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06-09-2019, 06:33 AM
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Grail gun found. Bought too early. 39a Century ltd
A grail gun popped up locally. I bought it too early, meaning I overpaid for it. A Marlin 39a Century Ltd edition. Made to mark the centennial of Marlin in 1970. These were far from limited they made a ton of them. Yet you never see them for sale.
I love Marlin 39 rifles. This one is configured well. Straight stock, tapered octagon barrel. 1970 is my birth year. I had to have it. If my Dad had walked into a gun shop the day I was born. This is the gun he would have got for me. A Marlin 39as is the only .22 rifle he ever owned.
It’s not like new in the box but has real brass with real patina. The bore is spotless. I doubt it was shot much if at all. Pics to follow.
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06-09-2019, 07:16 AM
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Here are the pictures. Now I have 3 Marlin 39’s one for each kid to inherit. The new one is a really handy size compared to the full size rifles.
Last edited by eveled; 06-09-2019 at 07:18 AM.
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06-09-2019, 07:36 AM
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Very nice! You can't beat a 39-A!
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06-09-2019, 11:06 AM
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A funny story. About 25 years ago I saw a ad for a 39 Mountie for sale for $250. Called the guy and got directions. He told me the street and said "Look for the rebel flag". Got there and asked the neighbor if this is so and so's house. I got a disgusted "Yeah it's him" answer. Saw the rifle and it was new in the box. Complete with a factory case and a scope installed. When he was showing it to me I commented on his flag and he told me he rode with Jeb Stuart! Was at his side for 3 days after a Yankee shot him until he died. Hmmmm. Doing the math in my head 1860's to mix 1990's plus saying he was at most in his early teens when he rode with Jeb, he'd about 145 years old! He looked to be mid 50's. Now I understand the neighbor. This guy's a nut! Anyhow, while showing me the gun he found the invoice for the gun and decided he couldn't/wouldn't sell it for $250 since he paid $350 for the package. $350 was his new price unless I didn't want the scope(I didn't) but didn't know if there were any marks or rust on the receiver under the mounts. I told him he asked for $250 and that's what I'd pay. Just the principle of it. He stood firm and I foolishly walked away. But I got to meet a gen-u-ine CSA veteran!
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Last edited by ACORN; 06-09-2019 at 11:08 AM.
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06-09-2019, 11:44 AM
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Buy the gun and not the story sounds appropriate here... $350 for a Mountie was a good deal and just think typo in ad?
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06-09-2019, 12:56 PM
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Not really. No story with the gun. Story was the seller.
It irked me that the ad said $250 but NOW is $350. Not a typo either.
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Last edited by ACORN; 06-09-2019 at 12:57 PM.
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06-09-2019, 01:21 PM
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There's a century limited at a pawn shop for sale for $500 that I looked at recently. I've already got a 39A and 39A Mountie Article II but was still interested. My two examples are in excellent + condition, this one at the pawn shop was about 80-85%, the wood stock needing the most attention. I was tempted, offered $450 (thinking that would be a solid deal for me) but the lowest they would come down was $475 which is still a decent exchange but wasn't enough to motivate me on that day. How much is overpaying for these special edition examples? The standard 39A's in decent condition seem to fetch $600 and nice ones go up from there in my area.
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06-09-2019, 01:42 PM
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I paid $900 for mine. Like I said. I know I way overpaid. 20 years from now it will seem like a bargain.
But also knew I’d regret not getting it. Any 39 without the safety is hard to find around here, and it’s the first Century Ltd I had a chance at.
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06-09-2019, 02:05 PM
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You very seldom ever see any Marlin 39's for sale in my area. The last one I saw was about four years ago when I was working at a local gun shop. I bought it as soon as my boss bought it from the seller. They keep going up in value.
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06-09-2019, 02:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubba2014
You very seldom ever see any Marlin 39's for sale in my area. The last one I saw was about four years ago when I was working at a local gun shop. I bought it as soon as my boss bought it from the seller. They keep going up in value.
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If I'm only looking at LGS and pawn shops, then I see about one to two a year. Typically they aren't in the greatest condition. My two that I own were both purchased locally at stores for $600 each and I bought them within the last four years I believe. Finding nice ones (whether special editions or not) doesn't happen often and most certainly not for a bargain price. I may have to revisit that pawn shop as I'll be in their area tomorrow! You guys got me thinking with all this Century Octogonal barrel talk!
