Bought my first vintage Marlin (photo)

[KirkD]

I have been collecting old Winchesters for years, but was afraid to start collecting Marlins since Winchesters kept me flat broke already. Then I borrowed a couple fine old Marlins from a local Marlin collector to make a calendar and couldn't resist any longer. Here is a photo of my first acquisition. It is a Marlin Model 93, 30-30 made in late 1922 or early 1923. The rifle has a 26" tapered octagon barrel. I think the original sights were replaced with a Marbles rear sight and a Marbles No. 5 front sight. Other than that, the rifle appears to be completely original and almost unused, with strong case colors on the receiver and at least 95% blue on the barrel and mag tube. The bore is immaculate, even immediately forward of the chamber. Next week I plan to take it over to the range and see how it shoots. Here's a photo ....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Desktop%20Photos/Marlin-93-large.jpg

[6pt-sika]

Congrats and very very nice !

Now wait until you get your hands on a couple "original" Marlin 1895's in say 40-65 and 45-90 !

You just might swear off the Winchester 1886's [smilie=p:

All BS aside the old original 1895's are very nice to handle and shoot !

[atr]

that is a very nice looking rifle....good score !
I have a 30's vintage Winchester.. octagon barrel etc. which looks very similiar to your Marlin....AND the sights were also replaces with Marples

these older rifles are just plain beautiful !

[KirkD]

Congrats and very very nice !

Now wait until you get your hands on a couple "original" Marlin 1895's in say 40-65 and 45-90 !

You just might swear off the Winchester 1886's [smilie=p:

All BS aside the old original 1895's are very nice to handle and shoot !

My collector friend has a very high condition Marlin 1895 .45-90 deluxe half octagon which I handled. That gun is what made me decide to start on Marlins

[6pt-sika]

My collector friend has a very high condition Marlin 1895 .45-90 deluxe half octagon which I handled. That gun is what made me decide to start on Marlins

I had four of the old 1895's !

33 WCF , 38-56 , 40-65 and 40-82 !

I sold them all off in the last year or so and to be honest I really would like to have the 33 and 38-56 back !

Before I sold them I was able to knock off a deer each with the 38-56 and 40-65 (with cast projectiles no less ) !

[ronbo]

Does your Marlin have a mark like an astrik on the tang. I have a Marlin 93 32-40, a late one with round 24 inch barrel that has the astrik mark. I read somewhere that Marlin put on mark on rifle tangs when Marlin was going bankrupt.

Here is the tang and mark

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/sling_1089.jpg

[Win86]

Ronbo,
That extra mark on the tang denotes something that will makeyou happy; Marlin Inspectors put that on guns they felt were extra special before leaving the factory, guns that just plain looked good and shot good. Info can be found in The Brofy Book of Marlins.

Kirk,
Nice piece, you will enjoy it for sure. Does it say Marlin Safety in the top? Are letters centered or moved forward? Forward means that gun was made to take the Hepburn receiver site so there should also be a couple mounting screws there as well. Hepburn sites are out there but hard to find now, very cool site too! I had that same gun with the rear site mentioned but sold it to my neighbor and shooting friend. Some has nickel steel on the barrel as well denoting later guns although still very early.

Win86

[ronbo]

Win86,

Have had the 32-40 93 rifle for 20 + years and didn't know for sure what the marking was for, better than having it be a reject mark, Thanks for enlightning me, Ron

[izzyjoe]

those '93's are nice ol' rifles, i think you'll love it!;)

[pls1911]

I have three, but none as nice as your's . Congratulations and a nice find, and what should be a good investment.

[tarbe]

Serious gun porn....

[Firebricker]

Kirk, That is one beautiful rifle you have there. I love the old Winchesters but a classic Marlin like that one are my favorite. FB

[Abert Rim]

Kirk: That really is a handsome piece. I had a beater 93 in .38-55 and it sure handled like a dream. I actually think the 93 is handsomer than a Winchester 94.

[JDL]

Wow Kirk, I like that one! I would be tempted to trade off a Savage 99 if I found one that nice.
JDL

[smithywess]

Lovely rifle indeed. Especially with the good bore. You may now abandon your love affair with Winchester as you have acquired, at long last, significant quality and at a much lower, and less inflated price.

The star on the upper tang appeared in 1925. Serial number records peter out as far as aging these rifles around 1906 at serial number 355,000. A different numbering system began through W.W. I and thereafter.

The original front sight is a Rocky Mountain German silver blade on a three eighths inch dovetail. A little difficult to find in good shape. If your eyes are like mine (old and grey) then if you can't find a Lewis Hepburn receiver sight (which will set you back more than the rifle) then the original Lyman tang sight for this model is still available here and there. The letter code is JA and ensure that you get the correct one if you go this route because the bolt has a very long throw backwards and nothing else will work There are no current modern reproductions that will work and that includes Marbles modern tang sight.

