Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Winchester 94 vs Marlin 336

I'm considering selling an older model Winchester 94 (no safety, top eject) and getting a Marlin 336 (unfired).

Am I crazy or is this a good idea?

Well, it kinda depends on what you want to do with a lever rifle. If you want to take advantage of the positives the Marlin offers, or it just plain ol' appeals to you more, do it.

If you want absolutely the slickest handling lever carbine, equip it with a receiver sight and stay with the Winchester.

My answer is to keep the Winchester and buy the Marlin. (grin)

I'm admittedly biased, but it sounds like a good idea to me.

Sometimes our preferences change and you just have to roll with it. Get which ever one you prefer and send the other along to someone else that will appreciate it.

Sounds just plain crazy to me, but I prefer 94s.

I like the Marlin and the Win 94 and have both, but if given the choice to have only one i will take the Winchester 94 over the Marlin any day.

I've never had a Marlin handle as good as an M94. There are advantages to the Marlin design, but a Model 94 is one fine handling rifle. It's as close to perfect-feeling in my hands as anything (rifle-wise) I've handled.

I'll be the voice for Marlin here. I've had both. I only have the Marlin now. In my humble opinion, the Marlin is just a more robustly made rifle. My guns are working guns. So if your interested in aesthetics, maybe the Win is for you. Guns to me are tools, and I like the one that works best for my application. In my limited experience, that's the Marlin.

Since they don't make Winchester 94's anymore, they will only increase in value, over and above Marlins. However, it's your gun so do whatever you want.

Both are 200 yard deer getters. Yes, you can scope the Marlin but you're still limited to 200 yards. I have a Winchester 94. If I need to shoot over 200, I use a scoped bolt action 308.

To me it's all about scope or no scope.

I would dump the 94 for a 336 any day!

Keep the 94, buy the 336 and have both! How do you ever expect to get ahead in life selling your assests off?

(That excuse worked with my wife the first few times I used it!)

I have a 336 that was my Dad's that I'd never part with. It's a 1963 production, and it's extremely slick and handles well. scoped, it's a great deer gun. That said, it's a bit clunkier than my Model 64. I have a lyman sight on that, and for an iron sighted deer gun, it's about perfect. If I were forced to choose one, and there was no sentimental value, I'd pick the 64. Just because the balance is better. But for now, I'll keep them both.

RS308MX, now what would lead me to believe that??

Not even close for me. Marlin all the way!!!!!!

Good one! Most people don't even know what a 308MX is.

Bob

Very good rifle/round.

my preference is the 336 but given its not hard to find a used one for fairly cheap i couldnt see selling the Winchester thats likely to gain value to get one......

I decided on getting the 336 and selling the 94. It was a tough decision as the Win 94 is a very sleek rifle.

Yup, me too but I'll take the Marlin anyday, especially a straight stocked one. Ain't it great that we have a choice?

You're gonna regret it. And I'm a Marlin guy. Reason I say you'll regret it is that I've regretted EVERY single sale of a gun. I'd bide my time till I could afford the 336 without selling the 94. Why sell the 94 anyway? Now that you have it, you have it. You can use it till you can afford the 336. Then you'll have both. Scope the Marlin and you have both worlds in your hands. Traditional 94, and scoped 336. Variety is the spice of life!