Marlin vs Winchester
Are there any real quality or fit/finish differences between the two in CURRENT/NEW lever action models? other than side vs top ejection.
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which is better...more durable? made with better componants? speaking of pre wwII lever action rifles. Also, what is the best way to clean lead or copper from the bore without removing remaining rifleing I see lots of guns for sale and the ad says bore should clean up to be....why doesnt the seller clean it? 0 -
Not that much difference. I'd give a slight nod to Marlin in the fit & finish department, and a slight nod to the engineering design in the Winchester (many of which are John M. Browning designs).
Go with whichever feels the best to you.
One exception....if you're looking for a lever action .22 RF, the Marlin 39A is head and shoulders above anything else made.0 -
I would pick the 336 over the 94 for ease of cleaning if nothing else, but I think the fit and finsh of the 336 is a bit better too.
I love the 9422 personally.0 -
I should have been more specific. I need a "pistol" caliber rifle for silhoutte competition. I'm looking at the 1894 cowboy and 94 legacy in 357 mag. All my lever actions are Marlins, but the Winchester has a 24" vs Marlins 20" barrel. The Marlin does cost more and that is why I wanted to see what the differences were. 0 -
Marlin's seem to operate a whole lot smoother than the Winchester's. Even the 19th century vintage Marlins. 0 -
I also have a Marlin 39 that I inherited 45 years ago. I lovingly care for it, but it gets good use and is hands down THE BEST 22 lever ever. That probably made me start leaning toward Marlin.
I have had both in 44 mag, and sold the Winchester. There was not anything WRONG with it, that piece just did not have the fit/finish of the Marlin. The Win shot OK, but had less drop at the butt, which felt 'funny' to me.
BTW In my 44 revolver, I was using 255 Kieths over a compressed charge of IMR xxxx. It was the 'sweet' round for my pistol. It would not feed in the Marlin due to a slight OAL exceedance, so never got to check the dimensioning in the Marlin rifle chamber (the Win was already sold).
Go with what you like.
ENJOY !
If we do not hang together,
We will most certainly hang separately.0 -
As you stated, you have other Marlins. I have a Marlin and am about to receive a beat up winchester for free so I will have to compare after some work is done. I love my Marlin in .44mag as its dead on accurate with both specials and mags. I of course prefer to go with the mag bullets or course.
What distances are you going to shoot at? If its 100yds or less than 4" of inferior fit and finish wont make too much difference...especially if you are used to the feel of the Marlin
Anybody comes through that door, you put two in the chest and one in the head!0 -
I have a Marlin 1897T, which is a variation of the Model 39 22. I see it as better than the Winchester lever action of similar type. My dad had a Marlin Model 36, which was the predecessor to the Model 336, and it's fit and finish were very good. I have a Winchester 1894 that was made in 1898. Quality wise it's at least as good as the Model 36; but I've seen newer Winchester Model 94s that I wouldn't have carried out of the store; So unless they've changed thing, which is entirely possible, since I don't keep up on new stuff much, I'd say Marlin new products are of higher quality than new Winchester lever actions. Now bolt actions are an entirely different situation. 0 -
since you are looking for new guns in pistol calibers go with Marlin,
1st off they have more mdels to choose from ,
2nd the Marlin action is sized for pistol calibers where the Winchester really is made for the longer rifle rounds.
myself I have had more feeding problems with winchester than Marlins in the pistol cal.0 -
I personally like the Marlins. However, my .44 Mag is very finicky about what ammo it will shoot well. Also the Marlin extractors are the weak link in the design. The good news is that the extractors are cheap and very easily replaced. When I did gunsmithing, I always kept a few on hand. Otherwise they are good strong rifles. My .44 will only shoot bullets of .430 diameter well. Nosler and other .429 bullets shoot horrible groups. The .430 loads will cloverleaf at 50 yards.
Bob
Keep Your Powder Dry
The only criminal class that is native to the United States is congress.
MARK TWAIN0 -
Go with the Marlin.
I picked up an 1894 Cowboy Spec. With 24" Octagon barrel chambered in .45Colt and I wouldn't take anything for that rifle.
So far,I've only used Magtech 250gr. flat nose lead bullets in it.
But it is a hard hittin' little sucker and will absolutely knock the crap out of 1/4" steel plates at about 50 yards or so.
Plus Marlins seem to me to be a little tighter compared to Winchester.Just my opinion though.
Good Luck and good shooting with whatever you decide to go with.
Doug0 -
RayB,
I have an 1897T, fitted with a Marbles tang sight, that I use for smallbore "cowboy" silhouette. It fits me perfect and I did try to shoot it in a "pistol" caliber contest, but a .22 will only "move" a ram at 100yds and not drop it.
Gskyhawk,
I do tend to agree with you on the action design and I finally saw one of the NEW Legacy's, but wasn't overly excited. I don't think I can get used to the action or top eject, but I like the sight picture. In fact I couldn't really tell the difference between the Puma and the Winchester.
I really like the 1894 Cowboy, but for the money I think the standard carbine will do the job. I'm staying with .357 because of reloading costs and the low recoil for my son. My son is VERY recoil sensitive and I think the .357, in a rifle, will kick no worse than my 10lb .223 varmint rifle.
GaBob,
I have about 3,000 rounds through my 336 and have had no problems except for the folding rear sight popping up and getting in the way of the peep. I have heard of extractor problems, but have been very lucky to this point. The aftermarket ones look extremely durable.
Thanks0
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