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06-09-2019, 02:43 PM
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I’m not into commemorative rifles. The centennial is actually a nice configuration for a shooter. The medallion on the receiver is tastefully done. I’m not crazy about the brass plate on the stock. But that is a minor thing. The tapered octagon barrel is pretty awesome. For $475 I’d buy it if it’s still there.
Last edited by eveled; 06-09-2019 at 02:45 PM.
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06-09-2019, 03:18 PM
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FWIW I have an unfired one put away for my daughter when I’m gone. It’s a JM but has a safety. IIRC I paid either $325 or $395. Are they out of production now?
I have a Henry for me.
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06-09-2019, 03:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ACORN
FWIW I have an unfired one put away for my daughter when I’m gone. It’s a JM but has a safety. IIRC I paid either $325 or $395. Are they out of production now?
I have a Henry for me.
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The Marlin 39 is now only a limited production rifle from Remington's custom shop I believe. They are also very expensive to purchase, over $1,000 I believe. That's why the classic JM rifles are so desirable now to collectors and shooters alike.
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06-09-2019, 03:46 PM
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Very, Very nice.
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06-09-2019, 03:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmthomp32
There's a century limited at a pawn shop for sale for $500 that I looked at recently. I've already got a 39A and 39A Mountie Article II but was still interested. My two examples are in excellent + condition, this one at the pawn shop was about 80-85%, the wood stock needing the most attention. I was tempted, offered $450 (thinking that would be a solid deal for me) but the lowest they would come down was $475 which is still a decent exchange but wasn't enough to motivate me on that day. How much is overpaying for these special edition examples? The standard 39A's in decent condition seem to fetch $600 and nice ones go up from there in my area.
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*** is a Mountie Article II?
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06-09-2019, 04:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bakebfr480
*** is a Mountie Article II?
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I have an article ii Mountie currently, this example at the shop is a Century Limited Mountie like the OP's but not as nice as his example.
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06-09-2019, 05:33 PM
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That's the gun my dad bought for me the day I was born in 1970. Great guns.
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06-09-2019, 06:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keithsacane
That's the gun my dad bought for me the day I was born in 1970. Great guns.
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That’s just plain awesome! Mine is the one my dad meant to buy the day I was born. Lol!
The Ruger in the picture belonged to his friend. They both bought single sixes in the late 60’s. My dad sold his. Luckily his friend left me his single six. So it’s another almost.
Still I feel like those two guns are special.
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06-09-2019, 06:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eveled
That’s just plain awesome! Mine is the one my dad meant to buy the day I was born. Lol!
The Ruger in the picture belonged to his friend. They both bought single sixes in the late 60’s. My dad sold his. Luckily his friend left me his single six. So it’s another almost.
Still I feel like those two guns are special.
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You are absolutely right they are special fine weapons from a great time in manufacturing quality guns.
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06-10-2019, 01:48 PM
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When the Century .22 came out, I was 16 with very little chance of making any money. Fast forward 20 years. There was a pawn shop in the city where I worked. The manager liked police officers. I went by one day & spotted a Century .22 on the rack, wearing a cheap scope. Bought it for $100. Pulled the scope off and found that a previous owner had tapped the top strap for 1/4-20 screws. Well, that explained the $100 price tag. It is still a good shooter. One day, I'll get those holes welded up.
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06-10-2019, 03:21 PM
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1/4 20?!!! Omg! Some people! I bet it’s a nice shooter.
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06-10-2019, 04:40 PM
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The Century Ltd was a popular rifle. The octagon bbl really caught the market I think and Marlin didn't over do it as far as a Commemorative goes. At the time the flood of Winchester lever action commemoratives were all over the place and most were plain bling.
That brass medallion in the right side of the frame is just that, set in to a shallow blind hole milled into the frame.
The medallions are thin sheet brass die stamped. They were epoxied into place, one by one by hand. Usually women doing the job (it was the 70's after all) sitting at a couple small benches mixing small batches of a 2-part off the shelf store available brown 5-min epoxy. Setting them in place wiping off any excess.
