Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin 336 Lever Actions Cutting the barrel, 336-A

I recently got a 336A in 30-30 and am contemplating shortening the barrel and mag tube, please offer advice on why or why not and things to watch out for.
How short is too short, I am 6'4" and wouldn't mind a short quick carbine length gun for thick woods. I gave an older one to my dad a few years back, hope to get it back someday and leave it as original, but this one is a birch stock, nothing too fancy.
How much would you expect to pay for a barrel cut and re-crown, other things to worry about?
Thanks

With so few 336-As produced, as a percentage of all 336s, it would seem wrong to shorten the barrel when there are so many 20" barrels available, but it is your rifle and you can do with it as you please. PM me if you'd be interested in trading, I have a 20" 336 in 30-30, SN 150351xx, that I would grade in the mid-90% range floating around here somewhere.

Jeff

OK I'm confused? I thought that the 336a had a 20" barrel?What length did you have in mind?I have an 18 1/2" 336ts and that seams to me to be a very handy length for my 5'11" frame.I also have a 336c with the 20" barrel.There really is not a whole lot of difference in the 18 1/2" and the 20" barrels.Maybe a 16 1/2" would suit you.Do not go shorter than 16 1/8" or it will be considered a handgun.I don't know how much it would cost to shorten a barrel but most any component gunsmith should be able to handle the job.Just remember you only have one shot at the 16 1/8" length.

I'm an old guy and when see or hear "336-A", I think of a 336 with a 24" barrel and shorter (2/3?) magazine. I guess that I put Marlin 336 on hold shortly after they discontinued making the 336-ER.

Jeff

Original 336A's were a 24" rifle with a shorter mag tube and end cap instead of barrel band. More recent Marlin 336A's have been a budget gun with hardwood stock, 20" barrel and a full length mag tube. For some reason they retained the endcap. The budget 336W looks almost like the same gun, except with a barrel band in place of the endcap.

I have no idea why.

That end cap attachment is a big plus for accuracy in my experience. Have had several Marlins and the most accurate .30-30 I had (before the present older SC model) was a plain jane 336A with the birch stock. It would consistently put 10 shots into a 2" square at 100 yards without touching the outer edges.

When you shorten the barrel you have to retap for the screw that goes through the mag tube. Sometimes it is just a blind hole, I'm not sure off the top of my head. You'll also need to shorten the spring. Don't shorten it any more then necessary, keep cutting and trying until all the rounds that are able, fit. How do you plan to crown the barrel?

................Don`t own a lever, so I can`t comment on the work you are considering doing or the cost. But I may be able to offer you some thoughts on rifle OAL in porportion to your 6'4" height.

I`m 6'3" with about the same length of reach. Have a 16.5" barreled, 35.5" OAL 300 WSM Ruger Frontier w/12.5" LOP. Add nearly an inch LOP when the Limbsaver slip-on recoil pad is on.

Regardless of its shorter OAL and despite my height and reach, it is not at all too small a rifle for me in terms of LOP, balance and overall feel. As a matter of fact, just the opposite.

A wonderful length to have in the field for easier carrying and handling, for stand hunting, and especially when in thicker woods and terrains.

If you do a cut down and depending on how much you cut off, I`ll guess that you might have about the same lengthed rifle (about 35") or less.

Have fun!

Probably going to have the Colorado Gunsmithing School take it in and shorten it, could be done for less than $100 and be a good project for some students.
I have a friend with one at 16.5 that he let me borrow, it is a great pointing, handy little rifle. Going to take both out shooting hopefully this weekend and make some final comparisons.
Thanks for the input.

I cut down a 336A two years ago and I love it. It is a 1951 model and someone had already tapped it and even tapped into the top of barrel for some reason so the gun value was ruined anyway. I like the short barrels so I cut it down, had it re-crowned and put a burris fastfire on it. Didn't bother with a front site----always will be a red dot or scoped rifle. And, no tapping for the mag tube because the 336A had the short tube and I cut the barrel off in front of it. Shoots great, handy for carrying, quick target acquisition and shoots inch to inch and half groups out to 75 yards (long enough for me). I am happy, didn't ruin a collectible gun and it didn't cost me hardly anything.