New Marlin vs. New Winchester lever guns

[openwell]

Henry is building them with loading ports now.

https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/side-gate-lever-action/

Yep.
I forgot "big boy" ....et ceteta

lever guns have always been popular because of low prices, very handy & offered in "woods gun" calibers like 30/30 Win. & 35 Rem. that easily killed whitetails @ open sight ranges.

 

[openwell]

I have only two lever guns...

Winchester 94 legacy with 24" bbl in 30/30.
Winchester 1892 octagon 24" barrel in 38 W.C.F.

I get great joy shooting each with open sights as both are incredibly accurate.

I reload for both & NEVER have to worry about ammo.

plus I don't worry about customer service or gurantees neither.

the 94 was made 20 yrs ago or so
the 1892 over 120yrs ago or so.

 

[Mgderf]

Derf, I'm flummoxed as to why Mossberg hasn't expanded their lever action line. There is certainly a market out there, and Mossberg's initial offerings were very nice. I imagine a 464 in 6.5 creedmoor, or .308 would just be the bee's knees.

I have no idea why they haven't expanded that line.
Maybe they didn't sell enough .30-30's to justify it in their minds.
I would be all over another Mossberg lever gun, traditional design or not.
I buy guns for function, not form.

 

[drillsgt]

Derf, I'm flummoxed as to why Mossberg hasn't expanded their lever action line. There is certainly a market out there, and Mossberg's initial offerings were very nice. I imagine a 464 in 6.5 creedmoor, or .308 would just be the bee's knees.

I forgot about those Mossbergs, I never really handled one that I can remember. I've seen some Rossi's that looked okay but that weird little safety is a no-go for me. The one I really want is one of those take down 1892 Chiappa's.

 

[RCB]

Funny you bring this up. I've been eyeing the 150th anniversary 444 they've brought out, but recent bad reviews have had me a little cautious about spending that sort of coin on a poorly made rifle.

 

[drillsgt]

Funny you bring this up. I've been eyeing the 150th anniversary 444 they've brought out, but recent bad reviews have had me a little cautious about spending that sort of coin on a poorly made rifle.

Who reviewed it?

 

[RCB]

No one on that 150 anniversary one. I talked to Marlin and they said they hadn't even started shipping yet. However the reviews on the more recent Marlin lever action issues are numerous on youtube. Some of the issues are disappointing but not crazy, while others are simply a shocking lack of quality control. Anyone can have a bad go for a while, particularly if there is bad management. Just looking for reports of better QC. While 1900 for a lever action isn't the end of the world, I don't want binding or hobbled screws on what otherwise would be $700 rifle.

 

[TheJoker]

I inherited a Winchester 1892 Saddle Carbine from my Dad. It has the John Wayne loop lever. It is an excellent rifle; but, it is .44 Remington Magnum. So, it is pricey to shoot and it doesn't get out much.

I've always wanted a lever gun/6 shooter combo. When I got my tax refund this year, I bought a Winchester 1866 Yellow Boy(...they made a limited number for the 2018 Shot Show) and Colt Navy 1851 Open Top Conversion replica "Wild Bill" from Uberti's Lawmen and Outlaw series. I opted for .38 Special because it is a round that I already stock and plan someday to reload. Although, neither are made in the good ole USA, I'm really pleased with them both. They are well constructed, have great fit/finish and are lots of fun to take plinking!

They can be a bit addictive though. I'm already shopping around for a 1873 Winchester(...either WRA made or replica) and a Cimarron Colt Lightning.

 

[MikeHoncho]

All of my lever guns are Henry's...all rimfires though. But, whenever I do justify a centerfire lever gun it will most likely be a Henry or a Winchester, or an older Marlin.

 

[Michigan Slim]

My daughter and I both have Winchester 73s in .357. she has a Marlin 94 in .44 mag and a 336 in .30-30. I have two Winchesters in .30-30 and a 94 AE in .44 mag. Several Marlin .22s.
All that to say buy the Miruku Winchester 73. By far the best built of the bunch and smooooth right out of the box.

 

[Mgderf]

Funny you bring this up. I've been eyeing the 150th anniversary 444 they've brought out, but recent bad reviews have had me a little cautious about spending that sort of coin on a poorly made rifle.

Check the dates on those reviews, and also consider who it is doing the reviews.
From everything I've heard, Marlin quality control has advanced tremendously since the Remington takeover.

I too thought Remington was going to kill the Marlin name, and they did have a few very bad years, but I believe that is behind them at this point.
As I stated up thread, I've purchased two new Remington made Marlins in the past handful of years and they are solid built guns that perform as expected.
No binding, no buggered screws... just solid, serviceable firearms at a decent price point.