I can still see that epoxy but can't recall the full name of the stuff anymore,,'Walter' something.. it was a storebrand name for lots of DIY , art, fix-it, ect stuff.
Marlin assemblers used the same stuff to glue the aluminum 'Polychoke' brand upper and lower ribs to the finished barrels on their new (at the time) edition LC Smith shotgun AND glass bed the stock and action together.
Seeing that being done didn't instill a great sense of old school quality pride in the current (at the time) Marlin name for me. An eye opener for sure.
Anyway
Some of those little brass medallions popped loose rather quickly as the metal wasn't cleaned of oil,,this operation was done on the blued finished frame.
If it's still there now, I'd think it was OK unless time has made the glue brittle by now.
Those little brass discs were all over the place in the factory. They got swept up thrown away if they fell on the floor like most any other assembly part. They got thrown around, they got used as decorations.
I think I still have a couple around with the epoxy in the back of them, they were ones that fell out of their pockets from new rifles,,either these or the Article II rifles. They used the same medallions IIRC.
The soft brass butt plate, screws and magazine cap were outside vendor sourced. Some of the butt plates would arrive in the bulk boxes of them still 'flat' having missed the 'Make it a curved butt plate machine' from where ever they came from.
I've read a few times that the octagon bbls on the Century Ltd and the ArtII were less than accurate. Some claims that they were outright 'bad' or somehow defective. I never saw that myself. The 39 in most any configuration was an accurate rifle and as usual, some are better than others.
I put one of the 39 octagon bbls on a Remington #4 rollingblock while I worked there.
A still in the white bbl w/o markings, dovetail slots and unthreaded shank.
My friend Larry saw the Remington project on my bench during lunch breaks and said I know just the bbl that'd look great on that. Much better than the heavy rd bbl I had on it.
He came back later on with the blank.
Working there since before WW2 and in the Ct gun industry since 1914 (Winchester) got you some respect.
RIP Friend.
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06-10-2019, 05:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2152hq
The Century Ltd was a popular rifle. The octagon bbl really caught the market I think and Marlin didn't over do it as far as a Commemorative goes. At the time the flood of Winchester lever action commemoratives were all over the place and most were plain bling.
That brass medallion in the right side of the frame is just that, set in to a shallow blind hole milled into the frame.
The medallions are thin sheet brass die stamped. They were epoxied into place, one by one by hand. Usually women doing the job (it was the 70's after all) sitting at a couple small benches mixing small batches of a 2-part off the shelf store available brown 5-min epoxy. Setting them in place wiping off any excess.
I can still see that epoxy but can't recall the full name of the stuff anymore,,'Walter' something.. it was a storebrand name for lots of DIY , art, fix-it, ect stuff.
Marlin assemblers used the same stuff to glue the aluminum 'Polychoke' brand upper and lower ribs to the finished barrels on their new (at the time) edition LC Smith shotgun AND glass bed the stock and action together.
Seeing that being done didn't instill a great sense of old school quality pride in the current (at the time) Marlin name for me. An eye opener for sure.
Anyway
Some of those little brass medallions popped loose rather quickly as the metal wasn't cleaned of oil,,this operation was done on the blued finished frame.
If it's still there now, I'd think it was OK unless time has made the glue brittle by now.
Those little brass discs were all over the place in the factory. They got swept up thrown away if they fell on the floor like most any other assembly part. They got thrown around, they got used as decorations.
I think I still have a couple around with the epoxy in the back of them, they were ones that fell out of their pockets from new rifles,,either these or the Article II rifles. They used the same medallions IIRC.
The soft brass butt plate, screws and magazine cap were outside vendor sourced. Some of the butt plates would arrive in the bulk boxes of them still 'flat' having missed the 'Make it a curved butt plate machine' from where ever they came from.
I've read a few times that the octagon bbls on the Century Ltd and the ArtII were less than accurate. Some claims that they were outright 'bad' or somehow defective. I never saw that myself. The 39 in most any configuration was an accurate rifle and as usual, some are better than others.
I put one of the 39 octagon bbls on a Remington #4 rollingblock while I worked there.
A still in the white bbl w/o markings, dovetail slots and unthreaded shank.
My friend Larry saw the Remington project on my bench during lunch breaks and said I know just the bbl that'd look great on that. Much better than the heavy rd bbl I had on it.
