Marlin 30-30 Hunting

[mcurry]

I go deer hunting in the Maine woods with a Marlin 1893 30-30, with a 22" octagonal barrel and 3/4 mag. The serial is 357024. I was wondered age and value. Thank you for any help

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Mcurry;

A Marlin Model 1893 with a serial number in the 357,000 range should have been made around 1907. There are no records after December of 1906, so we can only estimate date of manufacture after that date.
As to value, that is almost impossible without actually seeing the piece in question. Expecially, since you state it has a 22 inch barrel and 3/4 magazine tube. That is not the standard lengths, so it very well could be your barrel and magazine have been shortened which would lower the value quite a bit to a collector. It would need to be examined by a knowledgeable collector to determine if it is the original lengths.

[mcurry]

Thank you for the info. What were standard lengths for models around that time?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Mcurry;

The standard barrel length for the Model 1893 was 26 inches with a full length magazine. On special order, barrels and magazines of different lengths could be ordered up to 32 inches for the barrel, and only 30 inches for the magazine. Shorter barrels and magazines could be ordered as well. It would take a very experienced eye to determine if your 22 inch barrel and shorter magazine tube were original.
You might measure the distance from the center of the front sight to the muzzle and post that distance here. Marlin had a set distance for the front sight to muzzle, and if someone cut your barrel off, they might not have gotten the distance correct. Measure carefully.......

[mcurry]

Best I could come up with was 17/32" maybe 9/16" Center of front sight to muzzle.