Author Topic: marlin 60 owners sound off (Read 3539 times)

trickyrick · « **on:** February 09, 2009, 04:17:22 AM »

i know most owners love them as they are, but to those of you that have complaints, what are they? thanks for your input. rick

Keith L · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2009, 04:51:05 AM »

I wish I could vote three times for reliability issues. It went back to Marlin 3 times and two different local smiths couldn't make it any better. It didn't matter what type of LR I shot through it, it was a jam o matic. The guy I gave it to (who fancied himself a Model 60 expert) had no better luck with it than I did.

That Model 60 made me a devoted 10/22 fan.

Ahshucks · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2009, 11:24:12 AM »

Even the Marlin service techs couldn't diagnose the problem. I guess we just have to eat Marlin's bad products rather than hunt up our own meal.

sachel.45 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2009, 12:43:52 PM »

i love mine. way more reliable than my dads 10-22 and more accurate. it was my first new gun i shot my first grouse with it.

PigBoy Crabshaw · « **Reply #4 on:** March 01, 2009, 06:21:25 PM »

I bought mine new about 1976. It shot great for years and never jammed.
I disassembled and cleaned it about every thousand rounds. I'm not sure what the issue is now, after having it shoot so well and not jam for many years. I'm wondering if the spring tension of the tube in the tubular magazine is the issue? -g

buckweet · « **Reply #5 on:** March 15, 2009, 06:38:10 PM »

all i wish for is a better trigger... mine is a good rifle.

weet

EVOC ONE · « **Reply #6 on:** March 16, 2009, 12:48:23 AM »

I've had many. Still have a few. Like them all.

Halwg · « **Reply #7 on:** March 18, 2009, 05:55:39 AM »

I've had several, and for an inexpensive plinking rifle, they do a good job. They are what they are, and will never be a tack driving target shooter, but they are indeed a fun gun.

subdjoe · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2009, 10:03:52 AM »

My Mod. 60 SS is great. Bought it used. Won't win competitions with it, but at 25 yards no problem hitting NECCO waffers. The only problem is that it does gum up with powder/lube residue quickly. And it is a bit of a pain to clean.

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 02, 2009, 08:49:41 AM »

my marlin 60 is my allpurpose gun.. i use velocitors ammo in it an
if it was legal would have no reservations about hunting deer with it..
so it kinda for practical purposes makes my 30 30 less necessary
as other gun than my savage 110-06..
before i get flamed too bad im talking head shots.. ive had to put two car hit deer dn already this yr..both wouldn t let me get close an were wondering off with mortal damage.. both dropped right where they were hit.. both are in somebodies freezor.. slim

curtism1234 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 13, 2009, 04:05:43 AM »

Bumping this thread up

I bought the Marlin 60 a few years ago for three reasons
1. I am fan of the bolt actions they make
2. Reports were that it's more accurate than a stock 10/22 (which I agree with)
3. The safety is in the same location as my 870 (10/22 is opposite)

But there are some issues

1. After about 5000 rounds, I shot the action out

Send it back and they replaced it. Makes me wonder how many shots these things are good for.

2. I monkeyed around for months trying to mount a scope on it. The recoil kept bumping the mounts back on the rail (weaver mounts too). Finally, I got a BKL with 6 screws and it took care of the problem

3. Trigger is 12 pounds. I can pick the entire gun/mount/scope up by the trigger and it won't snap.

4. The first shot accuracy is about 1 inch off from the rest of the group because you manually feed it. So if you're hunting you just have to shoot the first one into the dirt.

Overall though, I'm happy concidering I paid $120 or so.
Accuracy with Dynapoints are under 1 1/2" at 50 yards and with mini-mags it's right around 1".

splicer · « **Reply #11 on:** May 14, 2009, 07:06:38 AM »

Jamm-o -matic junk.Ive shot several of them and they all jam on a regular basis.The trigger is junk too.

curtism1234 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 14, 2009, 07:47:20 AM »

I noticed they do not like pure lead bullets.
Any type of copper coating (like dynapoints and minimags) and mine is pretty much flawless until winter time. My gun does not like cold weather at all - it will jam on everything.

flyingbrickracing · « **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2009, 08:49:29 AM »

The only ammo I've had jam was brick remington,all others shoot fine.CCI,Winchester,and Federal have been jam free
Overall I like the rifle alot but I did have the scope move as mentioned before.

nw_hunter · « **Reply #14 on:** May 23, 2009, 02:37:43 PM »

Quote from: Keith L on February 09, 2009, 04:51:05 AM

I wish I could vote three times for reliability issues. It went back to Marlin 3 times and two different local smiths couldn't make it any better. It didn't matter what type of LR I shot through it, it was a jam o matic. The guy I gave it to (who fancied himself a Model 60 expert) had no better luck with it than I did.

