Finally - I got my new Marlin 1895 SBL

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superlative

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.. sort of. It's on the way.

I called Marlin a few months back during the SBL production dry spell, and they said that production of this rifle had ceased due to retooling at their factory. Production resumed around October and there was a huge backlog of orders. Canada received about 12 rifles in Nov-Dec timeframe.

When I had Wolverine on the phone just now, they explained to me the condition of these new tooling rifles:

1. The wood stock fitment is not perfect just like before
2. The action is smoother than before
3. The sights are straight

Oh well - 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
 
I heard it was not so much the tooling problem or "re-tooling" but the poor workmanship of the largly unskilled labour they were using to assemble these rifles from pictures after they laid off all the experienced (in other words expensive) Marlin staff when they bought out Marlin and then closed the Marlin plant after moving all the equipment to Remington.

Don't expect any of the new Remington Marlins (Remlins) to ever match what was coming out of the old Marlin plant.
 
superlative said:
.. sort of. It's on the way.

I called Marlin a few months back during the SBL production dry spell, and they said that production of this rifle had ceased due to retooling at their factory. Production resumed around October and there was a huge backlog of orders. Canada received about 12 rifles in Nov-Dec timeframe.

When I had Wolverine on the phone just now, they explained to me the condition of these new tooling rifles:

1. The wood stock fitment is not perfect just like before
2. The action is smoother than before
3. The sights are straight

Oh well - 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
Click to expand...

I'll be interested in your report once you get it in your hands and out to the range... I'm in the market for one also. Thanks.
 
mkrnel said:
I heard it was not so much the tooling problem or "re-tooling" but the poor workmanship of the largly unskilled labour they were using to assemble these rifles from pictures after they laid off all the experienced (in other words expensive) Marlin staff when they bought out Marlin and then closed the Marlin plant after moving all the equipment to Remington.

Don't expect any of the new Remington Marlins (Remlins) to ever match what was coming out of the old Marlin plant.
Click to expand...

Yes - but the "old Marlin plant" never made the SBL.
 
superlative said:
Yes - but the "old Marlin plant" never made the SBL.
Click to expand...
Yes they did. I bought a new SBL last autumn from LeBaron's and there was nothing wrong with it, in fact it was better finished than a 1895 Guide gun I had from before Marlin was bought out by Freedom Arms Group. If you purchase a used Remlin made Marlin you need to check the barrel dates to determine when it was made, since there where a lot of quality control issues until last year, since the original work force was not to happy in being made redundant as well as the lack of experience with assembling them at the Remington plant. i.e.

On a Marlin forum site there is a post that explains the barrel markings on New Marlins made in Ilion, NY.
Sometime in 2011 when the old Marlin barrels ran out and Remington started making the barrels, they started to use the Remington date of manufacture code system on the Marlin firearms.

The 2 letter code on the left side of the barrel just in front of the receiver indicates the date of manufacture.
The first letter is the month using B-L-A-C-K-P-O-W-D-E-R-X as the code. B=Jan. L=Feb. A=Mar. ETC.

The second letter is the year E=2010 F=2011 G=2012 H=2013
Using this code, my SBL has a barrel code PH was made in June. 2013. However on the barrel it says THE MARLIN FIREARMS CO NORTH HAVEN CT USA
 
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I bought an sbl about a year ago. I got the shop to try to chamber some rounds through it. It jammed. they had another one in a box. It cycled fine. I bought it. The fit n finish is perfect and it is accurate. This is a remlin and I guess I got a good one.
 
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