Marlin Model 39

[VaTom]

Great information. I was googling and saw this link right here in my backyard.

Question please. Does the JM stamp on the barrel important to the value? I see it stands for John Marlin. Other Marlins' have no stamp or REM (Remington barrel)?
Thanks

To the Marlin collector the JM is important and most feel it is a better quality than those without it. Shows the rifle was built before the Remington take over. Sort of like pinned barrels on the S&W revolvers (1981 or prior) to the revolver collectors. Until I bought my Model 39 I wasn't aware of the significance of the "bullseye" embedded in the stock. It indicates the stock is american walnut. Also so that the buyer could easily pick out a Marlin in the shop where there were a rack full of similar rifles. In older rifles the bulleyes is often missing and only a hole there (my 1958 was like that). You can buy replacements and put them back in like I did.

 

[epj]

Probably the best shot I ever made was with the family Marlin 39A. My father bought it in the early 50's and it gradually became my gun. To this day it stands Coyote duty by the back door. Anyway, our collection of song birds was being decimated by what my father called a butcher bird. A "butcher bird" is a type of shrike. I saw a few of them in East Tennessee when I was young, but haven't seen one since. I digress. I was probably about 14-15. My father called for me and told me to "bring the gun". He wanted that bird gone. Our den had a sliding glass door that overlooked our garden plot. There was the butcher bird, sitting on a corn stalk. He was a good 50 yards away. We were in a semi populated area, do I couldn't just sling lead any old place. Chambering a LR, I carefully aimed. I finally squeezed off the shot and the bird disintegrated into a cloud of feathers. My father was stunned. He let out a short string of expletives, congratulating the shot. What I remember most is having impressed the old man.

 

[eveled]

Here are mine. A 39as that was my Dads only .22 rifle. He carved the deer. (I told him he should have carved a squirrel, the deer belongs on the 30/30.)

A 39a I bought used in the late eighties, it's always been my go to .22 rifle.

And last but not least a Century Limited, I was thrilled to find. It's from my birth year.

 

[D Brown]

Here are mine. A 39as that was my Dads only .22 rifle. He carved the deer. (I told him he should have carved a squirrel, the deer belongs on the 30/30.)

A 39a I bought used in the late eighties, it's always been my go to .22 rifle.

And last but not least a Century Limited, I was thrilled to find. It's from my birth year.

Your dad was a talented woodcarver. Nice collection!

 

[eveled]

Thanks. Here is a better shot.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Great information. I was googling and saw this link right here in my backyard.

Question please. Does the JM stamp on the barrel important to the value? I see it stands for John Marlin. Other Marlins' have no stamp or REM (Remington barrel)?
Thanks

Mine has a D prefix ser. no., which puts manufacture in 1947. It has no JM stamp on the barrel or anywhere that I can find. I'm not sure if my dad bought it after returning from "the islands" new or used, I never asked about it when I was a kid; I just shot it a lot. Anyway, I asked on this forum about the lack of the stamp, and someone said that it doesn't matter; "it was your dad's so you won't be selling it, (true) and WE all know it is a real Marlin made in 1947, so, it doesn't matter. Don't worry about it." (Or words to that effect.) It's gonna be Sarah's, my youngest, when she wants it or when I die & get incinerated.

 

[ko41]

Thanks all for the photos and stories about your Marlin 39s.
I've always been fond of the looks, quality and accuracy of the 39A and variants. The 39A in the photo with the 39D and 39TDS is from 1955 and has a Lyman rear peep sight, it is my favorite for standing back at the 100 yard line and plinking steel targets.

KO

 

[2152hq]

Early Marlins were proofmarked with a JM in an oval on the bottom of the bbl.
The stamp is very small compared to what is normally seen on the rifles proof marked on the top of the bbl near the breach.

I'm assuming the final assemblers of the day would fit the bbl and the bolt assembly for headspace and at that point the bbl'd action alone would go to the Range for proofing.
The JM stamp was applied at that point to the yet accessable bottom of the bbl near the breech as the magazine tube and forend was still to be fitted.

Back to the final assemblers to be completed and the rest of the components (butt stock, forend, mag tube and fittings, sights, ect) placed on the rifles.

That JM marking cannot be seen (usually) as the magazine tube is in the way and it could not have been struck there on a completely assembled rifle/carbine,,even one with the forend removed.

Just to remove the forend,,the magazine tube has to come off first. You can see the problem.

The 'older days' of final assembly may have made for proofing the bbl'd action first before going forward with the rest of the assembly work.
I'd thought of proofing the bbl alone on a 'slave' recv'r. But that would mean the action & bolt would never get the benefit of a proof firing.

Winchester final assembled the entire rifle/carbine and then sent it to the range for proof. Proof marks are above the wood (started 1908 I believe)
The assemblers were just that,, the rifles total assembler.
No pre assemblys provided like bolt assemblys, trigger assemblys as used later.
Each assembler put each rifle together one part at a time.
That included mounting the bbl in the frame and headspacing.
They were expected to complete 3 per day depending on the model.
That info I got directly from someone that did that work at Winchester pre-WW1.

I just completed a Marlin Model 1893 30-30.
It's a SRC I put together from parts I had accumulated over the years.
..That bbl had the small JM proof mark on the bottom as well

 

[Shark Bait]

Actually, the JM stamp is usually visible on the right or left side of the barrel near the receiver. This is true with all of my Marlin lever action rifles.

I prefer Marlins over Winchesters due their ease of cleaning. Most of these are Marlins and one is a 39A.