Any firearm manufacturer can turn out a lemon from time to time, but on the whole, anyone bashing the Marlin lever guns today simply don't know what they're talking about.
If you buy a new Marlin now and aren't satisfied with it, contact me, and I'll buy it, at used prices of course.

 

[three50seven]

I've had a couple new (Remlin) Marlins, a 44 and a 45/70. I ended up selling or trading both, but they weren't bad rifles. No way would I pay for a new "Winchester".

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[RCB]

There were several Marlin fans in among the reviews, some as recent as 2017 which could go either way I suppose. Good to hear that you've had good experiences! I agree anyone can turn out a lemon, just seemed like a lot of complaints in general.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Current production Marlins beat anything we have in real lever actions today.

 

[Dark Star]

I have shot a lot of all these rifles and extend an invitation to greet and meet for a hands on presentation and shoot any caliber you want.

Where might you live, if I may ask?

 

[openwell]

Where might you live, if I may ask?

FYI: and the future....

click the 4 line bar to the right of:

User Info

in this case appears Logansport, IN
I assume it's current???

btw: the above offer to buy any New Marlin that owners are dis-satisfied with at "Used Prices, of course"
is probably more than the guy paid!

record gun sales last two months so

demand & prices are heading up. up. & away.

I also agree.... the new Marlin levers are just fine. I happen to like my Winchesters cause they balance nicer and are lighter quicker handling woods guns which has been true since first time I shot a lever rifle many days ago.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Where might you live, if I may ask?

Please pm if you would like to hook up

 

[drillsgt]

Highsmith's right now has two nice Winchester 1894's, a 30-30 and a 32 Winchester Special, they are priced around 700 which is probably why they are still there but they are in great shape. At the 'last' 1500 I started to see some decent 30-30's in the 500.00 range but didn't jump. I was looking forward to going back to look for some again but then everything got shut down.

 

[two70]

Heya do any of you have any experiences with both (or either brand) winchesters and marlins of the past 5 years or so?

In dreamland I've always wanted one of the Uberti Winchesters or a Chiappa Spencer rifle (not that I think of the Spencer as a lever gun in the traditional sense) but my inner cheap guy always balks at the prices. For sure they're going to look and be nicer, be more of a functional piece of art, but I can't always afford the art part.

Yet I still keep wanting a lever gun.

Any of you had really good or really bad luck with the functionality of the current marlins and winchesters?

From hickok45 to others whose names I don't even remember, I've watched the youtubes. Just wondering how some Indiana forum posters feel. Thanks for anything contributed. ☺

Edit: oh forgot... Could you also chime in with what caliber you have, or have shot, if you reply. Been thinking .357 for myself even though I'd be getting a more traditional lever caliber if I had Uberti money.

The best way to get a good lever action for a price that is comfortable is to look for a good used one. Winchesters from the late 40's through the 50's can be found for pretty reasonable prices and are usually in really good shape. Rifles from that period don't usually seem to command the normal pre-64 premium and have likely not seen corrosive ammo so the bores are typically good.

The prices for used Marlins have gone crazy in the last decade but there are still good deals to be found. Probably one of the best deals is to look for a Marlin built rifle that was re-branded under one of many store names. The Marlin's have the advantage of being slightly easier to scope but if you want a scope on one be sure to look for one that is already drilled and tapped since there is no reason to pay a premium for an unmolested one just to drill and tap it.

As for the newer rifles, I own(ed) 2 Marlins and 2 Winchesters built in the last 15 years. The Mirroku built Winchesters are by far better built guns, both functionally and aesthetically, and are more along the lines of the work of art you mentioned. They will typically command a $200-$400 premium over a new Marlin but IMO, are a better value even at the higher price.

That is not to say that there is anything wrong with the Marlins, they're just not on the same level. One of my Marlin's was JM stamped and built well before the Remington take over. The fit and finish was definitely better than the later Remlin I own as was the smoothness of the action. However, I got very lucky that mine was in .41 mag instead of .44 mag because many of the .44 mags of that era had a lot of problems with accuracy, usually due to an oversized bore. A lot of people don't realize or mention that decline of Marlin started prior to Remington taking over and some of those late JM stamped guns were worse than many of the first Remington built ones. My newer Remlin has reasonably good fit and finish and the action is reasonably smooth.

I don't currently own any Henry rifles but have handled and shot a few. I've found them to be rather clunky and can't get past the look of them although the ones I've shot functioned well. That said, I will likely add a Henry of some kind to the collection eventually. I have to say though, I don't get the Long Ranger or why anyone would buy one when you can find a better looking, better built BLR in more calibers with more options for a similar price.

 

[Mgderf]

... I have to say though, I don't get the Long Ranger or why anyone would buy one when you can find a better looking, better built BLR in more calibers with more options for a similar price.

One mans trash is another mans treasure.