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by Scott Crawford - July 7, 2024 This is one of the first Ruger-made Marlin 336 Trappers from the Mayodan, NC factory and as reported by others, it is just as nice as could be expected. Excellent wood to metal fit and the finish on the stainless steel is very nice for a production unit. Right out of the box I was very pleased with the overall look of this rifle. I'm still a huge fan of the Ruger influence on the new Marlin releases like the slimmed down forearm and that spiral fluted, nickel platted bolt - just amazingly smooth on cycling. 
The Ruger-built Marlin Model 336 Trapper
So, let’s get down to business. The model 336 Trapper is available today in the always favorite .30-30 Winchester. This is the second offering of a Trapper model from the Mayodan, NC factory and it is just as nice as the first which was .45-70 caliber. Since this release they have issued an 1894 Trapper and another 1895 Trapper with the Magpul stock system. All I can say is, "keep em coming". 
The Ruger-built Marlin 336 Trapper Nickel Platted, Spiral Fluted Bolt The Ruger-built 336 Trapper is indeed a follow on to their earlier 1895 Trapper. Previously in the long line of Marlin manufacturing across multiple corporations, Marlin hadn't ever released a 336 Trapper with possibly one exception, the Marauder back in the mid-sixties. The Marauder was a very popular 16.25" barrel 336 available in .30-30 and .35 Remington for a couple years. Ruger has seen the success of their 1895 Trapper and did well to offer a 336 model and now even an 1894 model. This will become a very popular line of rifles. Beyond functional improvements Ruger has added some design enhancements that just take the looks of the rifle to a new level. These include the updated bullseye in the stock to include the Ruger red color and the inclusion of the laser engraved Marlin logo in the bottom of the pistol grip. Additional changes made by Ruger include the spiral fluted, nickel platted bolt, and the even shorter barrel at 16.10". There are however unseen changes inside the Ruger made Marlin such as improved thread timing of the barrel with the receiver, ensuring proper alignment of front and rear sights, better machined hammer notches providing a more consistent engagement with the sear and a crisper, lighter trigger pull. 
The Ruger-built Marlin 336 Trapper Matching Satin-Stainless Loading Gate The engineering team at Ruger/Marlin have really improved the already great Marlin firearms design & functionality and this second model released proves that they are performing at an elevated level. I'm impressed with the fit and finish and the overall quality of the rifles they are shipping from a "production" line. The factory sights on this model consist of an adjustable rear Peep sight for elevation/windage and a bright, easily identifiable, white front sight. This design is very functional and right out of the box I was on steel at fifty yards. I've mentioned previously that I prefer a scope on a lever gun however with these Skinner brand sights I'm re-thinking that. I'm really liking the immediate target acquisition with the peep sight.  The Sights on the Trappers are the same for all models (1895 shown) The stock and forearm are constructed of durable, laminate wood which is finished to a beautiful color. Improved finish on the stock and forend and sharp checkered grip panels provide superior grip in all weather conditions. Something I’d be proud to tote through the woods on a deer hunt or backpacking trip. The red & white Marlin Bullseye in the stock is a nice continuation of the Marlin history with an updated color change.  The metal fit and finish on this particular model is very crisp, clean and well done. The satin finish of the stainless is a little less flashy than the earlier SBL release however I like less flashy in the field. The sights sit plumb on the barrel, not canted to one side, the hardware isn’t scratched or mangled from assembly, it's just a well-built rifle.   The rifling twist on this model is 1:11 Right Hand which works well for a .30-30 load. I found the accuracy and repeatability quite good for a short barreled open sighted rifle. Although I primarily shot various factory loads, I also shot a couple hundred hand loads of mine. The rifle liked everything I fed/cycled and also chambered/ejected flawlessly. I found the feel of the 336 Trapper the same as the 1895 Trapper action when cycling it. Both rifles have the spiral fluted bolt which helps make it smooth. The muzzle on this rifle is a non-typical threaded, round barrel for a suppressor or brake, just like the earlier 1895 Trapper. At the time of my testing, I wasn't aware of anyone making a break for it so in this case, I didn't test for any difference in muzzle jump.  Now let’s talk ammo. I primarily shot four types of factory ammo and some of my hand loads. For this review I will be focusing on the factory ammo performance. I used Barnes VOR-TX 150-gr TSX-FN, Federal Premium 150-gr Hammer Down, Remington 150-gr Core-Lokt, and Winchester 170-gr Power-Point. I experienced good accuracy across the full spectrum of what I sent down the tube! Very impressed with the overall accuracy of the hammer-forged, six groove rifling on this medium bore rifle. While the Point of Impact varied slightly between all types of ammo shot (as expected due to differences in weights, shape & muzzle velocity), the shot grouping experienced with this rifle was very good. I found for me, the Remington Core-Lokt's performed the best providing an "on-paper" group of 1.8" @ 50 yards. Regardless of what rounds I fired in the rifle, they all grouped extremely well while using the factory peep sights at 50 yards. A scope would have improved group sizes however I wanted to stick with the factory setup for this rifle. The end result was that (using peep sights) the largest group was just over 2.2" @ 50 yards and in my book, more than good enough for medium game hunting. I'm sure that if topped off with a scope, I could have reduced that down to less than .750" grouping at 50 yards. I've found that these new barrels from the Mayodan plant are extremely accurate for lever action rifles.  At 7.1 lbs., naked, this model is about average for a lever action rifle sporting a shorter barrel than standard rifle length of 22" or 24". At 34.25" overall length this rifle is short enough to be utilized comfortably in a ground blind or in a tree stand. The stainless-steel barrel & receiver coupled with the laminated stock & forearm make this package perfect for hunts in wet weather. This size would also make a superior "truck Gun". While some may balk at the Marlin $1,499.00 MSRP price tag, I think you'll find the rifle to be worth every cent. The rifle is built to extreme quality standards and has proven to be a very popular design. Do yourself a favor and look into a Ruger-built Marlin if you’re looking at lever action rifles. I was extremely happy with the quality of the build, the level of performance and handling of the rifle. My favorite family of rifles from Marlin happens to be the Trapper family. The rifles are just the perfect blend of modern engineering practices and robust design & styling for close quarter hunting in demanding environments. 
Parting Shots  I wanted to summarize what I thought of the overall package compared to my other lever action rifles. This rifle is 2.4" shorter than my Guide Guns, .1 lbs. heavier, carries the same amount rounds and offer proven, innovative sights. The wood to metal fit is every bit as good if not better than my Marlins built between 1998 and 2002 and the action is better out of the box now. I would also add that the trigger pull is now lighter and crisper and today's loading gate is a dream to load. Overall I'd say the newly released Ruger-built Marlin 336 Trapper handles very well, provides excellent grouping and ranks now as another favorite model 336. Features,
Technical Specifications
Note! The Schematic reflects the 1895 & 336 SBL as the Base Models   1895Gunner shooting the Ruger built Marlin 336 Trapper 
IN THIS ARTICLE Marlin Firearms
1895/336 Owners Manual
Ruger Firearms
Winchester Ammunition
Federal Ammunition
Remington Ammunition
Barnes Ammunition |
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