I realize that the XL7 is o longer made but was there two different series made? I think I’ve heard in the past that the good ones were the early ones. Is there a serial number that I can go by to know if I’m looking at an older good one versus one of the later one....or were they actually all built the same with no real differences?

Dan

Better talk to 260 rem guy he has a better handle on them than anyone else. Mb

All I’m aware of is the “JM” ones and the “REP” ones.

I don’t pretend to be an “expert”, so there could be other “variations”.

Main issue folks had with these guns were the extractors. Some had guns that were prone to having extractors pop out.

The only differences that I'm aware of are that the X guns were initially built in CT when Marlin was an independent company and then the production was moved to Mayfield, KY, when Marlin became part of Remington. The barrel stamps are different, with the early ones being stamped that they were made in North Haven, CT, while the later ones have the Mayfield, KY, address. The serial number scheme changed along with the production facility. The North Haven rifles having the long standing Marlin scheme where you subtract the first two number of the serial number from 100 to determine the year of manufacture. The Mayfield rifles have serial numbers that start with MM.

I have 12 X guns with serial numbers that begin with 91, indicating a 2009 production date, and 6 with MM prefixed serial numbers. I haven't noticed any difference in build quality between them.

The X guns in 223 that I have seen or owned have all had MM serial numbers, while all of the stainless X guns that I've seen or owned all had the old Marlin scheme serial numbers.

I don't know what the production run for the X guns was or how many were made. I like them because they were inexpensive and easy to swap barrels on because they used the same barrel tenon specs as the small shank Savage 110 series. I put together several Marlin X gun in 22-250 with a 1-9" ROT by rechambering Stevens 200 barrel from 223. The only catch in doing the barrel swaps is that the bolt face of the Marlins is recessed slightly deeper than the Savage bolt face, so you can get a false headspace read if the front of the Marlin bolt comes in contact with the rear of the Savage specs barrel before the shoulder of the case comes in contact with the shoulder of the chamber. This results in slightly excess headspace. I know of multiple situations where this happened and in one case where it resulted in a case separation.

Learn something all the time.my xs-7 308 is a jm gun with the 91 prefix where as my ss xs-7 7-08 has the rep stamp mayfield, but still has the 91 prefix . They were both moa shooters out of the box
. Lotta gun for the money. Mb

I would love to find a stainless XS7S or XL7S

I bought a XL7S in .270 about 8 years ago off a guy that was NIB for $250. I put a Minox scope on it and then sold it to a buddy for his adult kid. I regret doing that. The bolt was not near as smooth as my XS7 blues in .308, but it was decent shooter with 130 gr Rem Cor-lockts.

I have a few extras that I bought as donors, but probably won't ever get around to using for that purpose.

When I get back on my feet, I'll PM you with the particulars.

Thanks that would be great. Praying for your recovery.

I was the victim of an undocumented alien who was driving his employer's truck. My attorney says that he expects to win a 7 digit judgement against the employer. The undocumented alien is in jail until he is able to put up a $100K bond. The employer says that the guy who hit me presented counterfeit documentation when he was hired, but the company apparently had other undocumented aliens on their employee rolls, so their insurance company many not cover them. My attorney and I met with the employer, his attorney, and a representative of the company's insurance carrier. They offered $500K to settle out of court. We asked for $3M, $300K in lost wages, and up to $500K to cover medical expenses. We'll be going to court and ask for $6.8M. I wonder if the titanium rod in my leg will make metal detectors go off?

Damn 260 heal up and take care, best wishes for full recovery. Mb

The fibula was broken in 5 places, that's why they put the titanium rod in to stabilize it. The recovery from the surgery to put the fibula back together, to insert the rod, and to fix the torn knee cartilage is uncomfortable.

Sorry for all your trouble. Be prepared for a lot of shucking and jiving from the insurance company, and also for the possibility that the employer may just go out of business rather than pay up over the limit of coverage. Your lawyer may have already warned you about that.

My barber was hit by a commercial truck that ran a red light and he’s been through Hell trying to collect. Good luck to you.

260,

Sorry to hear about your accident. I’m an immigration judge in Atlanta and policies are changing rapidly with the new administration. Very few undocumented aliens even have a drivers license, let alone insurance. I hope you and your attorneys can find an Avenue of redress against the company that hired the illegals, because we all know that they can do it so that they can avoid paying a higher labor standard. .

Good luck, and when you are feeling better put me on your PM list for any Marlins you might sell
I’m the future.

Get wel soon!

Dan

260,

Sorry to hear on your accident... Hearing that sort of stuff just pisses me off...

