One of the most reliable lever action sporting rifles, the Marlin 336 has been ranked #2 all-time leader in the US for high-powered rifles in terms of sales. Its sleek design, light weight, ease of use, and outstanding performance on the field are just among the reasons why many hunters and gun enthusiasts choose the Marlin.

Specifications:

• Length – 38.5”
• Barrel Length – 20” with Micro-Groove® rifling (12 grooves)
• Weight – 7 lbs.
• Rate of Twist – 30/30 Win. – 1.10” r.h. 35 Rem. – 1.16” r.h.
• Magazine Capacity – 6 shot tubular magazine

The Marlin 336 Lever Action sporting rifle is made by Marlin Firearms. Since its production in 1948, it has been one of the most popular hunting rifles in North America. As of late, over 6 million of the Model 336 has been produced, and it is consistently ranked #2 in U.S. sales for high-powered sporting rifles, next to the Winchester 94.

The Model 336 features American black walnut full pistol-grip stock and Mar-Shield® blue finish. It also comes with a 6-shot tubular magazine (+1 in chamber), swivel studs, solid flat-top receiver, front sight hood and adjustable semi-buckhorn folding rear sight, and hammer block safety. The Marlin 336 is integrated with the 20” Micro-Groove® rifling system, wherein the barrels have an increased number of shallow grooves to stabilize the bullet, for better accuracy and reduced bore fouling. And unlike the earlier versions of the Marlin, the Model 336 has an open eject port on the right side.

One of the main reasons why the Marlin 336 is preferred among other rifles is the ease of use. While the Winchester 94 is lighter, the Model 336 is more rugged and better for heavy duty, even at 7 lbs. Its compact design allows one’s fingers to fall naturally on the hammer and trigger, and the pistol-grip stock makes shooting comfortable. It operates perfectly, without jams or much recoil, particularly in short to medium ranges or about 100 to 150 yards. Reloading is also easy: after a couple of rounds, the Marlin 336 can be topped up by simply adding more rounds in the slide without having to take the rifle out.

Another thing about the Model 336 is that it can easily be disassembled and assembled back. All it takes is to back out the screw on the lever to slide all the parts out for trouble-free cleaning and lubrication. To add, this rifle can be cleaned from the breech, unlike many other lever action designs, thereby lessening the damage to its muzzle.

The Marlin 336 performs well even with its factory settings, but the stock sights leave much to be desired. It’s quite hard to see through, with the front post all black and hooded and the rear notch also in black. The good part, though, is that this rifle is customisable — compatible stocks, sights, and scopes are readily available, which would be needed especially when shooting at long range, around the 200-yard mark. Also, while many hunters use the .30-30 Winchester calibre, it is available in.35 Remington calibre as well.

With its simple yet elegant design, light weight, reliable performance, and ease of use, the Marlin 336 can be considered one of the most dependable lever action hunting rifles in the market today.