[Old_Crow]

Originally Posted by northhike

Humm....I always hear this "its plastic vs. metal" opinion. Lots of guns are made of plastic and have plastic peices these days and they are just as reliable....maybe more so then metal. I have a few guns like my M&P's that have plastic on them. My carry gun has plastic on it....we need to get over the "all metal" mentality. Things have evolved and yes....plastic can be cheaper, but that doesn't make it "cheap" (as in quality).

Here is what I say....if you want your opinion to hold some water on one brand vs. the other lets use some logic. How many Henry .22's are sent back due to breakage, malfuction, complaints, etc. because they have plastic as compared to Marlin who uses more metal? Lots of opinions out there and little facts. I personally enjoy both makers as well as others. Just go out and shoot....I am quite certain any gun you choose (high price or low) will give you many years of enjoyment.

Plastic gets brittle in time. If you ever go to junkyard in search of a wiring harness you will see what I mean. Auto plastics are designed to be heat resistant. Who knows what grade of plastic is in a gun.

[mrt8110]

There have been plastic parts on firearms for years now.I have yet to see them on the integral parts of any rifles action. At first when I learned this I was a bit chagrined, now I am just okay with it. I would in ending this say shoulder both lever action rifles, U will then know what is best for you,cause it will fit like a glove.Hope all of you have a Great Thanksgiving Cliff

[gunsmoke11]

I was always very much against plastic where guns were concerned. I'm pretty much converted now, though still prefer the older guns. I'm happy with my Glock and I've nothing but good things to say about my Steyr Mannlicher carbine Model M 7x57. It's one of my favorite hunting rifles with a plastic mag and trigger guard. There's nothing cheap about that rifle.

[clr8ter]

I have nothing to say about lever guns having never owned or shot one. But, on metal VS. plastic; I think it depends on the gun. If the gun was designed from the ground up to be made from strong, lightweight polymers, fine. (Example: Glock, Beretta CX4) If it was originally designed with metal parts, like the old fashioned lever guns, or a nice quality bolt action, to replace a once-metal part with plastic is something I don't care for. (Example: Henry lever actions, Mossberg 500 pump shotguns.) It comes off as a cheap way to save money, not a well thought out integrated part.

[northhike]

Well if the gun lasts me 40-50 years I will be happy (plastic or metal)....after that I'll be more worried about soiling myself and trying to remember my own name then if the gun will last another 50 years.

[Highhawk8]

buy an older Marlin 39, cant go wrong. You just have to shoot it to feel the difference. Yes, I have shot the Henry lever, didnt like the feel. I had a Marlin lever .22 made in the 60's and it was the best gun I ever owned. Had to trade it in on a Marlin lever 30-30 when I started hunting deer with a rifle.

[big shrek]

Originally Posted by northhike

Humm....I always hear this "its plastic vs. metal" opinion. Lots of guns are made of plastic and have plastic peices these days and they are just as reliable....maybe more so then metal. I have a few guns like my M&P's that have plastic on them. My carry gun has plastic on it....we need to get over the "all metal" mentality. Things have evolved and yes....plastic can be cheaper, but that doesn't make it "cheap" (as in quality).

Here is what I say....if you want your opinion to hold some water on one brand vs. the other lets use some logic. How many Henry .22's are sent back due to breakage, malfuction, complaints, etc. because they have plastic as compared to Marlin who uses more metal? Lots of opinions out there and little facts. I personally enjoy both makers as well as others. Just go out and shoot....I am quite certain any gun you choose (high price or low) will give you many years of enjoyment.

One thing you might not have noticed about plastic is the fact that it deteriorates with age...
you just can't coat it with gun oil and keep it forever like steel...plastic will get harder with time, then start coming apart...
and there is NOTHING anyone can do about it...its just the nature of the beast!
The only way to make it last as long as possible is to keep it out of the sun, in a cool environment, and clean it regularly.
But it will eventually fail.

Great example, the "Soft Spot" on the Marlin 60/795/70 series are the plastic buffers...
which need to be replaced about every 20 years or so...quicker if you use Hyper Velo ammo...or leave it in a hot truck...

Same thing with the internals on a Henry...they will degrade over time...quicker than metal.

Most of you young pups won't keep a rifle for 20+ years...you'll move on to the next great thing...
but us old fogeys try to keep things forever...and we appreciate things that can be easily fixed, or those that last a long time!!

Not to mention those button-rifled Micro-groove barrels...if you take the time to mate ammo to the barrel,
the precision you will get from a Lever-action will rival that from a bolt-action...nobody but Marlin does it!!

[Marlinman]

Originally Posted by big shrek

One thing you might not have noticed about plastic is the fact that it deteriorates with age...
you just can't coat it with gun oil and keep it forever like steel...plastic will get harder with time, then start coming apart...
and there is NOTHING anyone can do about it...its just the nature of the beast!
The only way to make it last as long as possible is to keep it out of the sun, in a cool environment, and clean it regularly.
But it will eventually fail.

Great example, the "Soft Spot" on the Marlin 60/795/70 series are the plastic buffers...
which need to be replaced about every 20 years or so...quicker if you use Hyper Velo ammo...or leave it in a hot truck...

Same thing with the internals on a Henry...they will degrade over time...quicker than metal.

Most of you young pups won't keep a rifle for 20+ years...you'll move on to the next great thing...
but us old fogeys try to keep things forever...and we appreciate things that can be easily fixed, or those that last a long time!!

Not to mention those button-rifled Micro-groove barrels...if you take the time to mate ammo to the barrel,
the precision you will get from a Lever-action will rival that from a bolt-action...nobody but Marlin does it!!

Calico damn sure can't come close.......oooops I just blasphemed shrek

[big shrek]

Originally Posted by Marlinman

Calico damn sure can't come close.......oooops I just blasphemed shrek

Nah, its no secret that my Calico's can't touch my Marlins...
but you'll kindly note that there are no longer any 1022's or 597's in my safes...lol

Calico M-100 will take a bone-stock 1022 at 25 meters. Not to mention having 10 times the capacity...
Ain't got a prayer against a Marlin 60 or 795 in precision tho...LOL

Those 100-rd Calico mags are pretty darn nice!!

[Marlinman]

Originally Posted by big shrek

Nah, its no secret that my Calico's can't touch my Marlins...
but you'll kindly note that there are no longer any 1022's or 597's in my safes...lol

Calico M-100 will take a bone-stock 1022 at 25 meters. Not to mention having 10 times the capacity...
Ain't got a prayer against a Marlin 60 or 795 in precision tho...LOL

Those 100-rd Calico mags are pretty darn nice!!

Yes they are. My 10/22 out shoots my calico but my ruger is NOWHERE near stock so..... and no neither can touch ANY of my marlins. Neither can my several Henry's