yes sir it does, only the one in the book has all kinds of engraving on it, configuration is the same though. Mr fixit
I've only had this one a few weeks and paid $210 for it on Gunbroker. I'm restoring it and a 31A for grandchildren. (Numrich still has most of the parts for these and other old Marlin pumps, to include new-made ejectors, springs and screws.)
http://www.auctionarms.com/Closed/DisplayItem.cfm?ItemNum=9339789.0But obviously, what I paid for a well-used, plain-jane 30A with a badly-refinished stock has no relationship at all to what a factory-engraved gun is worth.
The first thing I'd do is photograph it and place it on my insurance rider in the $900-1200 range.
Then I'd research it. Does the new Marlin company research and issue factory letters for a fee? Call Remington's historical dept and find out. Even if they say they don’t, yours is an important gun and they may make an exception. There is likely a signature somewhere in the engraving or hidden beneath the stock, but don’t touch anything unless you have both gunsmith screwdrivers that fit properly and some experience removing century-old gun screws. Factory letters raise the value. Making you a matching, engraved screw to replace one you buggered or split would be expensive.
And alternative is buying a repro of the 100+-page 1915 catalog from cornellpubs.com and matching your engraving/checkering to the line drawings of the original factory offerings, which are easily scanned for buyer comparison.
Then there is selling it either at a fixed price/offer on GunsInternational, GunsAmerica, or one of the auction sites Gunbroker.com or Auctionarms.com. But unless you really need the money now, this is the wrong economy to sell anything of value in.
Even in the plain models, these 20-gauges are fairly rare guns for a number of reasons…..good, bad and even libelous. I like them because they remain better values than better-known makes/models and compared to modern, clunky, expensive 20 gauges overbuilt for 3” shells and high pressures, these are thin-barreled, lightweight, finely-made sweeties that remain a joy to carry and use. If you prefer fine French upland doubles with swamped ribs, between-the-hands balance and 5lbs of weight as opposed to 8lbs of overvalued Parker designed primarily for heavy loads on waterfowl, you’ll fall right into these beauties. So for what you’ll get it in this economy, I’d keep it if I could.
