I'd buy it. Even if you spend $100 to have it reblued, and buy a new plunger and spring for the lever, you have less than $350 in a gun folks are asking $450 - $550 for. And the bluing may clean up better than you think.
Yep, your update makes it sound like the gun needs trashed. I never heard of an 1894 with a birch stock, though.jack therwhanger said:I want to thank everyone for your suggestions. In days gone by, I have rescued a lot of orphans and have made a few silk purses out of sows ears. I went back today, to give the little Marlin a second look. The pitting is deep on the receiver and some places on the barrel, the cross bolt is rust frozen, the rear sight is rusted in place. My original thought was that it was stored in a plastic gun case. Maybe it was, but the bore also has some ugly spots in it. In addition, the wood is not walnut. I have heard of economy models of the 1894, I just never noticed one or have never ran across one before, Sooner or later, this shop will have a much better example for not a lot more money. This one just has too much grief for me. It is going to take a lot of file work then polishing to get ready to blue and it may need a barrel. Thanks, Jack
Hal, I think they made/make some with birch stocks for big retail stores like Big 5 and such. Come to think of it, I don't know that I've ever seen anyone post that they had a different designator to denote it wore birch, like the 336W vs. 336C type thing.Halwg said:Yep, your update makes it sound like the gun needs trashed. I never heard of an 1894 with a birch stock, though.