Hello club. I'm a new member of THR like so many others because of this thread. I've been reading the pages for months now and I'm convinced the 39 is the way to go.
I'd been visiting various emporiums for quite some time looking for another 22 with nothing in particular in mind. I found a 336A 2001 vintage that had been rarely put to use, very clean and tight, and got out the door for less than Franklin X 3. In this neck of the woods, I could have been charged with some degree of theft. I was so impressed that I began looking into what Marlin might offer in 22. My 1957 Mossberg may have to get used to a lever gun roommate.
Well, long story boring, 39's of any variety/age/condition just don't seem to exist here. So I went through page after page reading how people just got a (place variable here) and were thrilled. Sometimes they paid too much and everyone worked hard to cure their buyer's remorse. Sometimes they paid too little and everyone celebrated their good fortune or cursed their own ineptitude. Success stories abound about friends who need space for new toys, garage sales, pawnshops, used racks in major outlets. I considered pulling what little hair I have left and then, there she was ... at a fun show. But wait! The takedown screw was missing and there was a step between A and B that, if it existed in a Chevy cylinder, would have required turning a 283 into a 327.
A man's got to know his limitations and I couldn't have fixed her any more than I could bore and stroke a short block Chevy. Back to the search.
I got an e-mail Friday that made me get out the camera and plug in the battery to juice it up. I told the Mrs. that we have to be ready for our granddaughter's costume and the dear girl believed me. The truth is that the e-mail was an invoice from an antique and auction house informing me that I have moved from unrequited enthusiast to collector in one fell swoop. They had a Mountie, a 1985 39A and a 1989 AS with 900 other lots at auction and since I prefer the full size I put a bid in on both the A and the AS hoping to get either of them. At this juncture, I have no strong feelings about the safety so either was fine with me.
I think it was Mo who said he felt personally responsible for keeping up the price of Marlins. He's got an ally in that regard now. The invoice is for a RANSOM because I didn't get either ... I got both. Why didn't I see that coming?
So, according to the mathematics I've seen here ... 1 = 0 and 2 = 1 and "it" may have to be his and hers. It may be two weeks for the shipment to arrive at my pusher. At least the camera will still be charged up and ready to go. If it is true that the only thing better than a 39 is two of 'em, I'll be in hog heaven.
This all excited me so that I've lost my place in reading back pages. Somewhere was the beginning of discussion about measuring the rim of ammo to determine if differences could account for variations in accuracy. I think using a spent .223 case was brilliant and I want to read on ... facinating. No spoilers please, just tell me where the heck I was. The idea of rim thickness variables seems plausible and I have some 35-year old or more Peters that group so tight that I may have to see if they were made with tighter or more consistant specifications than the stuff is today.
