Marlin 150th Anniversary rifles

From Ruger:

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. announced today that its offer to purchase substantially all of the Marlin Firearms assets was accepted by Remington Outdoor Company, Inc. and approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The Company will pay the $30 million purchase price from cash on hand at the time of closing, which is expected to occur in October.

“The value of Marlin and its 150-year legacy was too great of an opportunity for us to pass up,” said Ruger President and CEO Chris Killoy. “The brand aligns perfectly with ours and the Marlin product portfolio will help us widen our already diverse product offerings.”

The transaction is exclusively for the Marlin Firearms assets. Remington firearms, ammunition, other Remington Outdoor brands, and all facilities and real estate are excluded from the Ruger purchase. Once the purchase is completed, the Company will begin the process of relocating the Marlin Firearms assets to existing Ruger manufacturing facilities.

“The important thing for consumers, retailers and distributors to know at this point in time,” continued Killoy, “is that the Marlin brand and its great products will live on. Long Live the Lever Gun.”

Additional information will be released when available. To stay up to date, please sign up for our contact list at Ruger.com/Marlin.

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103 COMMENTS

  1. I learned to hunting using an old Marlin .30-30 level action. I have no idea that Ruger plans to with the brand or tooling, but I can hope for a future with more well made level actions.

    • Whatever Ruger does, it’ll beat the hell out of what Remington’s shitty quality control did to Marlin. remington just about ran marlin into the ground. Thanks for saving the Marlin name and brand Ruger !!!!

      Guess I’ll fire a few rds out of my marlin 1895 Cowboy 45-70 tomorrow to celebrate.

    • Sounds like they will keep the brand name and the tooling will be moved to their facilities for construction of lever guns.

      “The important thing for consumers, retailers and distributors to know at this point in time,” continued Killoy, “is that the Marlin brand and its great products will live on. Long Live the Lever Gun.”

      • They better make more than just the Marlin lever guns. I expect them to continue to produce auto-loading and bolt-action rimfires as well. Marlin 60/795 lover here.

        I am excited about this news. Ruger is a great company and I’m sure they will help restore the honor of the Marlin name. Maybe they will even use micro grooving on the 10/22 barrel.😃

      • I’m more concerned with what was in the announcement –

        “Once the purchase is completed, the Company will begin the process of relocating the Marlin Firearms assets to existing Ruger manufacturing facilities.”

        Physical assets are one thing, the human knowledge, the institutional knowledge that made them is something entirely else. How many of the skilled craftsman are going to pull up family roots to re-locate to the Ruger factories?

        Were I one of those old-timers, I’d be tempted to say “screw that” and just retire and play with the grand-kids…

        • Remington destroyed that when they bought marlin, hence the remlins. All, if not most, of the machine tools and skilled craftsmanship was lost in the transfer.

        • What “skilled craftsmen” are you worried about? Ruger factories will simply begin to produce Marlin designs but there will be a difference, the rifles will actually work.

      • It’s up to you as long as Harris/Biden are not elected. If they are Ruger is history with only the details left to sort out like will they close their doors or be sued out of existance.

    • The quality will be as good as when JM Marlin made them, so you’ll be able to call it a MARLIN again…….

      • Actually I would suspect better than even Marlin was at their end as much of the machinery was worn and dated at that point.

        I have a close friend who was tasked with taking a look at the Marlin lever production line at the point when Remington got it set up and running in Illion.
        He didn’t hold out much hope for the rifles that Remington would produce with the very worn tooling. The first Vice President wasn’t willing to make the investment into what it would to make correct Marlins,so they became famous for their Remlins and the trash they were.
        My bet is Ruger will make Marlins worthy of the name Marlin.

      • Back in the early ’60’s I had a Marlin Model 81 bolt action – magazine fed – with the MicroGroove bbl…it was an iron-sighted (who had the $$ for scopes) tack driver. If Ruger came out with a commemorative Model 81, I would purchase one…just because.

        • The 81 with the tube magazine was my very first gun. I had shot a lot of others but that one was mine. 10th birthday in ’71.
          I’ve been stalking gunbroker for just the right one for while. It seems like the wood color varied a lot. Mine was a lot darker than most I see.

        • I really prefer a tube magazine on a .22 rilfe. 10/22s are great but I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the Marlin 60.

