Second to last line on the original thread:

"I was planning on taking my guns apart tonight"

Obviously the guy believes he is competent enough to pull them apart, he just isn't aware of "how clean is clean". I honestly don't care how long you've been hunting, it makes no difference. Removing ONE screw, and not losing ONE SMALL PART is a very simple job. If the guy can replace a lightbulb, he can clean a Marlin.

As a whole, yes, I'd agree, it is very unwise for new shooters to disassemble leverguns, which is to say I concede that most new shooters will get lost very quickly if they tear apart a toggle link action like a Winchester 94 or 94 clone (henry's, Rossi's, etc etc). If you

But this isn't your average "levergun", it's a Marlin. Marlin actions were made to be easily disassembled, and cleaned from the chamber end.

Only ONE poster said ANYTHING about do not take it apart, and then FIVE of the following posts rebutted this ignorant poster who was obviously not familiar with the Marlin 336 and corrected him that "taking down a marlin for cleaning is actually very easy".

No, I'd NEVER recommend a newbie take apart a Win 94, a Ruger Mini-14, or even a Ruger Mark III pistol, but the difference in technical skill between a Win 94 LEVERACTION and a Marlin 336 LEVERACTION is like the difference between changing your oil and changing your transmission. Anyone can change their oil. Anyone can clean a Marlin 336 (and for the record, my neice is 9 and she cleans her own Marlin 336).

If something happens because this guy takes out the lever pivot screw on a Marlin 336, then it won't be on my shoulders, it will be on Marlin's, because the gun was obviously defective.

Removing the lever pivot screw is EXACTLY how Marlin instructs in their owners manual how to clean the rifle.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/pdfs/m...Centerfire.pdf

Starts on pg6 ends on pg 8, has 6 pictures to depict FOUR SIMPLE STEPS to disassemble and clean your Marlin.

I reiterate, if a shooter is not capable of disassembling a Marlin 336 for cleaning, they SHOULD NOT be shooting it in the first place (and I do point out, that is not a blanket statement I would make for all firearms, which is why I did NOT say "if a shooter can't disassemble their weapon, they shouldn't be shooting it". I specified the Marlin 336 in question, because I honestly would be concerned for the safety of everyone around them if someone that could not remove ONE screw were holding a loaded rifle).