Marlin Firearms Co., formerly of
North Haven, ConnecticutNorth Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut on the outskirts of New Haven, Connecticut.North Haven is less than ten miles from downtown New Haven and Yale University. It is near Sleeping Giant State Park and home the Quinnipiac University School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing,...
, is a manufacturer of high power, center fire,
lever actionLever-action is a type of firearm action which uses a lever located around the trigger guard area, to load fresh cartridges into the chamber of the barrel when the lever is worked. Most lever-action firearms are rifles, but lever-action shotguns and a few pistols have also been made...
, and .22 caliber rimfire
rifleA rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s. In the past, the company made
shotgunA shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s,
derringerThe term derringer is a genericized misspelling of the last name of Henry Deringer, a famous 19th-century maker of small pocket pistols. Many copies of the original Philadelphia Deringer pistol were made by other gun makers worldwide, and the name was often misspelled; this misspelling soon became...
s and
revolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
s. Marlin currently owns the firearm manufacturer H & R Firearms, and is owned by
Remington ArmsRemington Arms Company, Inc. was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, as E. Remington and Sons. It is the oldest company in the United States which still makes its original product, and is the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in North America. It is the only U.S....
, part of the
Freedom GroupFreedom Group is an American firearms manufacturer holding company which has acquired notable brands such as Bushmaster, DPMS, and Remington Arms.Freedom Group is owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity investment firm.-Companies:...
.
Products
Major models of Marlin rifles include:
- Marlin model 20
The Marlin Model 20, also known as the Marlin Glenfield Model 20, is a bolt-action rifle that fires the .22 LR rimfire cartridge. Produced by the Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut, it was in production from 1960 to 1966.-Uses:...
, a .22 Short.22 Short is a variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. Developed in 1857 for the first Smith and Wesson revolver, the .22 rimfire was the first American metallic cartridge....
, .22 Long.22 Long is a variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. The .22 Long is the second oldest of the surviving rimfire cartridges, dating back to 1871, when it was loaded with a 29 grain bullet and 5 grains of black powder, 25% more than the .22 Short it was based on...
, and .22 Long RifleThe .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
bolt-actionBolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
rifle.
- Marlin Model 1893, lever action repeater, precursor of the Model 36 and 336
- Marlin Model 1895 Military Repeater, 6 versions: 1895,G,GBL,GS,M,SBL. All are chambered for the 45/70 caliber except for the "M" (.450)
- Marlin Model 1897, lever action repeater, precursor of the Model 39 and 39A
- Marlin Model 25N, now the Model 925 a .22 Short
.22 Short is a variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. Developed in 1857 for the first Smith and Wesson revolver, the .22 rimfire was the first American metallic cartridge....
, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle bolt-actionBolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
rifle
- Marlin Model 39A, lever action repeater, the longest continuously produced rifle in the world
- Marlin Levermatic
The Marlin Levermatic was a family of lever action rifles created by Marlin Firearms in the 1950s. The Levermatic differed from the traditional lever-action rifle, such as the Marlin 39A, in that it employed a cam-and-roller system giving it an extremely smooth and short lever motion to reload a...
, an innovative short-throw lever action rifle in a variety of small cartridges
- Marlin Model 60
The Marlin Model 60, also known as the Marlin Glenfield Model 60, is a semi-automatic rifle that fires the .22 LR rimfire cartridge. Produced by the Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut, it has been in continuous production since 1960 and the company claims it is the most popular of...
, a popular .22 LR caliber rifle.
- Marlin Model 1894
The Marlin Model 1894 is a lever-action repeating rifle introduced in 1894 by the Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut. At its introduction the rifle came with a 24-inch barrel and was chambered for a variety of pistol rounds such as .25-20 Winchester, .32-20 Winchester, .38-40, and...
, lever action carbines in revolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
calibers — .357 MagnumThe .357 S&W Magnum , or simply .357 Magnum, is a revolver cartridge created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, Colonel D. B. Wesson of firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson, and Winchester. It is based upon Smith & Wesson's earlier .38 Special cartridge. The .357 Magnum cartridge was introduced in...
(1894C), .41 Magnum (1894FG), and .44 MagnumThe .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
(1894SS or plain 1894)
- Marlin Model 336
The Marlin Model 336 is a lever-action carbine made by Marlin Firearms. It is most often chambered in .30-30 Winchester or .35 Remington, though it has also been chambered in several other cartridges over the years.-History:...
