Marlin 60, is it any good?

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Thinking of getting a new .22LR. Can anybody chime in if Marlin model 60 is any good in terms of reliability, ammo flexibility (all eatability) and relative accuracy. Good to know hands-on experiences and comparison with Ruger 10/22, Mossberg plinkers, and Savages, Remington Nylon 66 and other semis.

The use for the rifle will be mostly to punch paper at 25-50-100 yards. Maybe some piggy shoots and occasional small game hunts.

Thank you! :HFU:
marlin60-boyds-stock-29.jpg
 
All I know is that I shot one this summer and it felt nowhere near my 10/22 in quality of construction . I think they cost less though , and you get what you pay for . The one I shot didn't jam or stovepipe any rounds of the 50 I fired . It just felt like a toy to me .
JMO .
 
I have to disagree with Dagmaar in that if it was between the two guns, the 10/22 or the Marlin 60, the Marlin is better right out of the box. Sure you can pump lots of $ into the Ruger and probably achieve a better gun but I shot my brother in law's 10/22 and I wasn't really impressed. But that's a matter of individual taste.

The real question is if you want a tube feed semi or box feed? As far as tube feed semi autos go the Marlin 60 is one of the best in it's price range.

My 60 has yet to have a FTF or jam with any bulk ammo and it's plenty accurate. More accurate than me.

Savages are also good guns and good luck finding a Nylon 66.

If you like the Marlin and you like a tube feed semi then you won't regret buying it. Besides it's reasonably priced and every collection of rimfires needs one along with about a dozen others.

So to answer your question, "is the Marlin 60 any good?", the answer is yes.

Here's mine
IMG_0537.jpg
 
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I bought one 10 or so years ago and it's proven to be a great rifle for what I needed. Mainly that was for gopher control on the ranch before one of the horses ended up with a busted leg. I put a relatively cheap rimfire scope on it and shot 110 gophers that first spring. Keep it clean and you'll be happy.
 
I have a Marlin 795, the box-fed version of the 60. Yes, they're small..light rifles, but they're very reliable, inexpensive, and mine has digested everything I've fed it. The only issue is that the iron sights that come on them are garbage, but I'd planned to scope mine anyway. Both the photos in this thread are of laminated-stock versions, mine is the econo-black plastic...and I love it for hiking around. Very accurate gun, and WAY more accurate than the 10/22 I had. If I could find a 795 in stainless, there is a good chance I would buy it to have a second.
 
I have a predecesser of the Marlin 60. It is an old 990L that was in a garage rafter hideaway for about 20 years with a broken stock. Corroded action on the outside, some surface rust, i took it home, cleaned it up, repaired the stock best i could, touch up of black paint on the action and threw on a 3x9x scope, sighted it in and it is a constant accurate gopher field companion. Not a FTF or FTE in many thousands of shells. You could not ask for more in my opinion.
 
What a beauty!
Thank you for your detailed answer. I noticed that those who own 10/22 love it. Those who own Mod 60 also love it. So I guess it is a matter of preference.

As to detachable mag vs. tube, I actually prefer the tube. There is something about the tubes that I like. Something from history that dates back to Henry rifles, I guess :) Also, you cannot lose a tube but you can lose a mag. Also, from my experience, mags can bend, lips can be damaged causing a malfunction. It is harder to damage a tube though... In my opinion, again.

As to Nylon 66, I had it. Loved its buttstock magazine and self-lubricating action. It was a fast shooting bastard!. Sold it. Regret it. Saw one in Ellwood Epps for a real good price with a scope on it. When I got around pulling my credit card from the wallet to place it in the card and pay for it online, it was already taken. The next morning they had another Nylon 66 and it was gone within 5 minutes!

