Lever Action Rifle Preference

[jim-d]

I am looking for opinions. I have the chance to buy one of two rifles, neither of which I am very familiar with. A Marlin 336 in 30-30, excellent condition, shiny bore with strong rifling. The other is a Savage 99 in .300 Savage, also excellent condition, shiny bore with strong rifling. The Marlin was made in 1953, the Savage in 1951.
Condition almost identical...which is the more desirable ?
Thank you

[leftyo]

if you like pointy bullets the 99 is your winner, otherwise id go with what you find better looking.

[Oyaji]

My vote would be for the Savage however, they are both great rifles. The Marlin 336 is much more common whereas the Savage 99 is not and probably has more value.

[Griff Murphey]

I personally like the cut of the old Savage. Obsolete caliber but what the heck. I do know the newer Marlins are quite surprisingly accurate with scopes partly because they supposedly have these "micro groove" barrels. One of that era will likely not be drilled and tapped unless done post manufacture. Cannot speak for the collectibility of either one but just on esthetics I'd go for the Savage. Can't help but think Of old Teddy Roosevelt in his buckskins posing with one in that famous photo.

Speaking of old TR there is my FAVORITE lever gun: the 1895 Winchester,

[RED]

I hate the older lever action Winchesters and Marlins. Accidents with the vintage actions are common. The requirement to jack a round into the chamber then lower the hammer seems to be a simple act but has cost numerous people their lives.

Ever heard of Drury Inns, the hotel people? Little Jimmy Drury and my son were great friends. We lived only a half block away. Jimmy's dad came home from a deer hunt one fall, removed the round in the chamber of the Marlin and put it back in the tube magazine and stood the rifle in a corner. 11 year old Jimmy saw the rifle and jacked the action and when no round was ejected, assumed the gun was empty. He tried to lower the hammer but his finger slipped and the gun went bang. The bullet went through the sheet rock wall and blew his 9 year old sisters head off.

I was at the Cape County Gun Club range one day when the President of the club showed up with his sons 12 - 15 years old. They each had Winchester 94's. One of the kids loaded his rifle and suddenly there was a "boom," about 3 feet from my ear. Yep his thumb slipped...

Why anybody would introduce these guns to children and ladies is a mystery to me. There is a reason the newer ones have a real safety on them...

[mike9905]

The Savage is the better rifle, but how is your source for .300 Savage ammo?

[jon_norstog]

I'd go with the Savage. the .300 Savage is ballistically equivalent to the 30-40 and is way stronger than the 30-30. It's an elk gun, which the Marlin is probably not.

jn

[aintright]

Have had both , but not in the 300 . My savage was 308 , it is one of those guns you can chalk up to be too young to realize what you had .
It was very accurate and action slick .
The 336 is pretty slick , not a big fan of the 30-30 but have taken deer and one bear with it and has been a favorite deer caliber in the east . The hammer thing can be helped by using a hammer spur . Some will actually shoot pretty darn good .
The 99's are a bit more money , at least around here , if you reload ammo shouldn't be a problem , factory ammo might be spotty .
Kenneth

[Darreld Walton]

Get 'em both! The 99 that I have in the safe at the moment is a 30-30, one of the carbines that they made. I'm dealing for a 38-55. I've got M94's in both of those chamberings, and a couple of 336's that are 30-30's.
Granddad used an M94 rifle that he bought when he was 12 years old, in 1918, and used it until early 1941 when he bought his 99 Savage, it chambered to 300. He, and my Dad and uncle used those rifles to take deer, antelope, elk, moose, and every sort of varmint that they encountered robbing their potato, grain, and sugar beet crops.
The 99's shoot really well, and most are already drilled and tapped for scope bases, and if they're not, usually all it takes is d/t the front ring. Depending on what vintage the Marlin is, it may or may not be drilled and tapped. Scoping either rifle increases the accuracy and ranging potential of both rifles.
Neither rifle is going to be a "bean field" gun, but, will do the job well. Going over my notes, I realized that in 50 years hunting, I've yet to kill a game animal at more than 250 yards. My mule deer kills with 30-30 have been anywhere from 10 feet to 200 yards.
My experience with the 300 is limited, but with good handloads, it is no slouch, approaching and nudging 308 Winchester performance. Good brass, dies, and a bit of caution when sizing and seating will help prevent collapsing the shoulder of the cartridge. The sharp shoulder and short neck can be problematic until you figure it out and get the dies adjusted right.

[Tuna]

The .300 Savage cartridge is just below the .308 ballistic wise. Was always considered to be very accurate and capable of taking just about anything in the country except Brown or Grizzly bears. The .300 Savage is available and loaded by several ammo makers but it may be in the limited seasonal category now. If I was to buy the 99 or the 336 I would get the Savage 99 hands down.

