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View Full Version : Marlin Firearms, Hartford, CT is Closing


LarryW
03-27-2010, 09:47
Marlin Firearms to close next year
By The Associated Press

Friday, March 26, 2010 at 4:36 a.m.

NORTH HAVEN, Conn.— Marlin Firearms Co., a 140-year-old company which made a gun that was a favorite of Annie Oakley, is closing its Connecticut plant, company officials said Friday.

Workers at the plant in North Haven say they've been told all 265 employees will lose their jobs.

Jessica Kallam, a spokeswoman with Madison, N.C.'s Remington Arms Co. Inc., which owns Marlin, said the Connecticut plant will close by June 2011 and employees would be offered severance and help finding jobs. She said Marlin is relocating its manufacturing operations to an undetermined site.

Kallam could not confirm if all employees in Connecticut are losing their jobs.

She read a company statement that says Freedom Group, which owns Remington, must reduce its costs to remain competitive.

"Although long term prospects of the business look positive, economic factors beyond Freedom Group's control related to increasing costs and pricing pressures within the firearms industry are impacting the entire Freedom Group of companies," the statement said.

Remington Arms bought Marlin for nearly $42 million in 2007.

Marlin's Web site says John Marlin opened the company in 1870 in New Haven after having worked at the Colt plant in Hartford during the Civil War. The company says its lever action 22 repeater was a favorite gun of Annie Oakley.

The Associated Press



According to Freedom Group's website the decision will cost them $8.4M and will be complete in mid-2011. This news sucks for the 265 souls who're going to lose their jobs in CT.

FWIW, I've had a hell of a time finding a new Marlin .22 Papoose for my BOB. Everywhere I look they say it's "out of stock". Guess this is the reason.

Discovered that a Marlin 795 is the same action, basically the same rifle, as the 70PSS, but with a fixed black synthetic stock. Weight of the Papoose is 3.75 pounds. The Marlin 795 weighs 4.50 pounds, so not a lot of difference there. The 795 appears to be more readily available.

Thought you'd want to know.

Axe
03-27-2010, 09:59
I wonder if they are relocating their manufacturing to California to take advantage of the business-friendly climate and low taxes...

Ret10Echo
03-27-2010, 10:07
Sad to hear. Glad I have that Marlin .22 in the inventory.

Pete
03-27-2010, 10:07
Over 30% of my .22 line is Marlin made. Just damn.

Red Flag 1
03-27-2010, 12:26
Just recently purchased a Marlin 30-30, fine carbine.

Sad news to hear of their closing:(.

RF 1

The Reaper
03-27-2010, 13:59
The unions in the Northeast have made them uncompetitive.

Winchester did the same thing recently, once the contracts had expired, they moved to South Carolina.

Remington previously closed its plant and moved to NC.

Why stay in a state that is high-tax, anti-business, anti-free enterprise, and hostile to your product as well?

TR

Team Sergeant
03-27-2010, 14:07
The unions in the Northeast have made them uncompetitive.

Winchester did the same thing recently, once the contracts had expired, they moved to South Carolina.

Remington previously closed its plant and moved to NC.

Why stay in a state that is high-tax, anti-business, anti-free enterprise, and hostile to your product as well?

TR

You beat me to it...:D Any bets we see Marlin opening it's doors again in Texas?:munchin

lksteve
03-27-2010, 18:47
You beat me to it...:D Any bets we see Marlin opening it's doors again in Texas?:munchinI suspect they'll open up in a right to work state with constructionist view of 2nd Amendment rights...I have a 39A that Dad got my for Christmas in 1964...

rubberneck
03-27-2010, 18:54
The unions in the Northeast have made them uncompetitive.

Winchester did the same thing recently, once the contracts had expired, they moved to South Carolina.

Remington previously closed its plant and moved to NC.

Why stay in a state that is high-tax, anti-business, anti-free enterprise, and hostile to your product as well?

TR

If the state and the union didn't have a controlling stake that prevents it, Colt would have been gone long ago as well.

olhamada
03-27-2010, 19:14
It is sad to hear. I have an old lever action Marlin .35 Remington. It is by far my favorite short-range hunting rifle. Great company.

It's the Communists. (just kidding).

mojaveman
03-27-2010, 19:35
Interesting.

Anywhere in the U.S. as long as it's not China.

