Need advice and help, price check for 1979 marlin 30/30

[Allgrainbeer]

Hi everyone, I need some help as I did not know much about lever guns. I have an opportunity to buy a marlin 336 30/30. It has the JM stamp and serial # is 21174xxx so manufactured 1979. Pre safety.

Is the worth $275.00 ?

Thank you.

[TXGunNut]

Looks a little "bubba'd" but I wouldn't walk away from an op like this empty-handed.

[starmac]

The going price around here seems to be around 300 when one comes up, sometimes you see one for less.

[Lonegun1894]

That seems about right for around here lately, but I'd try to talk the seller down to $225 and hopefully compromise at $250 if possible. Mine is a '71, and I paid $120 OTD for it, but the stock was cracked, the front sight was broken, the rear sight was bent, and the left side of the gun looked like it had been left on wet carpet and rusted there. The internals and bore looked new though. After replacing the stock and sights, and redoing everything else myself, I have $200 in mine (not counting my labor) and love the rifle. Having said that, if I'd had the option of getting yours for $275 or mine for $120 as it was then, I'd have jumped on YOURS. I still think it's a little bit over-priced, but I don't see them getting much cheaper so I'd do it.

[Allgrainbeer]

Thanks to all of you.

[RickinTN]

From what I know of recent Marlin 336 prices you did pretty good. The pics are a bit fuzzy. The one "bubba'd" part that stands out to me is someone placed the rear swivel stud in the Marlin bullseye. The bullseye indicates it is a walnut stock. It's not a very strong place to put the swivel stud and would proably pull out under a little stress. The bullseye can be replaced and the swivel stud moved rearward into the wood for more stability.
Enjoy your rifle,
Rick

[Gtek]

Correct on the bullseye swivel. Very few if any threads are in wood and sometimes breaks out stock when it releases itself. Try and find a replacement stock that looks and fits right for less than seventy five bucks. Pictures not so good on this side, but that is not a bad price if mechanical and bore are good. Soft blast and Parkerizing has become my new way if original finish is damaged, Duracoat is another option. Could not stand them as a kid or even young man when my eyes were young also. Now I have way too many and most with scopes on them. They call it "Marlinitis", and yes that is with a JM. Gtek

[Dave Bulla]

I don't know what part of the country some of you live in but $275 is a steal where I'm at. Most JM Marlins in stores around here are going for $450 to $495.

As for the swivel placement, that's been a point of contention for years on Marlins and often sneered at but in all honesty, there IS a benefit to doing that. If a guy wanted to keep his rifle dead stock and not drill extra holes in it, that's the way to go. The bullseyes are easily replaced in a mater of minutes if you ever decided you wanted to and nobody would ever have a clue the gun had been drilled there. On the other hand, put a hole in the wood of the stock and it's there forever. You do have to be sure your swivel stud screw is sufficiently long to get into plenty of wood but that's not a big problem. The bullseyes are only about 1/2" deep and the screws are about an inch long on many brands. Since the weight of the slung rifle is pulling sideways to the hole, not straight out, strength shouldn't be an issue at all. The bigger issue is drilling the correct size hole to give a good tight fit on the wood screw. Even so, when I installed a sling on my 1964 39A, I elected to put it 1" below the bullseye in the so called "correct" location.

I couldn't tell for sure, but it appears you might have the original hammer extension on it also. If it has the JM printed on it, you do. Check around for prices on that little baby and you might be surprised. I think they are running $20 to $25 lately, if you can find one. You also still have the original front sight hood which is commonly missing. All in all, a very good buy in my book.

[starmac]

I guess this bubba stuff depends on if you want it to use, or to look at. For my use I might move the swing swivel, but as far as restocking and finishing, the deer never looks or cares whether it has been refinished or not. Personally I like the used look, they will eventually have it anyway.

[myg30]

I agree with Dave, Marlins in the pre safety JM stamped flavor sell $300 and up depending on condition. Jump on it !!

Mike