Marlin 1897 cowboy.22 -100yr.Anniversary Model
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Marlin 1897 cowboy.22 -100yr.Anniversary Model
Hello everyone.First of all I love reading & learning from all who writes into this forum.I just bought a Marlin 1897 COWBOY.22 rifle from a seller on gunbroker.com for $899(which includes MI sales tax of $51) plus $30.S&H. I love the look of the 24"octagon barrel.I will recieve it it about a week.Can any one tell me about this 22 rifle? It does not have a owners manual & I went to Marlins Web Site & was unable to find a owners manual (PDF) for this gun? Anyone have any knowledge about this gun? How many were made? Were they made in 1997? What.22 bullets work best in it? Will it feed "Stinger".22 bullets? The seller said that they are hard to find and after doing research on them,I tend to believe it! Any input would be greatly appreciated.Thanks-Tim
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stubbfarmer
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Re: Marlin 1897 cowboy.22 -100yr.Anniversary Model
I am not sure what you have a Century Limited or a Cowboy. The Century Limited was the 100 year gun. The Cowboy was 2 years later and had nothing to do with the 100 year aniversary I looked in my catalogs and found the following:
1997 1897 Century Limited engraved with a Half round half octagon barrel
1998 Annie Oakley 18 ½ inch octagon barrel
1999-2001 1897 Cowboy 24 inch octagon barrel
2002-2003 1897 Texan 20 inch octagon barrel
I think they make around 3000 39A’s a year. That is just an educated guess. The regular 39AS was also offered all these years. If you figured, half the production was the Cowboys and Texans that would make 4500 Cowboys and 3000 Texans. Again that is just a guess you might call Marlin. A 39AS manual should give you all the info you need. The Annie Oakley, Cowboy and Texan have a straight stock but are other wise the same as a 39AS.
Hope this helps.
1997 1897 Century Limited engraved with a Half round half octagon barrel
1998 Annie Oakley 18 ½ inch octagon barrel
1999-2001 1897 Cowboy 24 inch octagon barrel
2002-2003 1897 Texan 20 inch octagon barrel
I think they make around 3000 39A’s a year. That is just an educated guess. The regular 39AS was also offered all these years. If you figured, half the production was the Cowboys and Texans that would make 4500 Cowboys and 3000 Texans. Again that is just a guess you might call Marlin. A 39AS manual should give you all the info you need. The Annie Oakley, Cowboy and Texan have a straight stock but are other wise the same as a 39AS.
Hope this helps.
Re: Marlin 1897 cowboy.22 -100yr.Anniversary Model
In Marlin's original scheme of products, as they've so far run, the Model 1897 was one of the earlier .22 cal rimfire rifles the company made, to eventually be discontinued in favor of the improvements which Marlin thought deserving of a new/different model designation, the Model 39 - which itself was superceded by the Model 39a.
With the late 20th Century's commerative issues, and thirst for nostalgia, some older models were revived, and some older models revived in name only - using the new/improved models as the base.
AFAIK, your late model 1897 is in reality a Model 39a mechanically, and any such advisories concerning safety, takedown and use should apply to both.
Regarding the term "100 Year Anniversary", if by that you mean a 100th Year medallion inletted into the side of the buttstock - Marlin did that to every single rifle they produced in the year 1970, commemorating the 100 years since 1870.
The Model 39 Century Ltd, w/brass forend nosecap/buttplate and a name plate on the stock was made in 1970 as a Marlin Centennial model 1870-1970, with a 20" octagonal barrel.
While the first generation Model 1897 rifles had them, the first later/repro-type 24" octagon barreled models appeared in 1973, with the "Cowboy" models coming much later, as posted above.
.
With the late 20th Century's commerative issues, and thirst for nostalgia, some older models were revived, and some older models revived in name only - using the new/improved models as the base.
AFAIK, your late model 1897 is in reality a Model 39a mechanically, and any such advisories concerning safety, takedown and use should apply to both.
Regarding the term "100 Year Anniversary", if by that you mean a 100th Year medallion inletted into the side of the buttstock - Marlin did that to every single rifle they produced in the year 1970, commemorating the 100 years since 1870.
The Model 39 Century Ltd, w/brass forend nosecap/buttplate and a name plate on the stock was made in 1970 as a Marlin Centennial model 1870-1970, with a 20" octagonal barrel.
While the first generation Model 1897 rifles had them, the first later/repro-type 24" octagon barreled models appeared in 1973, with the "Cowboy" models coming much later, as posted above.
.
Re: Marlin 1897 cowboy.22 -100yr.Anniversary Model
Thank you very much for the great info.After reading your answers to my questions I realize that I have a "COWBOY" 1999-2001 1897 Cowboy 24 inch octagon barrel.It is not a 100yr anniversary model because it does not have the medallion on the stock.Anyways I will pick it up tomorrow and I can hardly stop thinking about it.I will write in this forum again as soon as I can get my nephew to show me how to put photos onto this site.I will take photos of my other lever action rifles as well.Thanks again for the priceless knowledge that you all have on the subject of Marlin rifles.Thanks-TimRe: Marlin 1897 cowboy.22 -100yr.Anniversary Model
I also have a Marling with the medalion, mine is a 30-30 model 336. I had purchased this rifle about 15 years ago, is has a straight butt stock and not the pistol grip style, also there is a brass saddle ring on the side. The local gun dealer told me this gun came in a matched set with a 22, i would love to find the other one if this is true and re-unite them. I just sent Marling a letter, lets see what I get back.