It's a lovely rifle to handload for if you keep your speeds to a sensible level and don't try to exceed 1850 f.p.s. or so. At that speed use gas checks.
Enjoy,
far finer a rifle than any Winchester !!!!

[Walter Laich]

Wish I had the time and money to start a collection myself. Right now mine are all 'working guns.'
One can dream and hope.....

[ronbo]

Took some pictures of the Model 93 32-40 caliber serial number 13XX

German silver front sight

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/sling_1081.jpg

Rear sight

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/sling_1082.jpg


Action

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/sling_1083.jpg

[Marvin S]

Very nice. There's no reason to not like like them all for what they are. Winchester, Marlin, Savage, and the Remington's. There was some fine craftsmanship in the early guns.

[smithywess]

Ronbo

Thanks for the pictures. That German silver front sight on your .32-40 is the original Rocky Mountain front sight. It's hard to see the rear sight properly on your photo and I can't tell if the buckhorn is an original one filed down on the sides (which was often done to stop it catching on objects like saddle scabbards). The elevator isn't a Marlin one. The correct elevator has a 'fishook' on it at the breech end, and the notches are cut a little differently. The finish on your rifle is very nice isn't it? I like the round barrel too as so many were ordered with the octagonal option. The case colours on your receiver are very nice and the screws haven't been wrecked up. The calibre is nice too. .32-40 and .38-55 are both Marlin originals and were Scheutzen calibres. Very accurate. The designer of your rifle Lewis Hepburn also designed the single shot Remington Hepburn and he was on the winning team at Creedmore in the late 19th century. That's why your rifle has that excellent Ballard cut rifling.

[ronbo]

Smithy 32-40

It looks like the buckhorn sight could be original, has not been filed at all, still has 100% of it's bluing, the sight elevator not looking original looks too thin to fit the slot just right. Bluing on the barrel about 98% rifle bore looks new. Have an Ideal combination loading tool with bullet mould marked caliber 32-40M. The handles get a little hot when casting but thick leather gloves help and the cast bullets out of the mould shoot.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Very nice 1893. you don't see many in that good a condition.

I notice your gun apprears to have two screws in the top of the receiver? Does the receiver have 'Marlin Safety" stamped on it? If it does not, then it came with a Marlin Combination Receiver Sight.

I have seen pictures of this sight, and Marlin ommitted the rollmark when the sight was ordered with the gun because the sight would cover up half the rollmark which looked bad.

Also even if there is a Rollmark if the gun is drilled and tapped it probably had the receiver sight added after the fact. There is no other reason to have the receiver top drilled and tapped but for the addition of that particulat sight. They are very rare..

I have been looking at reproducing this sight for the last 3 years I have never seen one in person, and I only have 3 pictures. Believe me I've tried to find one so I can scalp the dimensions off it.

Edit: I just noticed "smithywesses" avatar above has a picture of one!

If you go to the Turnbull Restoration website there are picutres of 2 Marlin rifles they redid with these sights. Look in the Marlin Gallery. One is an Engraved 1895 the other is a 1894 Carbine.

they do really nice work.

Randy

[KirkD]

I notice your gun apprears to have two screws in the top of the receiver? Does the receiver have 'Marlin Safety" stamped on it? If it does not, then it came with a Marlin Combination Receiver Sight.

It does have 'Marlin Safety' stamped on the top of the receiver, forward of the two screws.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Kirk: upon reading little more last night I found that all 93's after 1907 had the screws drilled for the sight and only if the gun was "ordered" with the sight did they omit the rollmark.

Yours was made in 1922? it would be correct and unaltered like it is.

I hope "Smithywess" gets back to me from my PM to him. It looks like he may actually have one of those sights. If I can only get him to take some good close up pics of it?

Incidentially your new gun is one of the best original condition 93's I have seen. Most were .30-30's and most got used, and it is hard to keep a gun looking new for a hundred years. You really have to take care of it, as do your children, and grandchildren, and great grand children. It's really hard to get everyone on the same page over the decades.

Randy

[KirkD]

Glad you enjoyed the photo. It hangs on my office wall and is a real pleasure for me to admire.

[smithywess]

Hello Randy,
I have replied to your message about the combination receiver sight but I am less than knowledgable about these computer machines and their messages hence this post to let you know I tried. I also put my E-mail address on it with which I can cope quite well.
thanks

[Olevern]

beautiful, I am envious

[bslim]

Nothing wrong with the Marlin's. They shoot just fine!Enjoy!