deal? no
STEAL! YES!

 

It sounds like you got an excellent deal. These days you are lucky to find any decent 39M or Mountie for less than $450. You can look on Gunbroker and see that there are dozens of 39A's for sale and only 5-6 Mounties. Yes, they are a little harder to find. From what I have read, they changed the roll mark from Marlin Golden 39A Mountie to Original Golden 39M in 1972. Marlin introduced the 39D in 1971. It almost makes me wonder if this is why they changed the 39A Mountie to the 39M a year later. 39A, 39D, 39M.

 

Sounds like a great deal! Don't forget pics!

 

Come on fellas, 109 views and three replies? I know some of you Marlin junkies have answers to my questions.

Thanks in advance!

 

Great deal. A 39M or a Mountie is in my wish list.
Can we see pictures before/after type?

Cheers

 

Back in the day, you had a Mountie. Very nice and collectible gun, but also they are quite available. To answer your questions:

1. Are the Original Golden 39M's that hard to find?

Good lord no. There are plenty of them and they continue to fetch prices above brand new guns.

2. Did I get a decent deal on it?

Oh yes. Yes you did.

3. What is the difference between the Original Golden 39M and the Mountie?

20" barrel and a straight grip = Mountie (39M)

24" barrel and curved grip = Original 39A.

The wood is easy to refinish. Really, really easy. If the bluing looks good, you can make the wood look good too.
Here's a link to the work I did on my niece's 39A with before and after pics, as you scroll down. That's page 2. Somewhere in that thread are the step by step of what I did with the wood.
http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/rimfires/88843-just-ordered-oxpho-blue-2.html

Here's a pic of the two:

 

I don't remember ever giving you permission to use my photo. My photo and my guns, at least give me some credit when you steal my pictures.

 

Jetblack , I think you may have miss read the question about the differance between a 39M and a Mountie . They are the same rifle .

 

Wow. This whole time I was reading 39A. Stupid, feeble brain.

 

LOL ! I sure understand . Them is some fine lookin rifles you posted pics of there to .

 

Great, thanks fellas! I thought the 39 M and Mountie were the same, but wasn't certain because of how they were marked on the barrel.

Thanks for the refinish advice. I know refinishing isn't difficult, it just takes patience. I have done a dozen or so guns in the last few years. I use both oils and spray on finishes, just depending on how fast I want to get done and how durable it needs to be. I know this isn't a Marlin, but here are a couple of pics of one of my Winchester Super X model 1's I did with Tru-Oil a couple of years ago. There is an extensive refinishing thread about doing this gun over on Shotgun World.

Isn't that wood to die for? :congrats:

Here's a link to that refinish thread. http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=136366

Anyways, i will post some pics of my Marlins when done. I also have a model 90 in 16 ga that has some incredible wood on it. It needs to be redone, too.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

Great, thanks fellas! I thought the 39 M and Mountie were the same, but wasn't certain because of how they were marked on the barrel.

Thanks for the refinish advice. I know refinishing isn't difficult, it just takes patience. I have done a dozen or so guns in the last few years. I use both oils and spray on finishes, just depending on how fast I want to get done and how durable it needs to be. I know this isn't a Marlin, but here are a couple of pics of one of my Winchester Super X model 1's I did with Tru-Oil a couple of years ago. There is an extensive refinishing thread about doing this gun over on Shotgun World.
View attachment 33717

View attachment 33718

View attachment 33719

Isn't that wood to die for? :congrats:

Here's a link to that refinish thread. Tru-Oil refinish completed - with photos/how to REVISED ? Shotgunworld.com

Anyways, i will post some pics of my Marlins when done. I also have a model 90 in 16 ga that has some incredible wood on it. It needs to be redone, too.

Thanks again for the replies.

beautiful wood on that shotgun

and as far as I know, the 39M and Mountie are the same

 

That is some deluxe wood! The figure in the grain is amazing!

 

That is gorgeous! Nice job. If you don't mind, what sort of sprays have you used and how satisfied are you with the results?

 

Sure. I usually use a polyurethane such as Minwax. I have had very good results with it as long as I am patient and do the right prep work. I recently did a Remington 870 Police with the satin and it turned out really good. Right now I am doing the Marlin 39M with the same stuff only semi gloss. The stock is done, but I am waiting for the for end to get here so I can get it done to match.

I am also mounting a Nikon P-22 scope to it. I originally bought a Simmons 3-9x32, but I decided this gun deserved better. I have had good luck with the cheap Simmons in the past, but for some reason I don't think I own one Simmons anymore. I think for the money the Simmons can't be beat, but for really good guns like this one, I want a really good scope, but not at a Leupold price. Nikon and Burris are my scopes of choice.

