Hi folks. I'm kinda wondering why I can't find the JM stamp on my Marlin 39A. It's older than me, Ser. # D17XX, which from what I know it was made in 1947. Maybe because of wartime production?I'd love to post a couple pics, but that Tap a Talk won't let me sign in. I'll figure that out later, as I have a couple older knives and a couple older .410s. Presently I'm curious about the Marlin. My dad had to have gotten it after he came home from So. Pacific, probably used. Thanks in advance. Jeff T. PGH PA

Very interesting. I can't help you but have you tried the Marlin Forum?

Small stamping on side of the barrel next to where it meets the reciever. Maybe it was stamped too low on the barrel and it is covered up by the walnut forend stock?

You can upload your photos directly to the forum.

Video Tutorials on Posting Pictures

It’s really not necessary, since the D prefix does coincide with 1947. No question it was made by in New Haven, Connecticut.

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Thanks s&wchad. I'll try to watch these when I get the chance. Much appreciated.

The lack of a JM stamp is a serious taboo and mark of shame against the gun in the eyes of serious Marlin collectors. It essentially makes the gun worthless.

Send it to me for proper disposal, it’s worth nothing.

Your Dad had good taste in firearms. Any Marlin 39a is nice gun, one that belonged to your Dad is a treasure. Here are mine. The one with the deer is my Dads. Don’t worry about the missing stamp. We know where and by whom it was made.

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JayFramer, I got it handled! I took my Metabo to it and cut it up for recycle tomorrow!

As already stated, it could be under the stock. I believe that most JM stamps made at that time will be on the right side of the barrel near the receiver and could even be upside down. On later guns it is usually on the left side. Any 39 is a fantastic rifle. Hope to see pictures soon.

Here's my 39A Mountie

The early Marlin proof mark was an 'M' in a circle and was used up to WW1 or there about.
Usually guns with this mark are stamped on the bottom of the bbl. Proofing was done on the assembled but not yet stocked unit.

Somewhere in there, the JM in an oval Proof MArk was approved for use.
Guns were being proofed in their completed state and the proof mark was applied to the gun above the wood line because of this.

Around 1985/86, a new Proof Mark was once again approved for use, but it was just the same JM ,,,but w/o the oval.
PennyPinchers at Marlin probably found out that the machine made stamps were cheaper by a few cents if made w/o the oval.

The Range continued to use the older Oval mark punches as they had them so some newer guns show up with the older mark on them.
Also about that time in '86,, Marlin decided to NOT proof test the .22rf blowback rifles. Again a cost saving measure.
Instead they were done by testing a select few out of a known number as they came through off the line. I don't know the equation used.

The stamping itself was always done in the range and after the Proof round test was done. Or supposedly.
When I worked there in the early 70's, it was not unusual for rolling racks of rifles to be pushed into the range, get stamped with the JM proof mark, and then rolled right back out again and down to Packing.
They never saw a single round through them, Proof or otherwise.
This when the range was backed up and things were really busy.

At that time the proof mark stamp was applied with a small pneumatic hand held 'gun' and one could run up and down a 30 gun cart in no time.
...All set. Proofed, function fired and targeted...It says so,they all have the 'mark'..Marlins Best!

Same in any Factory in any era.
So the chances of a rifle missing a proof mark are just as easy.
Hardly any one ever works in those places at the time thinking they're making collectors items. It's just a job for most.