What is my Marlin 336 worth?
The lever gun in half the deer camps in Michigan, and the model where two stamped letters on the barrel move the value more than anything else about the rifle.
Made 1948–present.
No page can price your gun, and one that offers to is guessing. What this does is show you which one you have — because that is where the money is.
How to tell which one you have
- Look on the left side of the barrel, just forward of the receiver, for a small JM proof stamp. Its presence or absence is the first thing to establish.
- Read the caliber. 30-30 is the common one; 35 Remington and other chamberings are less so.
- Check whether the rifling is Micro-Groove or Ballard-type, which some buyers care about a great deal.
- Look at the stock and the tube magazine for damage, and check whether the original sights are intact.
The versions that change the number
| Version | What it means for value |
|---|---|
| JM-stamped | Made at Marlin's own North Haven plant. Sought after, and commanding a premium over otherwise identical later rifles. |
| Post-2007 production | After Remington acquired Marlin and moved production. These developed a poor reputation for fit and finish and the market priced them accordingly. |
| Later revived production | Marlin changed hands again after 2020 and current rifles are a separate market from both of the above. |
| Scarcer chamberings | Calibers other than 30-30 were made in smaller numbers and are worth identifying properly. |
What actually drives the price
- The JM stamp, before anything else.
- Condition of the stock and the bluing on a rifle that was usually carried hard.
- Chambering, with the less common ones ahead.
- Whether the rifle is original, unrefinished and undrilled.
And the two that apply to every gun on this site: do not clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real part of the total.
"It has been used every season, so it is worth nothing"
Honest use is not damage. A JM-stamped 336 carried for thirty years and looked after is a rifle people actively want, and it is worth considerably more than a neglected one of any age. What actually hurts a Marlin is rust, a cracked stock, and somebody taking a wire brush to it.
Where exactly is the JM stamp?
On the left side of the barrel close to where it meets the receiver, in small letters, often near the caliber marking. It is easy to miss in poor light and worth finding before you decide what you have.
Getting a number for yours
Send photographs and we will tell you what we will pay for it. We buy nationwide — a single firearm ships to us prepaid and insured, and for a collection we come to you. More on what separates one Marlin from another.