Marlin Camp 45 PCC on Gun Broker

[loademup]

There has been a lot on interest on the forum recently about PCC rifles, be it an AR style or the new Ruger PC Carbine. While browsing Gun Broker, I noticed this Marlin Camp 45 from yesteryear for sale:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/793862744

Bid details at the above:

Current Bid
$760.00
Starting Bid
$0.01
Minimum bid: $765.00
No Reserve!
39 Bids Bid History

I dumped my own Marlin Camp 9 and 45 rifles...traded them away for almost free back in the early 1990's. Hard to believe people are bidding over 700.00 dollars now for them.

I didn't think they were anything special at the time. I bought them as companions for my 9mm and 45acp pistols...makes practical sense...same caliber could be used both in a handgun and a rifle.

I got rid of both of them because they had a tendency to jam if I didn't fastidiously keep the action clean. If you owned one, maybe your experience was different, but I think I also remember reading about the fouling issue in a review in one those Guns and Ammo type magazines back then. To go out with a clean rifle and shoot, and by the end of day, run into cycling and jamming issues just didn't pass my own reliability test. To be fair, I will say that I was shooting a lot of Norinco 9mm and 45acp at the time which I've heard comments was rather "dirty" ammo, but it certainly was inexpensive and the kind I used for range shooting and plinking.

But regardless of what I thought about the Marlin Camp carbines back then, people must have fonder memories of them or like them well enough to pay 700 bucks for them nowdays.

[crufflers]

There has been a lot on interest on the forum recently about PCC rifles, be it an AR style or the new Ruger PC Carbine. While browsing Gun Broker, I noticed this Marlin Camp 45 from yesteryear for sale:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/793862744

Bid details at the above:

Current Bid
$760.00
Starting Bid
$0.01
Minimum bid: $765.00
No Reserve!
39 Bids Bid History

I dumped my own Marlin Camp 9 and 45 rifles...traded them away for almost free back in the early 1990's. Hard to believe people are bidding over 700.00 dollars now for them.

I didn't think they were anything special at the time. I bought them as companions for my 9mm and 45acp pistols...makes practical sense...same caliber could be used both in a handgun and a rifle.

I got rid of both of them because they had a tendency to jam if I didn't fastidiously keep the action clean. If you owned one, maybe your experience was different, but I think I also remember reading about the fouling issue in a review in one those Guns and Ammo type magazines back then. To go out with a clean rifle and shoot, and by the end of day, run into cycling and jamming issues just didn't pass my own reliability test. To be fair, I will say that I was shooting a lot of Norinco 9mm and 45acp at the time which I've heard comments was rather "dirty" ammo, but it certainly was inexpensive and the kind I used for range shooting and plinking.

But regardless of what I thought about the Marlin Camp carbines back then, people must have fonder memories of them or like them well enough to pay 700 bucks for them nowdays.

Yup, before the PC Carbine was released, I would have seriously considered paying $700+ for a excellent condition Ruger PC9 just to use it with the 5-6 P series mags I have. The PCC taking Glock mags trumps anything I liked better about the PC9... and they cost under $500 brand new. Not sure when a .45 will be released but I think there will be one. If a 10mm comes out, it'll be interesting to see what mags it supports.

[Dan_Eastvale]

There has been a lot on interest on the forum recently about PCC rifles, be it an AR style or the new Ruger PC Carbine. While browsing Gun Broker, I noticed this Marlin Camp 45 from yesteryear for sale:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/793862744

Bid details at the above:

Current Bid
$760.00
Starting Bid
$0.01
Minimum bid: $765.00
No Reserve!
39 Bids Bid History

I dumped my own Marlin Camp 9 and 45 rifles...traded them away for almost free back in the early 1990's. Hard to believe people are bidding over 700.00 dollars now for them.

I didn't think they were anything special at the time. I bought them as companions for my 9mm and 45acp pistols...makes practical sense...same caliber could be used both in a handgun and a rifle.

I got rid of both of them because they had a tendency to jam if I didn't fastidiously keep the action clean. If you owned one, maybe your experience was different, but I think I also remember reading about the fouling issue in a review in one those Guns and Ammo type magazines back then. To go out with a clean rifle and shoot, and by the end of day, run into cycling and jamming issues just didn't pass my own reliability test. To be fair, I will say that I was shooting a lot of Norinco 9mm and 45acp at the time which I've heard comments was rather "dirty" ammo, but it certainly was inexpensive and the kind I used for range shooting and plinking.

But regardless of what I thought about the Marlin Camp carbines back then, people must have fonder memories of them or like them well enough to pay 700 bucks for them nowdays.

Ditto for me.. Camp 9. Also in the 90s... sold it for $100. Using Winchester white box. Was an impulse buy. Just couldn't persuade myself to like it.

[sigstroker]

I don't think my .45 Camp Carbine jammed even once from the day I bought it until the day it was stolen. Only thing I didn't like about it was the bolt velocity. Recoil spring was too light and so was the bolt.

[loademup]

I don't think my .45 Camp Carbine jammed even once from the day I bought it until the day it was stolen. Only thing I didn't like about it was the bolt velocity. Recoil spring was too light and so was the bolt.

I am glad you had a reliable experience with your rifle. I mainly shot the Marlin Camp 9 more than the 45 model (even back then 9mm ammo was cheaper than 45acp). I found that old review of the Marlin Camp 9 that discussed the rifle’s issue when it gets fouled . It is in a NRA Publication. Here are parts of the review:

Review of the Marlin Camp 9 from NRA Publication 1989 ““Semi-Auto Rifles – Data & Comment”, pages 91-92.

