The Marlin 39 Club

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I'll confess that I'm still of mixed mind on this one.

Now, please note that my sig line is "levers & wheels".
I'm a revolver guy.

Yet, for some unexplained reason,
when it comes to a matching .22 handgun for my 39,
I'm still leaning towards a semi-auto pistol.

Can't explain it. Sheer heresy.
I'm even uncomfortable with it in [strike]some[/strike] most ways.

But it's true.

I've handled (but not shot) a Smith 617.
It just felt too heavy (45 oz!) for a .22 to carry regularly in the woods.
I suspect it'd get left in camp instead of thrown into the pack.

Range work? Sure. Heavy is good.

But in wilderness, where a pack is involved, when the rifle is a center fire, but I want that .22 handgun for a close squirrel for the pot, no, sorry, heavy just won't cut it. (I'm a smaller than average guy, and when walking long distances, especially backpacking, I count ounces.)

That Buckmark Hunter is 3 oz lighter than a Single Six, and holds more ammo.
It's got better (?) mount options for a scope. It's faster (?) for a second shot than a Single Six. (Another confession: never even held a Single Six, let alone shot one. But aren't single actions doggedly slow?)

I dunno, just wrestling with this, doubting myself.

I have an open mind. No money to buy anything right now anyway, so will continue to read.

Meanwhile, my 39 is still at the smiths.

I miss my 39.
So much work to do with it before I buy a .22 handgun companion for it ...
 
I hear ya, Nemo.

When it comes right down to it, a good .22 auto pistol is hard to beat.

As I mentioned earlier, My Ruger will do ANYTHING. Hunting, plinking, targets, cheap practice, teaching beginners, amusing old timers, even self defense if that's all you have. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that it's as accurate as my model 39 if it's fired from a machine rest. I'm not the best pistol shot in the world, but I know more than a few people that can't shoot a rifle as good as I can shoot that pistol.

The idea of having a pistol that matches the model 39's personality has a lot of Merritt, too. The single six would sure be welcome in my safe. It too could satisfy most any need.

I think that the standard "Gun Nut" answer is going to be the best approach to this one...

BUY BOTH!
 
Frank,

I hear what you're saying,
and respect your opinion.

I'm a "gun nut".
I love my guns.

But I'm an unusual gun nut
that wants a minimal kit.

I want a minimal kit
with which I can do what I need,
including in a situation where I'm living in the outdoors
with very little storage space, and little room in the pack,
and - given my extremely limited range time -
(sadly, read once per month - new business owner)
can practice with all my guns.
(Now, that's 5; will be 8 max.)

So, while I respect your opinion to "buy both",
it doesn't work in my case.

I want one (.22 handgun) that
does what I want/need it to do.

Nem

PS: Congrats on being only 4 from "senior member".
 
Liking a good .22 auto pistol is not heresy or something to be ashamed of. I am a revolver guy, but I recognize that a lot of people like theirs and also that they can be scary accurate.

I will get around to buying something sooner or later... but I'm having plenty of fun with my 39A, so no real rush. I adjusted my sights recently and was very pleased with the results.


But then again, anybody can post. I need to simply send in a good postcard before the deadline. Hope you get your rifle back soon, Nem.
 
Hey Nem,
You know I'm a revolver guy, but I don't have one in .22. The Ruger 22/45 is the semi I've had almost the longest and it is very, very accurate and won't take all you cash either. I carry it in the field most of the time when I'm not toting my GP-100.
 
Nem wrote: "But aren't single actions doggedly slow?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnu4P0Y-JAk&NR=1

Not a typical representation of a single action but does demonstrate the potential.

I prefer the term 'deliberate' rather than slow. ;)

Nothing wrong with an auto, I have some too. They can be light, compact & accurate. Most autos limit your ammo choices to standard and + velocity long rifle ammo only. Cleaning (rarely required) is more of a chore. Extra magazines need to be protected from damage (adds weight and space) while in your pack.

If weight and volume of fire were the virtues I most desired, the auto would be my choice. In my experience the weight penalty is small and there ain't nothing I'm needing shoot with 22lr that needs a second shot any faster than I can do it with a single action.
 
Don't the Buckmark and 39a both have golden triggers? ;)

I just bought an NRA Buckmark, and that sucker is one sweet shooter. Did the ol' turn the sear spring around trick, and the out of box trigger pull on that baby is NICE! Haven't measured it yet, but I'm sure it's under 3#, crisp and clean, no caffeine. Ergos are better than on my 22/45, too. I say go for it, Nem!
 
Then again, maybe the law is nine tenths possession.

I can't remember, exactly.

More importantly, yeah, nice looking rifle.

The way the end of the barrel is tucked into those grass blades
offers a cheap version of what one would (in my case, will)
look like with those last few inches chopped off ...

Makes me miss mine even more ... :(
 
Shoo'eee!

I'd say it likes Mini-mags.

Of course, there's a small but measurable potential for sampling error there; :scrutiny:
the probability that grouping is just random luck is > 0 (but < 1).

Still, my bet - like yours - is that it likes Mini-mags. :cool:

(Repeated testing is fun, scientifically convincing and bad news for squirrels. ;)
Guessing that top left group is also m-m?)
__________

Personally, I never ate squirrel brains.
Probably wouldn't now, either, unless I was starving.
(Biological reasons why better discussed in Hunting.)

But as a kid, the mom of one of my squirrel hunting buddies
used to cook the head just like the rest.

