They were an awesome rifle with great features... but very expensive to produce... and they had serious competition from Remington and Winchester that could produce bolt-action rifles at much lower cost.
If you ever see one buy it.... I'm serious.
Here is an excerpt from a Marlin Ad in 1995...
Our customers wanted a rifle with (A) a 3-position safety, (B) a bolt face encircled by three rings of 4140 steel, (C) a shrouded striker and high-visibility cocking indicator, (D) an adjustable 3-6 lb. trigger, (E) a forged, machined and heat-treated receiver and (F) an extra-strong bolt lockup, and (G) a hinged floorplate with a removable, yet securely mounted, 4-shot box magazine. They asked for a 22" barrel with 6-groove precision rifling and a recessed muzzle. And, they preferred a classically configured, cut-checkered American walnut stock, fitted with quick-detachable swivel studs and a shock-absorbing rubber butt pad.
The new Marlin MR-7 incorporates all these features, and has performance to match. Chambered for .30-06 Spfld. and .270 Win., it is capable of better than 1.5" 100-yard groups right out of the box (from a fixed rifle rest). The action is as slick as glare ice, and the rifle comes up to the shoulder in a smooth, natural motion.
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