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I haven't spent near as much time perusing the shops since the obomination set in, but as little as three years ago I could lay my hands on a very good condition pre-remington Marlin 336 (30-30) for under $300 within a couple of hours just by visiting a few pawn shops within a 12-15 mile radius. In 2007, my son bought a very fine specimen for under $200 off a shelf, then foolishly traded it for... of all things.... a Norinco SKS. He still regrets that trade.

And, thanks AEA for your explination of the "issue". Marlin just ain't Marlin anymore. I'm hanging onto my 1973 model.


surv

edit to add:




a few years ago I decided to give it a face lift. The original 1973 owner had burned his name and the date all the way across the buttstock, and the receiver was down to "the white" and a bit pitted (no rust). The scope is original 1973 Bushnell "Sportview", and the bluing on one side is completely gone due to sun exposure in the "original owner's" rear pick-up window. When I acquired the gun several years ago I could easily shoot 1 inch groups POA at 100 yards. Three or four years ago I stripped it down to a pile of parts, stripped and sanded (particularly the "name/date) the wood and hand rubbed it for several weeks with light applications of Danish Oil. Since I did most of the metal sanding (reducing the bluing to "white"), a gunsmith buddy did the bluing (actually the receiver had to be bead blasted due to the pitting) and complete reassembly for $150. The refinish really wasn't necessary, and since it's a one of a million series it doesn't hurt it's historic value, but it's easier to take care of. Oh, it still shoots 1 MOA to POA. Don't be afraid to pick up a well used (not abused) Marlin 336.

If you're considering putting any type of sights on a 336, I would suggest looking for a "pre-Remington" 336. I use to think only the "pre-safety" Marlins were the way to go, but have since realized that the pre-Remington Marlins of any of the various iterations of the 336 are better than what has been turned out under Remington's control of Marlin. We (family) bought my grandson a new 30-30 for Christmas upon my recommentation and even though I had heard all the bad about the newer Remington/Marlins I played the odds. There have been quite a few mentions on various web sites about the rear sight dovetail being milled out of spec, and our recent acquisition shows it to be a true issue. In our case, not only was the rear dovetail milled about 5° off level, the front sight and screw weren't even installed and were rolling aimlessly around in the box. We did install the front sight and adjusted the rear sight to a useable position at the shop, and amazingly had laser sighted it to hit paper. My point is, if you plan to use aftermarket open sights of any kind, and you have a new model "Remington" Marlin, check your dovetail first.