Marlin 336

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  • Last Post 05 April 2014
Tom Acheson posted this 15 October 2013

I'm completely new to lever action guns. Have a chance to buy a Marlin 336 chambered in .38-55 recently re-barreled with a full octagon 1:12 twist Green Mountain barrel.

Any pros or cons on this type of a rifle for a first lever gun?

Thanks!

Tom

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 15 October 2013

if i wanted a neat lever gun, there is a sako on nra auction ( auctionarms ) right now ...its in 308, but could be rebarreled to 358 w i bet.

next down the ” interesting ” list is a browning lever ... but they are so good they might be boring ...

then we then we have the win x vs the marlin ..i have had some of each .. my choice would be a modern win 86 ...

but the marlin 336 is a better gun for shooting than the win 92/94 ...

but everyone should have a 94/92 W ...

heck, the only good answer is one of each ! ( g ) .

i gotta admit we just converted a buddies 94 in 30-30 to 38-55, with tang site, having a ball ... on our 5th mold already ... 10 gr unique for shoulder survival .

ken

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Little Debbie posted this 15 October 2013

No downside at all. The .38-55 is easy to load and shoots very accurately. Hopefully the Green Mountain barrel has modern a bore diameter around .375, makes everything easier. My Winchester 94 has a .375 bore plus a little. I size bullets to .378 and have no issues with chambering standard W-W brass. W-W and Starline brass is readily available or you can form it from .30-30 brass. I've found the Lyman 375449 works great for my 38-55 and .375 H&H which is a bonus for me.

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RDUPRAZ posted this 15 October 2013

Have a Marlin 336 Cowboy in 38-55 and it will be on my estate sale.

RD

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pat i. posted this 15 October 2013

I have a Win. 94 in 38-55 I really like and even with the pitted bore it shoots pretty good. I think if the price is right for you you'd love the gun.

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6pt-sika posted this 15 October 2013

I had a 336CB in 38-55 for awhile , natter of fact it was the first rifle I ever killed a deer using iron sights and also the first I ever killed a deer using a cast bullet !

Some folks complained alot about the barrels on the 336CB 38-55's . I never saw what they were complaining about the one I had did very nicely !

 

Now as to a rebarreled one with a Green Mountain barrel I do not know . A friend recently got a Green Mountain 17 Mach II barrel for a Ruger 77-22 he had and had nothing but trouble . Matter of fact they sent him 3 barrels over the course of 6 weeks and he never got one that shot worth a darn .

I have a Green Mountain barrel on one of my Knight muzzle loaders and it does very nicely and is almost 20 years old .

 

I liked the 38-55 cartridge almost as much as I like the 32-40 cartridge . And the 32-40 is in my top 3 lever gun cartridges .

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 15 October 2013

I have the Win 94BB in .375 Win. GREAT and FUN gun. GET the 336!

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argie1891 posted this 16 October 2013

I have a marlin cowboy in 38-55 and it has become one of my favorite rifles. I have shot some really small groups with it and one little white tail. A real sweet fun gun go for it. one nice thing about the marlin cowboy is it has Ballard rifling. and as said above real easy to load for it is one reason I keep my wife around as she surprised me on valentines day a few years ago. argie1891

if you think you have it figured out then you just dont understand

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giorgio de galleani posted this 16 October 2013

You cannot have too many Marlin leverguns.

A 38/55 with modern neck throat and bore dimensions is a very nice caliber.

The 1-12 twist is great for light and heavy bullets.

What a pity I have never found a 36-55 Marlin in Italy.

Years ago I had a 94 Winchester commemorative in 38-55 ,it was rattling like stones in a tin box, and got rid of it . Pre 64 guns were made much better.No wonder that Winchester has been shut.

PS

People that criticize micro groove barrels has not noticed that miocro grooved barrels run a little larger than traditional barrels and need fatter bullets to fit.

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tturner53 posted this 13 December 2013

I really like my Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. It's a shooter with cast bullets. Using a Williams receiver sight yesterday I was putting them in about 2” at 100 yds. A few leaked out of the group but I think it's me, not the gun. With a scope it'll do better. I shoot a variety of bullets thru this gun but it really likes the Ranch Dog 190 which was designed for this gun. My mold casts both GC and PB versions. Yesterday's load was the plain base, tumble lubed as cast, over some SR 4756. This may be a postal match load for the Levergun match. Shoots better than I can hold or see. With the GC version wearing home made aluminium gas checks it's a serious hunting tool. Don't overlook the old .35 Remington. I think it may be about the perfect combination for a cb shooter/hunter.

