Vincent Price
Member
Hi Guys,
I am thinking about getting a 336. I want to put a long Picatinny rail on it so I can mount a normal scope and a scout scope (like one from XS sights). I want to use it basically as an all purpose rifle, not as a collectors item.
My concern is the quality of the newer Marlin production. You can read a lot about quality issues. I wouldn't mind that so much I'm really not the "everything used to be better in past decades" type, but I have had a terrible first hand experience myself with a Remington 870.
I bought a new (freedom arms group era) 870 Express in 2013. I was absolutely not impressed by its quality, the action went scratchy and bot the metal and wood parts were cheap looking and feeling. But I really wanted a pump action shotgun and bought it anyway.
Later in 2013 I bought a cheap beat up old 870 from the 70s for spare parts. I couldn't believe this was the same gun. The action was (in comparison) extremely smooth, There was nothing on this gun that wasn't better by far than on the new 870 Express. Needless to say I sold the new one and kept the old.
What quality can I expect if I get a "Remlin" now? Is it similar? I have played with the Remlin of a friend. It was ok. But I have no idea how steady their quality is and if I can expect the same as my friend or have to prepare for a bad surprise.
The logical step would be to get a used old "pure bred" Marlin. They are available and not too expensive.
But that might make the fitting of the XS rail difficult as I can't tell for sure which one from which decade it will readily fit and which one it won't.
Unfortunately the gunsmiths in my area are not too proficient with this gun because it's quite exotic over here. Besides I really would like to avoid the gunsmith as much as I can because they are obscenely expensive.
What is your experience with Remlins?
What would you recommend? Take the risk of a scratchy toy gun feeling remlin or take the risk of a non fitting XS sights rail?
I am thinking about getting a 336. I want to put a long Picatinny rail on it so I can mount a normal scope and a scout scope (like one from XS sights). I want to use it basically as an all purpose rifle, not as a collectors item.
My concern is the quality of the newer Marlin production. You can read a lot about quality issues. I wouldn't mind that so much I'm really not the "everything used to be better in past decades" type, but I have had a terrible first hand experience myself with a Remington 870.
I bought a new (freedom arms group era) 870 Express in 2013. I was absolutely not impressed by its quality, the action went scratchy and bot the metal and wood parts were cheap looking and feeling. But I really wanted a pump action shotgun and bought it anyway.
Later in 2013 I bought a cheap beat up old 870 from the 70s for spare parts. I couldn't believe this was the same gun. The action was (in comparison) extremely smooth, There was nothing on this gun that wasn't better by far than on the new 870 Express. Needless to say I sold the new one and kept the old.
What quality can I expect if I get a "Remlin" now? Is it similar? I have played with the Remlin of a friend. It was ok. But I have no idea how steady their quality is and if I can expect the same as my friend or have to prepare for a bad surprise.
The logical step would be to get a used old "pure bred" Marlin. They are available and not too expensive.
But that might make the fitting of the XS rail difficult as I can't tell for sure which one from which decade it will readily fit and which one it won't.
Unfortunately the gunsmiths in my area are not too proficient with this gun because it's quite exotic over here. Besides I really would like to avoid the gunsmith as much as I can because they are obscenely expensive.
What is your experience with Remlins?
What would you recommend? Take the risk of a scratchy toy gun feeling remlin or take the risk of a non fitting XS sights rail?