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Ruger bought Marlin!


Clay Thornton

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22 minutes ago, John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 said:

Can’t wait to buy a Ruger 73 in stainless steel. Factory short stroke and easy to change coil springs. 

 

JB,

you must know something the rest of us don't.    Ruger bought Marlin, not Uberti.

 

Are they gonna make a 73?

 

..........Widder

 

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On 9/27/2020 at 6:05 PM, Doc X said:

Be interesting to see if Ruger will eventually produce a SASS edition lever gun to go with their SASS Vaqueros. Hopefully with input from those mentioned above to better tailor them to our game.  

That'd be cool but what would be cooler is if they do another run of 44/40 rifles. heck if they'd do another run of vaquero 44/40s I'd be apt to buy some more! 

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Ruger purchased Marlin.

 

If Ruger had simply been interested in jumping into the lever gun market; they could have easily done so on their own (see AR rifles and 1911's).

 

Im sure they purchased Marlin exactly for their product portfolio and name recognition within their niche.

 

So while I assume quality will improve.  I sincerely doubt you will see any kind of wholesale changes in the product itself and really question whether any "oddball" wish list firearms will appear sporting the Marlin name.

 

When you purchase an asset for it's specific strengths (in this case, product mix and name) - the last thing you do is make significant external or recognizable changes that may dilute the very thing you paid for.

 

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Another updated article on the purchase. Ruger did not get the real estate, just machines blue prints etc. So marlins will be made in Ruger facilities. 

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/09/30/long-live-lever-gun-ruger/

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Having been involved in a transition of a facility from one large corporation to another (unrelated to gun industry) and close esperance with several others,  the transformation took about a year. 

 

For months,  no changes - not even the name on the building.   Just continue on with same management and workforce.  Then they started by changing logos and documents.  Top management were shuffled and reorganized and new people brought in.  The new company sold everything - even the building - and leased everything back. 

 

Then they outsourced everything they could. Cut workforce and demanded more production.  Hired temporary workers to about 1/3 of workforce.  Made workers mad and they voted in a union.   Management and union went into all out battle.  

 

They early on completely eliminated the quality department.  No inspection of anything.  "When in doubt, ship it out.", was the unofficial slogan. 

 

They cut salaried workers from over 300 to about 80 in about a year. Expected salaried workers to put in a minimum of 60 hours a week. People quit.  They would hire new people and they would quit after a few months.  They contracted foreign professionals.  

 

When the ROI numbers failed to meet expectations,  more managers where brought in with no experience with the product or customer base. They brought with them their cronies. They made some awful decisions.  

 

It took them about 10 years to lose 2/3 of their market. They sold out about the first of the year to a major Japanese company.  They haven't changed the name on the building yet.

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3 minutes ago, The Rainmaker, SASS #11631 said:

Let's hope Ruger has a little bit more to them than something like that.

I think they do.

 

Yeah,   I rambled on a bit and only told the short, short version.

 

But.. They are likely building a transition committee or two.  Lots of things to consider like outstanding orders, what's out in inventory,   marketing channels, suppliers to resolve contracts and orders,  implementing new worker policies,  patients, logo and intellectual property, retirement funds, on and on.

 

Just one example:   In the old company,   you could build up to 6 weeks of vacation.   The new company topped out at 5. So to make it "fair", the new company knocked back everyone to 5 weeks.  The new company lost the lawsuit.  

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Ever since I saw a .327 Federal Magnum, I have wanted a Marlin 94 in .327 Federal Magnum.
Oh, please!

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Since they're not purchasing any real estate and all production will be moved to existing Ruger facilities the "people" portion of the equation will not be a factor. Sad for the workers at the old facilities but probably a good thing for the quick assimilation of Marlin products into the Ruger family. 

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1 hour ago, watab kid said:

that was the exact problem with the last acquisition , did not take the people that knew how to make the rifles and train new folks to do it in the future , 

No, the problem was worn out tooling.

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You are both right.  The tooling was really old, current blueprints were practically non-existent AND they didn't take a single "old codger" that knew how to make the guns anyway.  I was still living there when that happened and got some first hand horror stories about what went on.  I have lots of Marlins -  antique, modern, oddball, collectable and cowboy.  All from CT before the sad move.  I was pretty bummed out when I heard Remington was toast.  I'm at least hopeful now that Ruger is in the picture.  I sure do wish them success in getting production up and running again!       

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I guess I'm way, way behind the power curve, I didn't know Marlin stopped regular production of the mod 39's , and was only building them on a custom basis. :o Oh well, learn something new everyday.

Isom

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On 10/1/2020 at 4:16 PM, Flint N. Steele said:

Ever since I saw a .327 Federal Magnum, I have wanted a Marlin 94 in .327 Federal Magnum.
Oh, please!

 

Oh yes please!!

 

It would make a great companion to a Single Seven, SP101 or GP100!

 

Oh yeah, and whoever mentioned a '94 in .45acp, that would make a great companion to a Redhawk, Blackhawk, Vaquero and/or 1911!!

 

CS

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On 10/1/2020 at 3:16 PM, Flint N. Steele said:

Ever since I saw a .327 Federal Magnum, I have wanted a Marlin 94 in .327 Federal Magnum.
Oh, please!

 

I'd rather have a 32WCF in a couple of configurations.   Saddle ring carbine,  cowboy limited 20 and 24" barrel. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

If we could expand the list, how about the return of the old Marlin 27 S visible hammer pump rifle that was made in .32-20,  The new version chambered in 32 H&R, 32 SW long or .327 Federal or maybe Ruger could pull it off to do all three. An American made rifle made to compete in an American game would be refreshing

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On 9/28/2020 at 4:49 AM, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

 

Buffalo Arms doesn't make rifles ;)

It was 110% Remmy's doing to put those crap Marlins on the market. No one forced them to, other than poor mgt.

Go to the Marlin Forum and get the facts. Many of the members were Marlin employees.

OLG 

My mistake for relying on a faulty memory.  Should have used DuckDuckGo to find the correct company, Big Horn Armory.  And they make Browning action lever guns in big magnum pistol calibers.

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What I'm hoping to hear is that Ruger will completely modernize the production of the 1894 and re-tool from scratch.  It would be kind of fitting if they made both great pistols AND a great lever rifle for SASS.

 

Also they make the 10/22 and the Vaquero in stainless... how about a Marlin 1894 in 357?  That might really be a possibility now.

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