Sears & Roebuck Model 45 / Marlin 336

[KansasTrapper77]

My LGS has a Sears model 45 in .35 Rem in. Obviously its a Marlin 336 but they aren’t exactly identical. Slightly different wood. The sears has a dovetail for both front and rear sights. As well as a slightly different barrel band. Does anyone know of anything else different between the models?

I’ve always liked the Marlin .35 Rems.

Just curious of others experience and knowledge about the Sears branded Marlins.

Thanks.

 

[horsemen61]

If the price is right I’d buy it!

 

[Gerd33]

Birch stock vs Walnut, the slightly different sights, and the Forearm front end cap on the store brand models vs the 336's barrel bands are the only difference that I'm aware of.

There are some that consider the models with the end caps as slightly more accurate than the 336s with the barrel bands.

Like the comment above, I'd definitely consider for the right price.

 

[KansasTrapper77]

Birch stock vs Walnut, the slightly different sights, and the Forearm front end cap on the store brand models vs the 336's barrel bands are the only difference that I'm aware of.

There are some that consider the models with the end caps as slightly more accurate than the 336s with the barrel bands.

Like the comment above, I'd definitely consider for the right price.

What’s the right price to you haha? The lever guns have really seemed to jump in price these days.

This one is listed at $850. I wasn’t really looking to buy it. Just interested in old rifles with a history and a story.

 

[Jim Watson]

I saw one Marlin made store brand, a Western Auto Revelation, with an odd looking Monte Carlo stock and 6 groove rifling.

 

[KansasTrapper77]

This has a band(?) and an end cap.

 

[W.E.G.]

There are small mechanical differences.

Intended to PREVENT intechangablility of parts, and to maintain the claim that the more-expensive version is differnt (and therefore better?) than the cheap version.

$850 for a rifle that sold for $60 is the place stupid peopl go.

Biggest issue seems to be incompatibility of the receiver metal with the factory finishing process used to pretty-fy the Sears receivers. Many of the receivers on the Sears guns are pitted due this failure. Maybe it was the Winchester 94 lookalike. Not sure the Marlin lookalike had the same issues.

I was looking at one a couple months back. Somebody wrote up chapter and verse on the comparsion. Might have been Wikipedia. A Google search will answer all your questions about the differences.

There is nothing about any of those Sears lever-guns that would make me pay more than $150 for one in good condition.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Here's the ad from the 1966 Spring/Summer catalog:



Given that a new repro M1 Carbine (Inland, Auto-Ordnance), similar to the one here priced at $88, today has an MSRP upwards of $1.2K, you can decide for yourself how the current levergun market compares.

https://www.lipseys.com/itemfinder?caliber=30+Carbine

BTW, I paid $700 about 15 years ago for this Wards-branded, full-stocked Heym Mauser, third rifle down on this page. Not one bit of buyer's remorse. The scope is a Sears-branded Weaver.

 

[Gerd33]

What’s the right price to you haha? The lever guns have really seemed to jump in price these days.

This one is listed at $850.

I had been somewhat collecting Marlins up until the price doubled to Tripled on them right after Remington shut down. Sadly, 850 would be a decent price for a 336 (storebrand or ortherwise).35 Rem in this area these days. Someone was willing to pay $1200 for the 336 .35Rem that was on an Estate sale auction i was at back in May.

This has a band(?) and an end cap.

I believe the comparison is between the end cap and forearm barrel band on the 336s as on this 1972 30-30.


I've personally haven't done a side by side comparison as I don't have a store brand 336.

 

[jmr40]

Some store brands bring a premium. Marlin made a run for K-mart with a straight grip and 18" barrel. They are highly sought after.

Marlin Model 30TK, "Texan", 30-30 Winchester, Made in 1989, JM Stamp (gunsinternational.com)

 

[KansasTrapper77]

I had been somewhat collecting Marlins up until the price doubled to Tripled on them right after Remington shut down. Sadly, 850 would be a decent price for a 336 (storebrand or ortherwise).35 Rem in this area these days. Someone was willing to pay $1200 for the 336 .35Rem that was on an Estate sale auction i was at back in May.

