Model 39 Marlin Need Help w/ Wollensak Scope

[oceanfishing]

I just got a Marlin 39 .22 Cal lever action Octagon Barrel 24" in length. Serial #S108XX very little ware and it has a couple of things:
1. Wollensak 4X 15 1/2" Scope
2. Rear Peep Sights that can not be used with the scope
3. Inlayed Ivroy Elephant in stock and Brass Indian Head in Butt Knob

I would say the Scope is 85%
The Rifle is 90%+ for the year. I checked and it said it was 1855 production, but the gun is in better shape then a 1855 gun

Orig Butt Plate

Do not know it the Rear Peep Sight and the Front Sight are orig

I look forward to your help,
Brent

 

[murdoc rose]

Marlin wasn't a manufacturing company till 1870 so I have a feeling you have the date wrong. Posting a pic and what you would like to know is your best option. The scope and peep site are both aftermarket. Stock is a custom job.

Edit the S prefix puts your gun at 58-59.

 

[Germster]

The model 39 Marlin .22 was first called a model 1892 and the first were made in that year. I don't know when they changed the name from an 1892 to the Model 39, but sometime before WWII. Marlin still makes the rifle. Does your have the Micro groove rifling? It'll say so on the barrel somewhere. When they started doing this, probably in 1939 they may have changed the rifle's name.

They are famous for being very accurate .22's and they are man sized. I removed the scope from mine and afixed an appeture sight. It is a great shooter and sage rat rifle up to, with my eyes, 75 yds. Mine is drilled and tapped for a scope mount and for the appeture sight. They are expensive today, and will take a big bite out of $1,000. Mine cost $139, but that was a long time ago. Oh, does your rifle have the golden trigger? That'll date your gun to the 70's sometime, I think.

 

[oceanfishing]

Thank you very much for your reply. I have a number of guns, but this is the first one I came home with the Wife says we should keep it.

What I know:
Octagon Barrel
S10822 under lever action
No gold trigger
<-0 22 S-L & L-R 0-> That what it looks like
set into the barrel in a dove tale is a what looks like an advertizing insert "Marblu's Gladstons Mich USA" as best as I can see.
I hope you can help me know what I have and I have added some pics
No Micro Groove markings

I can not find any other numbers or markings

Thanks,
Brent

 

[oceanfishing]

Can anyone help me with the details on the Rifle. I am lost for a way to find out the year and not so much the value.

Thanks,
Brent

 

[Germster]

Having viewed the pictures of your rifle I think it is not only a nice gun but a relatively valuable one as well. You can google Marlin rifles and find when it was made. I do not know when Marlin started using the micro-grove rifling, but I think sometime in the 50's or 60's. If you peek down the bore you can see it. The micro-grove rifling has shallow rifling with many groves. It worked pretty well with soft .22 bullets. I have always thought that it was accurate.

 

[Jim Watson]

It sure looks older than the 1959 that the S serial number prefix indicates.
I had a model 39 Mountie in 1959 and it was not like yours.

I am pretty sure the octagon barrel was no longer available by then and the magazine tube cap was much simpler than yours. The little spur on the rear of the lever loop and the shape of the hammer are of an older pattern.

The "advertising insert" is a filler for the open sight dovetail, put in when the tang peep was installed.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Marbles made sights and other gun gear. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Arms That is a filler insert for the open sight dovetail slot, used when open sights are removed to install scopes, peepsights, etc.

I owned an octogon barrel 39 made in 1971 as an NRA commemorative, but that was clearly marked as a special edition.

 

[saltydog452]

A 'Winner'

is what you have. Take care of it. Lock the ejector out of the way if you use a cleaning rod through the barrel. If you feel that you just absolutely gotta clean the barrel, something like a 'Pull Through' Bore Snake is way better.

If possible, I'd like to know the model numbers on the tang rear 'flip up' sight and the front globe sight. Hopefully, I can find something like those for my 39.

You have a neat piece of history that needs shooting. Its good stuff.

I'll be out of pocket with no 'net access for about two weeks, so if you send a reply, it'll be a while before I can respond.

If you're looking to transform your Marlin 39 into cash, you might not want to immediately accept a buy offer from the same person who offers an appraisal.

Respectfully,

salty

 

[oceanfishing]

Hello A Winner

What I got off the front sight looks like (Lynan US Pat Off) and there is nothing on the back Peep Sight, sorry.

I did find a posting that mentions the records were lost but the 39 was made around 1928, with a value near $1000 or so.

That being said I want to post more Pics to have more questions answered if possible.

One of my first questions is there a person that is the Best at this Model 39?

Is the Indian Head inlay on the Butt Factory?

I would think the Factory would not mount this scope.

Thanks,
Brent

 

[Germster]

This old Marlin is a fine rifle. I've seen that strange shape on the bottom of the pistol grip before. I doubt that it has the micro-grove rifling, but I don't know when they adopted it. Have you inspected the bore?

These rifles were considered extremely accurate and so they are. What an interesting scope! I'd send a picture of it to Marlin and ask those guys about the gun. They'll probably want it for their collection!

Great find!

 

[oceanfishing]

The gun is not Micro Grv it does not even say Model 39 but I have a 68 Model 39A that is all orig and am always looking for others.

I thank you for your help an interest. This 30 was the pnly gun I ever brought home that the Wife said "you should keep that one"

Thanks,
Brent

 

[Jim Watson]

Blue Book says the Marlin Model 39 was made from 1922-1938.
Microgroove rifling did not come out until the early 1950s which is nearly as good to know as looking down the barrel and counting grooves.

BB says: "Earlier guns without a (serial number) prefix or an S prefix are noted for their superior workmanship... Later HS (High Speed) prefix guns are not quite as valuable."
Which tells me two things. Your rifle is from early in the 1922-1938 period AND you should stick to standard velocity .22 ammo.

The Indian head is certainly a added decoration; Savage used an Indian head trademark and Marlin surely would not get anywhere close. So somebody added the Indian, just as he did the elephant. Elephant, on a .22? Oh, well.

The Lyman tang and globe front sights MIGHT have been factory installed, but if so, there was also an open sight on the barrel which somebody later removed and replaced with a Marble's blank. More likely somebody had those installed aftermarket.
Likewise the Wollensak Riflescope was probably put on by a customer or his gunsmith.
The Wollensak Riflescope was on the market in the 1930s, I cannot find whether it might have been available in the 1920s.

 

[oceanfishing]

The gun is not Micro Grv it does not even say Model 39 but I have a 68 Model 39A that is all orig and am always looking for others.

I thank you for your help an interest. This 39 was the only gun I ever brought home that the Wife said "you should keep that one"

Thanks,
Brent

Spelling correction Re-post

 

[oceanfishing]

Wow thanks for all the help. What I think is:
MFG. about 1928
Star on Tang means that the Factory thought this was a higher grade gun (WHY?)
Elephant was added after market and looks to be Ivory
Indian Head is after market? It looks real nice and like Brass
Wollensak scope is after market but looks great

Well there is enough after market stuff on the gun to miss the NIB grading, but that being said it is one of the best little guns I own.

Thanks for all the help and I look forward to any help to clear up the last questions.

Brent