30/30 Marlin-Chester (1893 Marlin Receiver 94 Winchester Barrel ???

While a regular member here and not new to firearms, I'm new to lever actions and new to Marlins.

I've decided to add a lever action to the "collection" so I visited my LGS and found many had too-short stocks, too short barrels (will not be hunting in brush with it) or too high a price tag (I can't afford to pay for museum-quality collectibles and really like to shoot what I own, so shooter grade is just fine with me).

He's got what appears to be a 30/30 Marlin 1893 receiver mated to a Winchester 94 30/30 barrel. He's asking $475 which is within my budget, but that would be negotiable.

If I may, I have a couple of questions:

What have I got here? Something Bubba would be proud of or a legit rebarrel?
Without having a gunsmith look at it (which I will) is this combo safe if the job were done correctly?
Was this a common, or at least not unusual practice?
Is the price fair?
Should I be looking for something else under $500? (There are two Marlin 336Ws for sale on local boards, one for 400 and another unfired one for $350. My reason for considering the LGS gun is I like older guns; this one fits me fine in terms of the stock, it feels solid and I don't mind a heavier rifle, and I might consider a trade with the LGS for a gun I'm not shooting.

Would love to hear some opinions, suggestions, etc.

Here's a couple of more pics:

From your pics looks like the Winchester 30-30 barrel was set back and rethreaded and rechambered for your 1893 Marlin. If you look at the winnie barrel you can see that the last 30 of the 30-30 caliber designation is missing. Which leads me to what I posted. Other than that the rifle does look to have been used and carried a lot. I'd want to see a couple fired cases from that rifle to check for scratches in the chamber from rechambering and to see if the fired primers protrude from the case which may be a sign of excessive headspace. Other than that already mentioned if everything checks out go for it. Asking me wether I prefer Winchesters or Marlins would be funny. See I own about a dozen Winchesters and Marlins. And I like them all. Agree that Marlins have become suprisingly expensive especially new in the box factory firearms. Many years back it was rare that a used Winchester 30-30 or Marlin in the same caliber seldom fetched more than a $100 to $125 depending on condition. One good thing about the Win/Marlin your comtemplating is that if you ever decide to shoot cast bullets won't have to worry about the micro-groove rifling. As the winnie barrel used standard rifling. Well gotta go, rambled on enough. Frank

The 1893 Marlin is a good rifle which, in original condition, would be of interest to collectors. Re-barreled with a Winchester barrel knocks out the collector market, and greatly reduces the value of the piece. Wood appears to have been refinished, another negative for collectors. Best part of the rifle I can see is the old Lyman tang sight (probably worth $100 to $150 all by itself, and with strong demand).

As a shooter, the true value can't be known without trying it out. Quality of the gunsmithing work is a big unknown factor, and that might lead to some safety concerns. I would suggest a thorough examination by a qualified gunsmith before loading and firing (and that will cost a few bucks before the results can be known). Marlin 1893's of that period featured case-hardened receivers, and steel alloys of that period were not as highly developed as later periods. It is not possible to know what caliber the rifle was originally chambered for, but it is possible that it was any of a number of cartridges producing even lower pressures than the moderate .30-30 Winchester.

Short version: Lots of question marks on this rifle, including possible safety concerns. Interesting as an oddity, and possibly as a source of parts for restoration shops. Not a great candidate for a shooter.

There are a lot of old marlins out there that aren't frankenguns. It's harder to get one of the really old ones, but if that's what I wanted, I wouldn't settle, just keep looking. One at the right price will turn up.

That combo looks to have been assembled and together for a long time from the looks of the dust/dirt/patina around the bbl & frame joint.
The work looks nice and clean from what little we can see in the one pic of the bbl set back and it's timed turn into the frame.

I can't remember what the specs are for the 2 dif bbls. I have a couple 93/ 1936 bbls here but no orphan 94 bbls to check.
I know they cut off at least part of the threaded shank on the win bbl to fit it to the MArlin rifle. But I don't recall of any of the old Win94 shank dia is large enough to rethread for the Marlin 93.
That would mean one of two things were done.
#1..The Win94 bbl was cut off at the threaded breech end and has an entirely new threaded shank turned on it to fit the Marlin 93 frame.
Or
#2.. The Win94 bbl was cut only enough to elliminate the 12oclock extractor cut from it's design, Then sleeved into the old threaded portion of the original Marlin 94 bbl,,held there in a force fit, slip fit, very fine threads and with the extra aid of solder, epoxy or locktite type adhesives.
A monoblock type of arrangement so to speak using the old threads on the new bbl. Not an unusual arrangement for converting low pressure rifles and certainly not new.

Check the breech face of the bbl very carefully and see if you can see a seam of the two. It'll look like a liner inside the shank, That'll be the 94bbl fitted inside the old threaded portion of the Marlin bbl shank. Some are quite hard to see.

With the caliber marking gone to the last '0' in 30-30,,I really do suspect that the Win94 bbl was just cut to elliminate the 94 threaded portion. Then the simply rethreaded for the MArlin.
Option #1 from above.

Check the headspace.
Check feeding if you can with some loaded rounds.
These rifles were avail in a number of calibers that all used the same case head size (30-30) and no change in any guides or anything like the Win94 needs.
But when a rebbl is presented, best to confirm feeding as there is a small amt of chance that the rear lip of the chamber may have need some attention for that issue to be nice and smooth.
I've done a fair number of bbl switches on Marlin 93,1936 and 1894 and they usually go without any problems. But sometimes...

