[Bill M]

I picked up a Marlin 81-DL at an auction over the weekend. It is my first bolt action rimfire rifle.
It has a tube magazine and I was wondering if I should lubricate the rod with anything? I was
thinking just a little oil on the outside of the rod and nothing on the inside where the bullets go.
Am I correct in that assumption?

Thanks for any info.

I have never oiled a tube rod. Never had one not do it's job either unless it was damaged.
Just remember with oil and firearms that you can over-oil. oils are often collectors of dirt. Just use sparingly and it's always best to keep it off the ammo as much as you can.
When you get oil in your tube, it becomes a collector of dust and dirt. Eventually, that can cause problems.
Just be carefull.