 

[boykinlp]

Thanks. Here is a better shot.

Very cool rifle. I would guess that it would be one of the last ones you would get rid of.

As a PSA that I saw years ago, not only can you replace the bullseye, but if the white spacer in the butt and pistol grip of the stock is looking shabby, you can easily replace it too. I have seen many that were not only discolored, but chipped or gouged.

Many of us will have white plastic laundry baskets around that have broken. All you have to do is take the screws out of the butt and pistol grip and remove the spacers. Find a nice flat spot in the basket and trace the spacer. Cut it out and, voila, you have a new bright white spacer.
Larry

 

[docjonson]

Got 2 39s, one has the old Ballard rifling and the other has the micro groove rifling. Both shoot good and can't see much difference in accuracy between the 2. I think the micro groove rifling makes the rifles shoot on par with most any other rifle, bolt action or SS. My old 39 had some idiot grind a large area on the left side of receiver to maybe install some kind of receiver sight or just wanted to booger up a rifle. Can't find left side receiver but still looking.

 

[PMW555]

Brings back memories

My dad bought me a Marlin 39A when I was 8 years old in the early 50s. It had a 6 power scope on it, and I dispatched many squirrels with it. When I was 16, I wanted a Browning 22 auto, so the the 39A was regretfully traded on the Browning. I love the Browning, and I took lots of squirrels with it as well. I still have the Browning, and won't get ride of it. But I also wish I still had the 39A. Can't afford one now, though.

 

[Murdock]

When I saw this post I though the rifle shown looked familiar. Checking my own M39 I confirmed that it is also an "E" made in 1948. In my case the rifle was purchased at a LGS, and it had apparently been mis-identified because smeone had installed a white spacer under the butt plate, making it appear to be a newer gun. Because of that,it was listed at a lower price than it should have been.

This cutie has won many frozen turkeys at a local shoot we hold each October.

Serial number is 167XX.

And Ballard rifling!

 

[jeffrefrig]

Thanks about the JM roll mark answer.

I didn't know the significance of the 'bullseye'. I found one w/o it and just the hole. I passed on it not knowing it could be replaced.

Great answers to everyone. As you can see, my Marlin knowledge is poor. Great pictures also.

I haven't bought a long gun since buying a used Henry .357 about 5 years ago (person to person transaction). I am thinking today that older long guns have become much more valuable.

There are some nice newer long guns too, it's just that the older ones were put together with more love than the new guns! I guess they had better standards, workers took a little more pride in what they put together. Another reason they have become more valuable is that my rifle, for example, is 73 years old and is still in great shape, just like all these other ones, because they were taken care of. As time goes on, they become rarer, and we will pay more money for them. Kinda like a '66 GTO, tri-power 389 cu. inch that was babied!

 

[2152hq]

Post WW2 Marlins and some late pre-ww2 mfg ,,it's visible on the bbl near the breech and not under the wood.
But earlier it's on the bottom of the bbl.
I should have made the distinction in era of mfg.,,my fault.

Some of those early bottom of the bbl proofed guns will have an additional proof mark on top if they went back for any work later on that required a re-proof and the stamping was then being done above line.

Nice collection.!


..added..

Here's a pic of the bottom of the bbl/under the wood line early JM in an oval proof mark.
This one on a refinished carbine bbl in 25-36M for a Mod 1893.
About 2" ahead of the breech and just around to the left side of the shallow clearance cut for the magazine tube in the breech end of the bbl.




Also,,the Bullseye placed in the toe-line of the stock was a Registered Trademark of the then 'new' Marlin Firearms 'Corporation' under John Marlin.
This was in 1922.
The new Corp used the Trademark on everything from mailing envelopes and office paper to tools and other items they made.

I think the use of the plastic Bullseye in the stock started around 1926. At lest that's when the factory made note of it in adv about the customers being able to easily ID a Marlin product on the shelf.

Marlin always used AmWal for their stocks. Early high grades got imported walnut.
Glenfield and other house brands (Ranger..)never got the Bullseye treatment.

 

[mauser9]

Seems like the old Marlin levers hold their value a lot better than other rifles be it bolt, semi, pump from other manufacturers I noticed. Sounds like Marlin 336 and 1894 sell quickly on the used gun market. The Savage 99 is another quality rifle to look for.

 

[wood714]

Both my 39A and 39 Century LTD have the JM mark on the barrel, but only the LTD has the bullseye.

My dad bought the LTD when they first came out. He never fired it, after he gave it to me it's stayed the same. Unfired unless they fire them at the factory.

 

[epj]

I have had mine since new, in the early 50's. Never been thrown in the back of a pickup or any other vehicle. Nonetheless, it has a few scrapes and bruises from being carried afield many, many times. It wasn't collectible in say 1960. It was a tool. It still is. I have considered a cosmetic makeover before I hand it down to one of my nephews. Maybe I will, but I probably won't. The gun has served me well for a long time. I too, have nicks, scratches, and light surface rust in spots. Maybe we go together.

 

[Muley Gil]

The Century models came out in 1970 (1870-1970).

 

[wood714]

g

Thanks for the clarification. Can you estimate the year your Dad bought it?

I need a Standard Catalog of Marlin (SWM).

I have two offers pending on two Marlin rifles. One includes a trade for a SW 4-screw (it's a S&W that is a double of a nicer one).

My biggest problem is finding one in good/great condition. I think some original owners were not protecting them from damage. Shooting = OK, but throwing them in a pick-up without a case and proper care is not OK. JMO.

Thanks for your help.

I'd guess 1970.