IMHO, the Bishop Stock worth is probably way over stated. Bishop specialized in turning out replacement stocks at as low of a price as possible. That is not to say that they couldn't have had a 'special' line of premium stock wood that would command top dollar among the custom wood stock clients. IMHO, I would reserve my judgement and hide my wallet until I actually laid eyes on that stock. Now, the Marlin is a quality rifle and that cartridge is an excellent mule deer, elk, black bear round. After working on a bunch of Win. M 94s and a few Marlin 336s, I came to the conclusion that the Marlin was the better design and the better built. It has/had a nice following but never got the press the Winchester levers did. ............. Big Cholla