- Location
- Haliburton County, Central Ontario
I wasn't going to post this, but thought what the heck. With all the kerfuffle over Marlin quality control since being acquired by Cerberus (and now to be liquidated possibly in a political move by that holding company) I decided to share my most recent experience in the world of retail Marlin firearm sales.
I went to Ellwood Epps this week with a notion to look at some Marlin 1895 lever guns and make a go/no-go decision after having a look at some rifles. I started by looking at a GBL, but my buddy did not like the idea of a laminate stock so, to humour him, I asked to see the GS model (Guide Stainless) in stead. The first GS out of the box had a pretty gritty action and had a nickel size knot (with an actual void in the centre!) on the butt stock. The second one cycles nicely, but you could have shaved with the edges on the lever and it had some random but pad on it not even from the 1895 series (no sh$t). The third one had a blemish on the butt stock (not so bad that I would not have bought it perhaps), but it had sharp edges too. At this point (and I am not making this up) the fellow behind the counter (who was obviously more annoyed with Marlin than I was by this time) informs me that there is a limit of three for viewing new firearms (of the same kind) at their store. Well wouldn't you know the rear sling swivel stud was missing on this third rifle. I would have bought it if they had had one to provide me for home installation, but he went into the gunsmithing inner sanctum only to return a while later and inform me he had no luck locating one in stainless to match. Just when it looked as though I was going home with no Marlin, this fine fellow sighs and says he is going to make an exception and break out a fourth rifle for me to look at. I thank him very much and when he returns with the fourth box (and yes, you guessed it, not all the others had been previously unopened
) this Marlin is absolutely perfect. I take the gun home. The end.
I went to Ellwood Epps this week with a notion to look at some Marlin 1895 lever guns and make a go/no-go decision after having a look at some rifles. I started by looking at a GBL, but my buddy did not like the idea of a laminate stock so, to humour him, I asked to see the GS model (Guide Stainless) in stead. The first GS out of the box had a pretty gritty action and had a nickel size knot (with an actual void in the centre!) on the butt stock. The second one cycles nicely, but you could have shaved with the edges on the lever and it had some random but pad on it not even from the 1895 series (no sh$t). The third one had a blemish on the butt stock (not so bad that I would not have bought it perhaps), but it had sharp edges too. At this point (and I am not making this up) the fellow behind the counter (who was obviously more annoyed with Marlin than I was by this time) informs me that there is a limit of three for viewing new firearms (of the same kind) at their store. Well wouldn't you know the rear sling swivel stud was missing on this third rifle. I would have bought it if they had had one to provide me for home installation, but he went into the gunsmithing inner sanctum only to return a while later and inform me he had no luck locating one in stainless to match. Just when it looked as though I was going home with no Marlin, this fine fellow sighs and says he is going to make an exception and break out a fourth rifle for me to look at. I thank him very much and when he returns with the fourth box (and yes, you guessed it, not all the others had been previously unopened
) this Marlin is absolutely perfect. I take the gun home. The end.
, with a selection of cast and jacketed bullets, all I've really done is punched paper with it but hopefully it'll get 'field experience' before too long.
