So, who can disagree with me that, in general, and overall, that Marlins are sort of UGLY.
(Not talking about accuracy or quality here,just looks.)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have seen prettier though. I have always liked the winnie 94 but it lacks the strength of the 1895.

Food for thought, it's prettier through the sights than down the barrel.

John

function is the purist simplist form of beauty

or beauty is is beauty does

I think that the Marlin 336s with 2/3 length magazines, like the 336SC/SD and 336A, were nicer looking than the full style. Same with the Winchester 64. The new stainless laminated 336 rifle with the 2/3 length magazines look pretty good, but all I've seen are pictures.

Jeff

I guess everybody is entitled to their opinion. I happen to love the looks of Marlin levers. Especially the 2/3 magazine variety.

"To each his own", I suppose.

quote:

Originally posted by Duckbill:
I guess everybody is entitled to their opinion. I happen to love the looks of Marlin levers. Especially the 2/3 magazine variety.

"To each his own", I suppose.

If there is a prettier lever gun than a slim, trim, 26" tapered octagon-barreled Marlin Model '93 with the "rifle" buttplate, I sure don't know what it is....(a nice little octagon barreled RIFLE in the Winchester Model 92 might be its equal, but no better, to me.)

Alberta Canuck. don't know a Marlin 93, can you do a photo?
The 1894C I think it was (.357M) I had wasn't too bad looking I guess.

You better learn to like em--- there the only game in town now with the 94 going away!

quote:

Originally posted by JAL:
Alberta Canuck. don't know a Marlin 93, can you do a photo?
The 1894C I think it was (.357M) I had wasn't too bad looking I guess.

Sorry JAL, I can't. I no longer have any Model 93's, and I can't seem to get this site to let me post pictures anyway.

About the best I can recommend is to "google" Marlin Model 93, and see what you find. They made both round and octagon barreled ones, but I find the octagon ones much the prettier to my eyes. Others must have agreed, as the octagon ones were much more common, in this neck of the woods anyway.

They have a smallish octagon "diameter", even at the breech, and from there it has a very shallow, gradual taper to a slightly smaller size at the muzzle. I used to hunt with one through much of the early 60's and they were both a delight to look at and a delight to carry. Looked nice even with the action open, as they didn't look like they had fallen apart as a Model '94 does, to me, when open. Had long but not thick fore-end wood, and were rather nice light weight overall. Came in all the usual .30-30 class cartridges. Right now they have become rather pricey, for some reason I can't divine too easily. In the '60s they sold for about half of what 94's did (again, locally). Paid $15 for mine in .30-30, and sold it in the early 70's for, if I recall correctly, $40. "Them was the days...."

I really appreciate the looks of the 1895 CB; good lines, decent wood, nice finish. The MarShield finish on the rest of the line sucks.

AC, "falling apart"? As opposed to pregnant like the Marlin with that unsightly bulge in front of the lever?

I have come to believe that the Win 94 with its clean graceful lines was designed by an artist. The Marlin was designed by a mechanic with the emphasis on simplicity.

I like 'em both.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc:
AC, "falling apart"? As opposed to pregnant like the Marlin with that unsightly bulge in front of the lever?

I have come to believe that the Win 94 with its clean graceful lines was designed by an artist. The Marlin was designed by a mechanic with the emphasis on simplicity.

I like 'em both.

I like 'em both too. And I agree the M336 Marlins don't have the thinner receiver and longer slimmer lines of the Marlin '93 or Winchester '94. But the Marlin M'93s don't look like the bottom of the receiver fell off every time you open one, either.

Whatever turns your crank. Some people like the ample "buxom" ladies in the Rembrandt & Renoir paintings, some don't. Either way, they're still "Old Masters" in the art world.

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
You better learn to like em--- there the only game in town now with the 94 going away!

I've got a sneeky suspicion my 66/67 model 94 will last longer than I will.

I agree, the 336's are a bit ugly, but on the whole I think Hepburn's design is better than Browning's was. I thought the old square bolt 1893's weren't bad looking, but that round bolt and receiver looks too busy. Yes, I know, it is a simpler design than the square bolt. Actually, I always wished they had made a scaled down 1886, for the .30-30 class cartridges. Make mine with a 1/2 magazine and a tapered octagon barrel. Or you can just make me an 1881 thin side in .38-55, with similar styling. Hmm, I wonder if with modern steels the '81 could take the .25-35?

I have to agree with AC about the 26" barreled 93's. I saw one at a gun show and it was a handsome rifle. I spotted it as I was walking toward the table and thought it was a Win 94. When I saw it was a Marlin I thought, "Wow, Marlins really can be good looking rifles". It impressed me!

Just looked at marlins new 336 XTR in 30-30 today it was far from ugly. S/S 24" barrel lam stock and forend in black/gray VERY NICE I want one.

Hoeram

asdf, I too have always wondered why it was necessary for Browning to design the 94, Winchester already had the 86 at one end of the size scase and the similar 92 at the other end, would have been easy to size the 94 between them, would have been a better rifle.