I'll leave it at that.... prayers for you to heal up fast, and may it be as painless as possible...

may the guy who you, find the money to get out of jail... and then get hit by a bus or truck driven by a fellow Mexican Illegal Alien, who has no insurance...

For the money imho that line of marlin rifles is hard to beat....wish I could find one in 7-08

The illegal that murdered the young girl in Iowa set off a $hitstorm. No one in Iowa with any common sense will hire an illegal now. They either have some kind of work permit or have their "green card". I would imagine this might happen more as more illegals show up and want to work but employers don't want to take a chance with a lawsuit.

kwg

I had an early one in 25-06 and it consistently shot .75” groups at 200yds....still kick myself for selling it.

I’d like to run across a old MR7 with a model 70 safety

Bit of a bump for this thread, but I missed it the first time around. 260, I hope you are doing better.

This thread did make me curious so now I know that my XL7 is of the CT variety.

A big THANKS to everyone who has inquired about my recovery. The knee is still a little stiff, a little shaky, and weak. The rod in my leg feels like it is a different temperature than the muscle around it, hotter or cooler. The surgeon says that it is all in my head, maybe it is, but my head tells me that it feels hotter or cooler.

I am off crutches and can get up and down stairs without someone to spot me, so I'm going to follow up with the PMs that are still unresolved.

Jeff in Omaha

I am glad that you are getting back on your feet.

If you come across one of those extra Marlin XS7S stainless rifles let me know. I would love to have one.

anybody had any issues with firing pin problems in any of the Marlin bolt actions. Have an xs7 in 308 shot one round then next one went click...could see where it dented primer but was light. Any help please

I bought a Marlin SS 270 from an old friend I helped get started as a dealer from back when I repped for a Dallas based wholesaler 20 years earlier. I had just bought a blue nib Marlin 270 for $250 that morning from a guy cleaning out all of his "leftovers" that his family was supposed to pay for and had left him hanging with the extra's they "forgot about" on his CC to pay off.

I stopped off at one of my old time dealers from way back when, to get some rings and get him to mount my scope. It seems my old dealer friend had bought out all the Marlin inventory from a Louisiana wholesaler couple months earlier and suggested I check out the remaining selection if I wanted another caliber at his cost...and found his last nib 270 in Stainless Steel for a $50 bump + the trade of my nib blue 270.

Yes this SS 270 is a Kentucky built rifle, but it shoots out of the box better than a whole bunch of the low end stuff I'd bought NIB in recent years Always wondered about the Kentucky origin...But as good as this one shoots I'd buy all of the SS Marlin's I can find to use for trade goods if nothing else.
Ron

I had a Marlin X7 270 that was SS. Action was no where as smooth as my blued Marlin x7 .308. Shot good though and I only have $250 NIB for it. I should have never sold that rifle.

I still laugh when I think of the first time I took my xs-7 blued 308 I bought on closeout at Cabelas to a informal long range shoot. They come with their own rail and I dropped on a set of 30mm rings and a M3 10x Mk4 leupold with a dial calibrated for 168 bthp at 2700 fps. Bore sighted , then zero'ed at a 100 and indexed the dial. Shot at steel at various ranges to 770 yds just dialing it, didn t miss much. Guy spotting for me asked to see the rifle. He said he'd never seen one before, what did they cost? I told him I had got it on clearance for 275 and he kinda gawked at me. So then he is looking at my scope and finally ID's that with the mk4 on the bottom of the windage turret housing. He says you put a 1000 dollar scope on a 275 dollar rifle? I said yeah but I'm from SD. What the hell does that have to do with it? He says, I replied even SD guys know you wanna shoot far and hit sh*t you have to be able to see sh*t. Lol still laughing on that one. Mb

I've got a 3 day hunt scheduled at one of TP&W's most hyper popular Parks in the southern part of the Texas Hill Country, n'west of San Antonio in very early February . The Park is in a construction mode so we'll see how much of the couple ? K acres we'll have access to. Seems like TP&W has cut down on the # of tags offered, But unlike past hunts there, this year Axis are on an Unlimited Harvest basis. Weather down there is always a gamble in early spring, sooo the Marlin SS 270 is gonna get the 1st draw & mebbe the other 3 wood/blue shooters I'm thinking of taking may never get outta the truck. Got all the confidence in the world in the cheapest rifle I own. We'll see what happens weather wise and be prepared for anything weird weather wise this year. Last year at that same time Texas had the worst weather in recorded history with temp's in Dallas in the low single digits 250/300 miles to the north , and the couple Hundred M $'s in infrastructure damage is still being repaired.
Ron