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NEW MARLIN CB'S, SO SAD!!


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LGS got in 4 NEW Marlin Cowboys in 357 !!! YAY!! I was excited because word here was they were so much

better than previous....NOT SO!!!

First one  was so tight and sticky it actually STUCK!!!Second one was smooth, so I  actually

got to checking the wood, it was nicely grained, BUT and it's a big BUT.....

The butt stock actually had so much gap between it and the receiver you could MORE than

see daylight thru it , you could've fit a dime in between it!!!!  Which means with any real

usage that stock would have cracked due to lack of support.

Did not look at the third or fourth, not sure why?!

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I looked at a Marlin 1895 Cowboy in the local gunshop and it had about a credit card gap between the buttstock and reciever.  I didn't try to find out when it was made.  If your worried about the stock of a 1984 in 357 Magnum failing,  how about one in 45-70?

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I have one and the action is not nearly as smooth as my 1894C. So far two of the dreaded "marlin jams" have reared their ugly face.  I had to take off the lever in both instances to clear it. 

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Looked at a regular, not CB Marlin 1894 in 45 Colt a couple of weeks ago at a LGS. The fit wood to metal was poor, there was visible rust on the top of the barrel and the loading gate had obviously had numerous rounds loaded thru it because a lot of bluing was worn off. I would have sworn it was a used gun, but shop said no, brand new. Went to Cabelas and tried to look at one there, but they refused to take the trigger lock off so I walked.The fit and finish on that one was good.

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22 minutes ago, Boulder Canyon Bob# 32052L said:

Went to Cabelas and tried to look at one there, but they refused to take the trigger lock off so I walked.The fit and finish on that one was good

 

I'm through with Cabelas. Last Friday we drove 3 hours through a hellatious thunderstorms to find the gun in their Gun Library had been sold the day before.   I called up their website and showed the salesman it said available.  He said, "We don't have control over that. The computer guys take care of it.".   Pretty disappointing.   Poor busines management.  Went to gun counter and asked to see a Pietta single action with 60 Army grips, lowered hammer, etc.  It's the one pictured when you search for Pietta.  He took down the catalog number and looked it up. Not only they didn't have one there, (if I understood right) there was none in inventory anywhere.   He committed it was probably discontinued.  In fact, they had no Pietta single actions in the store.  Drove 3 hours home in the rainempty handed. 

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Cabela's used to be a good place for BP revolvers (even online), but since Bass Pro Shops took the reigns last year, Cabela's has a different business model.

 

I am also one who will not give them the time of day regarding guns.

 

Jim

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I have seen this over and over, at gun shows, and gun shops. 

One gun shop I visited had an older, used Marlin, that was probably 20 years old, and a brand new one, on the rack. Both rifles were out in the aisle, so anyone could look at them and handle them.  I compared them both, right there, to see what was what.  It was amazing.  The older Marlin had a rich blue finish, the wood to metal fit was perfect, the action was smooth, but not loose.  The wood was the American black walnut, and was solid, without any marks or dents.  The new Marlington had a dull black finish on the metal.  I could not tell if it was a type of bluing, or if it was spray painted on.  There were gaps between the "stock" and the metal, that you could fit the edge of a playing card into.  I have no clue as to what kind of wood it was, it had no grain, that I could see.  I can say the wood finish was dull.  Amazingly the front sight was not straight but was canted to the left on the barrel.  I wondered if this was a special order rifle for Jack Elam, but then I remembered he had passed away. I tried to work the lever, but it was stuck tight, in the receiver.  I did not force it, since I was not anxious to have to buy the thing, in case I broke it somehow.  I am not sure where the quality control people were, when this rifle escaped the factory.  Perhaps they don't have any quality control people, I don't know. 

I have been told that the quality of the rifle's have improved over time, but the last one I looked over, a few weeks ago, did not seem to be too improved.

Right now, all I can say is: Rest In Peace, Marlin.  Let's hope there is a resurrection of quality, for these American icons, at some point-in-time.

My Two Bits.

W.K.

 

 

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On 6/25/2019 at 6:12 PM, sourdoughjim said:

Cabela's used to be a good place for BP revolvers (even online), but since Bass Pro Shops took the reigns last year, Cabela's has a different business model.

 

I am also one who will not give them the time of day regarding guns.

 

Jim

 

Their prices on the cap guns aren't higher from what I remember, but they've stopped having their sales on them.

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Begavin....... thanks for posting the pics.

 

I've worked on a couple of the newer 94's and found them well made with good wood to metal fit and clean inside.

 

Its just a GUESS of mine, but its possible that some of these sub-par 1894 rifles could be holdovers from

some of the original, first produced Remington stuff.

 

From experience, I can also share this info:   During the last couple years of Marlin produced 1894's, 

workmanship was also shoddy.

Some of the latest 1894's I've seen and handled makes me think Remington is making efforts to produce

a good 1894....... But only time will tell.

 

..........Widder

 

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Thanks for the good words.

