Let me in, Let me in......I wanna join the club!!!
My name is Jack, and I am a Marlin 39 addict!
A little history first. The first rifle I ever fired was at 18 years of age, and it was an M16 in USAF basic training. Fast forward 15 years to July of 08, I went to visit my father in Montana. He is the second owner of a 39A mid 50's vintage. It was his father's, which he inherited when my grandfather passed. Still up till this time I had only fired the M16, and a shot gun. My father one day handed me the Marlin, and told me to get rid of the gophers out at the edge of the yard. The 39 with a BSA Sweet 22 scope was a pure dream to fire seated from the front porch, I was in love! My 10 year old son also fired it(his first time shooting) and also just loved it. I tried to get my dad to let me fire the Marlin 444 lever, but that was a big no go.
I have always wanted/admired the lever action guns, Marlin specifically, and that feeling has not gone to the wayside.
I took my wife to the local gun shop 2 weeks ago to buy a 40 cal for CHL. While my wife was handling a Taurus, I spotted a Marlin 39 on the used rack. To my surprise, she was a clean little 39D. I would put her at about 85%. I looked at the price, and about died! They wanted $440! We ended up walking out the door with a Taurus 40 PT140, and a Springfield CD-40 subcompact for me
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Out at the range, my wife decides that she absolutely hates the Taurus and loves the Springfield, so I sold the Taurus, gave her the Springfield and put a healthy down payment on the Marlin 39D. I just could not stop thinking about that beautiful little rifle. She is on layaway, and I will have her next month. I hit every gun shop/Pawn shop in town, and found a 2 39A goldens, but they wanted over $500 for a rusted beat up hulk, I could not believe it.
On a side note, my son loved the Marlin so much that he volunteered to take the hunter safety course so he could have his own. I took him back to the same shop, and he had a heck of time deciding what to get, but finally chose a Marlin 925. We pick it up on Thursday, and off to the range on Sunday....cant wait to get mine!
Sorry about the novel, but I am a long time lurker, just needed to get all this off my chest
Jack