I was at my LGS doing a transfer.
I told him a Marlin was coming in, I bought it as an investment, and he was welcome to put it on the shelf for resale as I was not coming back around for a spell.

I looked around at the weatherbys,coopers, brownings....etc........no Marlins.

He was meowing earlier about a few financial hardships he was going thru.

I spouted off " eureka! That's exactly what this outfit needs! A few Marlins!"

He started laughing so hard I thought his Pepsi was gonna come out his nose!

.

Was it a laugh of ridicule or a laugh of appreciation ?

.

I hate seeing a Marlin in a store that I have multiples of that has better furniture than the ones I own!

If people ain't buying he needs to try something else, but Marlins in that part of Idaho probly ain't it.

Surprises me that here in central Wyoming the lgs keeps a fairly good supply of lever guns in stock. Mulling over a pre safety 35rem in very good to excellent condition.

You see Marlins all through the woods in the east.

Probably not quite as popular out there.

-Jake

They were very popular in Wyoming (at one time anyway). Still fairly popular, but the bulk of leverguns on the shelf here are Henrys. IMHO part of the reason for a decline in popularity is the move to machines instead of horses. No need for a saddle gun.

I am not sure about the reason for the laugh either.
I live in the west and horseback hunt exclusively and a modern levergun suits me.
I don't care much for the Marlin but Savage 99's , Win 88's , and especially the Browning BLR's are my choices. They sure enough fit a saddle scabbard well and are capable enough with modern rounds to work anywhere in the west.
My elk and Bighorn rifle is a BLR, but I like all leverguns more or less.
The levergun is an American invention ...I will stick with it