I have no idea but have read that on here a couple of times.

 

You mean the one they call the "Widow Maker"?

I'm not sure what the mechanical problem was, but they are not safe with modern shotgun rounds, especially high brass or magnum. It was an inferior design to the Win 1897 and the Win Model 12.

Shoot it at your own risk, and if you do, treat it as if it were a Damascus barreled double.

Oh, and buy some life insurance before you do.

 

why? do you have any proof anyone has ever been hurt shooting one? do you have any experience at all? how do you know it was an inferior design to the Win 1897? or are you just reading comments off the internet? I have already done that, I am asking for facts not conjecture. of course I would not be stupid enough to shoot any kind of magnum shell In a 100 year old gun. I was and am looking for facts not opinions,,,,and by the way a model 12 win. dose not have an exposed hammer.

 

Olskool....over the years in various gun rags etc.....I have seen warnings about shooting those.
If memory serves me right...it has to do with the steel as well as inferior action and that none were safe to fire.
I'm sure if you were to Google the issue,you would get the reasons you seek.

 

it is not the steel directly, I have read the problem was locking the bolt assembly, not the steel, "they say" it is possible to fire the shotgun with the bolt not locked all the way "due to worn parts"to the receiver. it will look closed but will not be. I have just never seen any evidence of it or ever heard of a case where anyone was injured. I suspect marlin came out with that warning because that design and gun was old and in case injury ever happened they would have a case in court.

 

Speaking of "widow makers" I was in "Boutte, LA" when my friend asked if I wanted to see a "Win 12ga." that was called the widow maker. It had no knuckle on it to load, you pushed down on barrel to load first shell. He told me it was only made for a couple of years. Is it true?

cajun56

 

true. I know a guy that has one.

 

I have shot many turkeys with my Damascus LC Smith 10 ga. circa 1903. I've attended competition shoots where it's hammer guns only. Fun to watch. These guns are fluid steel and Damascus by Remington, Parker LC Smith and others and all are over 100 years old. Most shooters use RST brand shells designed for these guns. Pressure I believe is around 7000 psi. Have your gun checked by Double Gun gunsmith before firing. As a rule for 10 and 12 ga barrel wall thickness is important. End of chamber min is .100.
9 inches from breach,min .040. 9 inches from muzzle,.025. Any pitting will greatly affect things.

 

Here ya go. I own and shoot a model 24. Its a 12g take down. Its old and worn. The takedown parts do not hold as they should and create a situation where the bolt does not lock into battery. So I have elected not to hunt with it because rapid follow up shots are pretty u safe. There looks like a threaded hole for a locking screw to keep the takedown locked on but my example is missing said screw. Other than that I think it is a very cool part of Marlin history. I dont know if it would kill you but it could sure make you left eye dominant quickly.

 

I shoot my Winny 97 12 GA takedown - not a Marlin but it is an oldie.

 

I have 2 of them. Slam fire is a hoot!!!

 

I have only seen 1 in real life. Wish I had bought it. As far as rumors of the aforementioned problems, I have encountered none. Have a reliable gunsmith check it out and the play with it. To be on the "safe" side just reload with BP.

 

I have an old marlin exposed hammer shotgun sitting in my closet. Heard all the internet lore and have not cared enough to research it yet.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I do shoot my 1882 Spencer pump 12ga with low brass. The only problem with it and the Trapdoor is that they are too large to fit in the big safe.

 

I have had Marlins and shot them all the time when I was a kid. The 1897 Win was another popular gun when I was a kid. They weren't collectors items back then, they were cheap. It seems like it was common knowledge as far as what was a good one vs bad
on. I had never herd of blow ups from ammo. Do remember some lock failed and blew open. Both Marlins and Win hammer pumps
were dangerous guns as far as safety when they were worn. Guns in top condition caused no problems. The only hammer gun I have
today is a late production 1897 Win made in 50s. Tight as day bought and hasn't been broke in yet. I shoot 23/4" mags in it. It was
a salvaged Bubba gun and now has screw in chokes, my gobble gun. The Win auto had no bolt handle, had knurled portion on barrel
to cock it. Never popular Browning A5 put in out of business. Win has never had a successful auto shotgun, JMB gave them 1st shot
at the A5 and they turned it down.

Most trouble I have seen with vintage shot guns is smokeless loads in Damacus, modern 23/4" shells in the old short chambers and
idiots shooting guns that are worn out. If they are good tight guns in good repair I am not afraid to shoot them with standard loads.

 

Win has never had a successful auto shotgun

The Winchester SuperX Model 1 was the best auto shotgun ever made from past to present nothing compares to it. I have had several, used to they could be had for decent prices, but now the prices have really gone up. I think an article exist somewhere on a failure test... I can't remember how many rounds it finally got a little sluggish after some outlandish amount. If they had made a 20ga it should have owned the market... a real shame.

Never had a marlin shotgun I have however owned many different fine shotguns, the best I have owned were the superx model 1, a model 12, and remington 870/100 those are some great shotguns

 

Pump Shot gun, m12 Win #1, Itnaca 37 & Rem 31 are 1st class.......everything else second rate or junk, newer stamped guns dont
compare.
Auto Shotgun, Browning A5 hands down, some newer guns stamped and synthetic materials may be popular but don't have near
the workmanship..

 

I competed with my Marlin model 21 and 24 in SASS cowboy action matches for years until Marlins sgs were banned by SASS. I still use my model 24 in cas matches as my local club allows Marlins. There are several safeties in a Marlin to prevent firing out of battery but there are small flat springs in the design that are fragile. A Marlin that has been disassembled, checked for cracks (you don't know what the previous owner shot in it), broken springs, cleaned, oiled and reassembled correctly and passing the safety checks should be good to use light field or cas loads. The liability lawyers at Marlin put pressure on the Wild Bunch at SASS who eventually caved and outlawed them. Ive never seen a Marlin cut loose but I've seen a Colt single action revolver blow up and a Henry rifle cut loose when the shooter dropped the magazine follower with disastrous results. But handloads and Henry rifles are still legal in SASS. I switch up between my M24 Marlin, my original Winchester 1897 and a repro 97 trench gun for my cas matches, use light loads and have a good time.

 

I have cut down many shotguns in the quest for the ultimate slug gun. This was before rifled barrels came out. I would never cut a
gun that was in good shape. Most had been damaged or had poly chokes. Most of the time I did the whole job myself. A few guns
were in very good condition as to finish and blue. These I would radius sights and fit, but would take to my smith to have then silver
soldered, he could do it without screwing up the blue. The last one I did was a 97 Win, that was a 95% gun, but barrel had been
Bubbaed. I saved almost 24" of barrel and fitted sights. When I took it to Smith he talked me into screw in chokes. I'm glad he did
Gun is more useful now. If you don't have connections a choke job will cost as much as picking up a used barrel. Your gun having
sentimental value I would just clean it up and buy some used wood and use as family heirloom that can be shot occasionally.