The Precision Papoose: A Tack-Driving Take-Down Rifle
By J.M. Ramos
Over the years, there have been countless articles written about Marlin’s popular rimfire self-loaders starting with the Model 99 (M99) originally designed by Ewald Nichol. The M99 family soon expanded to about a dozen variations along with its econoline brand, the Glenfield. A refined version of the M99 was introduced in 1967 which was soon to be known as the Marlin Model 60, the gun that virtually outsold every other .22 semi-auto, magazine or tubular feed combined. In 1964, Bill Ruger introduced what became the main rival of Marlin’s bread and butter, the 1022. Ruger’s little carbine became an instant success. Although it holds the title as the world’s most popular .22 semi-auto with possibly between 5 to 6 million sold to date, it is the Marlin Model 60 that possesses the crown jewel as the best-selling .22 autoloader of all time with over 11 million guns sold—almost double the 1022’s overall sales record.
Exploring the Marlin
For nearly 15 years, my nickel-finish Papoose was collecting dust in the safe and was almost forgotten while I had been busy dressing up the 1022. Then one day I finally got bored with the Ruger and decided to check on the old Marlin. After long thought, the urge to sizzle a sleeper took over. The Marlin, being ignored for so long, suddenly became a point of interest. By taking advantage of its already amazing accuracy from its 16 micro-groove rifling (developed by Marlin in 1953) and a sound mechanical design, all it really needed now was a modern make-over from aesthetics down to ergonomics. In other words, I wanted to make it a winner by elevating its status from being a casual plinker to an adorable, extraordinary tack-driver. Independent accessory producers should start taking a close look at the Papoose for its money-making potential. So much focus has been given to the Ruger 1022 over the years that it has virtually saturated the market with not much left to be done to it. The take-down Marlin, on the other hand, is fresh for exploration. Given the...
This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V23N4 (April 2019) |
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