[Flyin Brian]

Hey Guys!! I appreciate all the advice everyone offered up on my previous thread entitled "found an uncommon Marlin" as I was looking into buying an 1893 with a half octagon- half round barrel. I went to look at it in person over the weekend and it's really not a bad rifle, but I think it is overpriced.

Anyhow, in the meantime, drjjpdc was kind enough to send me a few links to some rifles and it got me thinking that there has to be a good Marlin out there in my price range. So I ended up locating this beauty and it finally arrive today. I will post up the pics first:

 

[Schtoolee]

She's a beauty. I wouldn't kick her out of bed.

 

[marlinluvr]

Looks great! Congrats!:tee:

 

[Flyin Brian]

The bore was dirty but I could see the shine in it. I cleaned it up a little and it really looks nice. I had to filter the light in the bore to take a photo, otherwise it shines too much

So I guess the tang sight is a Lyman #2 Combination sight. It looks pretty darn old and you can clearly see where the sight has been folded down on the butt for a long long time.

The sight was completely frozen, so I covered the stock and dripped kroil on the shaft of the Lyman for a while, brushed with a toothbrush, picked at the threads with a toothpick, etc etc. Then I finally wrapped a towel around the knurled shaft and tried like heck to turn it. I finally got it to budge a tiny bit, dripped more kroil, gave it a stern look and told it to give up and it worked!! I was able to get it all pull apart and cleaned up just enough to make it work. I always like to leave a little of the grunge on there.

Here's the barrel sight... it's pretty odd looking. I think someone attached a home made notch site and glued or soldered it to the original:

Down position:

Rear is up:

Front is up:

More pics...

 

[HILL COUNTRY SHOOTER]

now that's a classy lookin' rifle

 

[Leverforever]

Brian that's a fine looking rifle you found there. Enjoy it!

 

[Travlin]

That is a very nice rifle. If only it could talk.

 

[Oz]

That is very cool indeed Brian.

Mark.

 

[MM22UC]

Very nice indeed. Congratulations. Mark.

 

[horseshoe]

Great looking old gun and fantastic pics.

 

[RGR]

Dont know if you came over to the Reno show Brian, but I did not see one really nice 38 55 there, at least not in the small room. I only spent about an hour total in the big room, and I generally the really nice guns kind of stand out from afar and I did not notice anything.

Nor did I see but one or two Marlins come in the door, and my table is about two dozen long steps from the small room door.

An old friend had one 38 55, half octagon, in similar condition to above asking 1500 and did not make any hints about coming down very much. Heck, that rear sight is a 200 dollar addition on yours.

 

[Dan_the_Man]

Sweet gun. Looks serviceable. 38-55 is an interesting round. Have fun with that! Great pics too, thanks.

 

[old-machinist]

Beautiful rifle Brian, where'd you find it? Bet you can't wait to get it to the range.

 

[sharpsdressedman]

I concurr..Very Nice

 

[Flyin Brian]

Dont know if you came over to the Reno show Brian, but I did not see one really nice 38 55 there, at least not in the small room. I only spent about an hour total in the big room, and I generally the really nice guns kind of stand out from afar and I did not notice anything.

Nor did I see but one or two Marlins come in the door, and my table is about two dozen long steps from the small room door.

An old friend had one 38 55, half octagon, in similar condition to above asking 1500 and did not make any hints about coming down very much. Heck, that rear sight is a 200 dollar addition on yours.

RGR, I was there Thursday at noon and stayed until Saturday afternoon. I wish you would have given me your table number, as I tried to follow your directions on where you were located and I couldn't figure it out. I even went over to the tables where I thought you were and asked if anyone around here is into Marlins and they all threw up there hands and said "we all collect Wxxxxxxxxrs" I was at table 89 which is in the 1st big room in the north west corner.

My friend bought a beautiful deluxe 1893 in 38-55 with a half round barrel, and said he would not be selling it :/

 

[Flyin Brian]

Beautiful rifle Brian, where'd you find it? Bet you can't wait to get it to the range.

Hi Mike,

It was at a Cabela's in Minnesota. After I posted that thread 2 weeks ago about the half round 1893, I figured I would look around for a better one. Then it hit me that if I use my C&R license to have it shipped to my door, I save $150 over buying it in the Reno store and paying sales tax (Note to IRS: don't worry, I'll pay use tax on my tax return...lol). This one was listed at $2,000 and I got them to come down on the price a substantial amount and also they paid shipping which was 2 day select fedex, so not cheap.

To answer your question about the range, here is what I am doing right now:

 

[Flyin Brian]

The only thing wrong with this rifle (and one of the reasons they came down a lot on the price) was the firing pin was broken. I pulled it out of the box and there was an envelope with a plastic baggy with the broken rear firing pin!! uh oh, I had ordered the front!! dangit. I have another 1893 here and I started looking at the bolt in that one... sure enough, I was able to rob the parts from that one to fix this one. I also found a replacement on ebay so I can move the parts back to the original rifle. I found out I also need a spring for the rear pin, as the hooked end is broken. Don't know where to get that.

Once I got it all back together, I tried sliding a pencil down the tube and dry firing (works on pistols) but I couldn't tell if the pin was working. So I got some clear packing tape and covered the primer pocket hole and fired it in the rifle. The pin poked the tape, so I know it will shoot tomorrow when I go to the range:

 

[Surveybob]

Man, that has some character. Something those "black guns" will never have. Nice score.

 

[OLSKOOL]

what year was your gun made?

 

[mazer]

Congrats! Absolutely gorgeous Marlin!