I've had this rifle for a while, a 1957 Marlin 336 in .219 Zipper, but haven't used it for anything furry until now. The bullet I found that shoots great and allows full use of the 5 round tubular magazine is the 35 grain Midway dogtown hp, loaded to about 3600 fps. I picked them up here on the fire a year or two ago during the component crunch. I do not planning on shooting any volume at that velocity, to preserve the throat.

It got a Leupold 1.75-6 and shoots under an inch with the little HP bullet. I found out yesterday that with the heavy barrel these have, they are a beast to carry for miles and miles. I guess that's the price you pay to make a Marlin 336 in a Zipper shoot well. I hear the earliest Marlin Zippers had a lighter barrel, but when accuracy didn't live up to Marlins expectations, the barrel was redesigned and made heavier. It has Marlin's famous Micro-groove rifling.

I don't remember how many Marlins were made like this, not a lot, but you come across them from time to time. I'd recommend one to a gun crank that can reload.

The Zipper cartridge was first offered in the 1930's, and is a necked down 30-30. Brass for the Zipper is easy enough to make, and is a fun project on a cold day. The Zipper appeals to me because it's unusual, effective, and brass can made from readily available 30-30's. The cartridge essentially works as a .223, (who uses a .223 to good effect?), but functions in a rifle made for a rimmed 30-30 size bolt face. The Marlin mechanism functions like butter. The only hangup so far is that the two hammer extensions I have don't stay on, so getting to the hammer under the scope is a challenge. I'm assuming I have the wrong one's for proper fit and that can be remedied. I believe the ideal rifle for this cartridge, if thinking levers, wouldn't be the Marlin, but would be a Savage 99. A Savage has no hammer to mess with, and would allow any pointed bullet with it's rotary magazine. That would open up a world of great bullet options, including the newer big game mono's.

I think improving this case would make a lot of sense, but not in a valuable and rare original Marlin Zipper.

Anyway, I was able to get one coyote and a couple jacks with it yesterday, so the old Zipper is a shooter.

Have a good week all.

That's one rifle I should have bought a few years ago at a gunshow

I remember you mentioning this before. I wonder how hard it would be to just re-barrel a standard 336 to the Zipper? I wouldn't personally do it, but I would do a 99, in an improved Zipper, or 225 Winchester.

It sure is fun making the cases and shooting a "223" made with 30-30 brass. Makes ya feel like you're getting away with something sneaky...

Fireball2: Enjoy your nifty Zipper and thanks for the cool pictures of the Rifle and the Varmint.
"I" had a chance at one of those Rifles years ago.
I was serving on the Board of Directors of the Washington Arms Collectors Association and one of our 16,000 members died and left his gun collection to our Associations building fund!
I helped set up the arms for auction and the one Rifle I saw that I wanted to bid on personally was a Marlin 336 in 219 Zipper.
I just fell in love with that heavy barrel lever actioned Varmint Rifle at first sight.
So up comes the Rifle for live bidding and its me and one other person bidding on it!
And dang it that person was my good friend Russ Haydon (owner of Russ Haydons Shooters Supply) and I wimped out as soon as I saw it was my friend and one time Varminting partner, Russ.
To this day I wish I had outbid Russ because I have as yet to run across another of these cool Rifles in this caliber.
Again, enjoy that nifty Rifle to the max.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks VG, cool story you relayed there. Isn't it funny the one's we let get away never really leave us?

Do you remember what the gun went for at auction? Hopefully you let Russ know what a friend did for a friend that day, and he let you play with his new toy!

It is a fun cartridge, but overall I do not enjoy the weight of the Marlin. On the plus side of the ledger, it holds well with all that weight out front. I think I should stick with Savages.

Prices haven't quite leveled off yet on the 336 Zipper...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=455262516#DESC

Once had a 99 that had been rebarreled to 219 Zipper. Enjoyed it immensely! Then.........
"like a fool, a crazy fool"

I let it slip thru my hands for nothing more than money.:(
Cheers

That rifle is a beauty Fireball. I agree with you on how it handles. Very nice.

That is cool as hell! I've never shot one, but the cartridge has always intrigued me. If a guy could rebarrel a 336 to it, and it would shoot as well as yours it'd be worth doing. I love my Marlin lever guns, and I love centerfire .22s. Combined would be uber.

I'm thinking there isn't any reason a 336 couldn't just be rebarreled to shoot a Zipper with no other mods. Anybody try it?

One note, when I went to find dies for this I found quite a few more sets of Zipper Improved dies for sale than straight Zippers. Seems there might have been quite a crop of improved Zippers floating around at one time.

My gears are turning on this. Would be practical too.

What you thinking?

Find the cheapest 336 I can find, and price out a barrel swap.

Given that they are rare, but that GB guy has been smokin somethin!
I have a Savage 99 that as been rebarreled to 219Zip,
and have loaded some cartridges for it, but haven't gotten around to shooting it yet.

What about bullets in the tube mag.. Do you use those 218 bee flat nose.. Or do they make a flat nose that is in the 55 gr. I think the zipper in a lever gun would be at its best with heavier bullets as a farm gun...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/93...-grain-hollow-point?cm_vc=ProductFinding

I think that sounds about right. You got any photos for us to drool on?

Sorry, no pics....it's just an old 99 with a pachmayer swing mount & B&L 2-8.....

I have an old school Zipper.....


on an old school pair of Jeans...

I do know of a .219 Zipper custom built on a Marlin 336 here in so.west Idaho. I see it at every gun show. Same guy sold an original .219 Marlin a couple years ago for $750. I think I could locate the guy or talk to him at the next gun show. I've been interested in building a .219 on a '99 Savage for awhile. Looking for a beater '99 for a donor action.