I have a budding Marlin collection and it is in need of a .35 Remington chambered specimen. Fortunately I was able to locate a rifle locally which happens to be a 1951 half mag waffle top. The wood and metal are in very good condition and the owner/seller is the original owner. The only issue that I can identify is the fact that it is drilled and tapped.

So, the weird part (maybe it’s not weird but it seems like it, you tell me what you think) is that two of the D&T holes are 2/3 the way back from where barrel meets atop the receiver and the other two D&T holes are atop the barrel just ahead of the receiver. Was this a common way to D&T back in the day on these models?

Besides the negative effects on value are the any other negatives regarding this style of D&T job?

What value would you place on this rifle in this condition? Call the wood 95% or better and the steel/blue 95% or better. All as it was from the factory besides the D&T job.

I’m most likely purchasing either way as I feel the price is right. Just wondering about the above questions as I am not an authority on these.

sounds like someone may have been using a long eye relief scope or something. i've seen barrels tapped like that on old remington pumps. always makes me cringe. especially when its right on the roll marks. a good smith can fill and polish that pretty nicely, a '51 SC in 35 is a nice gun. if i wanted one, i wouldn't let that stop me but it would be a serious bargaining chip. price would be maybe 350? but these days you probably wouldn't get it for that if the seller has a computer.

Yeah the D&T is a deal killer for waffle top. It has no real collector value at that point. Id still buys it as a shooter if the price was right but if buying to for collection purposes, its a no go.

How much are they asking for it?

$500 with leupold scope on it

Yup. Buy it and hunt with it.

Is it the 336A 24 inch barrel or the 336SC, carbine barrel length? If it is the 336A-DL with the checkering then that is a good price regardless. I have a few waffletops and love them all.

The third rifle down in this post is an A and it is a beauty.https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/15569404/couple-new-35-rems-added-to-the-stable#Post15569404

That gun has been on the auction site for a while.
Most guys find the drilled barrel to be a "NO". You just have to have the receiver correctly drilled and tapped.
If it is the one I am thinking of, it is a 336SC.
I have a 1950 that has also been drilled and tapped but paid $750. Correctly drilled and tapped...

Its not an A, its an SC

For 500 with a Leupy id buy it

I remember my Dad had a mid 60s Winchester 94 that was drilled and tapped on the barrel and a long eye relief system made Redfield. It included a special base mount and rings for a 3/4 inch tube low power Redfield scope. Maybe they made one for the 336 but I wouldn't know why since the 336 was side eject.

Unless you just want a hunting rifle I'd pass. It is not a collector. You will kick yourself for paying money toward this if you really want a collector. You'll have a hard time getting your money out of it when you need the money for a good deal on an original rifle. Most of us have regretted our impatience.

Some of us have regretted the hesitation and lost opportunity. Sometimes the oddball rifles can turn out to be real sweet shooters because someone actually used and took care of them.

One thing that you want to be sure of when the barrel is D&T is that the holes don’t go all the way through the barrel. Personally I’d pass although the price(especially these days) is not that bad.

So, I made the purchase after all of the info from you gentlemen. Quickly I decided that I did not like the fact that the front scope ring was mounted to the barrel. Couldn’t live with it. I removed the gloss Leupold 2.5-8x36 scope and sold the rifle with only the rings, mounts, and sling that came on it. The gentleman that purchased the rifle without scope was happy to pay $725 for it. He actually said he couldn’t believe I wasn’t asking for more considering the prices he had seen on Gunbroker lately. Never did shoot it though. Guess I’ll keep looking for a nice 336 in .35 to round out the collection.