A few weeks ago I bought a Marlin 925 in .22 LR. For anyone who's interested it's a bolt action, 7 round, magazine fed rifle. I got the model with the hardwood stock and it looks very nostalgic. The trigger and guard are polymer but other than that it's very traditional looking. It would be a good starter rifle for a young shooter. I paid about two bills for it.

rdret1
03-27-2010, 20:13
Marlin lever actions are great. I have a .44 mag version I got at Bragg back in '80. I would like to get a Marlin 30-30. I guess I need to get one quick before the prices go up.

JJ_BPK
03-28-2010, 04:39
Discovered that a Marlin 795 is the same action, basically the same rifle, as the 70PSS, but with a fixed black synthetic stock. Weight of the Papoose is 3.75 pounds. The Marlin 795 weighs 4.50 pounds, so not a lot of difference there. The 795 appears to be more readily available.


Larry there are several 70PSS on GunBroker.com, 150-300..

look for "70 pss" & "70pss"

T-Rock
03-28-2010, 06:27
Hate to hear that for those 265 folks who work in Connecticut but maybe by the time they set up shop in NC, the NC Firearms Freedom Act will be signed into law ?

I have been extremely pleased with my lever action model 1894 (.44mag/great brush gun), Camp 9, 30-30 lever action, and Model 60.

Mine have taken quite a bit of abuse and the only thing to break so far was a recoil buffer on the Camp 9, other than that, their products are great.

LarryW
03-28-2010, 07:16
Thanks for the tip, JJ. I'll check it out. Have a 765 inbound now, and am considering mounting a folding stock on it to reduce profile and weight for the BOB.

TR's on the mark re: the crappy economic support available to manufacturers in CT, for that matter most of New England. Typical for these times.

Now looking for a pre-2007 Marlin lever 45-70.

Red Flag 1
03-28-2010, 08:46
Marlin lever actions are great. I have a .44 mag version I got at Bragg back in '80. I would like to get a Marlin 30-30. I guess I need to get one quick before the prices go up.

Best prices for the one I bought was at Wal-Mart.

RF 1

The Reaper
03-28-2010, 09:03
The Guide Guns are very nice.

Was looking at the new ones with the full length mag tubes and the big loop levers, prices were a little steep.

Guess I'll wait and see what happens.:munchin

TR

Team Sergeant
03-28-2010, 09:36
Best prices for the one I bought was at Wal-Mart.

RF 1

Bought my 30-30 at Wal-Mart also, nice close in deer gun.

Red Flag 1
03-28-2010, 18:23
Bought my 30-30 at Wal-Mart also, nice close in deer gun.

I'd like to upgrade the stock. Unfinished would be my first choice. Any ideas??

Thanks TS!!

RF 1

MVP
04-07-2010, 16:13
RF1,

Take a look in Brownells offerings.

MVP

x SF med
04-07-2010, 17:35
You beat me to it...:D Any bets we see Marlin opening it's doors again in Texas?:munchin

or Montana? or Wyoming?

Red Flag 1
04-08-2010, 16:33
RF1,

Take a look in Brownells offerings.

MVP



Huge site.

Thanks!!!

RF 1

HOLLiS
04-09-2010, 20:39
Really sad to hear. I noticed that Marlin, who always had really nice wood/checkering that after Remington bought them, that quality dropped. Personally, Marlin had one of he nicest lever actions right out of the box.

CSB
04-10-2010, 22:10
I suspect they'll open up in a right to work state with constructionist view of 2nd Amendment rights...I have a 39A that Dad got my for Christmas in 1964...

Sounds like they are coming to Tennessee ...
... and no state income tax, either.

arizonaguide
04-23-2010, 01:38
Arizona. We NEED 'em!

x SF med
04-23-2010, 09:02
I just found out that my FiL has some vintage Marlins he wants to give me... he couldn't describe them very well... it's gonna be just like Christmas when I get them... oh and he's got a vintage 20ga on the list too... :D I have no clue what shape they are in...

arizonaguide
04-23-2010, 13:11
I did hear a rumor that they're moving to some New York facility.

The Reaper
04-23-2010, 16:29
I did hear a rumor that they're moving to some New York facility.

To an anti-gun, high-tax, high-cost, union labor state?

Rigggght. Great business plan. :rolleyes:

I would expect them to be reopening south of the Mason-Dixon line, or in the Southwest.

TR