pete1 wrote:Hello,
So as we all know Marlin was brought out by Remington a few years back and the story goes quality dropped, I have heard conflicting reports if there qualities improved or not since then to now, and was just wondering if any of you guys have used these guns lately and have any opinions on there quality?
Thanks
Peter
I bought a new 336W chambered in 30/30 in 2014 - not sure when it was manufactured. Not once has it malfunctioned after 2500+ rounds, and it's now silky smooth (was a bit gritty at the start). I strongly suggest replacing the trigger with something like the "Wild West Trigger Happy" kit though - those factory triggers are HEAVY
Also replace that factory dovetail ASAP; it's pretty lack-luster and quite hard to use (with any degree of accuracy) - i.e. a real "truck gun" sight. On mine I have a Williams FP-336 aperture receiver and a Lyman 17AHB .404" front, this combo works a treat and can be very accurate (if you do your part). Those two mods alone turn a good, practical rifle into a real shooter.
My only complaint with my 336W that it's finicky when it comes to ammo; Remington and Winchester factory grouped to 3moa+
Rather than just defaulting to your classic 150gr, I get the feeling those new Remington barrels like a heavier projectile; ~160-170gr seems like the sweet spot; be sure to give these a look-in at some stage during your testing. I've got my handloads down to consistent <=2moa now, but it's been a long and arduous road getting here; ping me if you want more tips about accurazing, as there's many
many areas you can tweak to get her to group tighter.
If you just wanna shoot factory (but accuracy is important to you), try and order in some Federal
http://www.federalpremium.com/ammunitio ... ifle/3030b through your LGS. Else if you hand-load, try the Sierra 170 grainers - they seem to work pretty well.