Originally Posted by 10gaugemag
Originally Posted by Blackheart
Originally Posted by 10gaugemag
Originally Posted by Jeffrey
Originally Posted by Pappy348
I think the working class is buying Ruger Americans, Mossberg Patriots, and whatever they call the cheap Savages, and mounting Vortex scopes (at best) on them. We’ll see if the market supports the Ruger notion of what lever-guys want. The 1895s sure seem to be a success, based the prices they brought at first. No idea if that’s still “normal”.

At $1200 they won’t be buying Marlins. The way to reduce costs of the new machinery is to sell lots of rifles. Each rifle they sell helps to dilute the cost of that new machinery. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t improve the rifle and get what they need to be profitable, but I think Ruger screwed up by taking what used to be an affordable utilitarian rifle and turned it into a rifle for loonies. It’s going to be hard for the typical hunter who remembers Marlins costing $300-400 just a few years ago to justify spending 3-4x that much on a new Marlin.
Been a good while since a blued/walnut Marlin was priced at $300-400, NIB.

I remember when a blued/walnut BDL was about $500, now probably knocking on a grand?? They will sell.

A lot of stuff out there now is double what it used to be.
My brother bought a New Remlin 336W {birch stock} from Wal-Mart for just over 400.00 back in 2017. A co worker bought a new 336CS that same year for 600.00 and change. I don't consider that so long ago. Before Biden used JM 336C's were plentiful for 400 - 500.00 around here. Marlin 336C's were traditionally much cheaper than a 700 BDL. In 1962 when the Remington 700 was itroduced, the 700 BDL had a suggested retail of 139.95 in standard calibers and 154.95 in magnum calibers while suggested retail for a Marlin 336C was 86.95.
With confirms the fact that it's been a good while since a NIB walnut/blued 336 was $300-400.

And before Biden used BDLs were in the sub $500 range as well.

Personally I don't have an issue with a walnut blued Marlin being about $1k street price when budget rifles are $450-500 and Tikkas that were once under $500 and probably less than the Marlin at the time the co-worker bought are probably $700-800 now.
That's just it. Back when I was buying my first centerfire rifles in the 1970's, the Marlin 336C WAS a budget rifle. It pretty much stayed that way right up until Ruger, always considerably less expensive than a 700 BDL, model 70 or BLR. I guess to a young whipper snapper, 6 years ago seems like a long time. To me it seems like yesterday.