Earlier this year, at Range Ready, the home of the Gun Talk folks, we attended Lever Fest 2025. This was a celebration of the uniquely American lever-action rifle, we had a chance to run a number of lever-action rifles from several different companies through a series of competitions and other testing. One of the brands is the iconic Marlin lever-action rifle, with the Model 336 a staple in the lever-action world. In addition to the famous “thirty-thirty,” Marlin offers five different series of rifles: SBL, Dark, Classic, Trapper and Guide Gun.
The SBL series offers stainless-steel models in classic lever-action calibers like .45-70 Govt. and .30-30 Win. as well as pistol calibers like .357 Mag. and .44 Mag. The Dark series offers a more customizable experience, with a nylon stock, M-Lok-slot fore-end and integral Picatinny rail for optics. The Classic series, as you would expect are blued steel and finely finished walnut furniture; these rifles are available in .30-30 Win., .357 Mag. and .44 Mag. The Trapper series are built for the field, with synthetic furniture and stainless finish, while certain models feature Magpul stocks. Lastly, the Guide Gun series are available with laminate stocks and blue finish, with .45-70 Govt., .357 Mag. and .44 Mag. calibers available.
At Lever Fest we had the opportunity to run a number of Marlin rifles, but have to admit to a fondness for the Model 336 in .30-30 Win. Longer-range shooting was performed with the Marlin rifles, such as running plate racks at 100 yards or knocking spinning plates over with the .45-70. Performance was superlative, as you would expect from the brand, and in general we were reminded just how much fun lever-action rifles can be.
We had a chance to talk to Paul Pluff from Ruger (parent company of Marlin) about the process by which Ruger integrated the storied Marlin name into the company’s existing product line, what the new Marlin now offers, and directions in which the company might go in the future. For more information about Marlin firearms, visit marlinfirearms.com.
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