Marlin ‘Remlin’ 1894 CS 38/357 Video Review

(Image: Screenshot from video)

It was a sad day in firearms history when Remington Arms Company bought Marlin Firearms in 2007. In 2008, production moved from Connecticut to New York with less-experienced people building the guns, and quality took a nose dive. The resulting guns, which were mostly found inferior to previous Marlins, became known by some as “Remlins.”

But after a few years, folks began to see the quality come back, and YouTuber mixup98 bought himself a Marlin 1894 CS in 38 Special/357 Magnum and decided to share the results with viewers.

His rifle is a good-looking example, although the checkering looks a bit cheap — and there’s a checkering-related problem with the forend which I’ll let him tell you about. He bought it second-hand with some trepidation, but because he was able to check it out in person he felt comfortable buying it. And he seems pretty glad that he did.

If you are on the fence about buying a newer Marlin, this is probably a great video to watch. I was a big fan of Marlin lever rifles before the buyout, and it sounds like they are more or less back where they should be — although with the recent liquidation of Remington’s assets it appears that Ruger is about to become Marlin’s owner, so there might be more big changes on the way for the brand.

Have you had experience with “Remlin” Marlins? If so, what do you think of them?

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.