That Model 60 made me a devoted 10/22 fan.

I'm with you..I've had several, and the jamming was a prob with most ammo I tried in them.

flamenblaster · « **Reply #15 on:** August 20, 2009, 03:04:56 PM »

i used to have jamming problems till i started cleaning all the gunk off the bolt face and extracter...problem solved. cleaning is a snap since i use a small pan of gasoline and soak/scrub action, springs and bolt using old toothbrush. Blast it with brake cleaner then spray with break free.All this is done outdoors of course.

Victor3 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 22, 2009, 12:56:03 AM »

My Dad bought one in the late 70's. It was accurate, but would jam if not cleaned frequently (we used the dirty old CCI Blazers in it). After a lot of rounds went through it, it would jam even when clean. Pops tore it down and found that the bolt face had become deformed. He filed on it to make it work and gave it to a neighbor.

lucky guy · « **Reply #17 on:** August 25, 2009, 06:45:20 AM »

I got the 20" bbl SS with a laminate stock for $100 at a pawn shop a couple years ago for my daughter. Have had zero trouble with ftf's and fte's, and accurate too.

Took it on a long road trip this summer with my daughter and used it in ND on pd's. Took alot of pd's with it. I was there when the young uns were up and out. Best string was 3 out of 4 on one hill at about 115 yds.

I have the same comments about the trigger though - UUGGHHH! I took it down and worked on it a bit, got it down to about 6#. Still, it would be a much better rifle with a decent trigger. There's a guy over at RFC that has posted instructions on working over the trigger. Claims great results but I haven't tried it yet.

BTW, the poll above needs a vote option on the trigger.

Shiner · « **Reply #18 on:** September 05, 2009, 02:10:07 AM »

I have a model 60 that is a great little gun. It was stolen out of my truck in my driveway about a year ago. I got it back when the local police recovered it about 2 months later. Up until the point is was stolen, it was in really good shape and never had any issues with it jamming. When I got it back it was all beat up and jammed every 2nd or 3rd shot. Stripped it down and cleaned it good, then had it refinished, and it looks better than before and no more jamming issues. All things considered though, I still prefer my 10/22.

HotRod9mm · « **Reply #19 on:** September 06, 2009, 06:24:56 PM »

I picked-up an aluminum replacement trigger guard and a new charging handle
for my M60 from Rimfire Technologies. Very nice parts and its nice to get away
from the plastic trigger guard.

Clickable Thumbnail

pslshooter · « **Reply #20 on:** September 13, 2009, 05:57:23 AM »

I hunted with mine for a decade b4 the stock got broke. It was in the trunk of my car when I got rear-ended. The squirrel engraved stock cracked from the butt to grip. The muzzle went thru the end of the gun sock and thru the back seat. The barrel and action weren't damaged (had a gunsmith check it), but the stock was a loss. I put a poly on it,but it's not the same, just doesn't feel right. So it sits waiting for a new woody for it.

yooper77 · « **Reply #21 on:** September 13, 2009, 06:06:06 AM »

I bought a new Marlin model 60 for $73.00 which included sale tax at a Wal-Mart back in 1988, because my friend didn’t have a 22 LR for small game. I just gave him the rifle, because I never used it and got tired of cleaning the semi-auto action. I preferred the simple single shot bolt action in my Remington model 580 which is topped with a Leupold, VX-I, 2-7x28 rimfire scope and millet rings.

yooper77

His lordship. · « **Reply #22 on:** September 14, 2009, 06:07:03 AM »

I bought one new from K-Mart in 1979. I did not know much about trigger pulls back then, so the trigger seemed fine. I liked the feel of the stock, and I cleaned it every time I shot it. But it would jamb every 2-3 rounds, real fun when hunting crows!

I brought it to a local gunsmith who did warranty work, he got the gun to shoot reliably for awhile, but he must have hated Marlins as it had scratches on it when I got it back. Never went to his shop again.

The rifle shot reliably with all types of ammo until the late 1980's, then became a jammo matic, traded it off in 1993. I have two Ruger 10/22's, I like them much better.

King Ghidora · « **Reply #23 on:** September 14, 2009, 08:56:51 AM »

I don't know where you guys are buying your 60's but both of mine are just about perfect. Not a tack driver? Yeah right. I can hit a 3/4" bullseye at 90 yards consistently. We have a place on the farm where we shoot often and I measured the distance myself. I have a scan of a target with 3 holes in the red at that distance and a photo of 3 more in the red on another target. And I really haven't shot at that spot all that much. I generally shoot in my yard.

