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Marlin XL-7

About the Marlin

The story of the Marlin company started in 1836 in Connecticut, the birthplace of John Mahlon Marlin. As the civil war commenced, he began his working carrier at the Colt plant in Hartford. Five years after the war, he started his own company in New Haven, Connecticut, and named it Marlin Firearms. Between 1870 and 1899 the company produced a manifold of pistols, revolvers, and derringers with one of the biggest strategic moves being made in 1881 when it introduced its first lever-action repeating rifle – Model 1881. Another breakthrough was made by the company with the introduction of the 1889 Model - a lever rifle with a solid top that ejected the empty cartridges out of the side of the receiver. This was the feature that in later years became equated with the term "Marlin Safety". The concept was further utilised in the following years on a .22 rimfire lever-action - Model 1891. That led to the development of Model 39, introduced in 1922, with almost 3 million rifles produced to date. Two years later, a new model was released under the name Model 1893 which was later renamed the Model 1936/Model 36, manufactured up until 1948. It was improved and renamed Model 336 in the same year. For some time, Marlin also produced rifles for Savage as they lacked manufacturing capabilities.

After the death of John Marlin, his two sons inherited the business, and the company went through several ownership changes. It was sold around 1915 to William Bonbright & Co. and Kissell-Kinnicut & Co. - a group of investors associated with J.P. Morgan. Shortly after, A.F. Rockwell became the president of the company and renamed it Marlin Rockwell Corporation in 1916; however, in 1919, John. F. Moran took over. After World War I, the economic decline became apparent, and the company shifted its focus to various other businesses. They manufactured ball bearings, roller bearings, radiators, wires, bombs, and even automobiles. In 1921, a simplified manufacturing line was formed that specialized in the production of sporting firearms and was named Marlin Firearms Corporation. Due to a decrease in sales, the company was put on the auction block in 1924 when it was bought for a small price of $100 by lawyer Frank Kenna.

The after-war years offered new opportunities and the sales gradually improved. In 1949, Model 36 was redesigned and renamed Model 336. It is still manufactured today as one of the most popular lever-action rifles in the world. Additionally, the company pioneered the Micro-Groove rifling which was supposed to allow for better shooting accuracy and was the standard on Marlin rifles up until the 1990s.

In 1956, the company introduced Model 56 which featured a modernised lever design with a short lever throw allowing for fast reloading. The series was later named Marlin 'Levermatic'. Shortly after, Model 57 and a centrefire Model 62 were presented. However, the Levermatic series did not sell too well and was discontinued in 1973. Some of the most recognizable models from that time were Glenfield Model 30, Model 444, and reintroduced Models 1894 and 1895 which are still manufactured today. With new regulations taking place, Marlin added a cross-bolt safety to their rifles around 1983. Numerous models were presented in later years such as Model 700, Model 780, Model 80, Model 7000, Model 2000, Model XL7, and XS7 along with some pump-action shotguns like Models 16, 17, 19 etc.

In 2007 Marlin was bought by Remington Arms, however, the ownership changed again in the following decade. Since 2020, the Marlin is owned by Sturm, Ruger & Co. Over 6 million guns and 150 years later, they carry on Marlin’s legacy of innovativeness and quality.

Marlin XL-7 Rifle Review

When the production of Marlin MR-7 stopped in 1999, the company started to search for a new way of re-entering the bolt-action market with an affordable rifle while maintaining the high built quality. Being a classic bolt-action centerfire rifle, the Marlin XL-7 managed to tick all the boxes and contrary to the MR-7 it sold much better. It is the long action version of the X series.

Structurally, XL-7 might seem deprived of some MR-7 features; however, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of three-position safety, it comes with just as functional two-position safety lever that is positioned on the right upper side of the receiver. Additionally, there is a red dot indicator that shows whenever the rifle is chambered. The wooden stock of the MR-7 was replaced by the synthetic one, making the rifle a tad lighter. However, Marlin decided to add the wooden stock option back on the menu in later production. The flat-top receiver, which through the years became the signature shape for Marlin lever actions, was ditched and substituted with a more conventional drilled and tapped mounting surface of a round shape.

The bolt head, which is a separate piece from the bolt body, is machined from the same steel alloy material and features two opposing locking lugs, locking up safely with the barrel extension. Loading of the internal magazine that can hold up to four cartridges is carried out through the top. Marlin XL-7 is equipped with a Pro-Fire trigger which is factory pre-set at 1 587 g (3 ½ lbs) and can be manually adjusted using the Allen key.

The possible barrel length for marlin XL-7 is 559 mm (22-inch).

Marlin XL-7

Figure 1: Marlin XL-7, chambered for .25-06 Rem. (Source: https://smithauctions.hibid.com/lot/11217-147618-288474/marlin-xl7-91752494-rifle-25-06/)

Marlin XL-7 can be chambered for the following calibres:

.25-06 Rem.
.270 Win.
.30-06 Spr.

Marlin XL-7 receivers come with four holes for mounting purposes, two on the front and two on the rear mounting surface.

Marlin XL-7

Figure 2: The receiver of Marlin XL-7, chambered for .270 Win. (Source: https://www.gunsamerica.com/917465475/Marlin-XL7-270-22-Barrel-7038.htm)

Should you happen to own the Marlin XL-7 and would be willing to send us some photos of the bare mounting surface (no mounts installed), please contact us. We thank you for your help.

A: 21.9 mm

B: 96.7 mm

C: 21.9 mm

BHU: 3.4 mm

Ø: 6-48

R1: R34

R2: R17

Which Rifles Have Interchangeable Mounts

Two-piece mounts

For two-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart. Rifles that meet such criteria are:

Winchester 70 STD
Winchester Model 70 SA
Winchester Model 70 WSM
Winchester M70 Extra Long
Marlin XS-7

One-piece mounts

All the rifles listed in the category below have one-piece mounts interchangeable with Marlin XL-7. For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension. Rifles that share the same dimensions and mounting surface with Marlin XL-7 are:

Winchester 70 STD

Our Recommendations for Mounts

Fixed Mounts

This DNZ one-piece mount manufactured in America is made from aluminium and fits perfectly on the mounting surface of Marlin XL-7. In addition, it comes with a ten-year warranty.

Picatinny Rails

If you are looking for a multi-functional mounting surface for your rifle, we recommend this Picatinny rail manufactured by the American company EGW. It is made entirely of aluminium and comes with a two-year warranty.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu

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Marlin XL-7

About the Marlin

Marlin XL-7 Rifle Review

Marlin XL-7 can be chambered for the following calibres:

Which Rifles Have Interchangeable Mounts

Two-piece mounts

One-piece mounts

Our Recommendations for Mounts

Fixed Mounts

Picatinny Rails

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

Leupold BackCountry Rings, 25.4 mm for Winchester 70

Leupold BackCountry Rings, 30 mm for Winchester 70

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Marlin XL-7

About the Marlin

Marlin XL-7 Rifle Review

Marlin XL-7 can be chambered for the following calibres:

Which Rifles Have Interchangeable Mounts

Two-piece mounts

One-piece mounts

Our Recommendations for Mounts

Fixed Mounts

Picatinny Rails

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

Leupold BackCountry Rings, 25.4 mm for Winchester 70

Leupold BackCountry Rings, 30 mm for Winchester 70

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