Marlin Firearms Collectors Association

I have a Marlin 39-a with serial number 2xxx printed on stock under lever. There is no letter prefix, nor area where it could have been worn away. I need hlep aging it. Any ideas...i've checked the marlin serial number site at armscollectors.com, but in the first box my serial number tells me it was made before 1883 (not possible) and in the bottom box, using the first two digits of the number i'm told it doesn't exist.

Thanks in advance.

John

The letter prefixes started just after WW II in 1946 with the letter "C", AFAIK.

I think there were a few pre-war years of 39a manufacture, but earlier than that would have been a straight Model 39 (not the "a" upgrade).

Subtract the the first two numbers of the serial number from 2000.

Example: Serial Number 20XXXX

2000 - 20 = 1980

Here's more on dating the 39A

Marlin year of manufacture maybe determined from the following list of letter/numeral prefixes to the serial number:
1946-C
1947-D
1948-E
1949-F
1950-G
1951-H
1952-J
1953-K
1954-L
1955-M
1956-N
1957-P
1958-R
1959-S
1960-T
1961-U
1962-V
1963-W
1964-Y,-Z
1965-AA
1966-BB
1967-AC
1968-AD, -68
1969-69
1970-70
1971-71
1972-72
Starting in 1973, the year of manufacture maybe determined by subtracting the first two digits of the serial number from 2000.
Example: SN 2512345 would have been made in 1975 [2000 - 25 = 1975].

With a 4 digit serial # it could be a model 39 not 39A. If the barrel is marked 39A then it may have been rebarreled. Some more info COULD help in determining exactly what you have! How does the mag tube latch? What does the stock look like? Does the stock have a "S" curve at the bottom of the pistol grip? Is there white spacers between the butt plate and stock? If you can post some pics it would help.

John

Here's some photobucket links:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc20 ... 010034.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc20 ... 010035.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc20 ... 010036.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc20 ... 010039.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc20 ... 010040.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc20 ... 010042.jpg

Thanks for your help so far...anything additional will be greatly appreciated.

John

You have oneof those "halfbreeds". A Marlin model 39 from the 1920's, that someone has put a lat 39a barrel, mag tube, and forearm on.

Schnibbz;

Looks like a 1st variation Model 39-A to me. This gun would have been made around 1939.
It has the large, beavertail style forearm, the flat "S" style pistol grip and the round barrel of the 1st variation Model 39-A.
The first guns did not have a letter prefix to the serial number.
If this gun were a rebarreled Model 39, the upper tang would be marked Model 39, and that is not mentioned in the description given here.
I hope this helps.

Thank you, i had the gun listed on gunbroker and wanted to make sure what i had written about it was an accurate representation of the gun. Looks like i'm good.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... m=93553662

Thanks,
John

Can anyone tell me anything, or point me in the right direction about information regarding the Weaver Model 440 scope. Unfortunately the auction didn't close, however i've been told that the scope may be just as, if not more valuable than the gun. Thanks again, in advance.

Regards,

John

Here is an article that may help.


http://www.chuckhawks.com/weaver_v-scopes.htm

Hello, is your 39 still for sale??
Thanks

marlinman93 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:36 pm You have oneof those "halfbreeds". A Marlin model 39 from the 1920's, that someone has put a lat 39a barrel, mag tube, and forearm on.

Was that Common? I "inherited" a very poorly taken care of 39 receiver, involved in a house fire, barrel badly warped, but the receiver seems to have survived intact.
After sandblasting it, the barrel says 39A, but the receiver has no "Marlin 39" across the top tang and the serial number is "3000".
No alpha prefix, and the tang measures 2& 7/8 inch.
All the wood was burned off and the mag tube did not survive, although the fore end tip did.
I am trying to do a restoration project.

Gunsmiths have done barrel swaps on all sorts of old guns for many decades, so seeing a later barrel on an early gun isn't new.
The 39A didn't have "Model 39A" or any marking on the top tang, so that gun from a fire is likely all as it was new. They were marked on the barrels, not on the receiver tangs.
I'd be hesitant to use any receiver that went through a fire where it got hot enough to burn the stocks off the gun. It has gotten far too hot, and depending on how the fire went out it's either way too soft, or brittle if water doused the fire.

Btw, I live just down the Columbia river, past Bridge of the Gods!

357magnumdude wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 4:16 pm Btw, I live just down the Columbia river, past Bridge of the Gods!

Cascade Locks, or Washington side?