There may be an extra forend dovetail hanger cut on the bottom of the bbl under the forend wood depending on what Model 94 that bbl came from.
If there was an orig Win cut,,it most probably didn't line up when done with where they needed it for the MArlin forend to go back in place.

Wood looks like an old sand and refinish as pointed out already.
The tang sight is nice. Probably $125+ if you try to buy one from a parts guy.
Some people don't like them, so it's an item to sell an recoup some $$ if you look at it that way

The rear bbl sight looks like the orig one that was on the Win94. The scratches in the bluing from the sight elevator look like there may have been some problems getting the rifle to shoot high enough. All the way back onto the frame it looks like.
MAybe a lower front site would be a better fix.

It's hard to sight through the rear bbl site when using the tang site anyway as they should line up unless you're that Quigley guy and the 30-30 is a 700yrd shooter for you and that's the reason forr the tang site.
. One or the other,,,or a fold down rear bbl sight is useful.

A few small wrench marks on the side of the front of the frame probably from the bbl switch.

But I like it,,If the rifle checked out mechanically, I'd buy it for that price,,or try for a bit lower one of course!.
I'd much rather have the older square bolt Marlin than a round bolt 336.
But that's just me and my personal preferences for the older ones.

BTW,,the Model 1993 was made in 30-30 & 32Win Spec.
The first 2 calibers chamberedwhen the rifle was orig intro'd were 35-55 & 32-40 . Also made in 25-36Marlin
So the action is certainly strong enough for the round.
Treat it as you would any rifle of it's age, Winchester, Marlin, Stevens, Ect.

I have to ask why? What could have happened to the rifle that someone wanted a Winchester barrel on a Marlin rifle?
If you can get a Marlin 336 in the $350-500 range, I would go for it.

A few years back I bought a Marlin 1893 in 32/40. 85% gun and
95% bore. The shop owner contacted me as prospective buyer.
I looked gun over and was satisfied. There was very little give on
the price but I bought it. Long story short, when I went to shoot
it bolt wouldn't close. I had only loaded 20rds with new components. I thought I had messed up. Back home got out the
manual and checked specs, right on. I was at a loss when on the
opposite page in manual were specs for 32Win. Light came on and I checked rifle with 32Win. Worked slick. I was no longer
interested in the rifle. Took it back and shop offered it to me for
$350, less than half what I had paid for it. I just got my money
back. If somebody just wanted a shooter I'm sure that would
have been a good one.

I own Marlin lever guns and I own Winchester lever guns, but I would not own a love child of the two!

jinx said:

I have to ask why? What could have happened to the rifle that someone wanted a Winchester barrel on a Marlin rifle?

Click to expand...

Maybe it was the difference in the twist. Granted this is a 30-30, but I have seen Marlins in 44 that have been re-barreled to handle heavier bullets, because the Marlin's slow twist was too slow to stabilize them.

This might have been a case of something happening to the original barrel on the Marlin and the local gunsmith used what he had on hand or could easily get. That may have been easier and cheaper than sending it back to the factory for a new barrel.

Lots of questions without answers. It wasn't so many years ago that modifications were made that today we just shake our heads at and wonder why it was done.

Sometime ago it wasn't always as easy as click 'n buy and a new bbl for your fav rifle would show up dropped off by the Amazon drone.

Older rifles w/a damaged bore, rusted, pitted, ect were not always parted out or relined,,they were replaced. The replacement not always a factory new threaded, screw on, ready to go item.

The rifle may have orig been a 38-55 , 32-40, 25-36M. They are fairly common with poor bores. But the mechanism will easily handle the 30-30 and 32SP. So a rebbl to either of those would be easy and inexpensive.
Orphaned Marlin bbls are not as common as usable Win 94 bbls in the trade.

MArlin Mod 93 in 38-55 and 32-40 were often bbl'd with what was called Black Powder Bbls.. 'B Barrels'.at the factory.
The left side of the bbl back by the breech was plainly marked 'For Black Powder Only'
They were made in cals 38-55 and 32-40 only on the M1893.
This was a warning for use of BP loaded ammo only because of the steel used in the bbl, not because of the action strength.

The action and the frame were the same as used on the other Model 93's that were made with 'Special Smokeless Steel' imprinted in the same location on the bbl.
(The 1893 uses the same locking bolt design and two piece safety firing pin system as the later Model 336 round bolt rifle of 1948. In fact that's where the 336 got that from. The MOdel 1936 was made inbetw the two but was only different cosmeticly from the 1893.)

The 'Special Smokeless Steel' (SSS) marked bbls were used in the calibers 30-30,32Sp and 25-36MArlin.

So the orig caliber of this M1893 MArlin may have been 38-55 or 32-40 and had a 'B Bbl' on it (marked 'For BP Only") The owner may not have felt comfortable with the bbl and it may not have been in very good condition as well in the bore. BP can do that.

A switch to common 30-30 cal was chosen and the easy inexpensive way to bring it about was the use of a Win94 bbl lying in the corner of the shop.


Gunsmiths with knowledge, a large lathe and a bench full of hand tools would fix it. The rifle got put back into working, deer hunting condition using what might be available.
In this case the orphaned bbl from an unkn version of the Win94.
It takes machinest and gunsmithing ability to do this, not simple swap out parts changing tinkertoy play that many show and tell gunsmiths now sell as gunsmithing.

No it's not a collectible, not a minty specimen, it has some warts on it and the finish is gone. But if the mechanics are good along with the bore and specs, it's a fine early Marlin 30-30. As a hunting and general shooter 30-30, I'd still take it anyday over a later model 336.
If the Winchester markings bother someone that much, they can be gone and even MArlin can take their place.,,or you can put anything there you want.