I have a Marlin (Glenfield) Model 60 that is a good little gun. There seems to be a "Chevy vs. Ford" following between Marlin and Ruger. My Marlin is ammo sensitive; CCI Mini-Mags is the only thing that shoots reliably. Other Marlins feed everything/anything just fine. Mine is an older (1960s-70s) gun so maybe the newer ones feed better.

The Ruger does have a much better aftermarket following for pretty much everything (stocks, mags, triggers, barrels, etc.). The Marlin is pretty much as it comes out of the box (unless you are willing to do some home gunsmithing).

Check out this forum board; nothing but rimfire guys:

http://rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php