22 Marlin Model 39A

[Cal44]

I just picked up a Model 39A Marlin in 22LR.

It's a tube fed lever action, manufactured in 1956.

I had a 22 LR and a 22 Mag revolver, but no long gun.

This is my first 22 rifle since college age. As a kid, I had a Remington bolt action 22, but my mom sold it out from under me when I was away at college.

 

[ken158]

Those are great rifles.

 

[Drm50]

Marlin 39 series are the best lever action 22s ever made, they
are fast becoming collector items. The 39 comes from the
refinements of the earlier 1892-97. They had a long run but no
longer being made.

 

[Rpg]

What a great rifle! Best lever action 22 IMHO.

Congratulations!

 

[epj]

I have the one my father bought in the early 1950's. '51 or maybe '52. This one still has the standard rifling rather than the "Golden"'models with the Microgroove rifiling. Very, very accurate and very smooth operating. Among the very best .22 rifles ever made, if not the best.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Great rifle, I went on a quest for one and almost bought the Mounty version for $950. I finally gave up as I was just not going to shell out $3,000-$5,000 for a .22 rifle when I can get a decent M1A for $1,600. A friend let's me shoot his and that will have to do. I hope that it serves you and your heirs long onto the future. Congratulations on buying a "classic".

 

[Mistered]

You now have the best .22 rifle EVER (a few may argue that) but not many ! - Now get that scope off, get a peep sight and a front sight hood and blaze away! I have a Williams on mine. Correct me if I am wrong but has it been re-stocked? I don't see the grip cap or the 'bullseye' on the bottom.

 

[Peak53]

The Cadillac of .22's

 

[kraynky]

Congratulations on the find! Mine is a 1960 39A, and super accurate. I have a Skinner peep sight on it, because the sights are too hard to see these days. Keep it scoped if you are an old blind man like me. You done real good Cal44! Real good!

 

[Cal44]

Congratulations on the find! Mine is a 1960 39A, and super accurate. I have a Skinner peep sight on it, because the sights are too hard to see these days. Keep it scoped if you are an old blind man like me. You done real good Cal44! Real good!

I like the looks of lever actions better without scopes.

But I also like hitting what I aim at.

With iron sights I can't hit much beyond 10 yards and can't even see the targets at 100 yards.

 

[i1afli]

Yes, nice shooting .22.

 

[Homie]

One of the CLASSICS for sure. Mine's a '54 MOUNTIE.

 

[Cardboard_killer]

I just bought another Century (the short, octagon barrel with the straight stock) off GB for $500. I prefer the 24", pistol grip, but the shorts are good, too.

 

[tops]

I have a 1964 Mountie that I bought new with a K2.5 Weaver and a 1959 rifle that I bought used and put a Leopold 3X9 .22 scope on it. I planning on having both of them when I die.
One of my mentors told me that a 39 Marlin would not always shoot where you wanted but you could bet the farm that it shot where you held. I have found that he told the truth. Larry

 

[nutsforsmiths]

I have 2 of them. One my dad bought used, an early Model 39 in the 1950s, which is a 4 digit serial number, octagonal barrel and has the silver case colored receiver. I grew up shooting that rifle. I liked it so much that I bought my own Golden 39A brand new in 1987.

If I can get my dad's model out of the back of the safe, I should take a picture of it and get it posted here. 39s are great rifles.

 

[30-30remchester]

I have 2 of them. One my dad bought used, an early Model 39 in the 1950s, which is a 4 digit serial number, octagonal barrel and has the silver case colored receiver. I grew up shooting that rifle. I liked it so much that I bought my own Golden 39A brand new in 1987.

If I can get my dad's model out of the back of the safe, I should take a picture of it and get it posted here. 39s are great rifles.

Your early 39 should only be shot with standard velocity ammo. These older guns are works of art and flawless in construction but were never meant to be fired with the higher pressure HI-SPEED ammo. The bolt will eventually break when using modern ammo. I am not a Marlin fan by any stretch of the imagination but believe the 39's are in the top 10 of 22 rifles. I know about the broken bolts as in my youth I broke 4 different bolts on the older guns before I did research and found out what my problem was. Finding a replacement bolt is very difficult these days because of people like me.

 

[model17]

Marlin 39

Mine is a 39 D Very accurate and has been my go to 22 rifle since 1975

 

[Drm50]

My old man bought me a Marlin 1897 for my 5th birthday. He had
to cough up $8 for it. This was back in 55, so $8 was not chump
change for a working man. Still have it, we never sell any guns
that were gifts or passed down through the family. I have had
several over the years. I do have a Mounty I bought when my
kids got interested in shooting. Of all the 22s I have they wanted
to shoot the cowboy gun. I bought the 39 so there would be no
accidents with the 1897. They shot up a storm with the 39 and
it still looks new, no accidents. I put a Lyman reciever sight on
it and it's a squirrel shooting machine. I would not go as far as
to say it's the best 22 ever made. It is one of the best, and is the
best 22 lever action ever made.

 

[Wee Hooker]

IMHO, the 39A's were the best .22 lever actions ever made. I foolishly sold my last functioning 39A some years back when thinning my .22 heard. I actually have two beater 39'a in pieces now. They have bee sitting in a box in various states for over 10 years now.. I was restoring them and never got around to finishing. Maybe now that I'm retired, I can get to it. Thanks for the reminder.

p.s. Enjoy yours. My guess is that you'll soon be smitten with everything about the gun.

 

[greenmachine]

Mine is a 39 D Very accurate and has been my go to 22 rifle since 1975

I also have a 39-D, from 1971. To me it's the best of both worlds - carbine barrel and pistol grip stock. Mine has a Leupold 4X RF special on it.