Talk me out of a 18.5" large loop Marlin in 30-30 for a good price.

[El Cid]

Do it!

[JoeSixPack]

I'd be on it like a hobo on a ham sandwich if the price is right. $300, no brainer. $400, probably given the scope. $500, going to check my safe to see if I already have one. $600, was it signed by Chuck Conners? FWIW, I just bought a fairly nice Western Field (rebranded 336) for $200 from the local Gander Outdoors. Felt like I stole it.

[jlw]

I got the chance to handle one of Black models the other day, and the action was very smooth. The trigger was nice too. I do NOT like the large loop levers. I understand them for people in really cold areas that may be running mittens or large gloves, but otherwise, it's just too much room. It gives the shooter's knuckles a running start to whack against the steel lever.

I see that you are in the Pacific NW. I will possibly be teaching my levergun class at the Firearms Academy of Seattle in the third week of September in 2020.

[Totem Polar]

I see that you are in the Pacific NW. I will possibly be teaching my levergun class at the Firearms Academy of Seattle in the third week of September in 2020.

How about that. Please feel encouraged to keep us posted.

[Lester Polfus]

How about that. Please feel encouraged to keep us posted.

Yes please.

[jlw]

How about that. Please feel encouraged to keep us posted.

Yes please.

I talked with FAS yesterday. As it stands right now, that weekend is reserved for me to teach either an exclusive levergun class or a combined levergun/shotgun class on one day and a pistol class on the other day. We're still working over some contingencies.

My concern is that while the levergun class fills at events like TacCon, it doesn't sell very well as a stand alone class, and getting out to the WA is no small task. It's just not feasible for anything less than a fully sold class.

We're still hashing over whether to try to run a full levergun class or combined levergun/shotgun class.

[Robinson]

I got the chance to handle one of Black models the other day, and the action was very smooth. The trigger was nice too. I do NOT like the large loop levers. I understand them for people in really cold areas that may be running mittens or large gloves, but otherwise, it's just too much room. It gives the shooter's knuckles a running start to whack against the steel lever.

I agree with this, and I feel that large loop levers are best wrapped in leather.

[Lester Polfus]

I talked with FAS yesterday. As it stands right now, that weekend is reserved for me to teach either an exclusive levergun class or a combined levergun/shotgun class on one day and a pistol class on the other day. We're still working over some contingencies.

My concern is that while the levergun class fills at events like TacCon, it doesn't sell very well as a stand alone class, and getting out to the WA is no small task. It's just not feasible for anything less than a fully sold class.

We're still hashing over whether to try to run a full levergun class or combined levergun/shotgun class.

Funny you should mention that. I was perusing your website last night, and my first thought was "I wonder if he'll do a combined levergun/shotgun class" and my second was "I wonder if enough people will sign up for the class to run."

I'm in. My formal training fell by the wayside after my daughter was born, and it's one of my "next year" plans to ramp back up. My two primary long guns are a lever gun and a pump shotgun. I need a recent long gun class, but spending the day blowing rounds through an AR won't help me much.

My wife and I have already agreed we'll pull the camper up to Ike Kinswa State Park, about 20 minutes from FAS. They'll make a day of it while I go shoot and then we'll turn it into a family weekend.

Given the weirdness we've seen in Washington, the class may do better than you think. Lever guns are my "Plan A" but even for folks in Washington with ARs, there have to be quite a few who are thinking about a "Plan B."

Please let us know when the the class goes live. I can think of a few places where I could post about it, like the Hill People Gear forum.

To drift the thread BACK to the original topic....

The only thing that would give me pause about the 336BL is that the lever is TOO big. It's actually less efficient to run the gun at speed, as your hand has to go banging around inside the lever. If you find it objectionable, used 336 levers with the normal profile can be had for $35 or so, and are easy to swap in. Ranger Point Precision makes a lever with a larger than standard profile that looks just right, although I've not tried one.

[OlongJohnson]

Ranger Point's medium loop lever is a happy medium for me. I have big hands and standard loops don't work the way I'd like.

Agree, I wouldn't buy one built after 2007. I have a 1997 build and it's rough enough on the inside to make me reconsider proceeding any further down the Marlin path. Might have to investigate the products of Miroku if I do.

[Lester Polfus]

I have a 2019 production Marlin 1894c and it is a perfectly functional rifle with no issues. I've inspected plenty of recent production Marlins and didn't see things like canted barrels, crooked scope mounting screws and etc.

There was a period where they shipped some utter shit out the door. All the indications from objective sources are that they've fixed themselves to the point they don't seem to be any worse than other American gun makers.