Back to finishes. I have used a lot of Minwax quick drying poly, but it does tend to yellow with age, so it's not great on light woods. That's not so important on darker woods like walnut, though. It is a tough and durable finish, but it just doesn't yield the look and depth a good Tru-Oil finish can give. The only issue I have with Tru-Oil is it takes a very long time to get a really level and glossy finish with no grain showing. If you go read the thread I posted on ShotgunWorld, you will realize I am talking about 100 coats or more total using Tru-Oil. There is a lot of sanding where the wood is probably really only wearing 30 coats or so, but that is a TON of work and time. I am talking about many WEEKS. Poly spray ons can give good results in a few days and ready to actually shoot inside of a week.

I know I have a low post count here, but I am not new to guns or Marlins, I am just new to this forum! I have been shooting and collecting for forty years. I shot my first gun in 1965. I still have it! It's an old Winchester single shot handed down to my by my dad. It was his gun when he was a kid, and he's 90!

Anyways, glad to be here. :biggrin:

 

Well, Phil, we're glad to have you. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.

 

Let me first say that most people on this site have forgotten more about Marlins than I know.
Now, that said, I think one distinction between the 39 Mountie and the Original Golden 39M is that the later has a square back lever. At least in some years of production.

 

Mine's a square lever.

Mine also cost $325 shipped and transferred (guy had it on Gunbroker under "Pump Shotguns" or something).

Yours is in WAY better condition than mine!

But mine does shoot and shoot well!

Jon

 

You are right OKlever , And to confuse us even more the early Mounties were marked 39A with the rounded levers. What makes me stand firm that they are all Mounties is that Marlin advertised them as Mounties before they were marked so. If Mr. Kenna called them Mounties so will I . Some don't but I do . Lets not forget that the first Mountie had a 24" barrel .

 

Kerr, Thanks for further elaboration. "Mountie" works for me.
Basically to the consumer what we're talking about here is a distinction without a difference. To the company selling product we're talking about marketing.

 

I'm convinced they switched the name from Mountie to 39M just to simplify that model. They made the change the same time the 39D was introduced. Why have a 39A and a 39A Mountie.

 

Jetblack, what peep sight do you have on that mountie? thinking of getting one for the 39a

 

That's an image I stole off the internet, that showed a 39M next to a 39A All I have is a 39A, but to take the place of the Mountie, I have a Henry Golden Boy

 

I think it's a Lyman. I have one on my Mountie.

 

From my understanding the mountie was changed to 39M when barrel was made thinner in diameter and the carrier was stamped steel insted of machined metal. I think these changes was made to save money. Have never heard of anyone having a problem due to these changes. The 39 mountie was a very heavy duty 22 rifle

 

From my understanding the mountie was changed to 39M when barrel was made thinner in diameter and the carrier was stamped steel insted of machined metal. I think these changes was made to save money. Have never heard of anyone having a problem due to these changes. The 39 mountie was a very heavy duty 22 rifle

Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't recall ever seeing a stamped steel carrier in a 39 of any sort...............

I know its the day after Christmas, and the Egg Nog supply is woefully low, but I can't recall a stamped carrier in any 39.................But then, I don't know what remington did with the few 39's they tried to make.

AFAIK, the Model 39 is now out of production, and no longer the worlds longest produced rimfire rifle.............and that's remington's fault.........but they'll blame that on North Haven, too................

Tom

 

Just kidding, thanks for not using my bandwidth by uploading it to you Photobucket rather than linking to my accout.

No problem, just had to give you a little ribbing.

 

I had a 1967 Model 39, then traded it for a 336T in 1975. Could only afford one rifle and I needed to shoot deer for more meat. Wish I still had both Rifles back.

 

Gunhugger, that was the BEST pic of the two examples where someone could see the differences

Props!

 

I have always found it interesting that in Brophys Book it says the designation was changed from 39A Golden Mountie to 39M in 1973. The 39A 39D 39M idea makes since to me. The Marlin catalog talks about a Mountie in the description of the 39M in the 70’s. It also is the same picture with a round lever instead of the 39M square lever for the first couple of years of the 39M. I had to measure a few to see the difference in barrel taper. My 1973 39M and 1960 39A Mountie are the same at the mussel. A 1974 39M was thinner and a 1981 was still thinner. Marlin used rolling changes as they used up old parts. Hope this helps.

 

Hey Phil!, I'm still waiting for the pictures of that 39M. Don't care if she looks ugly (they never do) and the make up is not recovered, yet.

Cheers