Ruger Restarts Production Of Marlin 336

Zac Kurylyk in Guns, Uncategorized on January 24, 2023

The Marlin 336 is back in production, thanks to Ruger, and it should be available very soon. And, Ruger says it's working on restarting production of some of Marlin's other classic rifles, including the Model 1894 and even the Model 39.

Fans of traditional wood-and-blued-steel lever guns will remember that when Remington went bust in 2020, several parts of the company and its subsidiaries were sold off. Ruger won the rights to the Marlin name, and spent months moving machinery from Remington's New York production facility to its own North Carolina plant, rebuilding the production line down south.

The first Marlin rifle from the new owners was the Model 1895 Trapper, a stainless .45-70 lever gun. Since then, Ruger has broadened the 1895 line, and now we see the 336 about to re-enter the market.

The new Marlin 336

The Marlin 336 was one of the most popular sporting rifles ever produced in the US for a few reasons. First, it was a well-made, accurate rifle, with many shooters considering the build quality superior to Winchester's post-1964 Model 94 lever-action, the 336's main competitor. As Winchester ended US production of the Model 94, the 336 stayed true to its made-in-America roots, and until production ended in 2020 it was more affordable than made-in-Japan Winchesters.

Even better, the Model 336 came chambered not just in .30-30, but also in .35 Remington, offering more power in a still-affordable, compact package. A flat-top receiver made it easy to mount a scope, and some shooters found the pistol-grip stock handled recoil better than a straight-stock Model 94.

When Ruger unveiled the new rifle at SHOT Show, it looked just like the same Model 336 that Remington was building in Ilion, New York. Blued 20-inch steel barrel and receiver, checkered walnut stock, open sights, magazine capacity of six rounds (plus one in the chamber), classic open buckhorn sights ... and a crossbolt safety. Sigh. An awful lot of shooters and hunters despise this addition to the lever-action platform, figuring the hammer should be all the safety a shooter needs, but in our litigious modern world, it's no surprise to see the lawyers have their say on this one.

Taking a hard look at the new 336, it's difficult to say whether that forend is a bit trimmed-down—that wouldn't be a terrible thing, as the old Marlins had a chunky forestock that detracted from the rifle's handling. But overall, it looks like Ruger has more-or-less built the same rifle as before, with the possible exception of Micro-Groove rifling. The new Marlin .45-70s don't have Micro-Groove rifling, and it's hard to imagine the 336 does either, but we don't know for sure either way.

Looks an awful lot like the old 336 that Remington built. That should keep shooters happy, even if they don't like the crossbolt safety.

We also don't know pricing or Canadian availability. Our best guess? We'll see some 336 models here in fall. American buyers are getting the rifle in "early 2023," says Ruger's website, but that's all it says. There isn't even a US MSRP listed, but we'd imagine a sticker of at least $1,000, in line with competitor Henry's .30-30 offerings. The 336 will also be available in .35 Remington again, which may affect pricing. It will most certainly affect the cost of shooting the rifle, as the larger cartridge usually commands a noteable pricing premium over .30-30.

We haven't seen any confirmation of a new stainless 336 yet, but it seems likely we'll see such a rifle at some point down the road, given the popularity that these special runs had in the past.

Ruger also hasn't said anything about variants of the 336 platform, at least as far as we've seen. But considering the popularity of Remington-built Marlin 336s in stainless steel, it seems likely we'll see a production run at some point. Demand for such a rifle is almost a certainty.

Coming attractions

Taking a look at Ruger's Marlin webpage, we also see the Model 1894 is slated for a return in 2023, but details are very limited there. Reportedly, Ruger also told SHOT Show attendees that it plans to bring the much-loved Model 39 rimfire repeater back into production in the future, although that's a long way off.

The Marlin website has a tiny photo of the new Model 1894, which is supposed to be released this spring.

Don't get your hopes up for a Model 60, though. Given that that rifle and its derivatives were major competitors to Ruger's own 10/22 line, rebooting production of those rimfires is not likely a priority.