[loggah]

Marlin mystery rifle

I bought this thing hoping i could find the right pieces sooner or later, its a Marlin 1894receiver, and a model 1893 takedown barrel and forend. this looks like its new ,it could never work !!!!! 1/2 octagon,1/2 magazine s/n 338159. some where theres another one just like it ,only that one may work a 1893 action with a 1894 barrel. i checked the serial number on this one and its supposed to be a 28" octagon barrel 25-20 takedown, fat chance i'll find that one. ;D

 

[Parley Baer]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

I have to say you sure have some interesting rifles. ;D That is quite a collection.

 

[Leverdude]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

How do you suppose this came about? Somebody died maybe & one of their heirs mixed up the halves of two guns before selling them?

 

[loggah]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

Ken, i have no idea!!!! maybe but it sure is strange the colors and bluing all is factory,never messed with!! must have happened a zillion years ago !! : : Don

 

[TheyCallMeMarlin]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

I wonder if it had other fitted barrels for it that have been misplaced over the years??

 

[loggah]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

I have no idea but a 30-30 barrel attached alright but a 3o-30 bullet wont begin to fit in the receiver anywhere, not by the bolt ,or thru the opening for the magazine tube, if the action was for a 38-40,44-40 it would fit into the tube. Don

 

[Leverdude]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

Itd fit in the tube but never get from the tube to the bore. You'd be taking it apart to clear for sure. It does illistrate something I always liked about Marlins. Dimensional stability, or regularity maybe, in otherwords theyre all the same. Other than the old 95's anyway. Never had one to tinker with but I know the forends are fatter where they slip into the reciever. Anyway I kinda doubt you could get the front of a Win 86 onto the action of a Win 92 and have it look perfect like that.

 

[loggah]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

Ken, you would have to weld the winchester halves together !! the difference here is the magazine tube diameter, it wont slide back into the receiver because the hole for the 25-20 is to small,wish i could find the right halves. Don

 

[Leverdude]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

Ken, you would have to weld the winchester halves together !! the difference here is the magazine tube diameter, it wont slide back into the receiver because the hole for the 25-20 is to small,wish i could find the right halves. Don

I understood the difficulty.Ran into it pretty quick when I started rebuilding these guns & wanted a 44/40 but kept coming across small action recievers. I'm set now though. I'v got an 1889 in progress chambered for 38/40, once thats done I'll have a 32/20, 44/40 & 38/40 1889 and a 25/20 1894. Then I'll be done unless the economy changes big time. I had a good run but things have changed.

 

[marlinman93]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

I think Ken's guess was probably pretty close! I bet some guy had two nice takedowns and when he died some idiot relative put them together with the assemblies swapped. Since they fit so well they didn't have trouble assembling them, so no reason to suspect there might be a problem.
I think somewhere there's an equally nice 1893 with a 1894 forearm assembly. Bummer.
But your problem is easier to fix than you think Don. You could get a tube assembly and a 1894 .25 or .32 forearm cap, and then have your barrel sleeved to one of those calibers. I know it wouldn't be original, but it would look it and function. The guy with the other assembly has a problem with the TD mech hole not being large enough for the larger mag tube, which creates other issues and repairs.

 

[RGR]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

If the 94 action was for a 38 40 or similar, the 30 30 tube might be close enough to fit, if one mikes the rim diameter on the 30 30 versus the 38 40 etc, they are real close.

But if a 25/20 94, for sure, the hole would need bored to accept the 30 30 tube. Apparently, the major difference between the 93 and 94 actions are their length, not their depth and width.

The same thing certainly cant be said for for the 86/92 comparison, they have a large amount of size difference.

I would think the carrier of the 38 40 would be different than a 25 20 one as well. Width at least, length likely the same.

I was not aware that caliber could be determined by serial number, or are you going by the carrier figuring it was a 25 20?

I can imagine the 25 20 going onto the 30 30, but cant quite figure how the 30 30 went on the 25 20 due to the tube differences.

Or maybe I am missing something?

 

[loggah]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

RGR, I had Russ Regneir at marlin collectors check the factory records and they stated a 28" barrel in 25-20. i have another really nice takedown 1893 in 30-30 and i could use the front of this to make a two barrel set one full octagon,and 1 half octagon. Don

 

[RGR]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

Then did they ream the hole in the receiver to accept the larger tube? Or again, I may be missing something, not being all that familiar with them.

 

[loggah]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

The takedown magazine will not go into the hole it is still sticking out about 1/2" everything is still factory the hole hasn't been enlarged. Don

 

[RGR]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

OK, thanks, that makes more sense. But the other gun, it may assemble, and the owner has just never tried to load it? ;D

All things considered, figuring the qty of hand fitting that went on in those days, it is kind of amazing that two different models would swap out like that.

For sure there are several other take down weapons of that era, that trick would not be accomplished. Or at least it would be rare to accomplish it.

 

[Leverdude]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

If the 94 action was for a 38 40 or similar, the 30 30 tube might be close enough to fit, if one mikes the rim diameter on the 30 30 versus the 38 40 etc, they are real close.

But if a 25/20 94, for sure, the hole would need bored to accept the 30 30 tube. Apparently, the major difference between the 93 and 94 actions are their length, not their depth and width.

Exactly. The wood from a 93 will fit a 94, the only difference is length.

I would think the carrier of the 38 40 would be different than a 25 20 one as well. Width at least, length likely the same.

Nope, same width & length. The smaller calibers are just shaped to cradle the cartridge a little while the large calibers are flat.

 

[RGR]

Re: Marlin mystery rifle

Thanks, always interesting to learn small facts like this.