Marlin 1894CB in .44-40

[ReloaderFred]

Does anyone have any idea how many .44-40 Marlin Cowboys were produced between 1997 and 1999? I just picked up an unfired one, complete with papers, but no box. I'm going to cure the unfired part here shortly, but was curious how many left the production line?

Fred

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I have seen at least one of each caliber except for the 32 HR and a 44-40. But I just looked in the Blue Book (27) and it says to add $15 for the calibers 357, 44 Mag and 45 LC. So it is very possible the 44-40 had little or no demand at all. Probably at Marlin Owners someone there has the number made.
For sure you found one that I would also snap up fast.
Mike in Peru

[ReloaderFred]

I have the Cowboys in .38/.357 and .45 Colt. What I really wanted was one in .32-20, but I missed it by a couple of days. This one was labeled as the .32-20 on the wall of the shop, but turned out to be the .44-40.

I got it for $745.00 delivered, since the shop I saw it in was in Calif., and they wouldn't sell it to me, since I live in Oregon. I had a friend buy it, take it to his FFL dealer and ship it to my FFL dealer, where we did the paperwork. The Calif. shop wasn't very helpful at all, and said they couldn't do either an out of state sale, or a dealer to dealer sale. They are allowed to do either one, but just didn't want to, but I figured a way around their "friendly" attitude, as I wanted to add it to my collection.

Fred

[W.R.Buchanan]

Fred: I hate hearing about idiot gun shop owners who either don't know the law are aren't willing to be the slightest amount flexible.

I have no idea why they wouldn't sell you the gun because you live in Oregon and ship it to your FFL there. Now if you were trying to buy it here in person then I can see that happening. If you live in another state from where you are trying to buy a gun ,,, You can't.

IE; I am a CA resident and cannot buy a new gun from any other state in person, however I can, and do, buy guns all the time from other states by shipping them to my FFL here.

I don't see why you couldn't have done this same thing.

You can buy 'used" guns from other states from private parties however. Which opens many doors.

Anyway you got lucky on that Marlin .44-40. They didn't make that many and the cast majority of them went to SASS guys.

I know Mike Venturino has one.

Randy

[ReloaderFred]

Randy,

It's perfectly legal to buy long guns in states other than the one you live in, except for Californians, due to the STATE LAW that prevents Californians from purchasing any firearm outside of the state. I've bought many rifles and shotguns from dealers in other states while travelling, and as long as they do the background check and form 4473, it's legal. Your state (which used to also be mine)(had a cabin at Matilija in the 60's) passed a law forbidding you from purchasing under Federal laws. I've purchased long guns before in California after I moved to Oregon in 1995. It was just the dealer's not wanting to that prevented me from buying this rifle on the spot.

By the way, it's 2nd Amendment Sports, in Bakersfield. They also wouldn't transfer a firearm from me to my friend, but another dealer did it without a problem, and all paperwork and waiting period were done properly and legally. 2nd Amendment told me to take the gun back to Oregon, have my FFL obtain permission from CADOJ to ship it to them, then have him ship it to them ($85.00 for overnight), then they would charge my friend $50.00 for use of their FFL, plus the $36.00 the state charges, etc. The other dealer transferred my gun to his books, had my friend fill out the 4473 and DROS, waited the 10 days and then charged him the $36.00 for the state fees. There are dealers, then there are dealers. When I had my FFL in California I transferred firearms all the time and adhered to all the local, state and Federal laws, and helped out my customers. Sadly that doesn't happen all that often there anymore.

Anyway, I'm happy I got the rifle, but wish I could have gotten the .32-20, too. I'll just keep looking and one will turn up eventually.

Fred

[w30wcf]

Fred,
Nice find. :grin: I found mine several years ago. It was used but looked brand new. My first Cowboy was in .45 Colt purchased new in 1996. My 2nd was a .38/357 purchased used a few years later. My 3rd was the .44-40. Of them, the .44-40 is my favorite mainly because it is historically correct.

I will say that you got a really good buy on your rifle. A distant friend of mine paid $1,200 for one last year and they do appear on Gunbroker from time to time at prices in that range...and they sell, no doubt because they are not made anymore and they are sought after.

