WTB Rio Grande 30-30

[PNW4Life]

I was all set to buy a Rio Grande this weekend and wondered into a pawn shop last night, as I do a lot, to see if there was anything that jumped off the shelf...
Wouldn't you know it! I found a Marlin 336ER in very good condition for an unbelievable deal. I came home and talked to my wife and she gave her blessing so I called them and said I wanted it and picked it up this morning. I don't know if I'll keep it and quite honestly I could probably sell it for what it's worth and buy a Rio Grande with the money I make on the sale if I decide I don't like it.
Thanks for the help guys and sorry to disappoint. Until next time =)

[Ranch Dog]

I was all set to buy a Rio Grande this weekend and wondered into a pawn shop last night, as I do a lot, to see if there was anything that jumped off the shelf...
Wouldn't you know it! I found a Marlin 336ER in very good condition for an unbelievable deal. I came home and talked to my wife and she gave her blessing so I called them and said I wanted it and picked it up this morning. I don't know if I'll keep it and quite honestly I could probably sell it for what it's worth and buy a Rio Grande with the money I make on the sale if I decide I don't like it.
Thanks for the help guys and sorry to disappoint. Until next time =)

That is a good find. I just sold mine a couple of months ago, hadn't shot it 7 years. Brass is getting tough to find but the cartridge and rifle are a good combo. Here is the last time I pulled the trigger on my ER, a desert mule deer shot at 225-yards in Brewster County, TX.

[pricedo]

Not too many boxes of .356 Winchester ammo laying around WalMart or anywhere else these days........like NONE !
Don't ever hear of a current production gun that's chambered in that caliber.
.358 Winchester guns are almost as scarce.......the odd '88 still kicking around......& Browning still chambers their BLR in .358 Win.
2 good cartridges that didn't last for whatever reason.

[Ranch Dog]

Winchester still lists the 356 on their ammunition web site but I read an industry note a year or two ago that it was dropped from their product line. The only sources for ammo or brass is old stock and it isn't cheap. Ammo or new brass, is going to cost $1.00+ each.

There is speculation that the 338 Marlin Expressed played a role in killing the 356 Win. It is all that the 356 promised but did not deliver.

I waited too long to sell my rifle. Had I sold it 5 years ago, it would have brought thousand dollar bill. As it was, I had a tough time getting anything over $750. Most of the offers I received on the rifle where in the $550 range. It took 3 months to sell. The scarcity of ammo/brass has killed them. I sold my dies on eBay, basically giving them away.

[pricedo]

Winchester still lists the 356 on their ammunition web site but I read an industry note a year or two ago that it was dropped from their product line. The only sources for ammo or brass is old stock and it isn't cheap. Ammo or new brass, is going to cost $1.00+ each.

There is speculation that the 338 Marlin Expressed played a role in killing the 356 Win. It is all that the 356 promised but did not deliver.

I waited too long to sell my rifle. Had I sold it 5 years ago, it would have brought thousand dollar bill. As it was, I had a tough time getting anything over $750. Most of the offers I received on the rifle where in the $550 range. It took 3 months to sell. The scarcity of ammo/brass has killed them. I sold my dies on eBay, basically giving them away.

Can .356 Winchester brass be made from some other more common brass?
Some brass like the .450 Marlin brass cannot but many/most can.
35 caliber rifles, except perhaps for the .35 Remington & .35 Whelen, never took off in North America.
The .356 Win, .351SL, .358 Win, .350 Remington Magnum..........all dead.

[Ranch Dog]

444 Marlin brass is the best bet. You need the forming dies and the rim still needs to be turned down a bit.

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[pricedo]

I have been researching the different leveraction options the past couple months and after visiting a gunshop the other day was completely taken by surprise by how nice these guns were compared to others I was interested in.

I have a couple question about these rifles before purchasing though.
- Can I mount a Williams FP sight system on this rifle?
- Is it possible to convert the banded forearm over to the capped style?
- Could I cut the barrel down to a shorter length 16.5-18'' and have the barrel and mag tube dovetailed together, eliminating the barrel band?
I know these are completely cosmetic, I just prefer this style of gun but it's not a deal breaker at this point, especially when it's only going to cost $380 when all is said and done.

With that said, I've heard sometimes things can go south with Rossi and I just wanted to get some information as a first time rifle buyer on what I should be on the look out for and be sure to double check before handing over my money.

Be on the lookout for and check EVERYTHING (fit, finish, function test, damage, defects, look down the barrel with a good monochromatic light) before you make your purchase if possible.
That's why I like to buy my Rossis (& Remlins) off the rack where I can see what I'm buying and choose the "pick of the litter"..........just like picking a new hunting dog pup so you don't get stuck with the runt.
Give the firearm a thorough once over inspection before you leave your FFLs premises in view of the FFL so it will be established from the get-go what the gun was like NIB so there will be no, "You did that at home so why should we pay to repair/replace it."