quest begun for "my custom Marlin"

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Goat
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Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:57 pm
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quest begun for "my custom Marlin"

Post by Goat »

All this lingering around here is going to force me to find a marlin 336 and make it into "my gun." I have found out in the last three years or so that I would rather tote my 35 caliber Marlin to the deer woods than anything else that I own. I currently have about a dozen deer rifles but find that the Marlin suits my needs and wants so well that I hardly want to pack anything else. I have always liked the look and feel of the straight grip marlins the best and so believe that I should find a straight grip 336 and have a 20 inch bbl 38/55 with a 2/3 magizine put together. How difficult do you think that this project will be? I think that the most difficult part will be finding a straight gripped 336. If I could find a Marlin/Glenfield 30TK then all I would need is a re-bore or a new barrel to make what I am looking for. I know that some of you have done such "custom" projects and I would like to here your input or opinions. This gun would be primarily for hunting deer in the creekbottoms and timber of Louisiana with perhaps an occasional hog thrown in the mix from time to time. I thank you for all the great information and opinions that are shared here on what has become my favorite site on the web. I value your input on this project.
Goat
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jdad
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Re: quest begun for "my custom Marlin"

Post by jdad »

The straight stocked 336 "Texan" was made from 1954-1979(?) IIRC, so it should be fairly easy to find one.
I know a whole lot about very little and nothing about a whole lot.
JDL
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Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:55 pm
Location: La.

Re: quest begun for "my custom Marlin"

Post by JDL »

From one Louisianan to another, I think it would be just wonderful but, I would perfer a 24" tube on mine. We have a lot of thickets also and I've not noticed the 24" being a hinderance. If I were to go with the 20" tube (maybe even the 24"), I'd go with a button magazine cause they look so cool. The .38-55 is a great caliber and I've toyed with the idea of reboring my pre 64 in .30-30 to one but, the .35-30 really intrigues me so much that's probably the way I'll go.
Come to think of it, I have a 336SC made in 1963 that may be just the platform on which to build a .35-30. Now, see what you've gone and done? :wink:
JDL
TomF
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Re: quest begun for "my custom Marlin"

Post by TomF »

I have had a Marlin CB conversion done some time ago. I believe you would be money ahead to send the Texan to Marlin for a 38-55 conversion and then have it customized by a local smith. (if you're close to Port Arthur, I bet we could get Steve to do it). You would then have an octagon barrel? if that is OK. The TK offers a minor issue in that the wood is hardwood and the buttstock has to be amended into the receiver. The forearm is shorter than normal and any other wood would have to be fitted.

TomF
Birdman
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Re: quest begun for "my custom Marlin"

Post by Birdman »

I have a hakeron to work over a Marlin 357. I did purchase a set of Skinner Sights. That is step on. I can't decide if I want to do it all at once, or a little at a time.
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KirkD
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Re: quest begun for "my custom Marlin"

Post by KirkD »

Goat, before I got to the part of your post that mentioned the 38-55 caliber, I was already thinking you should have your custom marlin in 38-55. Nice choice. From your description, you will have yourself a very desirable gun when it is finished.
Kirk: An old geezer who loves the smell of freshly turned earth, old cedar rail fences, wood smoke, a crackling fireplace on a snowy evening, pristine wilderness lakes, the scent of
cedars and a magnificent Whitetail buck framed in the semi-buckhorn sights of a 120-year old Winchester.
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Hobie
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Re: quest begun for "my custom Marlin"

Post by Hobie »

With patience and persistence you shouldn't have too much trouble locating a 336T. A re-bore would do fine AND you could then be certain that you'd get proper bore dimensions rather than the .381" that Marlin and others seem to think is proper based on some long past "standard". Using the Starline long brass and one of several powders you should have a very comfortable shooting OR very powerful rifle with PB cast bullets at 1300 fps to jacketed (probably Barnes unless you can convince Stone Fence to help you out) at 2000 fps. Custom wood from some place like Treebone Carving, a classic receiver sight like Lyman or Redfield, a sourdough front sight and you'll have a treasure for the rest of your life.
Sincerely,

Hobie

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
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