Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Any Idea What the New Marlin-Ruger business model will Look Like?

Always interesting to hear so many opinions.

One of my gauges of Ruger quality over the years has been No. 1s. Have owned quite a few of them over the years, made from the early 1970s (when they had Douglas barrels) to probably a dozen since Ruger started hammer-forging their own barrels in the early 90s.

The early Douglas-barreled models were very good, but the No. 1s from the mid-70s to around 1990 could vary considerably in quality, both in barrels and chambers. Which is why so many information appeared about "accurizing" them.

Bought my first hammer-forged barrel No. 1 around 1992, a .300 Weatherby 1B. It shot just as well as an early .300 Winchester Magnum Douglas-barrel rifle--with the right loads putting 5 shots in an inch or less.

All the other No. 1s I've owned since then have also been very accurate, either out of the box, or with minimal "accurizing," such as epoxy-bedding the tip of the forend. There have been at least 15 of those, from .22 Hornet to .450/.400, including two 7x57s and .30-06s.

What's the percentage of Ruger rifles that don't shoot/function well? Dunno, but do know that since they started making the CRF 77 Mark II, they've been among the best sellers in Alaska, where reliability is absolutely necessary.

One of the things I've noticed over the years is rifles that become VERY popular can also include a few that shouldn't have left the factory without some sort of correction. Have owned some of those as well, including pre-'64 Model 70 Winchesters.

Why can't Ruger build a shotgun that does not have issues ?

They built two that never had issues. I use them at the range every week.

As a long time Marlin lover who couldn't find anything worthwhile under Remingtons ownership.

I'm cautiously optimistic!

Lookign forward to some lipseys and other distributor limited run specials 1894 in 375 Win, 35 Remington 218 bee and kinky stuff like that

Ive got original or vintage Marlins and i wont purchase any from Ruger if theyre loaded with MIM or a bunch of cast parts if theyre going to be charging full price. Im just tired of being told about the high costs and difficultynof manufacturing yet having to settle for substandard products and parts. I want real steel, real materials and no compromise and ill pay a decent price.

As for their Ruger products, ive got an GP100 that far more reliable and durable than my S&W revolvers. My left hand MKII 30-06 has a bulky forend on the stock but the action is smooth and polished and amazing.

Ive got an lefty Ruger compact rifle in 338RCM and the rifle is quite nice with perfect dimensions and weight. Its about the perfect hunting rifle.

My lefty GSR scout rifle is rougher than a gravel road when operating the reciever. Theres nothing smooth about this rifle at all. I love the size, but i keep it because it shoots amazingly well across canyons and steep clearcuts and i can handle it like i k ow what im doing. It also has been perfectly reliable in snow and freezing rain and awful conditions. My single shots, leverguns and Remington bolt rifles have all given me failures but the Ruger scoit rifle and my old German 1917 Mauser and CZ-24 mauser rifles have all been perfect and never any issues. On other long guns theres been several times i had to build a fire to get bolts open to open the breech on single shots but not on Ruger bolt guns or Mauser relics.

Personally im not optimistic Ruger will manufacture a great Marlin product. At this point i really dont much care because i already have some an will only pay for better quiality. Ruger cant even furnish a decent limited run of left hand rifles at present so ive been picking up old stock thanks to folks on this forum. Sorry to sound like a pessimist.

When you consider how many small semi-custom gunmakers have appeared, failed, and disappeared in say, the last decade, usually because they were unable to maintain the kind of quality the founders did as one-man operations, what Ruger manages to produce on a huge scale, in the U.S., at very competitive prices, is pretty remarkable. If it’s possible to produce good quality Marlins at prices people are willing to pay, I expect they can do it. Remington, from what I’ve read, seems to have finally gotten their Marlins up to snuff just in time to go bust, so Ruger just needs to get the machinery up and running in its new home, learn the ins and outs of the Marlin rifles and start making them. Hopefully they’ll make sure the ones they ship out are really ready, or they may have wasted a bunch of money.

Meanwhile, if I were hurting all over for a new, lever action, ones I’d take a hard look at are the Pedersoli “Winchesters”, which feature forged actions, and are available in 94 and 86/71 versions, including .348s and .444s, besides the expected .30/30 and .45/70. Not cheap, prices are comparable to the various Miroku versions. Pedersoli makes good stuff.

I hope they do well. I’m a huge Marlin lover having owned probably 10-15 different models. Most of those were JM guns however I did find one Remington made 1895ABL that was just as good as the best JM gun I’ve owned. The Remington made ones were junk at first but had finally improved before they folded up shop.

I generally like Ruger firearms as a whole, they are well suited to do better than Remington did with the Marlin brand.

It's gonna take them a year to figure out how to stamp the entire owners manual on the side of the receiver. Once they get that figured out, expect lots of blasted stainless, gray laminate stocks, extra safeties, and recalls.

I am optimistic about the eventual Ruger-Marlins we’ll see.

