Marlin 189? huh

[1Hawkeye]

Folks I just saw the craziest mariln I think its a 1893 action and everything else but someone put the barrel from a marlin model 81 .22 rifle on it. Even wilder than that the barrel has been rebored and chambered for what looks like .32 special. Has anyone out there seen anything like this?

[marlin39a]

I'd love to see some pictures.

[osteodoc08]

I’d love to see some pics as well. The Marlin 1897 was the forerunner to the 39 that we know today.

[1Hawkeye]

That is the weird part it's not a .22 rimfire it's in.32 Winchester special center fire. I didn't think to look at the serial number it could be a model 1936 action.

[pietro]

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Obviously a conversion of a RF barrel to CF, which might have been the only early Marlin bbl available to the converter at the time.

The upper rear tang of all Marlin rifles were, AFAIK, clearly stamped with the model number during production - did someone remove the info from the tang of your M-1893 ?


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[1Hawkeye]

I looked very hard at the tang trying to find any model number but there was nothing except the holes for the tang sight. The top of the receiver is not drilled & tapped but is marked Marlin Safety. I wish I had remembered to look at the serial number that would at least determine weather its a 93 or a 36 action. The barrel is marked marlin model 81 .22 s,l,lr and has the jm oval proof mark just in front of the action like my 336a and 1894cl. The stocks are an early fat forend and a boyds replacement buttstock. I think if I had to put a description on it I would call it a model 36 carbine. But its got me stumpped.

[pietro]

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Curious, but insignificant - unless you're a buyer for it.

I would think it very heavy for a .22, but YMMV.


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[2152hq]

Probably a mis-rollmarked Mod 36 bbl.
Marked with the Model 81 roll marking die instead of the appropriate 1936/Mod 36 die..

The 81 was the tube feed 22 bolt action and came out in 1937.
The Model 1936 came out in 1936, then changed to the Model 36 a year or so after that.
The 'Marlin Safety' marking on the top of the recv'rs was used from 1888/89 until approx 1940.
The Model1936/Model 36 was offered as a factory chambering in 32Winchester Special.

All this has the Model 1936 and the Model 36 in production w/a 'Marlin Safety' marking and in 32WCF,, right along with the Model 81 at the same time during the years 1937 to 1940.
So a roll die mix up is certainly possible.
It's happened before and at other firearms mfg'rs also.
...BBl markings, caliber markings, model designations, ect.

The Model 80/81 22 bolt action bbl is too small in dia to be threaded and chambered for the '36 action.

It's the type of stuff that's supposed to be caught before the gun(s) go out the door, but mistakes do happen,,back then and now.

If the bbl in question is screwed into an 1893 MArlin,,then I'd have to guess that the wrongly marked bbl was a result of a rebbl job, but again done at the factory.
I don't know of anyone that would have invested the $$ in a roll die to imprint the bbl address for the Model 81 22 bolt rifle. That doesn't make sense.
And again,,the Model 80/81 22rf bolt rifle bbl is just to small in dia to be able to thread and chamber for the large lever actions. The shank is barely 3/4"d.
An 80/81 bbl would be grossly undersize in the factory forend wood and would have to accomodate the necessary forend hanger, tube and band cuts for assembly.

Realize though, This is just my guess not having seen anything..
...I can be amazed and transfixed with nothing more than some pictures!!!

[Texas by God]

^^^^^ what he said^^^^^^

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[1Hawkeye]

2152 & Tex we are on the same page. I wish I was tech savvy enough to post pics. I think its a factory boo boo as well but the shop that is selling it says parts only not a shooter because of the markings. I went back for another look yesterday with some calipers and its a .30-30 not a .32 ws regardless of the caliber I made an offer on it figuring if I get it of to JES it will go. Now I just waiting to hear back from the estate that consigned it.

[1Hawkeye]

Well I finally got a price out of the shop that is selling this miss-marked marlin but 150.00 sounds a little high for a project gun. What to you guys think?

[pietro]

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I think you're making a mistake by thinking about it, ILO just snapping it up.

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[Texas by God]

Absolutely buy it.

[trooperdan]

Buy it or one of us here will! And once you get it, we need pictures!

[Shawlerbrook]

As a parts gun it’s worth $150. It would have followed me home.

[Texas by God]

I see four buyers; how about the dealer's info?

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[1Hawkeye]

Well its my project now plus I have to go back tomorrow and pick up a nice marlin 39a that showed up. One thing that might be a problem is the primers of fired rounds stick out just enough to catch a finger nail on. I'm hoping its not a headspace issue. So monday i'll call jes reboring and see if it can be converted to .38-55.

[John Taylor]

It's common to find head space problems on old lever guns. The pressure is usually not enough to stretch the brass but high enough to back the primer out. Had a 94 Win. come in that had .025" head space and the owner had been using it that way for years. New oversize locking lugs are available for the Winchester but I have not seen any for Marlins.

[1Hawkeye]

Mr. Taylor thanks for the info I think I'll pull it down and check the locking block and its pathway in the bolt.