Marlin Firearms Collectors Association

I have a model 1897 lever action 22, serial number 200744 which was given to me by my father 50 years ago. As far as I know it is in very good shape. (I have never shot it.)
I remember admiring it in his gun case when I was a young lad in the "30"s. The butt plate is metal with "Savage Quality" stamped on it and and just forward of the hammer
are the words "Marlin Safety". The barrel is 23 inches long, octagonal for the length of the stock, then round for the remaining 14 inches. Everything but the barrel and butt
plate have been chrome plated.
I intend to give the gun to my grandson and would like to be able to tell him approximately when it was made and perhaps anything else of interest that you might be able to
pass on to me. I will appreciate any info about the gun

Gundum;

Your Marlin Model 1897 with it's 24 inch half octagon barrel, and pistol grip stock was shipped from the factory in New Haven, Ct. in mid-1900.

I really hate to disagree but it does NOT have a pistol grip stock and I know it predates a 1950's shipment from the factory.I left home in 1948 to join the Air Force and the gun was in my father's gun cabinet.

Gundum;

When I said mid-1900, I meant in the middle of the year 1900, not 1950! I can only tell you what the original factory records show, and the records indicate that that serial number has a pistol grip stock. If it does not, then you mis-read the serial number, or half of the gun has been exchanged for another half of another 1897, You will need to remove the butt stock from the gun to look for a serial number on the side of the tang to see if the serial number on the left half of the gun matches the serial number on the right half of the gun. I have seen other Model 1897's/'97's that has happened to.

Sorry that I misunderstood you.
Looking at photos of the lever action rifles I see that they require a curved lever to accommodate the pistol grip. Mine has a straight lever.
Is the metal butt plate marked "Savage Quality" an original butt plate?