Marlin 336cs Review

Well, well, well.

Well.

This past weekend I made some swaps. I bartered an extra shotty for a splendidly broken-in Marlin 336cs in 30-30, the consummate backwoods gun.

In every pawn shop and gun store in my area, there is usually one or more of these levers on the rack, not to mention in the gun-safes of mountain folk. A couple years ago, after reading Mad Ogre's review of the weapon, it got me thinking: I need a Marlin lever action. One day, I thought.

Fast-forward to the present and I can whole-heartedly say, I am not disappointed. The AR-15 I sold off was awkward and gangly to me. The 336, however, snaps to attention, ready for duty. Placing the vintage irons on target is easy and smooth, and the gun's natural ergonomics lend itself to a backwoods environment, where a mixture of serious shooting and play are pretty much the same thing.

I inaugurated the gun by taking aim at the assortment of inflated toy balls that had become trapped in the forest out back. Watching them ping 20 feet in the air was the highlight of my gray day and made the potential disturbance of one set of neighbors totally worth while.

Felt recoil was very manageable. Powerful, but not bad, and the lever was perfectly worn in for fast follow-up shots. It is easy to see why this gun is a legend among levers. A unique blend of grace and utility, it's everything you need, and nothing you don't. I suspect this is how it feels with other lever actions that serve as primary weapons.

For my part, as discussed with my compadre, Martin, I don't feel under-gunned with this in the least. Hammering targets 75 yards out off the irons feels like child's play. I simply didn't feel the same way about my AR-15, not that they suck. Simply put, the Marlin shines in ways I simply had not expected years back: they are innocuous to behold but deceivingly deadly, light, very maneuverable, and wonderfully accurate.

In the hands of the right hill-billy, the Marlin is a force to be reckoned with, not something to be taken lightly. And I can honestly say that I feel much comfort adding this to my standard battery of arms and making it my go-to long rifle/everything gun.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog