It’s been a long, hard rode for Marlin rifle lovers. After the brand was acquired by the Cerberus bean counters who cobbled together the monstrosity that was once known as the Freedom Group and combined the brand with Remington, the new owners had some, uh, problems with production and quality. Those were eventually ironed out over time, but not without much schmerz, sturm und drang.

When Remington Outdoor finally collapsed into Chapter 7 bankruptcy and the parts were sold off, many in the gun community were thrilled to see a respected company like Ruger get its hands on the venerable Marlin brand. Virtually no one doubted that Ruger would do right by the Marlin name and tradition and turn out lever guns that no one would ever have to doubt in terms of quality.

The fact that it’s taken Ruger this long since the acquisition to get to a place where they’re comfortable shipping Marlin lever action rifles should probably tell you something about the condition of the assets they purchased out of Remington’s dissolution. And the extent of the work Ruger’s done to ensure the rifles they ship under the Marlin brand are worthy of the name.

But, now, finally, the good news is Marlin’s back. Here’s Ruger’s press release announcing the welcome event . . .

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is pleased to announce the initial production and shipment of Ruger-made, Marlin lever-action rifles. Just over a year after acquiring the assets associated with the Marlin brand, Ruger is shipping the first Marlin model, the 1895 SBL chambered in .45-70 Govt.

“We are excited to officially flip the switch and let our customers know that Marlin is back,” said Ruger President and CEO, Chris Killoy. “Since the move of over 100 truckloads of equipment and inventory back in November 2020, our engineering team took the 1895 through a complete design and production review focused on achieving the highest quality, accuracy, and performance standards. The end result is a quality rifle, produced using modern manufacturing methods, that consumers will be sure to enjoy and proud to own.”


This first model is just the beginning of the reintroduction of the Marlin brand and illustrates the improved manufacturing processes that deliver reliable, attractive firearms. These processes will result in the introduction of additional Marlin models, calibers and variations over the coming years.

“Being a long-time Marlin fan, I knew that we needed to take our time and make sure that our reintroduction was nothing short of perfect,” continued Killoy. “From the quality of the firearm, to clear ways for consumers to differentiate Ruger-made Marlins, we focused on getting every detail right.”

Ruger-made, Marlin 1895 SBL rifles are marked with “Mayodan, NC,” bear an “RM” or Ruger-Made serial number prefix, have the Marlin Horse and Rider logo laser engraved on their grip, and also feature a red and white “bullseye” on the buttstock.

Additional models are scheduled for release throughout the coming year; specifically, other variations of the Model 1895, as well as the reintroduction of the Model 336 and Model 1894. Due to the anticipated strong demand and the limited quantity of Ruger-made Marlin lever-action rifles, Ruger encourages retailers to contact their distributors for availability and advises consumers not to leave deposits with retailers that do not have confirmed shipments.

To stay up-to-date on future Marlin announcements and learn more about the Marlin 1895 SBL, visit MarlinFirearms.com, Facebook.com/MarlinFirearms or Instagram.com/MarlinFirearmsOfficial.

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84 COMMENTS

  1. I had one of the crappy Marlins. I sold it and bought a Henry. But now I’m tempted to get a second lever action rifle.

    • Same for me. I bought a .44 lever Marlin that was made during the transition period. I sent it back to them twice and it still didn’t work right. I traded that one off.

      However, years later I got my hands on an original JM 336 that is absolutely wonderful. I really hope that Ruger makes these right and restores the reputation of the name Marlin.

      • Ruger will make a fine gun I’m sure & am happy they have the marlin name but, the true American marlin is gone for ever.
        I love the marlin lever gun. Have 4570 ,26 ” cb JM, the 30-30, 20″ JM & the best of all 35 cal JM with 20″ ,the 35 is great at 250 yards , just all I need . Would love to have 308 JM lever , & take my chances on ammo!!

  3. If I was stuck “Behind Enemy Lines”. The Guns of the Old West would be the guns I would be getting. Because they would be very effective against criminals or tyrants.
    And they would probably be more effective than Hi-Point Firearms. But if all I could get were Hi-Point Firearms, I would take them too.

    My 22 caliber Henry lever gun was the only gun I could find ammunition for almost two years. Back during the first ammo shortage after the Sandy Hook massacre. And I am looking for a lever gun in 45 70 or 30 30.

    I’ve noticed pistol ammunition has been hard to come by. But during both of these ammo shortages, hunting ammunition has almost always been available.

    Btw
    The modern “Old West Guns” are not your great-grandfather’s guns anymore. With the ammunition and accessories available for these guns, they would be very effective for any military or police use.

    • 45-70 was always available up here but the prices got to the point it was quickly cheaper to get the reloading equipment. 30-30 was also a surprise in how expensive it got (and disappeared) in a hurry. 44 and 357 mag were not terrible in price jump but only 357 was available most of the last 2 years. With all that said reloading to higher ends with polymer tips or the lehigh options can be fun but for quick and easy Hornady and Underwood were typically good bets off the shelf.

    • Even if you’re not behind enemy lines, a good lever gun in one of the classic calibers should be part of the arsenal. They’re hella fun to shoot, easy to handle, and suitable for hunting and home defense. I’ve got the AR ready to roll in the front of the safe for myself, but if one of the fam needs to grab a rifle they’ll be reaching for the Marlin 30-30 that sits right behind it. That gun is our hands-down favorite.

  4. I’ve never sold or traded in a firearm. I’m currently building (ok purists, assembling) an AR pistol in 350 Legend. Chamber one of these new lever guns in 357 Max and someone else can have the AR.

    • curious if they have investment cast receivers or not. Nothing against it but I wouldn’t be surprised if Ruger played to their strengths.

      • From the Marlin website; ‘Receiver, lever and trigger guard plate are CNC machined from 416 stainless steel forgings.’

        • “… CNC machined from 416 stainless steel forgings.”

          (eye begins twitching, brain begins thinking of ways to save up for one of these)

        • Also did a little research, 416 stainless steel is notable for being the most machinable stainless steel alloy. It is easily hardened though.

        • Governor,

          Chambered in .44 Magnum (or similar), there should not be a lot of brutal forces on the receiver and I imagine any grade of steel will last basically forever even without any hardening.

          I love the idea of a stainless steel lever-action rifle–it should last pretty much forever in anything remotely resembling a decent storage environment.

          Last but not least, purchase three extra springs for the magazine tube, trigger, and hammer (and store them very carefully in airtight bags with oxygen absorber beads) and that firearm platform will be in fine working order several hundred years from now. What a treasure that would/will be in three hundred years!

        • In 300 years it will be the weapons equivalent of getting out the old phonograph records. Pretty sure we’ll have moved on to phased plasma rifles in the 40 watt range by then.

      • With a threaded barrel and firing .44 Spl, it would make a *sweet* carbine…

        • Geoff PR,

          Oooh! Hand load 340 grain subsonic cartridges and install a suppressor on it. That would be super quiet and would probably be able to take white-tailed deer out to at least 75 yards.

          And at close range, that platform would probably be able to drop anything in North America.

          Edit: why on God’s green Earth is the above verbage flagged as requiring moderation?!?!?!?

    • Should be a good one. What I’ve seen so far look good. I have a 45-70 JM , 30-30 JM & 35 JM . 30-30 made in 1980 , 35 made in 1960 & 45-70 JM made made in(( 2003 JM ))

  7. Remington stood up a 100% new production line for Marlin centerfire under Leland Nichols. The machinery isn’t the issue.

    Hearing Ruger sycophants blame Remington for delays on Marlin is not unlike hearing Democrats continue to blame Trump for everything they can in 2021.

    • I missed the quote where Ruger “blame Remington.” I did read they did a complete review of the process- which makes sense to me. Whatever the cause, by most accounts Remlins were crap, so an assessment was needed.

      • “The fact that it’s taken Ruger this long since the acquisition to get to a place where they’re comfortable shipping Marlin lever action rifles should probably tell you something about the condition of the assets they purchased out of Remington’s dissolution.”

        It’s right there man.

        Just to be clear, TTAG said this. Ruger has not insinuated anything (to my knowledge).

  8. This is great news. I’m hopefully optimistic. Not about the quality of the rifles they build, but the models. Why the debut rifle isn’t a 336 (the most popular model) is beyond me. I really like Marlin lever guns. Good ones. I love Winchester lever guns, but the bottom line is shootabity. It’s easier to put ghost rig sights on a solid top receiver. I bought an 18″ Marlin Texan in 30-30 a couple of years ago. Great carbine. Oh, cross bolt safeties are a deal killer. But Ruger will probably keep it.

    • >>>Oh, cross bolt safeties are a deal killer. But Ruger will probably keep it.
      The safety is there. Zoom in on the photos and one can see it by the 2 receiver screws near the back. I guess there are (were?) businesses offering a ‘plug’ to fill that hole if one wanted to manually remove the ‘lawyer safety’.
      Thank God my Model 39M doesn’t have such stupidity. Even Henry doesn’t put that crap on their rimfires.

  9. Well, they’ve cornered the market on .22LR rifles. Consolidation doesn’t help inflation. At least Marlin survived.

    • The Rossi RS22 is a cheap and fun little 22 plinking rifle. I’m generally a Marlin 22 fan, owning both the Model 60 and 795, as well as a Henry 22 lever action. The Rossi feels light and flimsy, but has some excellent features, runs great, and only set me back $99. I really love Rugers and own a bunch, but somehow haven’t managed to get a 10/22 yet. For plinking, I just prefer a tube fed gun like the Marlin 60 or Henry.

      Maybe it helps that the Marlin 60 was my first.

  11. Hmm… $1399MSRP. Want one but I think I’ll wait until they start selling for less than MSRP. The first few will probably fetch $2k.

    I appreciate Ruger keeping the Marlin brand separate, but adding a link to the Marlin website on the Ruger sight would be a good idea.

    • Looked these up on GunBroker and used Remlins are bringing $2600+ and one new old stock is selling for over $3100.

  13. Marlin brought on its own demise by cheapening the gun to the point that they did not work right out of the box. I remember some years ago people complaining that the cartridge carrier was being made out of junk plastic and it broke almost right out of the box. No wonder people stopped buying Marlin’s garbage.

    • Dacian doesn’t have any friends, or family for that matter, so he haunts this message board looking for validation for the ridiculous thoughts that pour from his tiny brain. Like all Leftists, he’s a pathetic loser, probably sexually confused, and takes pride in his mental illnesses.

        • Many people are saying that Gadsden Flag here knows what it is to be a sexually confused idiot, believe me!

        • One term, only a deviant Democrat could bring sex into a conversation about Marlin rifles. I’d suggest you become friends with Dacian, but probably knows less about sex than he does about firearms.

  14. I was waiting to see what Ruger did with the Marlins. Looks like they kept the !@#$%^&! crossbolt safety. Also looks like they kept the !@#$%^&! buttstock as is instead of taking 30 minutes to improve it. Now I’m going to run out and buy a Henry Side Gate Lever Action in .45/70.

    • The most useful purpose for the crossbolt safety is that you can unload the weapon without fear of an accidental bang. This isn’t a problem with the Henrys because they can be unloaded via the magazine plug, however this is at the cost of magazine capacity. Looking at Henry’s equivalent it’s an unthreaded 18.43″ barrel vs the 19″ threaded barrel on the Rugerlin – the Henry is 4+1 the Rugerlin is 6+1. I should point out that my Remlin 336BL is supposed to be 6+1 but with most loads you can only squeeze 5 in the tube (they could have easily made the magazine a quarter inch longer). Hopefully Ruger has fixed this problem.

      • Also worth noting that the Henry has a stained hardwood stock and chrome plated carbon steel for the metal parts as opposed to laminate stock and stainless steel on the Marlin. If you’re going to use one of these out in the elements (especially around salt water) I’d much prefer the stainless and laminate.

        • I don’t, but there’s not a whole lot of Kodiak brown bears here either, so for me buying one of these would be a lot like buying a Mauser C96 so I could pretend I was Han Solo. Then again, I might not always be in IA. I mean, the shit could theoretically hit the fan…

  15. I covet a Marlin Model 1894 CSBL. I bought a Henry in 3.57 because I couldn’t get a Marlin. I’ve been pleased with the Henry, but if you don’t load it just right, the last round will jam. I’m ager to test the Marlin.

  16. My 1973 Xmas present was a Marlin Golden Model 39A .22. Still have it and it is still one of my favorite guns. Built like a tank, utterly reliable, and more accurate than 99% of shooters.

    I hope they reintroduce a Model 1894 in .41 magnum — would like to have that to go with my Dan Wesson .41 Mag wheelgun.

  17. Hope Ruger puts out a good version of the old Marlin guns. I have one of the old octagon cowboy .357 guns thar someone who knew what he was doing slicked up. If I was as good as that gun it would have won me some of the cowboy action matches I use to compete in.

  18. A Marlin Dark or Henry X in .45-70 are on my persistent watch list. Whichever I can find at a good price first. Gonna be a long wait.

  19. I hade two marlins fail right at the time of bankruptcy. One both were brand new out the box and the second one was a warranty replacement for the first. Filed a claim during bankruptcy process but will likely never see the money. Wish ruger the best but until Henry lets me down I’ve gotten burnt twice in marlin and will just wait to see how quality control on the new line plays out. I understand why but it would have been nice for ruger to honor the warranty and repairs. To say the warranty process was a cluster f@@k is an understatement.

    • If enough people write to Ruger about the crappy Remlins they own, maybe Ruger will give some kind of discount from the factory for the owners that got taken in bankruptcy.
      Ruger is a great company and this would be a great service for the original purchasers.

      I would not look for that to happen until these have been made for a while and only like for like.

  20. Well dammit. I settled for a Rossi. Pimped it up a little and I like it, but I really wanted that Marlin. Oh well.

    • I did too. Ross is are ‘hit & miss’, but I honestly love mine. Eats all .38 & .357. no problem, and plenty accurate. I’ll never sell it.

    • I would like one in .357. I’m not a big revolver guy, but I have one, and getting one kind of ammo for both that and a lever gun would be super convenient. I really love the look of this stainless model.

      • Just in case you need extra justification. The 357 is particularly interesting in that the sweet spot (maximum velocity) for barrel length is right around 16 inches according to the Ballistics by the Inch web site. Anything longer and it looses velocity gradually. At 16 inches the 357 approaches 30-30 performance.

        • I have a Remington rolling block #1 sporter made in 1873 that is chambered for .357 Mag. With its 28″ full octagon barrel, shooting 158 gr round nose lead bullets it chronos at 1800 fps, very near .30-30 performance.

          I’d love to have a stainless Marlin 1895 in .357 to go with it.

      • CarlosT,

        As Scott mentioned, you get a significant velocity boost on full-power .357 Magnum loads out of a rifle with a 16 to 18-inch barrel. It produces almost identical muzzle velocity to the revered 7.62 x 39mm cartridge coming out of an AK-47 carbine (with 16-inch barrel) when shooting 125 grain bullets.

        If I could only take one firearm caliber with me on an “end of the world” scenario, it would be a revolver and lever-action rifle combination chambered in .357 Magnum.

        For reference: I love wheel guns and the .357 Magnum cartridge. I also depend on successful white-tailed deer harvest for food and I hunt on small properties where I cannot have deer running 200 yards before falling over dead. It is only because of that limitation (I cannot have deer run far after a fatal wound) that I only use .44 Magnum and therefore my long guns are chambered in .44 Magnum rather than .357 Magnum. Otherwise, I would have gone with .357 Magnum in my long guns.

  22. I have a couple of (JM) proof marked 1895s one is an unfired Guide Gun collectible with original box a little worn and one with a longer barrel bought used but in really new condition and at a really good price (probably both considered collectibles now). These are nice ones, but, of course, hand fitted. After Remington got everything translated to CNC manufacture being yet another appreciator of pistol caliber lever guns I bought an 1894 44 Magnum. In my humble opinion this is as well made as the Taylor and Taylor Chiappa Alaskan 357 in my collection. I am looking forward to possibly picking up another lever gun from Ruger, in the future, but it appears to me that toward the end of the run Remington had done most of the heavy lifting taking the original Marlin designs and adapting them to modern CNC manufacturing. I have no problem with Ruger taking their time and getting this one right, but the Remington Engineers will have had a lot to do with their success. I am not sure what exactly what happened to Remington financially, but it is possible this conversion contributed to their demise as it must have been expensive.

  23. Now if there were only some .45-govt around… I have found, after buying a rifle in that caliber, that it is surprisingly popular and therefore generally sold out or overpriced. Given its generally uninspiring ballistics, I find that rather odd.

    • Mark N.,

      I beg to differ that .45-70 Government has uninspiring ballistics. You do realize that .45-70 Government is widely acclaimed as the best dangerous game platform in North America, correct?

      As you probably already know, a carbine chambered in .45-70 Government launches large and heavy bullets at significant velocities and brutal energies. One representative loading sends a 325 grain bullet at just over 2,000 feet-per-second and muzzle energy of 3,000 foot-pounds. I find that to be very inspiring.

      In the immortal words of Darth Vader, “I find your lack of faith … disturbing.”

      • I mean, the classic 405 grain at 1350 will drop anything, but it’s a bit of a mortar. As you said the 300ish grain loads at 2K don’t have that issue.

      • I don’t doubt its power at the muzzle but it lacks range and loses energy more rapidly than more modern calibers. Many writers will not recommend it for anything over 200 yards. By 200 yards, many commercial loads have lost half or more of their energy.

  24. I’m looking forward to the Ruger made .44 mag lever guns that are inevitably coming.

    Maybe a .357 lever gun with a threaded barrel so you can either shoot full loads and no can or slap a can on the end with .38s for a really quiet time.

    • Tim U,

      You could do the same with a lever-action rifle chambered in .44 Magnum–slap on a can and run .44 Special through it for some very quiet activity.

  25. Delighted to see that Ruger is making solid progress in bringing back the Marlin brand. As a gun owner I’ve a very high opinion of Ruger quality. They are a company that has their act together in design and modern manufacturing.

    I see on the new Marlin website there are two more lever action centerfire rifles and three rimfire rifles on their roadmap. So Ruger is obviously planning to bring back at least Marlin’s top six best designs of the pre-Cerberus fiasco years.

    Outstanding!

    I’ll be watching for some new Marlin’s to show up on the Cabelas/Bass Pro websites. I’ve a ton of points earned on the store’s credit card to spend there, will be adding a new Marlin rifle to my collection in the next year or two.

    The hard part will be deciding which model!

  26. As a New Haven resident and lover of Marlin rifles, I can tell you it was a sad sad day when Cerberus shut down the historic Marlin factory on Kenna Dr.

    I had always hoped they would be picked up by Sturm Ruger, another CT based firearm company on its way out the door. Ruger is a well run company that makes quality firearms. Those who criticize Ruger for their finish should pay attention to the price point of the firearms.

    Their Model 1 as well as the Hawkeye rifles are finished as well as anything in the industry while their lower priced guns provide excellent function at an affordable price point.

    I’m sure that the Ruger Marlins will be mechanically excellent and given the pricing of the Marlin lever guns will have a high quality finish. Marlin is in good hands. That makes me happy.

  27. With a MSRP of $1399, the street price would have to drop by at least 50% before I’d even consider buying one of the new RM’s. Believe I’ll have to pass on the née FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLAR Ruger/Marlin lever gun.

  28. With a MSRP of $1399, the street price would have to drop by at least 50% before I’d even consider buying one of the new RM’s. Believe I’ll have to pass on the new FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLAR Ruger/Marlin lever gun.

  29. I have a couple of lever guns, one an old and beloved Winchester M94 in .30-30 and the other a Golden Boy in .22LR. Guess which one has seen the most action since Covid? Yeah, the Henry, because I can’t find any .30-30.

    I would purchase a new Marlin if one became available, but it won’t be in .45-70 Govt. I’m holding out for a .357 to pair up with several of my double- and single-action revolvers.

  30. I’d have liked to see the crossbolt safety offered as an option, maybe 10% of buyers would opt for it, about the same percentage of
    manual safety S&W M&Ps purchased. I opted for it on the S&W, but will pass on it on the Marlin for the same reason . I like to keep a consistent manual of arms- don’t like the unexpected surprise of a click when a boom is expected, and your trophy runs off into the next county.

  31. I worked for marlin firearms for 32 years in north haven Connecticut I was a cutter gender there my heart was broken when it was sold and moved I have bought a lot of rifles before they totally closed the plant I am so happy watching the reviews of the new release of this rifle it brings tears to my eye that Rugger firearms is going to great things with marlin firearms i truly miss making marlin rifles

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