  6. Since Marlin bought H&R/NEF and Marlin was subsequently bought by Remington, does that mean Ruger is also buying H&R/NEF or does Remington/Cerberus/Freedom Group still own that brand?

    I would love it if Ruger started making the H&R single shots again. Those guns were so affordable.

    • Years back I carried an H&R in .38 S&W. Good dependable revolver. Good steel in it, not of the higher quality and refinements but still, it served its purpose well.

      Sold that one when I sold my top-break revolver collection. Still own my model 649 (.22LR and .22WMR) and my model 999 Sportsman (.22LR nine shot).

      Very pleased to see Ruger saving Marlin from the catastrophe of what Cerberus did to Remington and all those companies it sucked under Remington’s banner. While I know there were failures at Remington that were their own damned fault, it must not be forgotten that Wall Street raiders saddled the company with a gargantuan debt they received no benefit from and could never repay.

      None of Remington’s errors were anywhere near enough to ruin the company.

      It was Wall Street financial trickery that sucked all the dollars out and finally murdered Remington.

    • Everybody should own a break action single shot. I have 3. Fun to play with. Easy to teach noobs with. Very nostalgic as I grew up with these types.

      At least once a year I still work in a hunt with my H&R 12 ga. Maybe not this year. Too many good places burnt out this year.

  7. As an enthusiastic Ruger fan (all my revolvers are Rugers!) I think this is fantastic news. Can’t wait to buy a Ruger/Marlin lever gun!

  8. I wonder if they’ll continue to offer the custom rifles you could order from Marlin. Ruger’s own “custom shop” doesn’t take custom orders.

  9. Ruger will have Marlin humming along like a gun factory ought to be. That company comprehends designing for manufacturing!

    Now if they also got H&R under their control, being of a somewhat nostalgic view, I’d love to see Ruger bring back some of the old H&R revolvers …. unlikely I know. Top breaks ain’t exactly anybody’s fashion these days.

      • It’s called “cognitive dissonance,” holding opposite beliefs in the mind at the same time. Enuf is so mentally ill he believes that Jo/Ho getting into office will not result in any gun control

        • Your poor sad fools. You are following a cult leader who’s only purpose is to save his brand from bankruptcy and his ass from prison.

          I’m voting for Biden as the bitter pill needed to save our Republic fom the disease that is Trump.

          Of course I am not merely voting for Biden, I’m sending him money too. If he wins, then I’ll send more money to SAF, GOA, etc.

          If Trump wins, then matters are far worse. Support Dems in elections to combat the evil that is Trumpism and still send money to pro-gun groups.

          I did not invent this fucked up world. You morons did by supporting Trump against all those actual, not deranged, not criminally minded, not a real and present danger to the USA Republicans back in the 2016 primaries.

          This is your fault and you are too damned indoctrinated and full of your own bullshit to accept responsibility for your bad deeds.

        • Blah, blah, blah, says enuf. A delusional traitor that thinks he’s right. Or just a paid shill for the biden/harris team?

        • Just look at California if you want to see what Biden/Harris will do to the country. We have not had a new semi-auto handgun added to our “Safe Gun” roster in 10 years. You have to get a background check that costs $19 to buy a box of .22lr and bring your birth certificate. Soon we will not even be able to buy a 1911 barrel without a background check. We have out of control fires due to poor management and a unemployment rate double the national average. The price of housing is through the roof and taxes are the highest in the country. The middle class is moving out in droves to red states. If you want that future for the rest of the U.S. please vote for Biden. This state is no longer Reagan country it is a socialist nightmare.

        • @enuf- are you freakin kidding me? Do you comprehend what our world would look like if Shrillery had been able to replace 3 Supreme Court Justices?!? This is why I voted for Trump. And why I will again. He’s not the disease, he’s not the cure. He IS a symptom, a backlash against leftism and an incompetent GOP that only seems mildly effective as a speed bump when they’re getting their asses handed to them in the minority. You think the lunacy going on today is in response to Trump?!? It’s leftism run wild, aided and abetted by leftists in government; it’s a rejection of American greatness, because some feel they shouldn’t have to work to enjoy prosperity; it’s an attempt by the left to cement their power in government, not for any noble reasons, but for personal wealth. The Democrats will do to this country what Cerberus did to Remington.