He came back later on with the blank.
Working there since before WW2 and in the Ct gun industry since 1914 (Winchester) got you some respect.
RIP Friend.
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Wow. Thanks for that.
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06-10-2019, 08:38 PM
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I have the Century Limited that I bought new in 1970. A good companion for the 39A, the Mountie, and the Model 97 with case hardened receiver. Big brothers are an 1893 in .38-55, 336 .30-30, and 1894s in .45 Colt and .44 magnum. Did I mention I like Marlins?
My Limited has the medallion in the receiver, but the brass plate on the stock went missing. I suppose irreplaceable.
Last edited by Inusuit; 06-10-2019 at 08:40 PM.
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06-11-2019, 12:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubba2014
You very seldom ever see any Marlin 39's for sale in my area. The last one I saw was about four years ago when I was working at a local gun shop. I bought it as soon as my boss bought it from the seller. They keep going up in value.
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People hang on to them. I've already passed mine along to my son, and one of his sons will get it next. It won't be sold.
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06-11-2019, 12:08 AM
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There are some of the plates and medallions on eBay now. So I don’t think they are hard to find. Taking them off is probably an improvement in the looks department.
I like lever actions a lot. I have the Henry youth model, Marlin 39a, Rossi .357, Marlin 30/30.
Last edited by eveled; 06-11-2019 at 12:17 AM.
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06-12-2019, 03:49 PM
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I was really lucky to be able to do a SxS handling of both a 39A and a Mountie before starting my search. The rifle just never seemed to shoulder naturally and the sights never quite aligned without some shifting around. The Mountie was just the opposite with everything lining up as it was shouldered and was just more natural.
Ended up getting 2 on GB, a '59 and a '60, by accident. One was a BIN for $325 listed just hours before that I jumped on and the other was an auction that I was SURE I would be outbid on, also in the $325 range as there were several bidders. They stopped and I ended up winning that one also. No Regrets, just glad I had the funds for both.
Both arrived at the LGS on the same day and the funny thing is, the cheaper one was in nicer condition, about 85%. Both are shooters and smooth as butter.
This was in late 2007/early 2008. Neither will be sold, but passed along.
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06-12-2019, 04:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eveled
I paid $900 for mine. Like I said. I know I way overpaid. 20 years from now it will seem like a bargain.
But also knew I’d regret not getting it. Any 39 without the safety is hard to find around here, and it’s the first Century Ltd I had a chance at.
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In my 40+ years of accumulating firearms, I realized that you have to strike while the iron is hot for something that usually does not come up for sale that often, even if the price is a bit higher than what you would like to pay.
I really regret not buying some of the guns that I let slip through my hands due to fixating too much on the price at the time, as I've not seen other ones like them to come up for sale again.
The other thing I realized is just as with buying/investing in the stock market over the long term, the principle of dollar cost averaging also applies to firearms. If you continue to buy guns over time, the high and low prices paid for each gun will offset each other in the long run.
Some will be bought at a low or bargain price, and some will be much higher. When you add up what was paid for all of them and then divide that dollar total by the number of guns, that gives you an average price you paid for each gun.
Typically, the average price per gun will be lower than the highest actual price paid for any one gun.
So, I no longer agonize over paying a reasonably (and that's the key... keep it reasonable) higher price for a particular gun that I really want, because I know that the price will eventually be offset by appreciation of value over time, and it's cost average will end up being lower than the purchased price.
Example... I bought a 39A ltd a few years ago for $700 and thought I paid through the nose. Then as luck would have it, a few months later I went to my LGS to buy some powder and on the consignment rifle rack was a hardly fired Marlin 444S for $299. I about broke my arm pulling my wallet out so fast to buy it.
So I paid $700 for the 39A Ltd and $299 for a 444 that should have gone for between $600 - $700, the dollar cost average for them works out to $500 each.... not bad.
So enjoy your find!! The 39A Ltd's are really great rifles... after all, how many 39A's do you see with a hexagon barrel?
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06-12-2019, 05:54 PM
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Thanks for all the kind words guys. Especially Gunhacker for making me feel better about the deal. I have no regrets. The way you describe it is true. I recently bought a PPS that came with 10 magazines for $249. Basically paid for the magazines and got the gun for free. In the end it all balances out.
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