I think that's some of that nostalgia creeping in, Marlins are nice but they were never all that, they were just a lever action for the masses like a Winchester 94. Give these new offerings a try, the post-2018 Remington/Marlins were nice and the Ruger/Marlins i've seen look great as well.I
I'm sure they will build a good gun for today's buyers but it won't come close to the quality of the guns built in the 50s and before.