.308 Marlin Express ???

[SSN Vet]

I was checking out the following link....

http://www.chuckhawks.com/308_marlin_first_look.htm

and was wondering....the article says that .308 Marling is for Marlin 336 action rifles...........specifically the XLR with a 24" barrell.

does this mean you can shoot .308 Marlin from a Marlin 336 rifle with .30-30 win chambering?

or is their going to be a new Marlin 336 that is chambered specifically for .308 Marlin?

 

[ArmedBear]

There already are rifles in the catalog.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/308MarlinExpress/default.aspx

The 308MX and the 308MXLR.

AFAIK it's a totally different cartridge from the old .30-30. The 308MX is the 336 variant, looks like an 1895 with a skinnier barrel. 22" blue. The 308MXLR resembles the other XLR's, 24" stainless.

 

[Gator]

does this mean you can shoot .308 Marlin from a Marlin 336 rifle with .30-30 win chambering?

No

...or is their going to be a new Marlin 336 that is chambered specifically for .308 Marlin?

Yes, it is a new round and not the same as either the .30-30 or the .308.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Can you say 307 winchester.

 

[ArmedBear]

.307 Winchester, except that people will be more likely to actually buy something from Marlin.

I got a chance to shoot my buddy's old -- pre-'64 AFAIK -- Model 94. It's still in perfect condition. That was a REALLY nice gun, so nice it took FN 40 years to destroy its reputation.

Anyway, I think that Marlin's solid rifles give it a shot at a market that "Winchester" didn't have since the '50s. That, and this seems to be a good time for new cartridges, for some reason.

 

[Jim Watson]

.308 Marlin is a distinct cartridge and chambering not interchangeable with any of the above. Such descriptions as I have seen are that it is like a .308 Win. with shoulder set back substantially to run through a lever action with the Hornady rubber nose spitzers. And using the powders and loading procedures they use to soup up bolt action calibers to "Light Magnum."

Hang on a couple of weeks, they will have it all at the SHOT Show.