Model 94 or 336 for smoothest operation?

[dorchester]

I suspect the Winchester 94 vs. Marlin 336 (both in 30-30) comparison is a very Ford/Chevy thing that goes on forever. However, perhaps those with experience on both could definitively answer one question: which one functions the smoothest? I have fired 336's and have noticed they seem a little "clunky" and would sometimes mis-feed if not manipulated firmly. Is the Winchester slicker and more tolerant of operating technique, or is there little difference between the two? Thanks.

[Modoc ED]

Own both and shoot both. Six of one, half dozen of the other. Both are good solid rifles. Even the earlier post-64 Winchesters can be made to function flawlessly and smoothly.

[RKrodle]

Welcome to the forum. At least for me the Marlin is smoother and less likely to not chamber a round. The Marlin is also easier to disassemble for cleaning. With that said I do own more Winchesters than Marlins. Both are great lever guns and I enjoy them all.

[Old Savage]

Depends on the particular rifle. Welcome. Smooth Marlins are smoother than any of the post 64s I have seen.

[AJMD429]

An 'action job' makes either one smooth as butter, as does simply shooting a few tens of thousands of rounds out of it.

ONE reason the older ones generate comments about how "they don't make them like that anymore" is the simple fact that the older ones have been SHOT for thousands of rounds and smoothed up accordingly. There IS a valid point that current manufacturing lacks some of the 'careful hand-fitting' of days gone by, but I think most 'new' guns slick up pretty good with use. Do a simple 'action job' and that speeds up the process.

[pokey]

welcome home

way to kick over the coffee pot.

better post some pics so as to calm everyone down.

good luck, pokey

[Hobie]

Own both, shoot both, like both, wouldn't turn either away.

[Old Savage]

The Pre 64s were to some extent essentially custom fitted and many were very smooth whether they had been shot a lot or not.

[Pisgah]

I find it impossible for me so make any flat statement as to which is smoother. I've used examples of each that were as smooth as could be wished -- and others that were rough as a cob. Brand-new, neither is particularly smooth, but a light action job -- or just a BUNCH of working the action -- usually cures either action pretty swiftly.

In a choice between two worn-in examples, I MIGHT give a very slight advantage to the Marlin. Even when it gets as smooth as it's going to get, the 94 still feels a bit to me like exactly what it is -- a complex (comparatively) mechanism with lots of lever, cranks, and pivots. The Marlin action seems in some sense more "staightforward" to me.

[Griff]

Yep, stirrin' up controversy... good way to get noticed! Welcome to the Forum.

I have two Marlins and 24 or so Winchesters... the only answer is that you'll have to decide for yourself. Each has it's pros and cons. Enjoy the decision making process!

[Buck Elliott]

"Short-stroke" either brand and you're in for a session of fussin' & fixin', trying to make everything inside play nice with each other.

For sheer smoothness, neither model mentioned takes the cake. For my money, the prize goes to a well-regulated Model 1873 WINCHESTER... (or a 9422...)

[dorchester]

Silly me, I really thought this one little facet of the two rifles would be some sort of known quantity and my decision point. Thanks for all the input, everybody. I'll have to find a '94 to shoot for comparison.

[pokey]

where abouts are you?

there just might be some one around you that has one [ or two or.....]

[Old Savage]

With all due respect, 94/336s are apples and oranges to 73/9422s.

[El Chivo]

I would say the 94 is looser and the 336 is smoother, if equally easy to operate.

Once I had a small flake of brush get in my 336 action and it jammed it, due to the tight tolerances.

[Buck Elliott]

With all due respect, 94/336s are apples and oranges to 73/9422s.

Ah, but they're ALL leverguns...

Kinda like McIntosh & Golden delicious...

[stew71]

The smoothest?? Why MY 336 of course.....duh.

[Sarge]

Winchester. The Marlin has managed to have a malfunction named in its honor and in the event of a problem, the Winchester's top ejection port makes for easier access.

[alnitak]

Unlike many on this forum, I am not an expert, ...and I don't own a 336. So, I'll just offer that my Marlin 1894C seems more sensitive to bullet design and cartridge OAL than my Winchester 1894 Trapper. As others have stated, the Wincester feels "looser."

[J Miller]

Silly me, I really thought this one little facet of the two rifles would be some sort of known quantity and my decision point. Thanks for all the input, everybody. I'll have to find a '94 to shoot for comparison.

dorchester,

There really isn't a "smoother" action. Each action, Marlin, Winchester, and their various versions are so different you really are comparing apples to grapefruits.

Marlin has used the same basic action design since the beginning, so theirs share a very similar feel no matter which version you use.
Winchester on the other hand has so many different designs that all have their own distinct feel that you really can't compare them.

I've had Win 94s for over 40 years. In that time I've had a couple that just would not smooth up. The functioned OK, shot accurately but the actions were just atrocious. I've had a number of Marlin 1894s and all of them were basically similar. None of them stood out as smoother than the others.

If you are in central IL, I have three Win 94s I'd be happy to let you try out.

Joe

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Howdy and welcome to the fire.

If we are discussing the current out of the box late model guns the marlin has the edge.

If we are talking pre-64 but post war 94's and Marlins from the same era there is very little difference.

From a gunsmith that does action work point of view of the current out of the box late models, the Marlin will clean up much better than the late model re-bounding hammer model 94's. To get the late model 94's anywhere as smooth as the late Marlins the lower tang and fire control parts have to be converted back to the pre-64 but post war style parts.

[dorchester]

Holy mackeral, a great bunch of replies everybody, thanks. I've got a pair of rifles lined up for a comparison shoot (thanks for the test offerings, folks). Pre-64 Winchester and an indeterminate age Marlin (sans hammer block, micro groove, great wood; so probably fairly old manufacture) for just a simple comparison. I understand this is very much an individual rifle kind of thing, now. When they're this close, I can quit worrying about it and just go for intangibles.

[Old Savage]

Good choice - 79 was a particularly smooth year.