, one of the most popular lever action hunting rifles in the world
- Marlin Camp Carbine
The Marlin Camp Carbine is a self-loading carbine chambered for either 9mm Parabellum or .45 ACP, formerly manufactured by Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut. The carbine has been discontinued since 1999....
, a discontinued model
- Marlin Model 70P
The Marlin Model 70P, also known as the Marlin Papoose, is a .22 Long Rifle semi-automatic rifle manufactured by Marlin Firearms. The rifle is notable for its portability; it is less than in length when disassembled and weighs 3.25 pounds. Disassembly requires loosening a barrel retention nut by...
"Papoose", a lightweight, magazine-fed, .22 LR carbine with a detachable barrel; it is designed to be taken down for easy transport while camping, backpacking, etc.
- Marlin Model 795
The Marlin Model 795 is a .22 LR semi-automatic rifle produced by Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut. Major features include micro-groove barrel, a cross-bolt safety, black synthetic stock, and 10 round box magazine...
, a .22 LR semi-automatic rifleA semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
.
- Marlin Model 700, a .22 LR semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
, similar to the Model 795, but has a heavy tapered target barrel.
- Marlin Model 7000, a .22 LR semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
, similar to the Model 795, but has a heavy non-tapered target barrel.
- Marlin Model 2000, a .22 LR bolt-action
Bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
rifle, designed for biathlon competition.
- Marlin Model XL7, a long action center fire bolt-action
Bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
rifle available in .30-06, .270, and .25-06.
- Marlin Model XS7, a short action center fire bolt-action
Bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
rifle available in .308, .243 Win, and 7mm-08.
Significant variations of many of these rifles have usually also been manufactured. For example, there are 6 distinctly different variations manufactured for the Marlin Model 60.
- Marlin Model 1881, one of the earliest large caliber lever action repeating rifles.
Marlin has been making lever action rifles since 1881, and in 2008, they produced their 30 millionth lever action rifle, which was donated to the
National Rifle AssociationThe National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
.
MicroGroove Rifling
In 1953 Marlin Firearms was issued for what was named MicroGroove Rifling, which was a departure from the standard "Ballard," or cut rifling. One purpose of Microgroove rifling was to increase the speed of producing rifle barrels. Microgroove rifling is described in the patent as having 5 grooves for every 1/10 of an inch bore diameter, and that the driving side of each land would be "tangentially disposed" to prevent accumulating fouling in use.
Marlin introduced Microgroove rifling in their .22 rimfire barrels in July 1953, with 16 grooves that were .014" wide, and nominally .0015" deep. Ballard rifled barrels have grooves generally in the range of .069-.090" wide, and .0015-.003" deep. This change was marketed in the 1954 Marlin catalog, as having numerous advantages that this new form of rifling had, including better accuracy, ease of cleaning, elimination of gas leakage, higher velocities and lower chamber pressures. The catalog also claimed that Microgroove rifling did not distort the bullet jacket as deeply as Ballard rifling hence improving accuracy with jacketed bullets at standard velocity.
Designed for factory loaded ammunition, Microgroove barrels have a reputation for accuracy problems with centerfire ammunition handloaded with cast lead bullets due to the increased bore diameter generated by the shallow grooves. Use of oversized cast bullets has great effect on solving this problem, restoring accuracy with cast bullet handloads to levels seen from Ballard rifled barrels. Early Marlin .30-30 microgroove barrels had a twist rate of 1 turn in 10 inches optimized for factory ammunition with jacketed bullets; later Marlin .30-30 microgroove barrels show a twist rate of 1 turn in 10.5 inches which improves accuracy with cartridges loaded to lower velocity than standard.
Early history
John M. Marlin was born in Connecticut in 1836, and served his apprenticeship as a
tool and die makerTool and die makers are workers in the manufacturing industry who make jigs, fixtures, dies, molds, machine tools, cutting tools , gauges, and other tools used in manufacturing processes...
. During the
Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he worked at the Colt plant in Hartford, and in 1870 hung out his sign on State Street, New Haven, to start manufacturing his own line of revolvers and
derringerThe term derringer is a genericized misspelling of the last name of Henry Deringer, a famous 19th-century maker of small pocket pistols. Many copies of the original Philadelphia Deringer pistol were made by other gun makers worldwide, and the name was often misspelled; this misspelling soon became...
s.
The outstanding team of inventors he was able to attract developed breakthrough and enduring models, such as Models 1891 and 1893. Today known as Models 39 and 336 respectively, they are the oldest shoulder arm designs in the world still being produced. The lever action 22 repeater (now Model 39) even became the favorite of many exhibition shooters, including
Annie OakleyAnnie Oakley , born Phoebe Ann Mosey, was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter. Oakley's amazing talent and timely rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which propelled her to become the first American female superstar.Oakley's most famous trick is perhaps...
