Should I buy a Glenfield (Marlin) 25 and a Marlin 783 rimfire in a package deal

[boom boom]

I have a chance to buy a Glenfield 25 .22LR and a Marlin 783 .22 WMR (tube fed) in a package deal for $250. All parts are present, finish is 90% or better, bores are gleaming, rifles function perfectly. The 783 is scoped with an old 70's era Tasco rimfire scope. The Glenfield has a plain birch stock but the Marlin 783 has a decent Walnut press checkered stock (the older pattern on this).

Are these decent rifles for the price? Anything else to check on these. Appreciate any insight on these. I am ashamed to admit I do not have any bolt action rimfires at the present (although the 1903 .22 conversion is off to the gunsmith next week as I have acquired all of the parts).

 

[303 hunter]

I recently bought 2 Glenfield 25’s for $200, and I’m extremely happy with the deal. Both had great bores, and just needed some TLC. I say go for it, they’re not made like that anymore.

 

[the Black Spot]

I'd buy them

 

[Jeff B.]

Go for it! Seems to be a reasonable deal.

Jeff B.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I have two Glenfield 25’s, a Marlin 25, a Marlin 80 and a Marlin 783. I’m not going to say what I paid for them because, you might cry.
Buy the guns, they are very nice shooters.

 

[boom boom]

Thanks. I though that was a decent deal but wanted to make sure that these models were decent before pulling the trigger so to speak. One thing that was attractive was that I don't have to do anything to these. Usually I buy project stuff.

GunnyUSMC, I am sure that you have the bargaining,trading, and acquisitive skills of any good company supply sgt. and the luck of a riverboat gambler. You probably got the owner(s) to pay you to take them off of their hands and thank you for doing so.

 

[Skylerbone]

You should end up with two very solid rifles. One will surprise you with its accuracy and the other will do about as well as most other .22 mags out there, which is to say limited by ammo.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Thanks. I though that was a decent deal but wanted to make sure that these models were decent before pulling the trigger so to speak. One thing that was attractive was that I don't have to do anything to these. Usually I buy project stuff.

GunnyUSMC, I am sure that you have the bargaining,trading, and acquisitive skills of any good company supply sgt. and the luck of a riverboat gambler. You probably got the owner(s) to pay you to take them off of their hands and thank you for doing so.

I do get lucky from time to time. I picked up the Marlin 25 a few days ago for $80 out the door, it was priced $90 and missing the mag.
Here is the 783 I picked up for $98.


But it didn’t look that good when I bought it. It sat as a project gun for about a year before I got to it. I put a few hours of work into the stock.
This is how it looked when I bought it.

 

[LAH]

Buy.

 

[boom boom]

I do get lucky from time to time. I picked up the Marlin 25 a few days ago for $80 out the door, it was priced $90 and missing the mag.
Here is the 783 I picked up for $98.
View attachment 809015

But it didn’t look that good when I bought it. It sat as a project gun for about a year before I got to it. I put a few hours of work into the stock.
This is how it looked when I bought it.
View attachment 809014

I think that you have probably gotten lucky, oh say, 450-500 times maybe.

You always do beautiful work on restorations and take great pictures as well. Just out of curiousity, have you used the Basix replacement trigger for the Marlins that everyone on the Marlin forum is raving about.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I think that you have probably gotten lucky, oh say, 450-500 times maybe.

You always do beautiful work on restorations and take great pictures as well. Just out of curiousity, have you used the Basix replacement trigger for the Marlins that everyone on the Marlin forum is raving about.

Thanks for the comps.
No I haven't tried the Basix triggers.

 

[RedlegRick]

Buy them. 125 for each of those rifles is a steal in my book.

 

[tallpaul]

I see the 22 mags in nice shape for 200-2500 often n they sell decently... I acquired a couple of the magazine mags and a 25 I threaded for a suppressor and a model 80... they all shoot decent. I keep thinking the 22 mag would make decent truck or car guns... decent range... ammo is small and light weight... the gun would take anything ohio has to offer short of a bigfoot if needed Self defense also out to a couple hundred yards if needed...

 

[boom boom]

Thanks for the feedback, bought both of them today via layaway because I also acquired via the same retailer a nickel Colt Official Police from 1959 with a pristine bore, no timing issues, about 90 percent original finish (nickel is worn off at the hump and backstrap with some pitting underneath the grips) with a really heavy trigger pull for $350 out the door. The revolver came home with me today. I checked the timing, endshake, etc. at the store and it came out fine using dfaris's famous short Colt double action checklist.