          Dare I hope the GOP has gotten the message? Dare I hope that enough voting citizens have done the math correctly? The demographics are shifting, and we will eventually lose out to the rising tide of immigrants and the welfare state. This may well be the last chance to block democrats out, but it’s all borrowed time. The left is like erosion- it never rests, and you can’t restore what they take.

          Get your poop in a group Republicans, or there won’t be a Republic anymore, or ever again. It’s time to actually protect the future, and quit engaging the loons on the unimportant crap.

    • Exactly what I came here to say. I love my Rugers, love my Marlins and I feel all warm inside knowing that both will be around tomorrow.

  11. Boggles my old brain.

    But…..I’m kinda thinking i would like a stainless 38 special or 32 mag with a 16 bbl and a lightweight receiver.

    If not, maybe they will get production up and cost down so i can get another 1894 ….. with a 16 inch barrel.

  12. I too have an H&R single shot, it’s actually one of my favorite firegunms. It’s in 410, I cut the barrel back to 18&1/2 inches, put a bead front sight on it and discovered it will fire .45LC and .44 RemMag too. Someone told me it will shoot .444 Marlin but I think you’d have to bailing wire the action shut because I had a 20 gauge H&R that would pop open with really hot loads.

    • Don’t know if baling wire will do it for you, possum. .45 Colt has a bit more pressure than .410 and should be safe, but .444 Marlin runs 2-3 times the pressure of .45 Colt. Just use .410 slugs, will be safe and may even be cheaper. Especially if you factor in the bills from the ER doc and maybe the funeral parlor.

  13. Good, I don’t have a lever action and didn’t want a Remlin or Winchester, don’t like Henerys, so Yay. It’d be a shame to see a great lever design to the way of the ghost

    • You’d be better off with a Henry and I wouldn’t count of ruger to immediately start making marlin wunderguns until they get things in order.

  15. Ruger is the best managed gun company that exists. It always has been.

    Ruger never had a single lay off until 2017. And even then it hired most of the people back the following year.

    Notice that SR is paying for Marlin with “Cash on hand”. Ruger has never had any debt. They grow organically. Not by taking on huge debt. So SR is able to weather downturns in the industry.

    (note. I’m a SR stockholder and my dad knew Bill Ruger Jr for 40 years, so I’m a little biased)

    • Sadly…Marlin was the other company that had no debt.

      I gather the family didnt want to dump cash back in to update the manufacturing…..so they sold out.

      Such is the way of things.

  16. On hearing Ruger is going to be making these, I think I have my next (wishful thinking) gun purchase:

    Lever gun in .44 mag, polymer furniture, pic rail on the top with a small side rail for a light.

    Because reasons

    • Because is the only reason you need. I want a .357 lever gun to go with my still new Ruger .357 revolver. Now that Ruger owns Marlin I’ll just wait until they get production up and running.

      • You may not believe it, but my $500 Rossi “92” clone in .357 is an awesome piece of work. Eats all manner of .38s & .357. Maybe I just got lucky, but it’s a fine rifle.

        • I believe it. I have 2 Rossi’s in my safe. A .38 and a 20 ga. Neither one has given me reason to not like them.

          Just before the scamdemic started i bought a new gp100-7. If Ruger starts production of Marlin lever guns I will wait and buy one. Not only will I have a sidearm and carbine combo chambered for the same ammo but they will be made by the same people. Cool.

      • I’ve got the Ruger Blackhawk & Marlin CB .45 Colt Companion going 😎 it’s a beautiful thing. A Ruger-built Marlin in .357 would be a fantastic partner to a GP100!

        • I almost bought a Winchester 92 in .357 right after the Ruger. The only hold up was the large loop lever. I did not like it. Then the covid shut everything down.

          I’m just going to wait now and see what happens with the marlin lever guns.

  18. Buy Guns,,,lot’s of Guns…long live Guns…,
    Long guns , short guns , Other guns… GUNS!!!
    I’m In…
    “”” FREE KYLE”””

  19. Now hopefully I will be seeing a marlin lever gun with a 26 inch threaded barrel. With a nine round capacity mag tube. In 357 and 30-30. Not just in 45- 70, as they have now. A high capacity lever gun!!!

