29 years ago enter Marlin, for me, anyway. Even when running up and down a range peppering targets with an H&K 91 and a Colt Delta Elite AR15 HBar, or a 1911 Government, I still wanted a cowboy lever gun! I got my fist one from a friend. A first year production, 1894 in .32-20, with a 24" heavy round barrel. I was hooked!
Got a little collection together now that I thought some may like to see...
So, top to bottom... then left column.... then right...
Model 1893, made in 1896. First year production for .32 Winchester Special. A necked up .30-30 that was designed from the outset as a smokeless cartridge. It wears a 26" half round, half octagonal barrel.
A model 336 Octagon. Chambered in .30-30, these were made for only one year, 1973 and only 2500 were made. 22" tapered barrel.
The one that started it all, the first year production 1894 in .32-20.
A 1902 vintage 1894 saddle ring carbine, in .44-40. Unlike Winchester, who made far more many carbines than rifles, up to WW1, Marlin made three times as many rifles as carbines. Somewhere in the region of only 10000 carbines were made.
A 1920 vintage, 1894 in .25-20. Octagonal 24" barrel.
A 2002 JM produced 1894C in .357 mag
A 2000 JM produced 1894P. 16" ported barrel in .44 mag. Only 1200 made and around a dozen or so imported to the UK.
A 2001 JM produced 1894CP. Again a 16" ported barrel and around only 1200 made.
Then a particularly rare beast, a 1894 Cowboy, made in 2005, with a 20" barrel. Chambered in .32 H&R Magnum. Around 600 produced and only possibly 4 imported to the UK.
And another not often seen in the UK, an 1894M. This is a rimfire but on the larger frame than usual for a Marlin rimfire, due to it being WMR! My latest acquisition...
Once again, a rare gun in the UK, but a staple of the US deer hunting in close cover, a model 336RC in .35 Remington. Made in 1965, it's hardly been used.
A first year production model 1892 in .22lr.
Another model 1892, but made in 1904.
A model 1897, .22lr, made in 1899.
A 1976 Model 39AS
A 1965 model 39a Mountie.
And finally, a model 39M Octagon. Like the 336, these were made for only one year, 1973, for a production run of just over 2000. 20" tapered Octagonal barrel.