This store also has a decent Marlin 336 in .35 Rem listed for $1100.

Some store brands bring a premium. Marlin made a run for K-mart with a straight grip and 18" barrel. They are highly sought after.

Marlin Model 30TK, "Texan", 30-30 Winchester, Made in 1989, JM Stamp (gunsinternational.com)

And THIS was kinda what I was curious about. I figured some versions of the store brands would be rare and interesting and some like the one I found would be pretty basic.

Thanks for all the info. If I had more free cash I’d probably go in there and harass them over the price .

 

[Blue Brick]

There are small mechanical differences.

Intended to PREVENT intechangablility of parts, and to maintain the claim that the more-expensive version is differnt (and therefore better?) than the cheap version.

$850 for a rifle that sold for $60 is the place stupid peopl go.

Biggest issue seems to be incompatibility of the receiver metal with the factory finishing process used to pretty-fy the Sears receivers. Many of the receivers on the Sears guns are pitted due this failure. Maybe it was the Winchester 94 lookalike. Not sure the Marlin lookalike had the same issues.

I was looking at one a couple months back. Somebody wrote up chapter and verse on the comparsion. Might have been Wikipedia. A Google search will answer all your questions about the differences.

There is nothing about any of those Sears lever-guns that would make me pay more than $150 for one in good condition.

Where do you shop? I would drive to Nebraska to pick it up for $150.

 

[SwampWolf]

There are small mechanical differences.

Intended to PREVENT intechangablility of parts,

I'd like to see the evidence for this claim.

 

[ms6852]

I kick myself for giving my brother my 35 Remington . Great caliber and accurate too. Just could not deny him as I have received from him a couple of colt pythons new and original, and a 9422M Winchester, an FNX tactical 45 and can't remember what else, he is a good brother but it still hurts that I don't have that Marlin as I love lever action rifles.

 

[W.E.G.]

I'd like to see the evidence for this claim.

We can debate the intent issue.

Fact is, a lot of the parts simply don't interchange.

 

[W.E.G.]

I believe I'm actually thinking of the Sears model 54 (Winchester 94 style)

 

[SwampWolf]

We can debate the intent issue.

That's the only issue I'm addressing. It simply doesn't make any economical sense to me for a company to deliberately "PREVENT" parts from being interchanged from between otherwise identical firearms.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Some store brands bring a premium. Marlin made a run for K-mart with a straight grip and 18" barrel. They are highly sought after.

Marlin Model 30TK, "Texan", 30-30 Winchester, Made in 1989, JM Stamp (gunsinternational.com)

And THIS was kinda what I was curious about. I figured some versions of the store brands would be rare and interesting and some like the one I found would be pretty basic.

Thanks for all the info. If I had more free cash I’d probably go in there and harass them over the price .

One thing to note about the Marlin TK is that even though it was made as a KMart exclusive, the gun itself still says Marlin on it which does not make it a “store brand” but rather just another limited production Marlin.

Many limited production Marlins have been made over the years. A few that come to mind are also in 35 Remington and pretty unique in their own right.

One is the 336D. 18” barrel straight grip 35 Rem with barrel porting. 1001 made for Davidsons in 2000-2001.

Another is the 336SS-LTD. Stainless straight grip 35 Remington 18” barrel. 501 made for Davidsons in 2004-2005. This is one of only a few models of Marlin in stainless chambered for 35 Rem.

In my eyes, the 336TK is no different than these even though it has a beech stock and less than normal Marlin finishing. Kind of like a 336W (which is a version made for mass market sales from places like Walmart) with a few differences.

They are all unique in their own ways of course.

 

[Pat Riot]

We can debate the intent issue.

Fact is, a lot of the parts simply don't interchange.

That's the only issue I'm addressing. It simply doesn't make any economical sense to me for a company to deliberately "PREVENT" parts from being interchanged from between otherwise identical firearms.

