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The story of the Marlin company started in 1836 in Connecticut, the birthplace of John Mahlon Marlin. As the civil war commenced, he began his working carrier at the Colt plant in Hartford. Five years after the war, he started his own company in New Haven, Connecticut, and named it Marlin Firearms. Between 1870 and 1899 the company produced a manifold of pistols, revolvers, and derringers with one of the biggest strategic moves being made in 1881 when it introduced its first lever-action repeating rifle – Model 1881. Another breakthrough was made by the company with the introduction of the 1889 Model - a lever rifle with a solid top that ejected the empty cartridges out of the side of the receiver. This was the feature that in later years became equated with the term "Marlin Safety". The concept was further utilised in the following years on a .22 rimfire lever-action - Model 1891. That led to the development of Model 39, introduced in 1922, with almost 3 million rifles produced to date. Two years later, a new model was released under the name Model 1893 which was later renamed the Model 1936/Model 36, manufactured up until 1948. It was improved and renamed Model 336 in the same year. For some time, Marlin also produced rifles for Savage as they lacked manufacturing capabilities.
After the death of John Marlin, his two sons inherited the business, and the company went through several ownership changes. It was sold around 1915 to William Bonbright & Co. and Kissell-Kinnicut & Co. - a group of investors associated with J.P. Morgan. Shortly after, A.F. Rockwell became the president of the company and renamed it Marlin Rockwell Corporation in 1916; however, in 1919, John. F. Moran took over. After World War I, the economic decline became apparent, and the company shifted its focus to various other businesses. They manufactured ball bearings, roller bearings, radiators, wires, bombs, and even automobiles. In 1921, a simplified manufacturing line was formed that specialized in the production of sporting firearms and was named Marlin Firearms Corporation. Due to a decrease in sales, the company was put on the auction block in 1924 when it was bought for a small price of $100 by lawyer Frank Kenna.
The after-war years offered new opportunities and the sales gradually improved. In 1949, Model 36 was redesigned and renamed Model 336. It is still manufactured today as one of the most popular lever-action rifles in the world. Additionally, the company pioneered the Micro-Groove rifling which was supposed to allow for better shooting accuracy and was the standard on Marlin rifles up until the 1990s.
In 1956, the company introduced Model 56 which featured a modernised lever design with a short lever throw allowing for fast reloading. The series was later named Marlin 'Levermatic'. Shortly after, Model 57 and a centrefire Model 62 were presented. However, the Levermatic series did not sell too well and was discontinued in 1973. Some of the most recognizable models from that time were Glenfield Model 30, Model 444, and reintroduced Models 1894 and 1895 which are still manufactured today. With new regulations taking place, Marlin added a cross-bolt safety to their rifles around 1983. Numerous models were presented in later years such as Model 700, Model 780, Model 80, Model 7000, Model 2000, Model XL7, and XS7 along with some pump-action shotguns like Models 16, 17, 19 etc.
In 2007 Marlin was bought by Remington Arms, however, the ownership changed again in the following decade. Since 2020, the Marlin is owned by Sturm, Ruger & Co. Over 6 million guns and 150 years later, they carry on Marlin’s legacy of innovativeness and quality.
Marlin Model 36 is a lever-action rifle introduced in 1936 and manufactured up until 1948 when the Model 336 replaced it. Contrary to the 336, which uses the round bolt with the solid receiver sides, the Model 36 features a square bolt with the recessed receiver on the right side. The same square-bolt design can be found on Marlin Model 1894.
Other structural components are like the 336. The cartridges are being ejected on the right side of the receiver which allows for optics to be mounted on the upper surface of the receiver. However, the flat surface receiver comes without holes, therefore a gunsmith must manually drill them. The rifle does not come with a cross-hammer safety feature. The main safety features that Marlin promoted back in the day refer to the ‘Marlin Safety’ side ejection and the fact that the lever must be closed in order to fire.
Underneath the ejection port is a steel loading gate that loads a six-cartridge tubular magazine. Marlin Model 36 comes with a single-stage trigger and pre-installed sights with the rear one being adjustable. At the back of the receiver, there is a three-position cocking hammer that is easily reachable with a thumb and allows for safe carrying of the weapon, even with the round in a chamber.
Marlin Model 36 comes with barrel lengths of 508 mm (20-inch) and 610 mm (24-inch).
Figure 1: Marlin Model 36, chambered for .30-30 Win. (Source: https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?lid=60609706)
Marlin Model 36 can be chambered for the following calibres:
.30-30 Win.
.32 WS
Marlin Model 36 receivers come without holes on the flat-top mounting surface, therefore a gunsmith must manually drill them.
Figure 2: The receiver of Marlin Model 36, chambered for .30-30 Win. (Source: https://www.icollector.com/Marlin-Model-1936-Lever-Action-Carbine_i22663693)
The flat mounting surface on the Model 36 is the same as the one featured on most Marlin lever-actions. However, because it comes without pre-drilled holes, we recommend the following dimensions for the holes' drilling position as they are commonly used on newer Marlin rifles with factory pre-drilled holes.
A: 12.7 mm
B: 69.9 mm
C: 12.7 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Ø: 8-40
R1: flat
R2: flat
Should your gunsmith decide to use these dimensions, the mounting surface of the M36 becomes interchangeable with the rifles listed in the category below.
All the rifles listed in the category below have two-piece mounts interchangeable with Marlin Model 36. To meet interchangeability conditions, two-piece mounts must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart. Rifles that meet such criteria are:
Marlin 308
Marlin 336
Marlin 338
Marlin 375
Marlin 444
Marlin 1895
Marlin 1894
Marlin Model 45 Carbine
Marlin Camp Carbine 9mm
Glenfield 30
Henry .30-30
Henry .45-70
Henry .410
Marlin 922M
Marlin 94
Marlin 95
Marlin 990
Marlin 30AS
All the rifles listed in the category below have one-piece mounts interchangeable with Marlin 336. For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension. Rifles that share the same dimensions and mounting surface with Marlin 336 are:
Henry .410 (lever action with 20-inch/508mm barrel)
This two-piece mounting solution manufactured by the American company Talley is made of aluminium and comes with a ten-year warranty. It will fit the mounting surface of the Marlin Model 36 perfectly.
If you are looking for a detachable mounting solution, we recommend this two-piece pivot mount manufactured in Germany by the EAW company. It is made entirely of steel and comes with a thirty-year warranty.
Manufactured by the German company ERA-TAC, this Picatinny rail will provide you with numerous mounting possibilities for your Marlin Model 36. It is made from high-quality aluminium which makes it durable and recoil resistant.
Please note that the hole dimensions on this Picatinny match the ones provided in the abovementioned recommendation for the receiver drilling positions.
If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.
Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: [email protected]
