# Marlin Camp Carbine



## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

Years ago Marlin produced the Camp carbine in 9mm and 45 ACP. Today the 9mm Camp is a bit easier to find than the .45ACP. Neither are common to the used gun market. Yet they still can be found for sale.

Since Marlin discontinued making the Camp Carbines a slew of pistol caliber carbines have come into being and are currently on the market. The Kel Tec, high point and Berretta come to mind. Yet the Marlin camps were a good little carbine back in the day and to my thinking still a good little carbine just dated. They've been around a while. 

Because they are strictly as a used gun purchase and have be out of production for some time, I'm beginning to wonder if they are more of a collectors item these days. 

Any thought on this?


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

The concern that comes to mind for me is the availability of magazines. Does it use a specific factory magazine or pistol magazine?


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## BigCheeseStick (Aug 7, 2013)

Rifles, Shotguns and Handguns for Sale - Buy Handguns, Rifles, and Shotguns Online at GunBroker.com

Looks like they've got a good aftermarket following, and their still plentiful. Just at a price.


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## retired guard (Mar 7, 2013)

Pistol caliber carbines have been popular for some time. The concept is appealing one ammunition for both short and long arms. In application it is more problematic. I had a friend sadly now deceased, who attempted to apply this concept in .44 magnum. The pistol portion worked fine, however as I pointed out to him he was getting better accuracy at distance with his 1911 .45 acp than with his lever action .44 mag carbine. He finally returned to his 1911 with an M1 carbine topped with an aimpoint. Others have had better success look at the options look at your goals add salt to the hype and enjoy.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

Meangreen said:


> The concern that comes to mind for me is the availability of magazines. Does it use a specific factory magazine or pistol magazine?


Any common and readily available single stack 1911 magazine will work in the Camp 45. The Camp 9 uses S&W 15 round magazines.


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

They are very useful, I don't think they're considered collectables att. 
I once was looking for a Ruger carbine in 40S&W because it used the same mags as my P-94 pistol. I found one once, kinda expensive but almost got it anyway. Then ended up selling the P94 so that's dropped to the wayside. 
Another combo I've got my eye on is a lever action in 357Mag to pardner with a revolver.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

BigCheeseStick said:


> Rifles, Shotguns and Handguns for Sale - Buy Handguns, Rifles, and Shotguns Online at GunBroker.com
> 
> Looks like they've got a good aftermarket following, and their still plentiful. Just at a price.


Those prices are also ball park prices for some of the newer carbines. There are some for sale, I don't know as I'd say the Camps were plentiful. Yet there are some available. They have a following and a pretty good reputation. They are a simple blowback design that borders on crude when compared to some of the current pistol carbine offierings.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

I also like the revolver caliber carbines, particularly the ones chambered in .357magnum. They are very nice. Yet different from the pistol caliber carbines.

If I were to pick a revolver caliber carbine. I think the Ruger 77/357 or the Marlin 1894 would be excellent choices. 

Pistol caliber carbines like the Camp, Highpoint and Keltec are slightly different from the revolver caliber carbines in that they chamber semi auto pistol cartridges and are geared more towards self defense applications.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Boss Dog said:


> Another combo I've got my eye on is a lever action in 357Mag to pardner with a revolver.


Me too. Already have "some" 357 pistols, I was thinking about the South American lever rifles. I think they are Rossi.
Being old school with a capital "O" what really would float my boat would be a Winchester rifle/Colt SAA revolver combo in 44-40. But that would require serious dollars (that I don't have).


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

I just don't see the logic in getting a 9mm carbine, a 223 mini-14 or ar-15 weighs about the same and a 223 round weighs the same as a 9mm but has 3 times the power and has much better ballistic performance at a distance. The one exception to this would be the ps90 and the fn five-seveN pistol because they were designed to work in unison.


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## Nathan Jefferson (May 11, 2013)

rickkyw1720pf said:


> I just don't see the logic in getting a 9mm carbine, a 223 mini-14 or ar-15 weighs about the same and a 223 round weighs the same as a 9mm but has 3 times the power and has much better ballistic performance at a distance. The one exception to this would be the ps90 and the fn five-seveN pistol because they were designed to work in unison.