I have a 60 that I bought in 1988 and I've shot about 150k rounds through it and it still works like brand new. It's never had any problem with any ammo except for Remington Thunderbolts and everyone has a problem with that almost. I also have a new 60 that's about 3-4 months old now I guess. I've already shot way over 5k rounds through it with few problems. It had some pieces of laminate in the trigger group when I got it and sometimes it doesn't feed right still even though I cleaned it really well. The only reason those laminate splinters were there was from where they drilled holes in the stock to put studs in. The only reason I haven't sent it back to Marlin to get it fixed is because it shoots as accurate as any .22 LR I ever picked up. I have a friend who bought two new 10/22's this summer. I've shot both of them a lot. They don't compare to the 60's I have in accuracy. They're fairly accurate but both of my 60's are extremely accurate.

I dont' know why so many people showed up here to complain about the 60 but every other board I've been on people rave about them and for good reason. There are reasons they have sold more than twice as many of them as any other semi-auto .22 LR. It's quality. It's value. It's accuracy. They have all 3 better than any other rifle on the market.

I love Savage rifles and I have 3 of them. I bought a MkIIFV about 6 weeks ago and I've had all kinds of problems with it. And pretty much everyone who buys one does too. But it does work most of the time now that I worked out all the bugs myself and it shoots very accurate too. I will admit the AccuTrigger is spoiling me so that my 60 triggers seem way too hard to pull now. But the guns are different. The 60 was designed as a hunting rifle and it doesn't have a target trigger. Savage hit on a really good idea for triggers so they are way ahead on that front. But the 60 is almost a 50 year old design. And it's been a favorite among hunters all along. If you want a gun that will keep working for decades (and I don't care how many here complain about it) then buy a Marlin. I know they last. 150k rounds without a single breakdown of any kind and that one shoots any ammo I put in it and never has a problem with it ever and it's still very, very accurate. I don't know what you guys expect from a $100 rifle. Actually I think I paid $90 for mine but it's been so long I can't be sure now. It was right around $100.

Wishoot · « **Reply #24 on:** September 14, 2009, 12:34:10 PM »

Jam-o-Matic would be a gross understatement. I probably had 3-4 FTF or FTE's per 10 rounds regardless of the ammo I was using.

Alan4620 · « **Reply #25 on:** September 15, 2009, 02:00:23 PM »

I just picked up a used Marlin model 60 at a pawn shop for $50.00.
First thing I did was replace the 1/2" scope that was on it with a BSA sweet 22.

I had already bought the scope and then found a model 81-DL that I could not pass up.Since I could not mount a 1" scope on it without the awful side mount,I decided to get another "cheap 22".

After harvesting the crop in the receiver and tightning the tube mount dovetail,I grabbed my box of Federal ammo my new to me model 60 and went to the range.

After sighting in the scope I was hitting shotgun shells,peices of clay birds,peices of target frames at 125 yards with every shot.Had several half dollar size groups while sighting it in too.
Out of the 200 or so rounds I had 2 that did not eject all the way.(one the bolt hit my thumb) This was with Federal bulk ammo.
I think I will keep it.
I think my 81 is more accurate,but I can see 100 yards with the scope.
Buy the way the sweet 22 is Sweet.

Keith L · « **Reply #26 on:** September 15, 2009, 03:14:23 PM »

"After sighting in the scope I was hitting shotgun shells,peices of clay birds,peices of target frames at 125 yards with every shot."

That is downright amazing shooting with any .22.

King Ghidora · « **Reply #27 on:** September 15, 2009, 06:20:04 PM »

I opened up my 1988 Model 60 today just to check the buffer. It looked like brand new. Not a mark on it and no signs of the plastic cracking or anything of the sort. It wasn't even discolored. And that's after 150k rounds through the gun. And obviously the action isn't worn out either. I shot it about 50 times (it was getting dark so that's all the time I had) and it worked perfectly and is just as accurate as the first day I bought it.

BTW I went 11 years before I ever cleaned that rifle. I never even so much as ran a brush through the bore. I finally cleaned it after it started have FTE problems. I didn't clean it again for another 5 years after that when it started having FTE problems again. After that it started getting dirty more often but that says more about modern ammo than it does the gun. With a brick of Thunderbolts I had to clean it 3 times because it had problems due to the ammo being horribly dirty. I also had problems with Winchester DynaPoints. But if I shoot Federal or CCI ammo through it then it will work perfectly for a very long time. I can shoot other Winchester ammo and not have problems also. Just not DynaPoints.

lil_hunter12 · « **Reply #28 on:** September 22, 2009, 05:39:57 PM »

i bought a used model 60 today gave 90 bucks for it with a tasco 3-9x40 scope on it nice little rifle picked up some ammo and sighted it in. i shot what it holds into a 1 ragged hole group. it held 17 rounds. also i shot 100 rounds through it as fast as i could load and pull the trigger. only had 1 fail to eject which didnt even sound right but i saw it hit the bottom of the target so i wrenched out the hull and continued. no more problems

Poll

looking for your input, vote up to 3 times

Author Topic: marlin 60 owners sound off (Read 3539 times)