Ithaca lever action .22lr ? Marlin lever-not a 39?

[redneck]

Stopped in at a local gun shop the other day that I hadn't been to before. Lo and behold, he isn't inside the Columbus corporation limit, so I don't have to pay the stupid tax and register with columbus just to get a friggin plinker/varmint gun. He also had at least 50 .22 rifles, most of them used. I'm really wanting a project gun now.
The two that caught my eye the most were an Ithaca lever action (sorry, but the tags were handwritten and I couldn't make out a model number) it was blued, with either walnut, or at least nice dark wood, and really appeared to be in new condition.
Asking $260. I guess its hard to know without a model number but can anyone give me any info on this?

Also had a marlin .22lr lever action, that was fairly scuffed up and he was asking $199. It was not a cowboy, or a 39A (had a couple of those and I was drooling, but price was a little out of my range). Appeared to say Marlin 50 on the tag.

So I'd appreciate if you could tell me anything about either of these rifles.
Or suggest a particular model to look for. I'm interested in an old bolt or lever gun for a possible refinishing project. Would like it to end up accurate out to 75 yards or more.
Thanks

 

[Mike Irwin]

I seem to recall an Ithaca .22 LR single shot based loosely on the Winchester 94 outline.

Can't remember anything other than that right now, and don't have my references at the office.

 

[ACP230]

If the Ithaca is a single-shot it would be the M49. I gave one to my son when he turned 11. It is a falling-block action with a hammer that must be cocked before each shot.

Ithaca also made a repeater that looked similar. I recently read a website detailing all the trouble Ithaca had getting the repeater to work. Some never did feed correctly. I don't recall the model number for the repeater.

My Gun Trader's Guide (18th Edition) doesn't show a Marlin lever .22 without the number 39 in its name somewhere.

 

[Johnpl]

I had the Ithaca model 72 Saddlegun, which is identical to the Henry lever action now available. I loved mine-it was very accurate, reliable and lots of fun. I stupidly traded it away.

 

[stevesmith7]

If you keep your eyes open you can find 39's for under $300. I've got my Dad's now and it's great.

Steve

 

[Mal H]

The Marlin was probably a "Levermatic" (Models 56 & 57) from the '50's and early '60's. $199 would be too high if it was scuffed up as you described.

 

[Jim Watson]

Marlin made the Model 56 hammerless box magazine .22 lever action in the '50s and 60's. Model 57 was the same with tube mag. Blue Book max of $185.

 

[Stoney]

Redneck
Was that the Hilliard gun shop?. I don't recall it's name

 

[redneck]

Stoney
Yep, Gun World in hilliard.


I was impressed with the selection, but I've never really made it into a strictly gun shop before, always sporting goods type places like gander mountain. His prices on knives were competitive for the ones I recognized, and the new bolt action marlins I had seen at Gander mountain were priced competitively there so I figured if I was careful I could find something I wanted for a fair price.

Thanks for all the info on the Ithaca and the Marlin guys, don't know what I would do without this place.
Since neither one of those seems like such a good deal after all, are there any other guns I should keep an eye out for?


What sucks is, Gander mountain had a dozen romanian trainers for $69 a peice last fall that would have been great to fix up and plink with. Buying it would have been a friggin ten day affair with a trip downtown to buy a permit though, who needs that!