.
When John Marlin died in 1901, his two sons took over the business and began a diversification program. In 1915, during World War I, a New York syndicate bought the company and renamed it the Marlin Rockwell Corporation. Marlin became one of the largest
machine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
producers in the world for the US and its Allies, building the
M1895 Colt-Browning machine gunThe Colt-Browning M1895, nicknamed potato digger due to its unusual operating mechanism, is an air-cooled, belt-fed, gas-operated machine gun that fires from a closed bolt with a cyclic rate of 450 rounds per minute...
and a later variant called the "Marlin gun". In 1917 Marlin Rockwell bought out the
Hopkins & AllenHopkins & Allen Arms Company was a US firearms manufacturing company based in Norwich, Connecticut that was founded in 1868 by Charles W. Allen, Charles A. Converse, Horace Briggs, Samuel S. Hopkins and Charles W. Hopkins...
Arms Company to promote an expanded line of firearms and improve the image of the Marlin company as makers of "sporting arms". The sporting firearms part of the business became a new corporation, which staggered until 1923, when it went on the auction block.
Newer history and leadership
Obsolete and/or incorrect information
- Frank Kenna, Sr.: President 1924–1947
- Roger Kenna: President 1947–1959
- Frank Kenna, Jr.: President 1959–1995
- J. Stephen Kenna: President 1995–1997
- Robert W. Behn: President 1997–present
- Frank Kenna, III: Chairman 1999–present
The auction of the old Marlin Firearms operation in 1924 was attended by a lawyer named Frank Kenna. Kenna bid $100 and the properties were his – along with a $100,000 mortgage. The Marlin Firearms Company has been owned and run by the Kenna family ever since, and has seen constant change and improvements. Kenna re-introduced several of the models famous before World War I, and in 1936 established the Marlin razor blade business. His eldest son, Roger Kenna, assumed the presidency in 1947 and Marlin enjoyed steady growth until his death in 1959. When his brother, Frank Kenna, Jr. took over as President, razor blade production was gradually phased out to focus attention on sporting firearms. Frank Kenna, Jr. became Chairman in 1995, and Roger’s son, Stephen Kenna, formerly Vice President of Operations and General Counsel, became President. In 1997 he left to pursue other interests. Robert Behn assumed the presidency in May 1997 and continues in that role today. Upon Frank Kenna, Jr.’s retirement in 1999, his son, Frank Kenna, III, became Chairman.
Seeking constant improvement has been a hallmark of Marlin engineers, and that philosophy has been demonstrated throughout the 19th-21st Centuries. Beginning with the development of the first side-ejecting, solid-top receiver (called the “Marlin Safety”) in 1889, to the 1953 introduction of the Micro-Groove rifling system for improved accuracy, and through to the 2004 introduction of the T-900 Fire Control System for bolt action rimfire rifles, Marlin engineers have set many important milestones in the firearm manufacturing industry.
Marlin Firearms labored for a century as an underdog levergun maker to Winchester (also of New Haven). However, in the 1980s and 1990s, Marlin finally began to outpace its old rival. It is currently the dominant seller of lever action rifles in North America. Its use of side ejection allows for flat-topped firearms, thereby making the mounting of scopes easier than for traditional Winchesters. This helped Marlin capture more market share as American shooters came to rely more and more on optics. Marlins are larger and stronger than most of the Winchester line, allowing them to use higher powered cartridges such as the
.45-70The .45-70 rifle cartridge, also known as .45-70 Government, was developed at the U.S. Army's Springfield Armory for use in the Springfield Model 1873...
. Marlin's model 1894 lever-action rifles and carbines are available in handgun calibers, including
.357 MagnumThe .357 S&W Magnum , or simply .357 Magnum, is a revolver cartridge created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, Colonel D. B. Wesson of firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson, and Winchester. It is based upon Smith & Wesson's earlier .38 Special cartridge. The .357 Magnum cartridge was introduced in...
,
.44 MagnumThe .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
, and .41 Magnum, making them suitable companion long guns for
revolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
s in those calibers.
Acquisitions
In November 2000, Marlin purchased the assets of H&R 1871, Inc., a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of shotguns and rifles (New England Firearms branded), founded in 1871, and now located in
Gardner, MassachusettsGardner, Massachusetts is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,228 as of the 2010 census. Gardner is home to Dunn State Park, Gardner Heritage State Park, Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mount Wachusett Community College.-History:Named in honor of...