[JB White]

Jim-D, you didn't mention for which purpose you're buying these rifles. Collection or utility?

If it's the latter, then my personal preference would be the Marlin. The ammo is available everywhere, the Marlins are very easy to maintain, and I have always liked the way they felt.
If the former, then I suggest buying the one with the best investment potential. The Savage 99 has its own distinct following. The older Marlins have a fan base too.

You can't go wrong with either performance-wise IMHO, but in a strictly utilitarian sense I feel the Marlin would serve a bit better and be easier to move should you ever decide to sell later on. The more common chambering in a well recognized aesthetic profile increases the number of potential buyers more than two-fold.

As suggested previously, buying both would end the dilemma and add two great rifles to your stable. No regrets in the hind sight department either.

[barretcreek]

I have a 99 and they are excellent rifles. Two things to consider. A Marlin has a longer lever stroke than a 99 or a Winchester 94. Especially if you are dressed for cold weather it may not cycle without lowering the butt from your shoulder. Lots of Savages have a recoil pad fitted not because the .300 kicks (it doesn't) but because those steel butt plates slip off of the shoulder. Takes a little practice to shoot well.

Yeah, .300 ammo ain't as common as 30/30. Plan ahead. Love my 99s.

Brownell's has tang sights for the 99 and receiver sights for the Marlin.

[jim-d]

Thanks for all the input. I plan to shoot it, but not much, so the ammo will not be an issue. Both are the same money (within $10), so the opinions have me leaning to the Savage. I will pick it up tomorrow, and try to get some photos posted .
Thanks again for all the great comments, really made the decision easier.

[clintonhater]

I hate the older lever action Winchesters and Marlins. Accidents with the vintage actions are common. The requirement to jack a round into the chamber then lower the hammer seems to be a simple act but has cost numerous people their lives...

Oh, brother, you'd LOVE the "gun-room" scene in "Home From the Hill"! (Great movie but not as great as the novel itself.) Robert Mitchum instructs his panty-waist son in gun-handling, using a Model 94.

11 yr olds probably shouldn't be handling a '94, but hammers don't "slip"--careless or incompetent shooters LET them slip. The most common boy's rifles used to be single-shots with exposed hammers, like Stevens Favorites, and they were always regarded as safer for kids than any other design.

[JB White]

Thanks for all the input. I plan to shoot it, but not much, so the ammo will not be an issue. Both are the same money (within $10), so the opinions have me leaning to the Savage. I will pick it up tomorrow, and try to get some photos posted .
Thanks again for all the great comments, really made the decision easier.

I may favor the Marlins, but I think you made a great choice. You really couldn't go wrong :)

[S.A. Boggs]

I have the Marlin in .44 Magnum as a companion to my Pre Ruger .44 Super Blackhawk. In Ohio the 30-30 is verboten for deer hunting, the .44 isn't.
Sam

[Griff Murphey]

First time I went deer hunting where I even saw a deer was 1967. The rancher loaded his rifle, a .308 Win. Savage 99, right inside the dining room of his ranch house. I thought, "Hmm, this isn't what they told us in NRA junior rifle gun safety..." and..."BANG!" Right into the bedroom wall, fortunately not hitting his wife in the next room!

Good lesson for me.... about loading a gun in the house

[bdm]

I have both rifles and they are both good I like the Marlin best

[Vern Humphrey]

Go with the Savage, but plan on handloading. .300 Savage ammo is getting hard to come by, so get dies and brass when you get the rifle.

[blackhawknj]

I have a Marlin 336C in 30-30, a Savage Model 99 in 308 is on my list to get "Someday". I have found the Marlin easy to work on, parts probably more available if that is a consideration.
Nothing takes the place of proper gun handling and following safety procedures. The only real safety is found behind the eyes and between the ears.

[Dolt]

Oh, brother, you'd LOVE the "gun-room" scene in "Home From the Hill"! (Great movie but not as great as the novel itself.) Robert Mitchum instructs his panty-waist son in gun-handling, using a Model 94.

11 yr olds probably shouldn't be handling a '94, but hammers don't "slip"--careless or incompetent shooters LET them slip. The most common boy's rifles used to be single-shots with exposed hammers, like Stevens Favorites, and they were always regarded as safer for kids than any other design.

The best firearms "safety" can be found between the ears. If it is not there, no mechanical safety can take its place.

[S.A. Boggs]

The best firearms "safety" can be found between the ears. If it is not there, no mechanical safety can take its place.
You said it all, glad that someone did. Anything mechanical /electrical will fail per Murphy's Law.
Sam