Commonality of ammo/magazines. or... I want a .45 carbine to slap a suppressor on since most .45acp is already subsonic it should be pretty quiet with a big chunk of lead heading downrange.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I've been looking at a Mech Tec carbine conversion for some time. You simply take the barrel/slide assembly off your pistol and slide the pistol lower onto the 16inch barrel "upper". They make them for Glocks and 1911's along with a few others. Calibers 9mm, 45 acp and 10mm. 

I have a couple Glock 20's in 10mm this seems like the only option for a 10mm carbine. All will use the same mags and ammo. Plus snag a few Kriss 45 25rd extended mags and just pinch the feed lips down a little for my 10mm. Should give me a pretty formidable set of weapons instead of going the AR route. 

The Marlins are just getting to high on the price list. Plus the replacement springs you have to put into them as the old factory ones are junk. Also if you run to hot of a load through the 45 it will crack the receiver. I can't justify the expense for something that is known to fail. Lots of better options out there, IMO.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

The Camp carbines are actually shorter than the standard 10/22 carbine. Now that is short!
If you run to hot of an anything through any gun expect a failure of some kind. It's hard to fault the design if you are hot rodding the loads..:wink:


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## Fuzzee (Nov 20, 2012)

I've had two CX4's but as Rick said, .223/5.56x45mm weighs about the same and has much better performance. Ammo cost isn't that much different either. I have Beretta pistols and it was nice though having a home defense rig with the strap on of a belt or wearing my CCW rig and grabbing the CX4 and all the mags would run for both weapons. The CX4 is really the only firearm I've sold that I miss because it's such a fun gun to shoot, so good handling, light, fast and short, that I could shoot at any indoor range. Having said that though, as much as I like it, I came to terms with the fact that if I need to grab a rifle, I need a rifle caliber, not a pistol caliber. You can get an AR for close to the same price too.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

Nathan Jefferson said:


> Commonality of ammo/magazines. or... I want a .45 carbine to slap a suppressor on since most .45acp is already subsonic it should be pretty quiet with a big chunk of lead heading downrange.


I can see getting a 45 carbine if you are using a suppressor.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

While hi-cap military style rifles are good for certain applications (and I do have more than one of these), sometimes life is about more than that.
I personally prefer on occasion a nice mellow woodswalk carring a single shot 12 ga or 45-70, a single action revolver (chambered in 45 of course), and a Bowie knife. And just sit underneath a tree and stay still until the animals come back out. Being one with nature. It's cool.
And it puts me in touch with my ancestors who colonized what is now the state of Maine back in the 1700's. What I really need are some buckskins or homespun clothes.
Life is not always all about plastic fantastic high speed low drag mega death rayguns. For me, anyway. Your mileage may vary.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

Well said...
Once one has the core of their battery in place, I see no harm having other types of firearms including those that may not be suited to survival or prepping. I'm not suggesting that a person forgo getting the proper tools, rather that it's okay to step out of the black rifle box every once in a while.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Seneca said:


> Well said...
> Once one has the core of their battery in place, I see no harm having other types of firearms including those that may not be suited to survival or prepping. I'm not suggesting that a person forgo getting the proper tools, rather that it's okay to step out of the black rifle box every once in a while.


As an old soldier you can bet I have defensive arms on hand. They happen to be wood and steel, but AR's are OK if someone wants one.
But I've also been known to carry a nickle plated Colt Police Positive revolver in 32-20 (made 1921) while doing farm chores. Sweet round, more power than a .380, less than a 38 Special - perfect to confront any thug racoons.
And my varmint zapper is a New England Firearms Handi Rifle single shot 22 Hornet. I've got a Handi in 45-70 Government too, simply because it's a great old cowboy caliber. 
I also like old shotguns and 22 rimfire rifles. Bolt action 16 gauge H&R shotgun? Got one, made in 1940. And bolt action Mossbergs in 20 ga and .410. Would I use it for home defense? No, that's what a 12 ga pump is for.

I make no appologies for being a gun nut. I've been buying and shooting guns for 55 of my 65 years so I have "a few".


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

I just saw a Marlin in 45 ACP advertised in the last few days for$795.00, with an aftermarket stock.
Nice, but too rich for my blood.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

It took a while (12 years) to find a Camp 45 in pristine condition and for the right price ($400). I've thought about getting one in 9mm and may if I can get a good price on one and it's in good shape. Most I've encountered for sale were over priced beaters. That's the reason why I was wondering if they were becoming a collectors piece. 

It's nice to know I have at least one production gun that has appreciated in value.


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