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Marlin No. 37
When John F. Moran bought Marlin as a part of corporate divestitures following WWI he renamed the company Marlin Firearms Corporation and quickly rebranded many of the company’s prior models, including the trusty No. 20 as the No. 37. Alongside the also-rebranded Model 38 and flagship Model 39, the freshly minted No. 37 represented Marlin’s entry-level .22-caliber rifle, and one-third …
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Marlin Model 65
The Marlin Model 65 was a fantastic single shot .22 bolt action, part of the trifecta of rifles that Marlin introduced in 1935 that included the Model 80 and Model 100. Walnut stocked with a schnabel forend and finger grooves, it was a quality rifle with a self-cocking bolt, nestled firmly between the manually cocked Model 100 and the magazine …
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Marlin Model 88, 89, & 98
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 …
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Marlin Model 60
Someone once told me that for every Ford Torino there were a dozen Taurus. The reality is closer to four-to-one, but the intent remains: pedestrian will always outnumber performance. The adage applies to Marlin as well, their most popular rifle by volume wasn’t the 1893, the 39, or the 336. It was the Model 60. A no-frills, birch-stocked rifle, the …
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Marlin No. 47
What do you do when your business is in dire need of capital? In 1927, if you’re Frank Kenna, you offer free guns to investors… A Marlin Model 47 in exceptional condition. the striping from the cyanide bath hardening has faded over time, but is still evident on this fine example. Also apparent is the magazine tube featuring a sliding …
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Marlin Model 80 & 81
This Model 80 was originally equipped with sling swivels, and the buttplate is long missing, but with the Lyman 66MC peep sight continues to print admirable groups and bag squirrels, when the author pulls his weight. This specimen predates the microgroove barrel. The Marlin Models 80 and 81 were some of the most prolific rifles of the 20th Century. Produced …
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Marlin Model 32 & 38
A fine condition model 38 from the author’s collection. Earlier Model 32 rifles had a unique and distinctive rear sight that Marlin abandoned when they reintroduced the model following WWI The Marlin 38 was one of the first cataloged firearms when Marlin reentered the sporting arms market following The Great War. Other models included the No. 20, Model 39, & …
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Marlin Model 50
An advertisement for the Marlin Model 50 Outdoor Life magazine, May 1931 1931 was an odd time to introduce a new rifle. The country was in the throes of the great depression. GDP per capita had dropped from $858 in 1929 to $623 in 1931, and would continue dropping to a low of $455 in 1933. A new rifle, particularly …
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Marlin 39
If there was a rifle that symbolized America it would be the Lever Action. If there was a universal cartridge it would be the .22 longrifle. The Marlin 39, then, may be the quintessential, universal American Rifle: a rifle that carries the heritage of the west and the spirit of adventure – a rifle that is at home on the …
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Marlin Model 99
The Marlin Model 99 was a drastic departure in the lineage of Marlin’s family of auto-loading rimfire rifles. Unlike earlier semi-automatic rifles such as the Model 50, A-1, or 88/89/98 series of rifles, the Model 99 made use of an anodized aluminum receiver and a completely updated silhouette. Pedestrian by modern standards, the Model 99 was cutting edge when it …