Help: Which Model Do I Have?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Louis;

You have a Marlin Model 1889 rifle that was shipped from the factory in New Haven, Ct. in mid-1892 with a 24 inch round barrel (measured to the breech bolt face). The magazine should extend to the end of the barrel which indicates that something has happened to your rifle over the years.
Even if there are problems with the original barrel and magazine, you really should not reblue this old Marlin. There is a finite number of fine old antique guns in this world, and if you refinish this one, there will be one less. You can use some fine oil and extra fine steel wool to remove any active rust or slow the progress of it. Do not rub to hard as to remove any of the original blue on the sharp edges. After that is done, you can apply a light coat of paste wax if you want to help seal the surfaces. Others might have other suggestions too, you might wait to see any other suggestions.
I hope this helps.

[Ultona]

DON'T REBLUE IT! You might as well toss it in the garbage! Reblueing an old gun severely reduces its value. As a man who has bought and seen hundreds of pre-war guns over the last few years, I can tell you that many is the time I have seen a nice old gun and said "if only they hadn't reblued it!" It is especially sad when you see a real nice tight gun with a crisp bore, as you know it was fine before they started! Now there are men who do restoration like Doug Turnbull, who do such good work that the guns they restore are usually worth more than when they started, sometimes much more. However, in the interest of preserving as many historical pieces as we can, I think people should be very selective in what sort of guns they choose for restoration. Personally, if an old gun has had the wood severely cracked, sanded, or otherwise severely damaged, and has little to no metal finish, but is mechanically tight and has a excellent bore, then I consider it a good candidate for restoration, as you don't have much to lose. However, if the gun just has cosmetic wear and the wood is still good and solid and original, then leave it alone, even if it looks kinda tired. All that blue and varnish wear is history and not anything to be ashamed of. You can replace springs and firing pins and damaged sights, and maybe even a magazine tube to make the gun function and get it back to the old configuration if necessary, but refinishing an unrefinished old gun with just honest wear but no major problems is really a crime in my opionion, but I am conservative when it comes to such things.

[Louis]

Well I'm convinced. I wont have it reblued, but I believe I will try to clean up the minor pitting with the oil/steel wool suggested.

How, or where could I come up with an approx. value for insurance purposes?

What ammo would be used with this rifle, and how would one determine its fitness to be fired? Mechanically it functions well, and appears to be operable.

Thanks for the input.

Louis

[Four-Eyed Buck]

the caliber is 44-40 Win.. there are makers that have lower speed lead rounds for Cowboy action that should be fine for it. Winchester, Black Hills.Ultra Max, Ten-X, PMC. keep the pressure low and use only lead, no jacketed. I have an '89 in 38-40 that's a year older than yours and use it occasionally for CAS, but with my own loads. Again low pressure and lead only. If you do decide to shoot it, have a good smith check it out first to make sure it's up to it. enjoy.................Buck

[irashdiamondbm]

Howdy.. i have a marlin rifle i need help with.. i bought this rifle some years back.. on top of the breach it says MARLIN SAFETY on top of the barrell it says 32-W. now i dont know if it shoots 32/20? or 32 winchester special rounds..the fellow i got it from, said he shot 32/20 rounds in it when he couldnt get 32-W. what i need to know, is 32-W the same as 32 WINCHESTER SPECIAL? or is it 32/20? any help is appreciated. Jim..[/list][/b][/quote]

[SteveW]

Yep, 32W = 32-20. AKA 32WCF. ( Win Centerfire) The 32 spl will be seen as 32 HPS on Marlin barrels - 32 Hi power Special. SW