During dinner, she'd crack the skull,
then spoon the brains out. :uhoh:

What ever floats yer boat, I said.
 
Now here's an interesting question.

While having a casual conversation with a friend, the Glenfield line of rifles was mentioned.

I've seen model 60 Glenfields, and I've seen 336 Glenfields...

Did they ever make model 39 Glenfields?

I've never seen one.

Anybody?
 
Interesting discussion regarding a handgun as a partner for the 39. I still have my very first pistol....and it is my 39a companion and will always be.

It is a H & R .22 revolver (blued, 5' bbl) with walnut grips. It is DA or SA. I forget the model number, but it has interchangeable cylinders - one is for .22 S, L, or LR and the other is for .22 magnum. It has fixed sights and over 25,000 rounds through it...a friend of mine worked at Big K in the 70's and got a discount on ammo, so we would buy .22 LR by the case once we saved up the money and then go down to his Dad's land and shoot at cans, shotgun shell hulls, or anything else we could find....and that revolver still puts 'em right where I want 'em. Never failed to fire or malfunctioned at all....and the kicker is that I paid $55 for it new in 1978! Now my 12 year old daughter is learning to shoot it! :what:
 
Add me in!

I've spent parts of the last 4 days reading all 25 pages here. Whew!

About 2 months ago I bought a 39A off of Gunbroker for 400. It was made in 1954, which makes it about 3 years older then me.

I've had it out to the range a couple times in the last week and it is functioning flawlessly. I'm really loving it. I have a 3x9 scope on it right now but will be taking that off soon to try and sight it in with the irons.

I'll also be joining in on the postal shoot, sounds fun.

As to a companion handgun as of right now I'd have to go with my Ruger Mk II, I haven't found a single action that I like the grip feel of yet. I'm intrigued by the single six, but... I'm looking around for a double action but would like to get one with like 9 shots in the cylinder.

As to woods carry, it'll be the 39 with my S&W model 27 6" .357

I've learned a lot from reading this, thanks guys!
 
Marlin never made a "Glenfield" version Marlin 39-A.
The "Glenfield" name was used for a long series of bolt action and auto .22 rifles starting as far back as 1932.

The rifles I'd like to see and learn more about were the Marlin 1897 Century Limited lever action .22 made for Marlin's 100th anniversary of the Model 1897 .22 rifle made in 1997 only.

The "Ultimate" would be to get one of the Model 1897 Century Limited Employee's Edition rifles. There were only 100 made for Marlin employees.
 
Thanks Dfarriswheel.

I didn't think they had ever made any, but I wasn't sure enough to state that as fact.

I know I've never seen one.

I wonder why they didn't make one? The Birch wood would probably knock fifty bucks off of the price of the rifle.

But then again... Every model 39 I ever saw was a nice rifle with nice wood and a nice finish.

That's part of what makes them so desirable!
 
dfariswheel - yesterday I posted almost precisely the same statement you did concerning the 39A and the Glenfield list of bolt and semiauto .22's based on the information in Fjestad's Blue Book.

Then I did a little Googling and found that Marlin seems to have put out almost their entire line under the Glenfield name for the bargain stores. I deleted my post.

There is a Glenfield model 30A that is mechanically the same as the 336 in 30-30. One was discussed on these very pages: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=37731

There were several Glenfield shotgun models.

I even found several mentions of a Glenfield 39A (heresy!) Numrich has a Marlin/Glenfield 39A parts list with several stocks listed, two of which seem to be cheaper varieties.
 
I've never seen or heard of a Glenfield 39-A, and can find no other reference to one.

That of course, doesn't mean Marlin may have made one at one time, just that I can find no "official" reference to one.

Marlin seems to have used the Glenfield name for cheaper guns made for sale in department stores.
Most were inexpensive .22 bolt and auto rifles, and versions of the popular center fire "deer hunter's" lever guns.
The 39-A was always a premium gun.

I still have trouble with "never say never" concerning guns. Every time I think I have Colt nailed down, something pops up to change everything.
There's no reason Marlin can't be the same.

So.......Did Marlin make a Glenfield 39-A? Not as far as I know....... BUT.......
 
I'm an idiot!

I was using Google to search for "Glenfield Lever action .22".

I went to a page, and there was a link labeled"Video".

Without thinking about it, I aproved a download. Now, I'm scanning and removing trojans (Looks like I have two at this point).

There appears to be a "Cyberlog-X" and a "Spy.WIN32@mx" in there.

Isn't the internet fun?

Zone alarm can handle it. (I hope!)It's been scanning/removing for about two hours now!

I'm on my laptop now, I'll be back when my PC is clean again.

*****************************EDIT*********************************

Spybot Search And Destroy was the hero today.

Zone Alarm got one Virus and two spys, but there were 15 more that zone alarm did not get.

I got everything out and running smoothly again.

Never did find any evidence of a Glenfield version of the 39.:rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
Nematocyst,

Well I guess I need to go in the safe and find out. It only holds 6 rounds so it isn't the one in the picture you sent. When I get some time and remember I will go down to the gun room and pull it out and look for the model number.
 
Nema...,

Regarding post 601;

The most 'fun' sidearm that I have ever had was a Ruger Super Single Six. In 22lr, it too liked CCI Mini-Mag.

On my 39 A, I removed the white line spacers. Both pieces of wood looked good but looked much better w/o the white spacers.

salty.
 
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