So no luck with Nylon 66, I guess. That's why I started looking for alternatives. Marlin appears to be good out of the box -- exactly what I need since I don't get into modifications enough. I need it to be designed to be a shooter right out of the box. If a gun is not a shooter out of the box, then why would I buy it? As a project, maybe... But I'm not a project guy.

target said:
I have to disagree with Dagmaar in that if it was between the two guns, the 10/22 or the Marlin 60, the Marlin is better right out of the box. Sure you can pump lots of $ into the Ruger and probably achieve a better gun but I shot my brother in law's 10/22 and I wasn't really impressed. But that's a matter of individual taste.

The real question is if you want a tube feed semi or box feed? As far as tube feed semi autos go the Marlin 60 is one of the best in it's price range.

My 60 has yet to have a FTF or jam with any bulk ammo and it's plenty accurate. More accurate than me.

Savages are also good guns and good luck finding a Nylon 66.

If you like the Marlin and you like a tube feed semi then you won't regret buying it. Besides it's reasonably priced and every collection of rimfires needs one alone with about a dozen others.

So to answer your question, "is the Marlin 60 any good?", the answer is yes.

Here's mine
IMG_0537.jpg
Click to expand...
 
That speaks plain value to me, gentlemen. One had it for 20 years rusted, cleaned up and shot well. The other wants to buy the second one. That is a testament to true reliability. That's what I'm after.

.22LRGUY said:
I have a Marlin 795, the box-fed version of the 60. Yes, they're small..light rifles, but they're very reliable, inexpensive, and mine has digested everything I've fed it. The only issue is that the iron sights that come on them are garbage, but I'd planned to scope mine anyway. Both the photos in this thread are of laminated-stock versions, mine is the econo-black plastic...and I love it for hiking around. Very accurate gun, and WAY more accurate than the 10/22 I had. If I could find a 795 in stainless, there is a good chance I would buy it to have a second.
Click to expand...

Winnipeg Toymaker said:
I have a predecesser of the Marlin 60. It is an old 990L that was in a garage rafter hideaway for about 20 years with a broken stock. Corroded action on the outside, some surface rust, i took it home, cleaned it up, repaired the stock best i could, touch up of black paint on the action and threw on a 3x9x scope, sighted it in and it is a constant accurate gopher field companion. Not a FTF or FTE in many thousands of shells. You could not ask for more in my opinion.
Click to expand...
 
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I had a Marlin 60, and after owning it and trying out a number of other different guns, should I go back to owning a semi .22, it will be another Marlin 60. Rugers are overpriced for what they are, and have to have several hundred dollars worth of upgrades to match what a $160 Marlin 60 can do out of the box.

I tried a 10/22 and a Marlin 60 side-by-side once. The Ruger has a Bushnell scope, the Marlin just had a pair of peep sights, and the Marlin consistently outshot the Ruger, and that was with a variety of ammunition at hand.



Needless to say, I laugh at the very idea of ever spending more than $150 on a Ruger. $260 is a joke.

Used mine almost entirely for gopher popping, and it turned out to be incredibly good at the job. It went gopher-for-gopher next to a BRNO bolt action without a hiccup. It did have some trouble with certain ammunition, but with others it cycled without a problem and shot like a laser.

Gopher1.jpg


Gopher2.jpg


GopherPile.jpg


And eventually I did this to it, because the rifle impressed me enough to warrant it.

Marlin2-1.jpg


Get the Marlin.
 
I have had a marlin model 60 for 15 years now . my father bought it from a friend for me when I passed my firearms course. never jammed .... easy to clean . only down side is the tube mag . but the little shells are sickening enuff to load in a clip anyways. I bought a dragunov stock for it from marstar kinda cool but as i'm getting older i'm going to put the original back on . thousands of rounds and never let me down .
 
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Had a sr22(10/22 in wolves clothing) if you want 2" at 30 yards then thats alright I guess. Reports on the marling 60 are that its very accurate. At $150ish how can you go wrong. Great reliable accurate 22 for cheap. Or spend $250+ on a 10/22 and then another $500 trying to get it to shoot like the marlin
 
Well , I do stand corrected . Like I said , it performed well , just felt light and toylike .
For the price I might have to get one of them as I do like tube fed guns like my Cooey .
 
