Big Green is spending big green to the sum of $41.7 million for the Marlin Firearms Company. Remington, as you may recall from another posting, was acquired by the private investment firm Cerberus Capital Management in April 2007. The three-headed dog also recently acquired Bushmaster and DPMS, giving Big Green a good foot hold in the AR-15 market. With Marlin on board, add rimfire and lever action rifles to the company’s portfolio. They will also automatically become the largest US manufacturer of single shot shotguns, too. You see Marlin has H&R and NEF in its stable. What Marlin did to H&R and NEF, Remington is doing to Marlin. Big fish eat little fish. Back in the 19th century there was plenty of opportunity for gun companies to thrive and many did. Of course you don’t hear much about Merwin Hulbert revolvers or Whitney lever rifles these days. This consolidation will give Remington an even bigger share of the gun market. Let’s hope they can keep the brand identities into the 21st century. I have great faith in Big Green and Marlin, too, they have been around since 1816 and 1870 respectively and that in it self says a lot. The Merrill and Huberts and Whitneys have gone the way of Ataris and Commodore computers, but the Remingtons and Marlins?