Marlin dark vs Henry hush 30-30

[112Savage]

I have a very nice stainless marlin 30-30. I like shooting it but I really wish I could put a silencer on it. Due to the magazine tube hanger and the front sight, I think this would be difficult. So…

I’ve been looking at the Henry hush and Marlin dark series

Henry:
16” BSF carbon barrel
Laminate wood rear stock
Carbon picatinny rail
No iron sights (negative)
14” LOP

Marlin:
16” steel barrel
Polymer rear stock
Picatinny scout rail (negative)
Iron sights with rear ghost ring
13.5” LOP

Main purpose would be mountain woods hunting in the appalachians. Going for light weight and short length. I will mount a scope but would like the ability to have irons or Backup. I like the Henry better but the lack of iron sights and the higher price is making me consider the Marlin. Does anyone have experience with either.

 

[North of 60]

Not .30-30, and similar:

I have a Henry all-weather .45-70 and would have waited for the Henry X to be able to suppress it if I had known the suppressor-ready X was in development by Henry.

Great rifle and i may sell mine for that very reason except i worked up some very excellent 300 gr Hammer loads for it.

I put a skinner peep on it and still have a scope on it with QD rings.

 

[Westslope406]

I have the 45-70 dark and have owned the Henry x.
No issues with the Henry but just liked the Marlin dark magpul furniture. Heavier tho.


Side note, I have a non-collectible marlin 336 that I paid a local (NE MT) gunsmith to cut down barrel to 16” and cut tube, thread barrel and retap front sight for 275.
Super fun for suppressor.

 

[North of 60]

Thx @Westslope406 ! Great idea. 16" barrel would be more useful in the woods also.

 

[112Savage]

Yeah I have thought that cutting threading and reinstalling is still less than $1600

I bought my marlin 30-30 while I was in Alaska. Someone had fitted polymer stocks to it and an aimpoint 9000L. The furniture has a much slimmer forend than most marlins and feels more like a Winchester. I just thought it was cool. I just put a WWG happy trigger in it which cut the trigger pull in half.

 

[Westslope406]

I did a similar thing, got the 336 on trade and swapped out to the older synthetic ram line stock, a lot thinner.

Only thing with having someone thread barrel is how much barrel meat is available to cut thread to 5/8x24

 

[North of 60]

Good point; I'll have a good gunsmith evaluate it.

 

[Westslope406]

Gunsmith ended up threading to 9/16-24 to keep more meat of barrel. I use an adapter to go up to 5/8, no issues. Definitely a fun brush and truck 30-30 now. Shoot sub X bullets with my suppressor and it sounds like a pellet rifle.

 

[K9kodi]

Marlin, well jm stamped marlin or Remington made marlin over henry all day any day every day