1950 Model 39A What is the story behind the peanut?

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Prairie Buck
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1950 Model 39A What is the story behind the peanut?

Post by Prairie Buck »

I recently purchase a 1950 Vintage Marlin 39A. It was a boat gun for killing halibut so it is rough but the bore is shiny with a few pits. Function appears to be good. Seller tells me that it occasionally fails to feed. We will see if a good cleaning will fix that. My question is, what is the story behind the 'peanut' window in the pistol grip cap?
Regnier (gunrunner)
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Re: 1950 Model 39A What is the story behind the peanut?

Post by Regnier (gunrunner) »

Prairie Buck;

The grip cap you describe was something Marlin made available from 1951 to 1952. The idea was for the original owner to engrave his initials in the brass insert that fits in the "peanut" shaped hole. Marlin included an envelope with the new gun so the new owner could remove the brass insert and send it back to Marlin to engrave (stamp) the owners initials and then return the insert with the owners initials stamped on it. Marlin only offered this service the two (2) years as there was no mention of the service in the 1953 catalogs.
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Prairie Buck
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Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 2:24 am
Location: North of the Medicine Line

Re: 1950 Model 39A What is the story behind the peanut?

Post by Prairie Buck »

Ah, thank you. Empty window on mine, nothing in it. By the way the s/n for this one is H685x, which one source indicates is 1950.
Regnier (gunrunner)
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Re: 1950 Model 39A What is the story behind the peanut?

Post by Regnier (gunrunner) »

Prairie Buck;

The "H" code is for 1951. Check the first post in this section about "dating" a guns manufacturing dates. Scroll down a ways and you will see all the letter - date codes.
Due to the increasing cost of ammunition, there will be no warning shot!

The growing federal deficit = generational slavery to the national debt.

If the world was perfect.......it wouldn't be.
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