H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 I am wondering if anyone can provide a quick history of Marlin in a nutshell. Similar to this... Mister Smith and Mister Wesson started a company to make the Volcanic. It failed. Mister Henry and Mister Winchester worked together to form New Haven Arms, making the Henry rifle based on the Volcanic design. Mister Winchester got control of the company and renamed it after himself. The company changed hands over time eventually being owned by Mr. Olin. In 1983, Winchester the company stopped making the rifles themselves and allowed others to make them using the Winchester name under license. Winchester itself, still owned by Olin, continues to make Winchester Ammo. This is essentially how it is today. That is a very brief in a nutshell overview. I am looking for a similar bare bones outline of this history of Marlin. I hear different terms, Marlin, JM Marlin, Remlin, Ruglin, and a few others, but I am not for certain of their timeline and so on. Can anyone help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 Marlin started in the late 1800s. They were the first to make a 45-70 lever gun. the JM marlin refers to the acceptance stamp JM found on the barrels which indicates they were made prior to the purchase by Remington. Remlin refers to those guns made after Remington took over and seemed to have lower quality control. Ruglin refers to those guns made after Ruger purchased Marlin. I hear the quality now is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stump Water Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlin_Firearms 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotton Eye Joe Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 In the 1870s, John Marlin started making derringers and pistols. Based heavily on the Burgess rifle, he designed the Model 1881. In the late 1880s, Lewis Lobdell Hepburn, (former Remington employee), created the *Marlin Safety* design. L.L. Hepburn's side-eject design informed the rest of the Marlin lever actions from 1889 up to the present (336, 1894, 1895). John Marlin died in 1901 and his kids sold the company about 15 years later. After 1915, as the "Marlin Rockwell Corporation," they made many weapons during WWI. Post-WWI, there was bankruptcy and the company changed hands a few times until it was bought at auction in 1924. From 1924, the new "Marlin Firearms Company" became the company most people loved up until the Remington purchase. In 2007, Remington bought Marlin and was harshly disparaged during its Remington-Marlin (Remlin) years (often unfoundedly). In 2020, Remington sold Marlin in bankruptcy to Sturm, Ruger & Co. Ruger-Marlin (Ruglin) has released new model every 4-6 months since the end of 2020, to much fanfare and praise. Marlins have never been made outside of the USA to my knowledge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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