I wondered about the claim @W.E.G. made as well, so I went to a source that would know. Gun Parts Corp.
On their “Manufacturers” page I went to “Sears” and found model 45.
Sears Rifle Page: https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/sears/rifles-sears

This is a screenshot of what I saw when I scrolled down to find “45”. (see green arrows)


Notice at “45” it says “See Marlin 336C”?
Also on the line for “54” there is no other reference.

I clicked on the line for 45 - See Marlin 336C SCHEMATIC and it took me to this page:
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/marlinglenfield/rifles-marlin/336-series/336c

There is nothing I could find on this page that stated there would be any parts difference from the Marlin 336C and any other model or Store Gun. I went ahead and looked at a few internal parts and found NO notes saying anything about parts not fitting a Store gun. I saw lots of Out Of Stock parts though.

 

[shootstraight57]

When I was living in N.J and when I turned 18, I applied for my shotgun and rifle permit. The Marlin 336 in .35 Remington was the first rifle I bought. I paid $65 dollars at the time and I still use it for deer in Pa. although the ammo is hard to find.

 

[Remington1911]

Only thing I can add is the "store brands" are being looked at by collectors. Seems being branded with Ted Williams, Western Auto or whatever is starting to command a premium. I have always went to the house brand over the "real" deal. Just depends on what people want.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Only thing I can add is the "store brands" are being looked at by collectors. Seems being branded with Ted Williams, Western Auto or whatever is starting to command a premium. I have always went to the house brand over the "real" deal. Just depends on what people want.

I think a substantial part of their sales appeal back in the day was that these stores seemed to be everywhere and you could bring you store-branded merchandise to them for warranty service.

That used to be an attraction for Sears Craftsman-branded tools: if you broke one, or just found a broken one in the gutter, you could take it to the nearest Sears and they would replace it with new, no receipt required and questions asked.

 

[Jim Watson]

House brands are typically plain finish but good quality. A J.C. Higgins centerfire rifle is a Mauser, a Ted Williams is a Winchester. I only once saw a Ted Williams O/U but it was a Winchester 101 with a plainer stock and no engraving. A friend has two J.C. Higgins doubles, good sound Spanish boxlocks, he would like to find a third to round out the gauges.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Western Field, the Montgomery Ward house branded lever actions were the earlier Mossberg lever actions.

I see those around here and there. Many folks confuse them for Marlins upon first glance so know what you’re looking at with these.

The most numerous OEMs for house brands are Savage, Stevens, and Mossberg. Most of these are 22 rifles of course. There are quite a few rebranded Mossberg 500 shotguns out there though. Coast to Coast is a common name to find them under. Often times, Mossberg’s name will even be on them somewhere.

The very desireable Stevens 520/620 shotguns were Sears branded for a time. Many Winchester 94s are under house brands. A few Winchester 70s although I have yet to see a pre 64 example.

This is of course a much abbreviated summary.

 

[W.E.G.]

I wondered about the claim @W.E.G. made as well, so I went to a source that would know. Gun Parts Corp.
On their “Manufacturers” page I went to “Sears” and found model 45.
Sears Rifle Page: https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/sears/rifles-sears

This is a screenshot of what I saw when I scrolled down to find “45”. (see green arrows)
View attachment 1162274

Notice at “45” it says “See Marlin 336C”?
Also on the line for “54” there is no other reference.

I clicked on the line for 45 - See Marlin 336C SCHEMATIC and it took me to this page:
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/marlinglenfield/rifles-marlin/336-series/336c

There is nothing I could find on this page that stated there would be any parts difference from the Marlin 336C and any other model or Store Gun. I went ahead and looked at a few internal parts and found NO notes saying anything about parts not fitting a Store gun. I saw lots of Out Of Stock parts though.

Its the WINCHESTER copy that is known different internally.

Something different/badly-designed about the Sears shell-lifter. Although I don't actually know whether you can just swap-in a known good Winchester part in place of the (tin?) shell-lifter in the Sears version.