Ruger continues to expand it’s Marlin line of lever guns and just dropped two new rifles. The first is the Marlin Dark Series Model 336 chambered in .30-30. If you like the whole modern lever gun trend — and it certainly seems to be popular — then this one should be right up your alley. It’s a slick, handy looking piece. It has a 16-inch cold hammer forged barrel that’s threaded and comes with a factory-installed radial muzzle brake. The receiver, lever and trigger guard are all CNC machined from alloy steel.
The main components have a Graphite Black Cerakote finish and the bolt and lever use a Nitride finish. The 336 feeds from a 5 round tubular magazine and is fitted with a fiber optic front sight with tritium ring and ghost ring rear. There’s also a Picatinny rail for optics mounting.
The black nylon reinforced polymer stock has M-LOK attachment points and a thick recoil pad. The handguard also has M-LOK mounting points for accessories and there are Quick Detach (QD) sling swivels on the buttstock and handguard. The 336 had a crossbolt safety as well as the traditional half cock notch. MSRP is $1,429.00.
The SBL Series Model 1894 is chambered in .44 Magnum. It’s receiver, lever and trigger guard plate are CNC machined from 416 stainless steel forgings and it has a barrel of cold forged 410 stainless steel.
Like the 336 Dark Series, the SBL 1894 has a threaded barrel, although it comes with a thread protector rather than a muzzle brake. Also, like the 336 Dark, the 1894 SBL has a tritium and fiber optic front sight, ghost ring rear and Picatinny rail. It’s tubular magazine will hold 8 rounds of .44 Magnum or 9 rounds of .44 Special.
The 1894 SBL has a gray laminate foreend and stock with soft rubber recoil pad, with sling swivels studs installed. The stock has sharp checkering for a positive grip, as does the slim foreend.Once again, like the 336, the 1894 has a cross bolt safety and half cock mechanism. The lever loop is oversized for use with gloved hands. MSRP on the SBL Series Model 1894 is $1,529.
I know folks were cautiously optimistic when Ruger bought Marlin out of the Remington bankruptcy, and it looks like they’re doing a nice job of updating the traditional designs with modern manufacturing techniques. They continue to release new versions of the classics to feed the market’s seemingly insatiable demand for modern lever action rifles.
3 Responses
I’d take a 1894 SBL in .357 Magnum. I don’t understand the super tactical versions, unless you aren’t allowed to own semi-autos.
Realistically they are aiming for the NY market where even featureless compliant semi auto rifles still require a preexisting pistol permit that then needs a semi auto rifle endorsement for purchase.
C’mon Ruger/Marlin, gimme an 1894 in .41 mag! The few that are out there go for over $3,000!