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Shoeinjoe posted this 22 January 2014

Hope this is the right forum.  I have two Marlin 336's both in .35 Rem.  One made in 1960 and the other in the 80's.  I am having trouble with cast bullets.  They will stick in the rifling and pull from the case when ejected.  The bullets are crimped pretty tight.  I am using a RCBS 35 200 FN mold.  The bullet is sized to .358 and is .895” long with a gas check.  The over all cartridge length is 2.43".  I do not have this problem with jacketed bullets. Any Suggestions? solutions?

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corerf posted this 22 January 2014

Sounds like the throat is a bit small for the nose of the bullet which doesnt get sized. Its the nose that sticks so the nose has to move back.

Not sure if you can seat deeper. I have that mold and I seat to the crimp groove but for a single shot. There is a band IIRC in front of crimp. Try covering the band and crimp over it. That should be deep enough to keep the bullet from sticking.

Bottom line is the bullet is too large diameter in the nose, by just a few ten thousandths. This is a good problem to have.

If you dont cycle the action to create a problem, how does it shoot?? Just wondering. Might be very accurate.

Th

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tturner53 posted this 22 January 2014

Yep. Not much wiggle room with the 336 .35 Remington. You just have to seat 'em deeper, reduce oal.

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norm posted this 22 January 2014

If you have a H&I die .355 or a bit smaller run the RCBS bullet in nose first to size the front band down a little. Use a flat top punch in the lubesizer. Just size the front band. I t does not take much. My 35 Remingtons in Marlin 336's need the front band at .356 for trouble free chambering and ejecting.

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Shoeinjoe posted this 23 January 2014

I can keep most loads under 1.5” at 100 yds.  I haven't shot any cast bullets in the 336's yet.  Was a little hesitant because of the sticking. I would have to seat the bullet almost a quarter inch deeper to avoid the sticking issue.  I guess my real question is - do I have a mold that's not within tolerance. I really don't want to have to shoot the rifle every time that I chamber a round.

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Shoeinjoe posted this 23 January 2014

That an idea that I havent thought of.  I'll have to try it.  Thanks!

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Coydog posted this 16 March 2014

tturner53 wrote: Yep. Not much wiggle room with the 336 .35 Remington. You just have to seat 'em deeper, reduce oal. I have found the same thing with the 30-30 also and seat them deeper and reduce the load also and check the signs to make sure that the over pressure is not there also.and also I found that it is also tight chamber also.I got the Lee factory crimp die and take care of the problem to feed better also.I also had to do it with the marlin 44mag also to use the Lee die also.to feed better.That is what I have found.

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Tom Acheson posted this 16 March 2014

The “tapered” Saeco 571 and the Lee Factory Crimp are turning out to be a good combination so far with the 336 in ,38-55. Just received my second Accurate mould, this one 4-cavity, a copy of the Lyman 375499 without the gas check and with progressively tapered bands like the 571. His model # is 38-245D. We'll see.....

Off to the local gun show to man the CBA table.

Tom

Tom

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windy posted this 05 April 2014

modern bore and chamber? might be ok for a 1st levergun. small chamber/large bore oldie? not so good. i have an 1894dl with the double set triggers and a marbles tang sight that doesn't work with anything i've fed it--and i've tried a lot. only thing i haven't tried (because i can't find the powder) is a smallish charge of unique. i've paid a buck and more a bullet for jacketed and tried all sorts of store-bought cast projectiles with little or no joy--and this with a pristine bore. (slugs .381-ish) can't use winnie brass; got a bunch of short starline. ok, my eyes are nearin' 69 y'ars vintage, and i ain't the world's best rifleman, but i can get 2” groups at 100 all day with my marlin 336a 32 special with jacketed; even factory, and the same with my 336a .35 rem, so why am i lookin' at 5” with the winnie? don't know. oh, well,once i get 'em shootin' right, i put 'em back in the safe fer a few years, so maybe it's all fer the best. don't try an oldie for yer first one; it's tough enough for yer 12th. mind yer topknot! windy

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