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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.
In 1996, only a few years after entering the bolt-action market, Marlin MR-7 was introduced and manufactured for three years – until 1999. It combined the Marlin quality with some time-tested parts used by some other popular arms companies of the time.
The three-position wing-style safety is positioned on the rear end of the bolt and somehow mimics that of the Winchester Model 70. The receiver which is drilled and tapped for optic mounts, the rear end of the bolt and the trigger are also like those on Winchester 70. The bolt-release latch is positioned on the left rear side of the receiver.
The front end of the bolt; however, is reminiscent of Remington 700, featuring two opposing locking lugs and three rings of steel surrounding the cartridge case head, adding extra strength and preventing accidental rupture. The magazine with a Browning-style steel floorplate is detachable and can hold up to four cartridges. In Addition, MR-7 features a rubber recoil pad and some models come with pre-installed open sights.
The possible barrel length for Marlin MR-7 is 559mm (22-inch).
Figure 1: Marlin MR-7, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/marlin-rifles/marlin-mr-7.cfm?gun_id=100732640#lg-1)
Marlin MR-7 can be chambered for the following calibres:
.25-06 Rem.
.270 Win.
.280 Rem.
.30-06 Spr.
The rifle is available in the following variants:
Marlin MR-7 receivers come with four holes for mounting purposes, two on the front and two on the rear mounting surface.
Figure 2: The receiver of Marlin MR-7, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://postimg.cc/r0DymV72)
A: 21.9 mm
B: /
C: 21.9 mm
BHU: 3 mm
Ø: 6-48
R1: R51
R2: R17
For two-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces 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.
For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension.
Unfortunately, we currently lack information regarding interchangeable mounts for the Marlin MR-7 rifle due to specific dimensions between the mounting holes. Should you have any additional information regarding possible mount matches, please contact us. We would gladly accept your help and expand our database accordingly.
Detachable mounts can be easily installed and removed from the rifle which is especially useful for cleaning and maintenance purposes as well as versatility in using multiple optics on a single weapon. We recommend this detachable two-piece pivot mount made by the German company EAW that comes with a thirty-year warranty and is an ideal fit for the Marlin MR-7.
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]