Marlin stresses the fact that the carbine should be thoroughly cleaned after every 250 rounds of firing. This, requiring partial disassembly, is easier said than done…

At this point the article describes about a 10 step procedure to disassemble the rifle to be able to clean it, and some fine nuances to put it back together. The article then continues with a shooting and operational evaluation:

Marlin’s emphasis on cleaning after 250 rounds fired we found justified in our testing…We intentionally exceeded the limit with three ammunition types…and ran into trouble after firing the 270th round.

A fresh magazine was inserted and the bolt was drawn back in preparation for letting it ride forward to chamber a new round with the expectation that the bolt stop plate would drop to free the bolt.

The bolt stop plate did not drop and was found to be blocked by debris from the previously fired shells.

It was finally freed by removing the loaded magazine, reaching inside the ejection port and forcing the bolt stop down. The debris, however, was still present. if redistributed, and disassembly and thorough cleaning were found to be the only satisfactory remedy."

The final conclusion of the review:

In short, the Marlin Camp 9 carbine is a fun-to-shoot companion gun for the 9mm pistol owner. Its low price compared to the “paramilitary” type 9mm carbines, should make it especially attractive to casual shooters and plinkers, but onerous cleaning procedures and the absolute necessity to carry them out after a relatively small number of rounds have been fired would seem to rule out the Marlin as a police carbine.

Even though the rifle was light and handy like a carbine should feel, from my own experience, I even ruled it out as a range and plinker rifle because of the stoppages caused by the fouling issue and also ,as the article said, taking apart the rifle to clean it was "easier said than done".

So if I had 750 bucks to spend on a PCC, instead of bidding on a old Marlin Camp rifle, I’d seriously consider something newer like the Ruger PC carbine which seems to be getting good reviews from people who own it.

[sigstroker]

Yeah, I didn't think the 9mm looked good, the .45 seemed to make more sense. Plus it was a great long gun for bowling pin matches. Besides, I had an Uzi for a 9mm long gun.

[crufflers]

I was still checking Gunbroker a lot for Ruger PC9's while plotting to put together a featureless AR9 that took Glock mags. When the PCC was announced I stopped plotting. They are really well made.

[splithoof]

To borrow a phrase I've used to describe some other firearms, "as junky as a Jennings/Bryco Saturday Night Special", certainly applies to the Marlin Camp series. Some of us may keep a library of "trash guns"; I certainly have a few, and if I had one of these Marlins, it would be in that category.
Is it worth $760?....only if someone is willing to pay that much.

[loademup]

Is it worth $760?....only if someone is willing to pay that much.

So true! The bidding has gone up to 805.00 bucks on this rifle. These rifles were going for around 250.00 bucks new out the door back in the 1990's where I live. If I had mine still, I'd take even money for it without hesitation. A seller who can get 800 bucks should be extremely happy.

[crufflers]

So true! The bidding has gone up to 805.00 bucks on this rifle. These rifles were going for around 250.00 bucks new out the door back in the 1990's where I live. If I had mine still, I'd take even money for it without hesitation. A seller who can get 800 bucks should be extremely happy.

Yeah but that's one old rifle that you maybe could make +$500 from. Imagine people who have hundreds of old C&R's they paid a few bucks for back when it was cheap... or exempt people selling off-roster stuff NOW.

In the knife collecting world you can buy certain limited runs (some companies ONLY do limited runs) from a handful of brands and sit on them for maybe a year and make $$$.

It doesn't have to be squirreled away on accident, just saying.

Interesting about the Camps being cheapo guns... I'd always heard good things about them and about the Rugers. My first wood stocked 10/22 way back when was not the greatest quality... these new PC Carbines ARE impressive. Build is solid.

[loademup]

Interesting about the Camps being cheapo guns... I'd always heard good things about them and about the Rugers.

Maybe the Marlin Camp 9 was specifically a dud for me, but I'm not knocking Marlin as a firearms maker. They've been around since the 1870's and people these days seem to like their lever guns and they have been the historical competitor of lever guns to Winchester with a tradition in that area almost as long as Winchester's. Oh yes, since you mentioned Ruger, I own some of their rifles and revolvers too and don't have any compliant about any of them as far as reliability. I guess my final thought for this thread is that there may be better alternatives for a PCC if you are buying a Marlin Camp for over 700 bucks...unless the person buying it is doing it for reasons other than shooting...such as historical value to that person. Who knows...there may be collectors of Marlin firearms...not knocking that at all.

[crufflers]

Maybe the Marlin Camp 9 was specifically a dud for me, but I'm not knocking Marlin as a firearms maker. They've been around since the 1870's and people these days seem to like their lever guns and they have been the historical competitor of lever guns to Winchester with a tradition in that area almost as long as Winchester's.

I always thought of Marlins as quality guns (old ones or current models) until recent years when I have heard from people I trust that QC went way down. Based on new guns having issues and needing to be sent back. I always wanted one of the 45-70 Guide Guns... but own zero Marlins.

[TMB 1]

I wouldn't pay that much for a Marlin Camp Carbine, but I also wouldn't sell mine even if offered that much for it.

Just my guess on what price would be, but if Marlin was still making them today price would probably be $400 or so.

I think they should start making them again, they're good little carbines.

[Hamsterbear]

The Camp Carbine 45 is a great rifle, always runs like a champ. You need to monitor the recoil buffer block inside as the originals get hard and fall apart. There are replacements readily available and easy to change- prevents cracks on the rear cross pin in the receiver hole. Works with any standard 1911 magazine, or the xtended ones if your state allows them. The only question is the service life out of the plastic lower/trigger housing. Mine is a mint condition safe queen in original box. I think of it as a plinker in .45ACP.

[TMB 1]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/562648/choate-side-folding-rifle-stock-marlin-camp-carbine-steel-and-synthetic-black

This is a good stock for it, if you live in a free state.