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Shooters who prefer the lever-action rifle tend to fall into one of two categories: those who want to see the classics preserved, and those who’d like some modern updates. The good news is that there are levers available to suit both sides, so if a modern, tactical lever isn’t your thing—don’t get one. But if it is, you should probably check out the Dark Marlin 336.
Table of contents
What’s the Dark Marlin 336?
If we want to explain the Marlin 336, we have to go back to 1948. That’s when L.L. Hepburn and T.R. Robinson designed it. The 336 came after the Model 1893, and although there are some expected updates to the gun, it’s still a Model 336 (even with tactical stuff on it). The modernized Dark Marlin 336 was first introduced in 2019 and has since enjoyed some changes. Today two versions of the Dark Series 336 are available: one with a polymer stock and one with a hardwood stock. For our purposes, we’re getting into the hardwood stock version.
As for this specific rifle, the Dark Marlin 336 is a lever-action rifle chambered in .30-30 Winchester. While the original gun had the expected sleek, lighter-colored aesthetic, the Dark model looks exactly as its name suggests—dark. The hardwood stock has a black web finish. Its features, including the Picatinny rail, give it greater versatility than the older models offer right out of the box.
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What are the dimensions of the Dark Marlin 336?
One of the things that makes the 336 even better is that it’s compact enough to make a good brush or truck gun. The Parkerized barrel is 16.25 inches in length and the rifle’s overall length is 34.5 inches (although you could accurately refer to it as a carbine with that barrel length). The shipped weight is 7.65 pounds, meaning it’s empty and doesn’t have optics or accessories on it yet. It has a capacity of 5 +1.
The rifle has abundant features, many of which are tactical. There’s a Picatinny rail already in place, meaning you can throw an optic on it without any kind of delay. The included iron sights are an XS Sights Ghost Ring rear peep with a large front post—so you can run it right out of the box if you don’t care about optics. A braided Paracord sling is included—in black, of course—and the loop has more Paracord wrapped around it. Oh, and the barrel is threaded for a suppressor, which is extremely nice (threading is 5/8×24). With this lever, you have options.
How does the Dark Marlin 336 shoot?
If you’re new to levers, you might hit a learning curve running the Dark Marlin 336. But even in that case it’s a straightforward platform to learn, and it can be mastered with a little practice. It does have a fixed stock, meaning you can’t easily adjust the length of pull, but that’s nothing unusual. This is a side-loading lever that can be reloaded with decent speed if you put some practice into it.
The gun shoulders smoothly and, thanks to its shorter barrel, it’s nicely balanced and pointable. Sure, there’s a time and place for longer barrels, but this isn’t it. 16.25 inches is plenty for deer hunting or use as a brush gun. Reach to the trigger is comfortable and my hand fits in the loops well. With irons, it’s easy to get a good cheek weld.
Running this gun with the included iron sights, it’s generally accurate. Some shooters jokingly call the group size it produces “minute of dead deer” because it’s technically accurate enough to drop a deer, and it’s true. Using irons the Dark Marlin 336 is a reliable shooter on deer out to about 100 yards. Your eyes might do better, but before you try it on a deer, try it on paper and see how you do. Really, with irons, it’s best at 50 yards. This is why we do things like add optics for hunting.
Running the 336 with Optics
I’ve run the Dark Marlin 336 with a few different optics including various Riton riflescopes and some red dots. Scopes are my personal preference for hunting over red dots, but you could certainly go the red dot route with no issues. Mounting the optic is easy thanks to the Picatinny rail, and that addition helps you reach out and touch targets at greater distances with improved accuracy. That’s a must for hunting, and we all know this is largely a hunting rifle. With a scope, groups tighten to hover under 2.0 inches at 50 yards and 3.0 inches at 100 yards—when shooting from the bench, taking slow, measured shots.
The trigger on the gun leaves a little something to be desired. It’s average, but a little rough—something that’s only smoothed out marginally with time. Of course, there aren’t a lot of levers out there with beautifully smooth, crisp triggers, so it isn’t a surprise that this one’s a bit stiff. Using my Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gauge, I got an average pull weight of 5 pounds, 2 ounces.
This lever’s been put through a lot and it shows—the black webbed finish on the stock isn’t as wear-resistant as I’d like. Even so, it’s a well-made rifle (appearances aren’t everything). It’s never experienced any types of failures and cycles everything it gets—including Hornady LEVERevolution .30-30 Win 160 grain FTX, Federal Fusion .30-30 Win 150 grain SP, and Remington Core-Lokt .30-30 Win 150 grain SP. This isn’t the type of rifle many of us will run at incredible length due to its being designed more for hunting, but I can say it’s cycled hundreds of rounds reliably.
Can you hunt with this gun?
The Dark Marlin 336 is kind of made for hunting, but the tactical features make it clear it could double as a home defense rifle—if you’re so inclined to use a lever for defending your home. It’s more realistic to say the gun is meant to draw in a different group of shooters—the kind of hunters and shooters that want those modern aesthetics and features. The .30-30 Win remains a hunting caliber and a good one at that.
I’ve used my 336 on feral hogs and whitetail deer with great results (my favorite was a quick double on does in my home state of Texas). There’s a reason this caliber is a classic that’s hung around for well over a century. If you’re feeling the need to get closer to the hunting roots of previous generations, this gun will do it while still giving you modern benefits. It’s one I enjoy enough to use here and there although it isn’t my regular deer rifle.
Should you get a Dark Marlin 336?
This is a great lever if you’re looking to get into lever actions and want easy solutions to things like optics. The hardwood stock version is nice because it’s solid and adds some weight to mitigate felt recoil. That said, the polymer stock version that’s being offered now that Marlin is under the Ruger brand is a great rifle as well. It comes down to choosing the rifle you prefer. But one thing’s for certain—you really should have a .30-30 Win lever-action in your gun collection.
Read More: Lever Actions: An American Rifle For Hunters
Specifications
Manufacturer: Marlin
Model: Dark Series 336
Caliber: .30-30 Win
Capacity: 5 +1
Barrel length: 16.25-inches
Barrel finish: Parkerized
Overall length: 34.5-inches
Empty weight: 7.65 pounds
Sights: XS Sights Ghost Ring rear with large post front
Optics ready: Yes, Picatinny rail
Threaded: 5/8×24
Check out the Marlin Dark Series lineup here.
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Renamed Marlin 336y!