Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin Talk Decisions, decisons

I am so fascinated by the Ruger 10-22 DSP,or the "International" full-stock rifles, that I am thinking seriously of selling my CZ 452 and buying one.

But,last week at the shooting range, I made the acquaintance of a fellow that had bought a Marlin 60 "for the grandkids".

He was gracious enough to let me shoot it, and I was pleasantly surprised. Iron sights, 25 yards, by putting the front sight somewhere near where I thought the center of the bull was,(I need a scope)I did very respectably. Now, I am wondering...and WalMart has pretty good prices on them. I had heard the trigger pull would be heavy, but I noticed nothing very bad. They do clank about like my buddy's old 10-22, tho.

Did this guy get lucky, or are all 60 triggers good without the need for tweaking? Orrrr...should I buy a 10-22, figuring I will need to replace the hammer for a decent trigger pull???

The 60s are good buys, you can find them in several different brand names and model numbers. I've got one thats a BIG 5 model 5 and its a super shooter. Find them at gun shows for $100 all the time.

The Marlin 60 is probably onr of the best values in a rimfire rifle as far as how much gun you get for your money.

Almost all 60's I've shot over the years (and that's a lot as I have done gunsmith work for more than 35 years) have bee very accurate. The reason I have shot so many is because the Marlin rifles, although very reliable, MUST be kept clean inside. The design of these rifles with the trigger parts and lift gate from the magazine are all contained inside the action where trash, dirt and powder/fouling build up can wreck havoc.

Some ammo is "dirtier" than others (most notably the unplated "bargin" brands), but with a Marlin it is ALWAYS a good idea to clean the action every 100-150 rounds to insure continued trouble-free use.

The Ruger 10/22, on the other hand, can be neglected and fed nearly anything for years without much trouble. Thedesign of the Ruger has the trigger parts more isolated from the firing chamber and the wonderful rotary magazine (and lack of a lift gate) of the Ruger makes it almost bulletproof. Not that it is a good idea to neglect any rifle, but many shooters do just that and then wonder why it starts to fail once in a while. A good cleaning solves most problems.

The tube magazine of the Marlin is also extreeemly reliable, barring damage to the tube, but the shells must be lifted from the tube to feed into the barrel.....and if tis is fouled it may not work just right. A little time with a good cleaner and brush will solve that problem.

Some really like the idea of a detachable magazine as on the Ruger for easier reloading, but the tube on the Marlin holds enough ammo that reloading (especially in a hunting type situation) is a fairly rare occurance.

What you get with the Ruger is a bit more style and "pretty" (particularly in the "Deluxe" models), absolute reliability and low maintanace requirements.......but you will pay a bit more for those "advantages". As for dollar value, the Marlin 60 is hard to beat.