward under their brand name--it was my dad's and I shot my first deer with it), a .32 Special and a .35 Remington. All functioned perfectly and shot well.

I've heard them called meat guns, that they don't have the range of a .30-06 etc. Frankly, they are ideal guns for much of the deer habitat in the eastern U.S. but certainly a 200-250 yard gun at most. They are light, carry and handle well and scoping them is a slam dunk.

They seem sensitive to hard primers so reloaders must be careful. I think I had trouble with CCI's while federals worked every time. The .35 Rem is perhaps the most popular and reloaders must not set the shoulder (what shoulder?) back, affecting headspace.

I've owned and sold several like a fool, including a Maurader. As a young hunter I listened to all the arm chair experts. Well, I own another 336 in .35 and this baby ain't going anywhere.

Other than scope and swivels, the rifle is ready to go right from the box. Pleeze don't ruin the thing with a recoil pad. If you can't handle the recoil of a .30-30 or .35, you have no business in the woods.

I get a kick out of brousing the used gun racks and finding
Marlin 336s with huge variable power scopes on them. 4x12,
6x18, etc. Give me a K4 or Leupold 2-7 any day.

I have had a .308 Marlin Express for a couple of years and love it. No problems with it at all. I put a 3x9x40 on it and it has proven to be very accurate out to 300 yards. I would also like to get a 336 in 44 mag.

I have had a guy hunt with me at my place for the last couple years. His gun? A Marlin 336 in .35 Remington with a Bushnell Banner 4x12 power AO with lenses so filthy you could probably watch a solar eclipse through the thing without fear of damaging your eyes.

Opening morning of firearms whitetail season I put him in a new spot I had scouted out but never hunted. He spotted a nice 6 pointer slipping thorough the thick stuff about 20 yds. away. He tried to get his crosshairs on it but had left the scope turned up to 14x and couldn't see a thing. Last year I put a new scope on it for him, a handy little 2x7 power.

Terrible rotten rifles they are those marlins. For the cost of shipping I will dispose of those aberations they call rifles.

"I get a kick out of brousing the used gun racks and finding
Marlin 336s with huge variable power scopes on them. 4x12,
6x18, etc."

Ditto. But most of what I see are scopes in those abominable "see through" mounts that require the shooter to hold his head up like an alert turkey. Big scopes and such high mounts tend to negate a lot of the value of those excellant and handy snap-shooting rifles.

Probably the best bang for the buck around is a Marlin 336 of one sort or another and in 30-30 caliber..I like the Winchester 94 better but that is because I was raised on a big West Texas ranch and I was tought the 94 was the only gun in existence, its a cowboy thing you see! but on the QT, the Marlin is probably a better gun and God save me if my dear departed family members hear this..I inhereted a sack of Winchester lever guns and I really lik'em also...