    • Yes! There was a company converting 45-70’s a while back but they wanted too much money. I should have bought the Chiappa 480 Ruger when it was being made. Fingers crossed on Ruger/Marlin

  22. They should be able to make a good strong gun…..

  23. So my Marlin 45-70 GBL that has been in limbo since jume with repairs and finally a replacement is now stuck AGAIN because of this purchase. Factory closed in NY for a couple weeks while this handover takes place. So likely won’t get replacement gun until end of October. I was afraid of this and while I am for Ruger taking over as a current customer with financial/hardware at stake I am at a loss and significantly inconvenienced. I am thinking of forcing the refund and being done with it, time to go back to henry like I should have in the beginning.

    • That sucks. Have to say my Marlin 45-70 Trapper SBL from 2019 has been solid, but it’s not like I’ve put 1,000 rounds through it. I don’t have the constitution for that. Shot up a couple boxes with no issues and called it a day.

  25. It will be interesting to see what Ruger does with the venerable Marlin design and name. We are all aware of what Remlin almost did to both … they almost destroyed the brand entirely. It would be good to be able to refer to the line of leverguns simply as ‘Marlin’ once again and forever relegate the pejorative ‘Remlin’ to the dust-heap of failed manufacturers who peddled poorly manufactured firearms. There are many. Hopefully, one day soon, we will be able to debate the quality differences between a JM stamped Marlin and a (Heraldic Eagle?) Sturm Ruger stamped Marlin. And to “enuf” below, the Biden supporting gun owner inflicted with whatever pathological mental malady he may be suffering from … a vote for Biden is a vote against gun rights, our 2nd Amendment and our Constitution in general as we know it today – as our Founding Fathers intended it to be interpreted. One cannot be a serious advocate for our 2nd Amendment while voting for Biden/Harris, Beto … yet still expect to be taken seriously. And finally, whatever Ruger does, they would be well-advised to track down Bob Tinari in New Haven and offer to relocate him to Arizona and have him do nothing but oversee quality control and customer service. Remington blew-it when they completely dumped all of the old-timers in New Haven and, perhaps their biggest mistake was, not bringing Bob to Illion to make sure the QC and standards transition went smoothly. Remlin was fubared from the get-go.

    • I would bet Remington figured out pretty quickly that the heart and soul of Marlin was the people who built them, not the machines. Let this be a lesson about getting involved with investors.

  26. Hope they bring back the 39A. Bought mine when I was 11 and still love to shoot it!

    If they made a .17 version I might have to have a second one 😉

    • I wonder how the .17 would feed from a tube mag, or if rimfire rounds would have a problem with pointy projectiles.

      • There wouldn’t be any chance of a tube detonation, since the pointy part wouldn’t contact the primer.

        • That is what I assume also, however… stuff happens. Are there any tube fed .17s on the market (I honestly don’t know- I don’t have interest in the round myself)? If not I’m left to assume makers are cautious about the idea.

  27. Ruger fanboy that I am, I am absolutely giddy over this! I’d love to have about 4 more Marlins.

  28. Bob Nardelli is the problem. He ruins businesses. Look at his track record. GE got rid of him, he was their finance genius. The company was removed from Dow Jones. Home Depot paid him millions to leave. Chrysler fired him. Remington made the mistake of hiring him. Bet Bob is laughing all the way to the bank.

  29. Glad to see ruger bought them and saved them from total disaster. Even though I don’t agree with Remington firearms being sued for the mass shooting, after all they didn’t give him the guns. That’s like suing ford for a drunk driver killing someone in a wreck. Totally not at fault. Thank you for saving the company. Now can you make a lever action with a drop box for more calibers.

  30. Wish I could get some calibers in a lever gun I could afford ruger! Like big horn armory has 454 cassul 460 500 Smith and Wesson magnum! I would buy all 3! Hope you here your customers!

  31. How about the H&R handi rifle? Great for kids and adults! I have taken alot of deer with the 44 mag. My grandson loves this rifle! Would like to see Ruger add their expertise engineering and design to this rifle and muzzleloader category. With today’s different views on gun ownership it may fill a void!

  32. Best bet for a real winner. Model 1894 chambered in 357 Maximum. Real firepower with less recoil than a 44 Mag. A little lengthening of the receiver would be required, but it would be worth the investment. I would be first in line to buy this rifle.

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