Mine was strictly luck of the draw.
They were out of stock everywhere... I found this one at classic firearms in s. carolina, IIRC.
Bought sight unseen.

I was operating on the assumption Marlin has been in the new factory for 10 years now.
Hopefully they have their growing pains ironed out.
I chose the Marlin over the Winchester because I wanted the side eject, and it gave me a general feel of "more sturdy."

The only problem I had with it is the receiving FFL put on the Marlin lock, but forgot to put the key in case.
A diamond blade and hack saw made short work of that in just a few minutes.

I had a good laugh over that one.

2019.04.24-Marlin-Lock.20x.stack.sfw.jpg

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I'm not a fanboy, nor do I have a dog in the fight about JM vs Remlin.

I just wanted an 1894CB, and wound up with a decent one.
The problem with CCS (cheap chinese... stuff) is not that they make poor products, but the specs for those products are poor.

The companies that outsource their manufacturing to China can opt for high quality designs, or the lowest possible price point.
Hence, CCS.

I gave up on American vehicles after my new 1977 Chevy and new 1983 Dodge turned out to be such pieces of crap, and I never went back.
My experience with Remlin today:  I would buy again, if need be.




 

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I really really wish when someone sees a "new" Marlin in a store that they would look at the Serial # and see when it was made.  I suspect that these terrible fit firearms are hold overs from 10 years ago and not 2019 production runs.

 

 

 

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There is a barrel stamp that shows the month and year.

My top photo above shows "BN" which is Jan/2019.


Production date of Remlins is on the barrel.
This is different from the serial number, which always has the MR prefix.


Based on the code word:  BLACKPOWDERX

    BN=January 2019


    The month letter,

    B = Jan
    L = Feb
    A = Mar
    C = Apr
    K = May
    P = Jun
    O = Jul
    W = Aug
    D = Sep
    E = Oct
    R = Nov
    X = Dec

    The year letter,

    E = 2010, F = 2011, G = 2012, H = 2013, I = 2014, J = 2015, K = 2016, L = 2017, M = 2018, N = 2019

 

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26 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

I really really wish when someone sees a "new" Marlin in a store that they would look at the Serial # and see when it was made.  I suspect that these terrible fit firearms are hold overs from 10 years ago and not 2019 production runs.

 

 

 

Dave , how would one tell from the serial number. Is there some way to determine what year by a letter code or beginning numbers ??

I was familiar with the old Marlin system ; first two numbers subtracted from 100 = mfg. year , but am not up on how to decipher the newer ones.

Rex :D

 

Which bgavin answered while I was typing. Patience , Grasshopper. :lol::lol:

 

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What we all want, and wish for, is quality, but even more important, consistent quality, in the firearms we use, and have fun with.  Once-in-a-while quality is not good enough.  We all want that for Marlin, and we must insist on it, because Marlin had a standard, at one time, and we insist it meet or exceed that standard.  There are still a lot of Marlin's out there to compare to the new one's, and still plenty of us that are old enough to know.  We want Marlin/Remington to succeed, not only because Marlin is an American iconic rifle, that dates back to the American West, but because it is an American company that is manufacturing them.  The employees, and most of all, the managers, need to take it personally, if one of their rifles leaves the factory in a substandard state.  American companies should produce only excellence, and excellence on a consistent basis! No exceptions! 

In my gun show, and gun shop observations, I have not seen a quality Marlin like our Guest Pard, bgavin, has pictured above.  That tells me the quality and excellence are still not consistent.  The management sets the tone for a company, so the fault lies with them.  There has to be a change of heart and mind, to get consistency, in excellence, and to never settle for less. 

Come on Marlin/Remington...we are rooting for ya!  Git-R-Done!!! (from the movie, Red River, as said by Harry Cary Sr., long before Larry the Cable Guy put a copyright on it). 

My Two Bits.

W.K.

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On 6/24/2019 at 3:22 PM, Dutch Nichols, SASS #6461 said:

LGS got in 4 NEW Marlin Cowboys in 357 !!! YAY!! I was excited because word here was they were so much

better than previous....NOT SO!!!

First one  was so tight and sticky it actually STUCK!!!Second one was smooth, so I  actually

got to checking the wood, it was nicely grained, BUT and it's a big BUT.....

The butt stock actually had so much gap between it and the receiver you could MORE than

see daylight thru it , you could've fit a dime in between it!!!!  Which means with any real

usage that stock would have cracked due to lack of support.

Did not look at the third or fourth, not sure why?!

I would call Marlin with the serial number, to find when it was made.

The last batch of M/94's I saw were a vast improvement over what I handled about a year ago.

OLG

 

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On 6/24/2019 at 3:22 PM, Dutch Nichols, SASS #6461 said:

LGS got in 4 NEW Marlin Cowboys in 357 !!! YAY!! I was excited because word here was they were so much

better than previous....NOT SO!!!

First one  was so tight and sticky it actually STUCK!!!Second one was smooth, so I  actually

got to checking the wood, it was nicely grained, BUT and it's a big BUT.....

