Looking at a late 1950's Marlin Golden 39A in excellent condition in an upcoming estate auction. Considering a purchase if price is right. I have done the usual research on-line, google, GB, etc. The older ones seem to be very well made and collectable. Any input from forum members about the older Golden 39A would be appreciated. (I have a Marlin Model 60 so I am aware of the accuracy of Marlin .22lr with the micro groove barrels.)

Thanks.

I have two of them, a Golden model I was gifted as a boy in 1964, and a Mountie I purchased a few years ago, made in 1965. These are great shooters, both durable and accurate..... and very collectable.

Check Gunbroker for current price trends. As always, the price depends on age and condition.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Two here as well...exact same setup as Armourer. They are great rifles that will flat shoot. They are getting hard to find in good condition and a decent 39A will bring $500 minimum. The Mounties bring a premium, as do the pre-safety guns. Try to stick with the JM marked guns.

I have 3 39A's a 1939 first year a 1956 Mountie and a 1982 model . They are of very good quality and enjoyable to shoot. Since they are no longer being made I would assume that prices for ones in original condition will continue to rise . Generally speaking the earlier the model the more desirable . A late 1950's 39A in excellent condition is collectible. If you are wanting one and it can be had at a reasonable price you may want to buy it. It was popular at one time to have the barrels D&T'd for a scope mount so make sure there are no extra holes any where . Do your homework before you make a purchase.

I've got a 39 Mountie and a 1897. The 39 series is the best 22
lever action that has been made. The Win 9422 and Brownings
were nice rifles but were modern designs made to look western,
for the market. My dad bought my 1897 off a collector in 1955
In all those years the only problem was broken main spring. Dad
ordered new spring and ejector ( in case ) I still have ejector in
package. Not one problem with the 39, which I also bought new.
This is one off the guns that have steadily risen in price on used
market, as with most JM Marlin models. Nice ones around here
are $500-$600.

The early Model 39A rifles that SEARS sold were factory drilled and tapped on the bbl (left side, 4 holes) just ahead of the frame for a Weaver side mount.
These D&T'd rifles were exclusively sold thru Sears at the time,,though later MArlin would realize the customers wanted 'scopes.
At first MArlin was hesitant to fit the rifle w/a scope. They felt it wasn't right for the gun.
Sears, one of Marlins biggest buyers, had enough clout ($$) to get them to D&T the rifle and supply the mt and scope in a packaged set for Sears to retail. It was a popular item.

Marlin later offered thru the Customer Service Dept to D&T owners M39A rifles for the side mt (cost $2),,sold some regular production with the bbl D&T's for the mt.
Then in late 56 or 57 began factory D&T the 39A recv;r for scope mt at the factory.

Nice slick handling rifles. Generally very accurate for a 2 piece stocked rifle and a lever action at that.
The earlier the production, generally the better fit & finish.,,not unlike most any other US gun mfg'r.

Mod 39A is OK with HV ammo.
The earlier Model39 (no 'A') made only a couple years.. is a 'standard vel ammo' rifle only due to the weaker bolt locking surface design.
It can and regularly does develope a crack with the use of HS ammo. Bolts are hard to come by for replacement and a Mod39A bolt won't fit.
The still earlier Model97 uses that same bolt as the 39,,the reason it too is a standard vel only ammo rifle.
Marlins Mod 20 pump 22 rifle uses nearly the same bolt,,same design,, as the 97/39 and is also limited to Standard Vel only ammunition.

I've got a couple Model 97's that I shoot often. No 39A any more. Should I see a decent one I would buy it though. I'd probably put it on a diet though and slim the stocks down to the more trim Model97 style. I never cared for the heavy weight forends and butt stocks of most of the 39A production guns.

The Marlin 39A's from the late 1940's and 1950's era are the top of the heap in the 39A model's history as far as I am concerned. They continued to make quality rifles up until the mid to late 80's which is about when they came out with the 39AS which has both a cross bolt safety and a rebounding hammer. That was the beginning of the end for the 39A quality IMHO. Quality, fit and finish started to deteriorate and continued on a downward spiral until Remington purchased Marlin about 10 years ago. At that time Marlin's quality and reliability dropped to its all time low and went right into the toilet! IMHO today's Marlins (or Remlins as they are referred to by some) are the worst in the Company's very long history and I would not buy a new one. Even though they still use the Marlin name, they are no longer the family owned original Company and no longer in CT. They are just a shadow of their former self!


The 39A's from the era you asked about are beautiful, reliable, strong and about as bullet-proof as one can make a .22 LR Lever Gun. They will feed .22 shorts, .22 Longs and .22 Long Rifles interchangeably. The nice features of the 39A are that it is a full sized rifle (unlike the carbine sized Winchester 94-22) which can be shot by any adult - even tall and big guys. It also takes down for cleaning and maintenance by loosening the thumb screw in seconds - no tools required. It's easy to clean, easy to maintain, a pleasure to shoot, easy to transport in even the smallest vehicles as it takes down so easily. It can be popped back together in seconds and is ready for shooting. The hood over the front sight is loved by some and hated by others but luckily it is able to slide off in 2 seconds if you don't like it.

Luckily the Marlin 39A is the worlds longest production rifle and there are plenty of high quality example still waiting to be plucked up. The price has crept up over the past few years but you can still get a real beauty for under $1,000 which will blow away the new ones now coming out of Marlin's Custom Shop for over $3,200.00 !!!

The 39A is probably my favorite .22 general purpose Rifle and a real American classic. IMHO the only other Lever Action Rifle in its class is the Winchester 9422 - which is a Carbine sized rifle and probably more expensive on the used market now than even the Marlin 39A. IMHO both the older Marlins and Winchesters are far and above any of the Henry's of today. If you can get a good 39A in excellent original condition you will never regret doing so.

I have my fathers 1951 vintage 39A. I may be buried with it.

I had to forsake that quest. There were a few Mounty models that I could have bought along the way, but the full size Golden 39A's that I found were always too expensive for their condition. Collector's Firearms in Houston has recently had a prime example for $5,000. For those prices, I will stick with my Henry Frontiersman. I will testify that the 39A is very collectible and desirable. Congratulations to all who have one or two.

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I think I've posted this before. I have a 1964 Mountie I bought new and put a weaver K2.5 on it. A few years ago I bought a rifle made in '59 and put a Leupold rimfire 3X9 on it.
One of my mentors told me that a M39 would not always shoot where you wanted but you could bet the farm that it shot where you held it.
I plan on dying with both of mine. Larry

Great shooting rifle. You won't regret buying one. I see them fairly often at auctions here in south central Pennsylvania selling for around $450 to $550 and up. Good luck!

John

Estate auctions around here bring a premium for nice condition, quality guns. I would pay $500-$600 for a nice example every day. They sure do knock woodchucks down easy.

1967 39a Golden with Baush & Lomb 4x scope.




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Thanks for all the replies! If I get it - most certainly will post a picture