Tube vs. box mag~to each his own. I like the LOOK of the tube mag better, but prefer everything else about the box mags. I've been shooting .22s with box mags going on 25 years now, and I've never lost a mag, or damaged one. The factory 10-round 795 mags are cheap, slender, feed reliably and honestly...I buy one every time I see one. With the popularity of these guns, that is maybe 1-2 times a year. :)
 
Wow! I assume the Marlin targets were on the right. Good shooting. And those pests that you nailed down -- greatest pictures every! Can't wait to put my hands on one.
Will drive to Bass Pro over lunch to get one. The only question is whether I shall get it scoped or not. They sell both versions. The difference is maybe $20.

762Russian said:
I had a Marlin 60, and after owning it and trying out a number of other different guns, should I go back to owning a semi .22, it will be another Marlin 60. Rugers are overpriced for what they are, and have to have several hundred dollars worth of upgrades to match what a $160 Marlin 60 can do out of the box.

I tried a 10/22 and a Marlin 60 side-by-side once. The Ruger has a Bushnell scope, the Marlin just had a pair of peep sights, and the Marlin consistently outshot the Ruger, and that was with a variety of ammunition at hand.



Needless to say, I laugh at the very idea of ever spending more than $150 on a Ruger. $260 is a joke.

Used mine almost entirely for gopher popping, and it turned out to be incredibly good at the job. It went gopher-for-gopher next to a BRNO bolt action without a hiccup. It did have some trouble with certain ammunition, but with others it cycled without a problem and shot like a laser.

Gopher1.jpg


Gopher2.jpg


GopherPile.jpg


And eventually I did this to it, because the rifle impressed me enough to warrant it.

Marlin2-1.jpg


Get the Marlin.
Click to expand...
 
Marlin 60 is the best selling 22 rifle of all time. It's sold more than the 10/22. Actually, a lot more. The 10/22 has something of a cult following because it's more of a platform. Kind of like a barbie doll.

As a rifle, the Marlin 60 is simply superior.
 
762Russian said:
I had a Marlin 60, and after owning it and trying out a number of other different guns, should I go back to owning a semi .22, it will be another Marlin 60. Rugers are overpriced for what they are, and have to have several hundred dollars worth of upgrades to match what a $160 Marlin 60 can do out of the box.

I tried a 10/22 and a Marlin 60 side-by-side once. The Ruger has a Bushnell scope, the Marlin just had a pair of peep sights, and the Marlin consistently outshot the Ruger, and that was with a variety of ammunition at hand.

Needless to say, I laugh at the very idea of ever spending more than $150 on a Ruger. $260 is a joke.

Used mine almost entirely for gopher popping, and it turned out to be incredibly good at the job. It went gopher-for-gopher next to a BRNO bolt action without a hiccup. It did have some trouble with certain ammunition, but with others it cycled without a problem and shot like a laser.

GopherPile.jpg


And eventually I did this to it, because the rifle impressed me enough to warrant it.

Get the Marlin.
Click to expand...

This photo brings a huge smile to my face...might become my new desktop photo. :) I wish we had gophers in S. Ontario but instead, big groundhogs~but not too many of those. The only ones I see are the ones in the crosshairs of my .223 these days. :)
 
Chock up another fan of these fine rifles!

I love my rimfires. Kind of a weakness. You will have to look for a very long time to find a stock, semi .22 that out performs a 60. As mentioned, although there does seem to be a market for the 10/22, Marlin has outsold Ruger for decades. Scan the EE, and see how many folks are parting ways with theirs...There is a good reason for that!

If I had to get all fussy and find a flaw, it would be the front sight is chunky.
 
The Marlin 60 stands firmly on it's own reputation....a great one!!
One of the truly great SA rimfires out there, dependable and accurate.

Mine digests anything I feed it, and is not at all fussy about ammo.

Buy and enjoy.
Eagleye.
 
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