. Marketing its products under the brand names of Harrington & Richardson and New England Firearms, H&R 1871 claimed to be the largest manufacturer of
Single-shotSingle-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded after each shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, and many centuries passed before multi-shot designs became commonplace...
shotguns and rifles in the world.
In December 2007 Remington Arms Company purchased Marlin. Remington announced in April 2008 that it would close the Gardner manufacturing plant by the end of 2008 affecting 200 workers. In March 2010, Marlin announced that it would close its North Haven plant, and move the work to Remington plants in Ilion, New York, and Mayfield, Kentucky.
See also
- Marlin Model 1894
The Marlin Model 1894 is a lever-action repeating rifle introduced in 1894 by the Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut. At its introduction the rifle came with a 24-inch barrel and was chambered for a variety of pistol rounds such as .25-20 Winchester, .32-20 Winchester, .38-40, and...
in .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum
- Marlin Model Golden 39A
The Marlin Golden 39A represents the oldest and longest continuously produced shoulder firearm in the world. The lever-action .22 Caliber Golden 39A is produced by the Marlin Firearms Co. of North Haven, Connecticut...
, the longest continuously produced rifle in the world.
- Marlin Model 60
The Marlin Model 60, also known as the Marlin Glenfield Model 60, is a semi-automatic rifle that fires the .22 LR rimfire cartridge. Produced by the Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut, it has been in continuous production since 1960 and the company claims it is the most popular of...
, the most popular .22 LR caliber rifle in the world.
- Marlin Camp Carbine
The Marlin Camp Carbine is a self-loading carbine chambered for either 9mm Parabellum or .45 ACP, formerly manufactured by Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut. The carbine has been discontinued since 1999....
, a discontinued model
- Marlin Levermatic
The Marlin Levermatic was a family of lever action rifles created by Marlin Firearms in the 1950s. The Levermatic differed from the traditional lever-action rifle, such as the Marlin 39A, in that it employed a cam-and-roller system giving it an extremely smooth and short lever motion to reload a...
, hunting rifle
- Marlin Model 55
The Marlin Model 55 is a large, bolt-action, series of shotguns. It was produced in 20, 16, 12 and 10 gauge at various times in its production history. It features a full-choke and a thumb safety...
, bolt action shotgun
- Marlin Model 25MG
The Marlin Model 25MG is a smooth bore, bolt-action, .22 WMR shotgun manufactured by Marlin firearms Company. It was designed and marketed as a "garden gun" for use in dispatching small garden and farm pests. It features a hardwood Monte Carlo stock....
, bolt action, .22 WMRThe .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, more commonly called .22 WMR, .22 Magnum, or simply .22 Mag, is a rimfire rifle cartridge...
shotgun
- Marlin Model 70P
The Marlin Model 70P, also known as the Marlin Papoose, is a .22 Long Rifle semi-automatic rifle manufactured by Marlin Firearms. The rifle is notable for its portability; it is less than in length when disassembled and weighs 3.25 pounds. Disassembly requires loosening a barrel retention nut by...
, semi-auto hunting rifle
- Marlin Model 336
The Marlin Model 336 is a lever-action carbine made by Marlin Firearms. It is most often chambered in .30-30 Winchester or .35 Remington, though it has also been chambered in several other cartridges over the years.-History:...
, lever-action hunting rifle
- Marlin Model 795
The Marlin Model 795 is a .22 LR semi-automatic rifle produced by Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut. Major features include micro-groove barrel, a cross-bolt safety, black synthetic stock, and 10 round box magazine...
, semi-auto hunting rifle
- Marlin 780
The Marlin Model 780 is a .22 Bolt action rifle produced by Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut. Major features include micro-groove barrel, a 2 position safety lever, walnut stock, and 7 round box magazine...
, bolt action hunting rifle
- M2 Hyde
The Hyde-Inland M2 was the highest-rate United States submachine gun design submitted for trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground in February, 1941. Work was undertaken by General Motors Inland Manufacturing Division to develop workable prototypes of Hyde's design. The design was designated U.S...
WWII submachinegun prototype
- United Defense M42
The United Defense M42 was an American submachine gun in World War II. It was produced from 1942 to 1943 by United Defense Supply Corp. for possible issue as a replacement for the Thompson submachine gun and was used by agents of the Office of Strategic Services .-History:The M42 was developed by...
WWII submachinegun for OSSThe Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
External links