However, I think Henry picked the right time to start offering their lever actions with loading gates.

Ruger has always been a class act. They'll do right by Marlin.

John although my experience in the number of Ruger firearms is less than yours, 48 years of usage has shown me that Ruger firearms are well built, accurate and pleasing to the eye.
I bought my first, a model 77 in 1972. I wish I still had that 7x57, with it I killed my first trophy Coues and many other critters.
Since then I have owned and still regularly hunt with my Number 1’s. Beautiful rifles and about as stout as a firearm as can be built. Even the RSI with its 20” barrel is a sub one inch rifle.
My mini 14 has cost me a lot of money. That being the Ammo I have put through it, no malfunctions.
Finally the Blackhawk. My 45 caliber convertible has been on my hip since 1982 and still shoots as well now as then.
They haven’t grown to the size they are by marketing junk.

Most accurate gun I own is a Ruger American 30-06. It is butt ugly but it will shoot under MOA all day long. I also own a model 77 RSI in 250-3000 that I can find no fault with. Not saying they don't have some quality issues but then show me a manufacturing company that doesn't. Brown I vs are prettier numbers are lighter but for a hunting rifle, Ruger builds some good ones.

I really enjoy hunting and shooting my Ruger #1S 45-70 as well as my M77 Hawkeye, in 358 Win. especially after free floating the M77 barrel. I also own two JM stamped Marlin lever actions; one is a 336 in 30-30 cal and the other a 39D 22 cal. and they are both keepers. If Ruger can supervise the manufacture of a Marlin that shoots and functions as well as the old JM stamped Marlins, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

You can bet they will do something stupid to them. They will put some stupid muzzle break on them without an option too buy it without the break. Or some stupid rail when you don’t want a rail, or something else equally fuggin stupid.
Although I’m sure they will be built good but you can bet they will do something stupid to them. Did I mention they will do something stupid to them?

Remington already did that to them. You haven't see the Dark series?
Try not to puke

Yea that’s ugly but at least Remington gave you an option. With Ruger even on the African yea the friggin African model you don’t have a choice too buy it new without the stupid muzzle brake. Then they don’t even offer it in any African cartridges except their stupid Ruger cartridges. No 375 H&H, no 416 Rem or Rigby, no 458 Wm, no 458 Lott, it’s stupid. I’m sure they will have the same mentality with Marlin.
You can’t buy the African, or the Alaskan or the Guide Gun without a Muzzle Brake. You can take the brake off and out on the thread cap but it still ruins the look of what would otherwise be a nearly perfect rifle.The Hunter has a stupid rail on it, the end of the barrel looks like a mini Blunderbuss.
The FTW hunter has a brake on a 6.5 Creedmoor unless I’m mistaken. What in the world? The Predator is only available in that stupid ugly azz laminate. That’s the only option.
The only blued stainless options are the African. African is Muzzle brake only. Only way you can get a normal caliber in the African is if you can get one of the Lipsey exclusives.
Their is no regular size option in Blued/Wood. Well the compact but it’s only available in 2 calibers, it has a 12.50” LOP, a 16.5” barrel? The compact is about the only light option available but it has that short length of pull and shirt barrel.
Their is no regular Hawkeye stainless available.
So yea it’s great those morons bought marlin 🙄
I’m glad Marlin went to an American company but still

As you said, quality doesn't come from QC. Quality comes from

1. A good product design, including the manufacturability of the product
2. A well-designed manufacturing process that minimizes variability
3. Manufacturing equipment that can produce the product as designed
4. Raw materials that are of sufficient quality
5. A work force with a good work ethic, which includes a commitment to quality
6. Company leadership at all levels that are committed to high quality
7. Good training
8. Well-thought-out (designed) QA and QC processes and procedures that quickly catch when things have gone awry. You can't make up in QC for what's missing in the other elements required for producing quality products.

I may be leaving something out, but those are most of the important elements. Those design and management principles are all drilled into the heads of students at any decent mechanical engineering program.

There is nothing "ugly" about that rifle. Looks useful as hell to me.

I am not at all a Ruger fan, but the rest of the complaints crack me up. Of course they are threaded...there is literally zero sense in not having them threaded. A lot of folks are going to want a brake an a high recoiling rifle, and quite a few others are going to want to run a can. I am surprised anyone builds a centerfire rifle that not threaded, and don't see the purpose in buying one that way.

I work in production, and the bold items are getting harder and harder to achieve.

That rifle useful yes but it’s not just ugly it’s plum all the way fugly.
As far as Ruger not offering an option without a muzzle brake or not threaded is completely stupid. Yes there are people that want muzzle brakes thread etc. There are also thousands of not millions of like me there don’t want a muzzle brake or a threaded barrel. At least offer the option for having it with or without. Even if you put the thread cap on it it ruins the look of a African style rifle. If you like it fine but there are thousands just like me that don’t want threads or a muzzle brake.