1887 Marlin '93' 38-55

Yep me again, drug out yet another old lever gun in my revisit to old style levers. This old girl has been thru the ringer and survived to be adopted by yours truly for a chapter in her long and illustrious life.

My addition to the old girl was to take the sewer pipe barrel interior and have it relined for a 380 barrel with the twist just as it was when factory new. Changing nothing except for the rifling ... now visible and useful. Instead of the old cruddy bp fouled and rusted bore. Everything else stays the same ... including a historically correct wrist repair [ which I will cherish and not ever change unless it becomes unstable and thusly unuseable]. Everything else including the dings and rub marks remain and will for the term it lives with me.

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There she is. One of my fav rifles. Butter smooth and easy shooter with its 26 inch barrel.

MISTAKE IN YEAR, 1897 YEAR MANUFACTURE

Favorite load in this old "safety" rifle stems from my need to shoot it and to do no harm.

I load 10 grains of Trail Boss under an accurate molds 380250 boolit lubed with SPG and sparked up with Remington 9.5 large rifle primers.

This load is easy on the rifle, shooter and plenty accurate for my expectations. Before this shooter is done with it, I will attempt to take a deer and maybe some small game for the campfire.

It is a treat to hold and carry and it speaks to me in its silence with its scars and marks that testify to a full life before me and my obligation to not retire it completely but to keep it in action when possible.

38-55's have always been a cool cartridge to me. Heard it said that they are a reminiscent scale down 45-90. Makes sense to me as it looks like this to me as well. Almost S÷%Y in its appearance and function.

I am very proud of this rifle and happy with its fit n function. Glad to be able to share her here.

You know, M1881 small frame was chambered in 38-55. Not sure why the '93'. Nice rifle though.

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Me likey ! :)


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I am starting to see more and more of these older Marlins these days and I'll tell you I really have taken a liking to them. One nice thing is that you can get a really clean older Marlin for a lot less than a Winchester in a similar caliber but the Marlins were good guns in their own right. One thing, especially here in the northeast and the Yukon was that the Marlin levers were preferred because they wouldn't freeze up like the top ejecting Winchesters of the same period.

I have had em all and the uncomplicated workings of the action is just perfect! My 93 is almost if not more so smooth as any Winchester 94 I have ever owned. Not as smooth as an '86' or 92 winny but this ol Marlin will hold its own. I have had it for 20 some years now and it will be one of the last to leave me ... if not THE last!

I for sure like the calibre! 38-55 is just classy and you can shoot em lite n easy or, load em up for hunting ( in a solid safe modern steel rifle ).

I like the weight of boolits it takes, 220 thru 350 [ in a single shot mode ] ... those long heavy's need to be loaded one at a time and follow through with the shot as those long boolits will not eject if for some reason you decide to not take the shot. Then a person may be in for a tussle.

These 380 boolits are capable of landing the largest game in America if hunted within its range.

I really like the easy removal of the bolt to facilitate cleaning from the breech. Makes shooting black powder in it a breeze what with the ability to PUSH fouling out to the muzzle instead of back into the action.

I like both pure black powder and duplexing with small doses of smokeless. Just an all round great round in a super rifle.

And it dont rattle like the 94's do.

Might have gone too far there ... maybe!

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Originally Posted by DrDucati

You know, M1881 small frame was chambered in 38-55. Not sure why the '93'. Nice rifle though.

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It IS a model 1893. Year built is 1897. Mistake in header

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Originally Posted by bigted

It IS a model 1893. Year built is 1897. Mistake in header

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I should've figured it out from the photos. I am loading 38-55 for the M1881. Mine was made in 1888. Main difference is the top vs side eject. It is very smooth.

In my 1901 Marlin ‘93 I have been shooting 9.5grs of Unique in the 38 55.

Have you clocked your 9.5 grains Unique for speed?

You need to take that Lousy Lyman off it and send it to me. :bigsmyl2:

Gotta love them old marlins. Mine was born in 1901 and still shoots the lights off a firefly at distance. Mine is chambered in 32-40 with new rifling as well. Golf balls are easy at 80 paces. 12” gong at 180 is easy with one up on the elevator. 1/2 size chickens at 100 paces swing hard. 170gr. LBT LFN over 4227 at 1375 FPS. What more can you ask for.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ulav8r

You need to take that Lousy Lyman off it and send it to me. :bigsmyl2:

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Ha, ya prolly not! �� may be the only sight that fits me and this old rascal.

No I haven’t clocked the 9.5 grs. of Unique but it seems mild and is accurate.Attachment 245150

She shore is a dandy!

There are not too many old rifles that are hard to not like. The big plus is a caliber .38. Just brings smiles to my heart.