Are Marlin Rifles Making a Comeback?
Marlin rifles are seeing renewed attention from hunters and collectors alike, driven by the brand's continued production under new ownership, a strong installed base of older bolt-actions and lever guns still in daily use, and steady demand for the .22 rimfire platforms that made Marlin a household name for generations. Whatever is driving the renewed interest for you personally, one practical side effect is real: more shooters are pulling old Marlins out of the safe and putting them back into service, and that means more demand for a magazine that still works correctly.
Why Older Marlins Are Getting a Second Life
A lot of Marlin bolt-actions and semi-autos built decades ago are still mechanically sound — these are simple, well-built rimfire actions that don't wear out quickly with normal use. What often fails first isn't the rifle, it's the magazine: springs weaken, feed lips wear, and factory magazines that are decades old become harder to find in good condition. As more of these rifles come back into regular use, the magazine — not the rifle itself — tends to be the part that needs replacing first.
The Rifles Driving the Renewed Interest
Marlin's rimfire lineup covers a wide range of models built over many decades: the Model 780/25/20/80 bolt-action family, the 795 and 25N-series, and the magnum rimfire models chambered in .22 WMR and .17 HMR. Many of these were also sold under store brands — Glenfield, JC Higgins, Western Auto, Coast to Coast, and others — which means there are more of these rifles in circulation than the Marlin name alone would suggest. All of them share one thing in common: a simple, reliable rimfire action that holds up well over time when the magazine is in good shape.
What This Means If You're Bringing a Marlin Back Into Service
If you've pulled an older Marlin out of storage, the magazine is the first thing worth checking before you assume the rifle itself needs work. A magazine with a weak spring, bent feed lips, or corrosion can cause failures to feed or failures to lock back that look like a rifle problem but are actually a magazine problem. Before you troubleshoot the action, try running the rifle with a known-good, correctly-fitted magazine — it's the fastest way to isolate whether the issue is the rifle or the magazine.
Finding the Right Magazine for an Older Model
Because Marlin's rimfire magazines split into distinct fit families — the 71903 pattern for the 780/25/20/80 family, the 71900/71901 pattern for the 795/25N/70-series, and the separate .22 WMR/.17 HMR pattern — the model number stamped on the left side of your barrel is the most reliable way to identify which magazine your specific rifle takes. This matters even more on an older rifle you may not have shot in years, since it's easy to misremember exactly which model you own. See the Marlin Rifle Magazine Guide for the full fitment chart, including rebadged store-brand rifles.
US-Made Replacements for a Discontinued Original
Original factory magazines for older Marlin models are increasingly hard to find in good condition, which is exactly the gap American Rifle Magazines was built to fill. Every magazine is manufactured in Naugatuck, Connecticut, from US steel and US-made components, to the original Marlin factory pattern — not an imported universal clip. That means a rifle that's been sitting for years can go back into the field with a magazine built to the same tolerances Marlin used originally, rather than a compromise part.
Capacity Options Worth Knowing About
If you're restocking magazines for an older Marlin, it's worth knowing that some patterns are now available in more than the original factory capacity. The 71903 pattern, for example, is available as the factory 7-round original or in American Rifle Magazines' own extended 10-round and 15-round versions. Before choosing an extended-capacity magazine, check magazine capacity laws by state, since several states restrict rifle magazine capacity.
Spares Matter More the Older Your Rifle Gets
The older a rifle is, the more valuable a correctly-fitted spare magazine becomes, simply because the supply of good factory originals only shrinks over time. If you've found one magazine that runs well in your rifle after years of it sitting unused, that's the moment to order a second and third as backups rather than waiting until the one you're using finally gives out. A worn spring or a bent feed lip rarely announces itself in advance — it just stops working reliably one day at the range or in the field.
This is especially true for models that were never produced in huge numbers, or that were quietly discontinued, like the semi-automatic 922M. Waiting until an original magazine fails completely to start looking for a replacement puts you in a much weaker position than keeping a US-made, factory-pattern spare on hand ahead of time.
Getting Reacquainted With an Old Rifle Safely
Before taking any rifle that's been stored for years back out to hunt or compete, run it through a full function check at the range first: clean it, inspect the bore, and cycle several magazines of ammunition to confirm reliable feeding and extraction. This is good practice for any rifle coming out of long-term storage, not just older Marlins, and it's the same process that will quickly reveal whether a magazine — rather than the action — is the source of any feeding issue you notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
My old Marlin won't feed reliably — is the rifle broken?
Not necessarily. Feeding issues on an older rifle are frequently traced to a worn or ill-fitting magazine rather than a problem with the action itself. Try a known-good, correctly-fitted magazine before assuming the rifle needs gunsmith attention.
How do I know which magazine my older Marlin needs if I don't remember the exact model?
Check the model number stamped on the left side of the barrel and match it against the Marlin Rifle Magazine Guide.
Is a store-brand rifle like a Glenfield or JC Higgins still supported?
Yes — these are Marlin-built rifles sold under a different name, and they take the equivalent Marlin-pattern magazine. See the rebadge fitment table in the guide.
Can I get a higher-capacity magazine for an older bolt-action Marlin?
For the 780/25/20/80 family, yes — 10-round and 15-round extended options exist alongside the factory 7-round original, subject to state capacity laws.
Should I buy more than one spare magazine for an older rifle?
Yes, especially for models where original factory magazines are becoming harder to find. Two or three correctly-fitted spares protect you from being stuck if one magazine eventually wears out.
A Practical Next Step
If you've read this far because you're considering pulling an old Marlin back into service, the single most useful thing you can do today is locate the model number on the barrel and write it down. That one piece of information is what gives you correct magazine fitment, the right care recommendations, and whether the rifle is part of a rebadged family sold under another name.
Bring Your Marlin Back Into Service
Whatever brought your Marlin back out of the safe, a fresh, correctly-fitted magazine is the fastest way to get it feeding reliably again. Confirm your model with the Marlin Rifle Magazine Guide, then shop the full US-made lineup in Marlin 22 Cal. Magazines. Restocking multiple rifles or buying for a shop? See our wholesale rifle magazine purchasing terms.