I don't know if anyone has any data regarding the number of .44-40 Marlin Cowboy rifles that were made. I know three other fellows that also own the same rifle. If anyone would have any idea it would be Tom Ray who worked at Marlin up until the time it was sold to Remington. He is a member at www.marlinowners.com

If you posted the question there, he might respond. There is a section on Cowboy Rifles part way down the page.

To date, I have fired about 2,000 rounds through the .44-40 Marlin Cowboy with both smokeless & black powder. It is one of the best and most fun rifles I own.:grin:

Here are some links to some things I have posted about shooting it:
http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/cowboy-rifles/31917-44-40-h-v-replication-loads-yesteryear.html

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/team-44-40/118806-44-40-cowboy-ammunition-test-results.html

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/cowboy-rifles/74644-video-44-40-marlin-cowboy-300m-steel-javelina.html

w30wcf

[6pt-sika]

I "had" an 1894CB 24" checkered in 44-40 I bought still NIB about 6 years ago . I also had a 1894CCL 44-40 that I got used same basic gun except 20" and not checkered .

Come to think of it I "had" 1894CCL's in 44-40 , 41 MAG and 32-20 . All 20" and uncheckered .

[ReloaderFred]

w30wcf,

It was a good buy. They had two of them when I was there, but by the time my friend went back to buy them both, one had sold. I also missed out on the .41 Magnum CB that was talked about in this forum a few weeks ago. When I called the shop, it had sold the night before.

This one came from an estate, and the previous owner must have been a Marlin collector. My friend is going to keep an eye out for others, as he was told they were bringing a few rifles in at a time to sell on consignment.

I haven't been on Marlinowners.com for a couple of years, but may go see if I can find some production numbers. There couldn't have been that many of them, as this is the first I've seen in this caliber.

6pt-sika,

You go through a lot of Marlins! I've got about 15 of them, and I've only parted with one, and that was to get a good friend started in SASS. Oh, and my wife stole one to shoot in SASS, too. I just can't bring myself to sell them, as just about every gun I've sold I've later regretted parting with.

Fred

[6pt-sika]

6pt-sika,

You go through a lot of Marlins! I've got about 15 of them, and I've only parted with one, and that was to get a good friend started in SASS. Oh, and my wife stole one to shoot in SASS, too. I just can't bring myself to sell them, as just about every gun I've sold I've later regretted parting with.

Fred


When I started selling the Marlin's in my accumulation I had about 90 . As I sold I bought and sold some more so I think over the last 12 years I've had about 100 and still have 13 or 14 left . All 444's now .

[ReloaderFred]

Now that's a collection! I've got one 444 and a couple of years ago had JES rebore a 336W to .375 Winchester. I took a moose with my 1895 in .45-70 a few years ago, and right after that added an 1895CB to my collection, along with a couple of .45 Colt CB's.

One of my most accurate Marlins is from the second run of .41 Magnums Marlin made. I've got one from the third run, but have never shot it. The ones I shoot the most are the .38/.357's for SASS. My wife and I put thousands of rounds of .38's through them a year and they just keep plugging along. Got some others, but they don't get shot much these days, but they're warm and comfy in my gun safes.

Fred

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes Fred: What erks me the most is outfits that have their own special interpretation of the laws. I really have no time for special fees and the like, or fools who "think" they know something. It is too bad that they are allowed to be in business since if they don't understand the laws they shouldn't be allowed to operate under the laws.

I had one outfit once that tried to make me wait an extra day on the 10 day waiting period,,, "just to make sure." The waiting period is ten days to the minute. I started talking louder and louder until the owner came out of the back room and made it right.

Incidentally that 10 day waiting period is under legal scrutiny right now as a judge has deemed it Un-Constitutional and it may get repealed. Not holding my breath, but when it came into court our illustrious AG Allison Marlise presented her oral arguments and the judge told her that "every single thing she said only bolstered the plaintiff's position!" The whole thing was shelved, as it will go thru endless appeals for the next few years.

I have a friend who has an FFL and I buy virtually all my guns thru him. $25 and that's it.

Randy