The butt stock actually had so much gap between it and the receiver you could MORE than

see daylight thru it , you could've fit a dime in between it!!!!  Which means with any real

usage that stock would have cracked due to lack of support.

Did not look at the third or fourth, not sure why?!

 

To bad you didn't write down any of the serial numbers, as it sounds like they're NOS.

OLG

 

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37 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

 

To bad you didn't write down any of the serial numbers, as it sounds like they're NOS.

OLG

 

 

I didn't think Remington got off the ground with 357s until recently.   Maybe in the early stages if takeover?

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Doubt it was NOS new old stock

My dealers distributor was out for months 

the distributor had them on backorder from 

Marlin and just got them in

they called my guy and asked if he was still

interested and he took 4

Warden  is right the 357’s just became available again recently

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3 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

I didn't think Remington got off the ground with 357s until recently.   Maybe in the early stages if takeover?

 

Hey Warden.

Of the few .38/.357's I checked out in the earlier years of Remingtons ownership,  I don't think they understood

the timing aspects of the shorter cartridges.

It seemed easier for them to make .44's and .45's, but they just couldn't get the .38/.357 to work right.

I had a couple BRIEF email exchanges with one of their 'managers' and I honestly felt like I was

sharing information with someone who had no clue about anything on the rifle.

 

..........Widder

 

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10 minutes ago, Dutch Nichols, SASS #6461 said:

Doubt it was NOS new old stock

My dealers distributor was out for months 

the distributor had them on backorder from 

Marlin and just got them in

they called my guy and asked if he was still

interested and he took 4

Warden  is right the 357’s just became available again recently

With some of the shady stuff Remmy has pulled....

I wouldn't be surprised if they had sat at Rem. for a spell.

No way will we know for sure without knowing the serial numbers.

OLG

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6 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

With some of the shady stuff Remmy has pulled....

I wouldn't be surprised if they had sat at Rem. for a spell.

No way will we know for sure without knowing the serial numbers.

OLG

 

Next time we're on a tour of our toy stores,  I'll ask the owners what they do when they open a box and find a gun that is obviously screwed up.   I'm wondering if these were rifles rejected,  returned and just sent back out.  

 

We were in a gunshop just yesterday and I noted a Marlin 336 Youth 30-30.  The crown was awful.  I didn't pick it up to look it over otherwise. 

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1 hour ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

I didn't think Remington got off the ground with 357s until recently.   Maybe in the early stages if takeover?

 

That's true but it doesn't mean that these wern't sitting in a back room somewhere for several years only to be discovered and sent out as current manufacturer.

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1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

That's true but it doesn't mean that these wern't sitting in a back room somewhere for several years only to be discovered and sent out as current manufacturer.

 

Truer than you may realize.

 

About 4 years ago, Remington allowed some of the 'Returned' 1894's in .38/.357 to be sold to some employees

for $300 with a confident word that "These have been made right".

 

My story comes directly from an employee who bought one of them and gave it to me to Widderize.

 

I noted 9 QA issues with that rifle.    There was NO WAY anyone checked it before

selling it because it WOULD NOT feed the first round because of horrible timing.

In other words, the very first round created the Marlin jam.

 

I made note of those 9 issues.  I then fixed the rifle and turned it into a real nice competitive Marlin

for Cowboy shooting.   The owner loves it.

Actually, the owners Dad is also a Cowboy shooter and wanted to buy it but was turned down..... :D

That was what the Dad told me.

 

Its possible, and probable,  that your comment is more correct than most of us realize.

 

As I have recently stated a few times on the Wire, of those few I have worked on more

recently and checked out at local stores, I think quality is good again.

 

..........Widder

 

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It seems to me that you have to physically inspect the new Marlins before you buy.  I have bought a couple that were done the right way and I have seen others that were made on Monday following a 3 day holiday weekend.  They need to work on consistent quality control.   Just my observation...

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1 hour ago, Hashknife Cowboy said:

It seems to me that you have to physically inspect the new Marlins before you buy.  I have bought a couple that were done the right way and I have seen others that were made on Monday following a 3 day holiday weekend.  They need to work on consistent quality control.   Just my observation...

You need to know the barrel marking data, to be sure you are not looking at a NOS rifle, vs current production.

Yes-Hands on is always the best for any gun buy'n..........

OLG

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Remlin serial numbers are useful if you call Marlin.
Otherwise, the two letter barrel production date code used for the last 10 years is the only means of dating a Remlin.


Production date of Remlins is on the barrel.
This is different from the serial number, which always has the MR prefix.


Based on the code word:  BLACKPOWDERX

    Example:  BN=January 2019 (my 1894CB)

    The month letter,

    B = Jan
    L = Feb
    A = Mar
    C = Apr
    K = May
    P = Jun
    O = Jul
    W = Aug
    D = Sep
    E = Oct
    R = Nov
    X = Dec

    The year letter,

    E = 2010, F = 2011, G = 2012, H = 2013, I = 2014, J = 2015, K = 2016, L = 2017, M = 2018, N = 2019

 

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