Found out why it had a heavy trigger pull at home when I detailed stripped it this afternoon, someone botched it when they bent the mainspring. The two leaves are contacting each other at the bottom end even at rest--got a new old stock replacement so easy fix. I don't care if the trigger stacks as I am used to trigger cocking a couple of my existing revolvers.

Yes, I have Kuhnhausen's Colt DA manual and yes I have the proper screw driver tips for the Colt when I removed the sideplace and cylinder for detailed cleaning. Thanks in advance for the concern.

Had to dissolve and remove some old varnished oil on some parts along with carbon crud. Action works a lot better now and the bolt pops up properly with a click.

 

[boom boom]

UPDATE

Well, I have both of them and it turns out the 783 Marlin .22WMR was made in the first year of production (1971) and the Glenfield 25 was made in 1974. These both exhibit early type front sights, no warnings engraved in the barrel, bolt and stock variations consistent with the earliest versions of both rifles, etc.

The 783 has a 4x JC Higgins scope mounted which probably came from an older rifle as the J.C. Higgins line was discontinued by Sears about mid 60's and replaced with the Ted Williams store brand. The scope is a bit dim as typical from the era but turrets work and the sight seems well mounted and not loose. Both have mirror bores and are mechanically in excellent condition. The Glenfield was missing its magazine so I bought a new old factory stock replacement for it.

There are some minor dings on the stocks with the 783 has a nice walnut stock with a pressed inlay design like Gunnie's rifle above but with a poly finish that is a bit skinned up in a few places, the Glenfield is birch with a dark stain but a few less dings than its sister. Both are missing stock sling mounts leaving holes in the stocks where these were. Some rust on the buttplate screws but both are not cracked, the Glenfield is blank as usual and the 783 has the Marlin markings on the buttplate. Minor damage to takedown screws where the wrong sized screwdriver has been used. Probably just swage the screw head material back in place.

Pictures and range report to follow.

In sum, I might spend $20-30 bucks to refurb both (replace buttplate screws with brass, replace the missing sling mounts, replace the plastic Glenfield trigger guard with metal, and may refinish stocks as I prefer oiled stocks rather than poly.

Now, the $64 dollar question, sights?

Did anyone make aperture sights for this series of rifles? Are the two holes in the sidewall of the Glenfield 25 and Marlin 783 for gas venting or for some sort of sight mounts either scope or aperture sights as these are tapped?

Pardon me but this butchered example from everygunpart.com (not the one that I bought btw) shows the location of the tapped holes in the receiver sidewall at the rear (the part with the trigger mounted) that I am talking about. They are 3/8 inch apart o/c or so (.375) in.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Contact Outback Gun Parts (812) 945-0480
They may have the parts you are looking for.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

FWIW, the Glenfield 25 was my first firearm, given to me by my dad when I turned 16 (though it stayed locked up when we weren't shooting until I was older.) I still have mine, updated with new sights, a shortened barrel (the muzzle got buggered riding around in a tractor scabbard) a synthetic stock and a scope in a unitized scope mount that works perfectly with the 25's receiver. Still gets to the range regularly. Back in the day (1976) K-Mart was selling them for about $30.

 

[boom boom]

Contact Outback Gun Parts (812) 945-0480
They may have the parts you are looking for.

Thanks Gunnie. I suspect that the picture of bubbaizing above probably came the same sort of persons that give you so much professional business. Dave, nice pictures, thanks for that ad too. I remember when KMart sold firearms as well.

I am suspecting that the older Marlin 80 model which came with an aperture sight and those parts might fit along with the new Williams 5d-81 aperture sight for the Marlin 80 series. The reviews though go back and forth whether the screws for the Williams match the receiver's threading. My google-fu is weak as I can find no indication that the tapped screw holes of the Model 25 match the Model 80 either in size or distance between them either. FWIW, the 783 and the Model 25 both match in location and distance but I have not checked the thread pattern yet.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...ver-peep-sight-marlin-80-81-a1-aluminum-black

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

A general FYI on iron sights: Nick Stroebel has published a couple of good guidebooks on the subject. If they are your thing, his books are worth having in your own library, or borrowing from the local public library.

 

[boom boom]

Thanks Dave.