Marlin Model 88, 89, & 98

Three Rifles
A brace of auto loaders, from back to front a Model 88, Model 89, and Model 98

By 1946 the Model A-1 was already long in the tooth and a replacement was needed. Marlin elected to fill the gap with two new models: the Model 88 and the Model 89. Both were offered in a -C and -DL configuration, with the DL being the upsell variant and including a rear target sight, checkering, and sling swivels. Both models and variants were rolled out in 1948.

The Model 88 was a drastic departure for Marlin: both the Models 50 and A-1 were conventional magazine fed self-loaders, while the Model 88 was a tube fed rifle that loaded through a funnel in the buttstock of the rifle. Loading the rifle required the operator to hold the rifle, muzzle down, with one hand while loading with the other, leaving the inner tube to be set down on the ground. Especially for smaller frame shooters this can be difficult to achieve safely, since it would be unsafe to support the rifle on the ground by the muzzle.

Marlin 88c advertisement
Boy’s Life magazine, October 1948
Earlier rifles, like the Model 88 on top, did not have provisions for mounting optics, while later rifles, like the Model 89 on bottom, had dovetails cut into the receiver.
An advertisement highlighting the new peep sight and replacement plug available from supporting dealers. The 88-DL on the left shows the checkering and sling swivels. Today the upgraded -DL variants are relatively rare.
publication unknown
Here, the peep sight can be seen on the Super-Automatic 98. the sight is adjusted vertically by loosening the rear screw, and horizontally by loosening the aperture itself. The arrangements significantly lengthens the sighting plane, and is surprisingly intuitive.
Rifle Advertisement from the Goodyear Guns and Ammo Catalog, 1953

The Model 88 was far from the first rifle to introduce a magazine tube in the buttstock: John M. Browning had introduced and patented the system on the iconic SA-22, but Browning’s design was superior to Marlin’s in that it loaded through a slot in the stock. Browning’s patent on the loading mechanism had expired by 1931, and while the SA-22 wouldn’t be released stateside until 1956, other manufacturers had already integrated the system into their rifles, including Winchester on their Model 74. Its not known why Marlin elected to use the loading funnel through the buttplate, but it’s likely the decision had more to do with aesthetics – potentially to avoid market confusion with Winchester’s Model 74. Whatever the reason, the Model 88 was viewed as having an inferior loading system…

Marlin would remedy this with the introduction of the Model 98 in 1957, which switched from a rear funnel-loading system to a side loading setup. A fantastic rifle in its own right, the Super -Automatic would ultimately be a short-lived model, with a total production run of just over 9,000 units over three years until it was dethroned by the Model 99 in 1960.

Marlin Rifle forend closup
In addition to the Monte Carlo stock, the Super-Automatic 98 (front) also featured an angular forend, a unique departure from the more rounded forends of prior models, shown here in the background. The author finds it neither comfortable, nor aesthetically pleasing, but its an interesting representation of midcentury modern design elements being incorporated in firearms production.

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