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Billed as the oldest continuously manufactured rifle in the world, the Marlin 39 began life as John Marlin's Model 1891 (used by Annie Oakley), redesigned as the 1897, then the Model 39 in 1922. The "39A" designation appeared in 1939. The "third variation" of the Model 39 series appeared in 1946, the fourth variation added a fluted comb, the fifth variation was introduced in 1951, and Marlin's "Micro-Groove" rifling appeared in 1953. The "redesigning" is generally considered so slight that the rifle is regarded as essentially the same article for over the last 100 years with in well in excess of two million produced.
