BlackHunter - if it was made in New Haven, CT. you probably have a winner in the "less expensive" rifle category ... nothing is "cheap" anymore. IMO - Marlin refined the cost cutting engineering process begun by Mossberg and Savage w/o making a poorly functioning/looking rifle. After the Marlin New Haven plant closed I can't comment. They lost a lot of experienced workers and it showed on new products made elsewhere. My NH .243W XS7C is accurate (sub /to 1 MOA IF I do my part). BTW - check MarlinOwners.com forum for further details. Homesteader
