marlin 31-20

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gundoctor
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Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2015 10:23 pm

marlin 31-20

Post by gundoctor »

Hello, I am a new member. I acquired a mod. 31- 20 a while back and am most interested in gathering more info. on it. any help is greatly appreciated. It is ser. # 456. A 20 ga. take down. full choke,no engraving, ringed forend and a very well figured stock. It is my understanding that poor records were kept for the mod. 31.s. Any pic. references on the diff. grades would be fantastic. This gun is in decent original cond. some buggered screw heads, oil soaked around the wrist and almost no bluing left on it. That said, The metal itself is very good cond. light surface rust, very few and light pitting. All markings are crisp and strong. It needs a repair at the receiver/stock juncture. A full top shelf face lift is in progress.I am keeping a full "before,during and after" photo album of all restoration work. I have been fortunate to be able to restore several guns of assorted manufacture and I am as excited about the process and completion of this one as any previous. Thank you in advance to all for thier input. Dan
Regnier (gunrunner)
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Re: marlin 31-20

Post by Regnier (gunrunner) »

Dan;

The Marlin Model 31-20 was Marlin's second hammerless pump action shotgun. It was made in four grades plus a field grade gun. The four grades (A, B, C and D) were made from 1914 to 1923 and the field grade was only in the catalogs from 1914 to 1917.
For illustrations of the different grades, you may need to go to some of the early Marlin catalogs that would show the Model 31. They will be the catalog line drawings, but they are quite good along with a total description of that particular grade.
The "wrist" crack you mention on the butt stock is typical of the hammerless guns, usually caused by over-tightening of the butt stock attachment screw.
Good luck with your project.......
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gundoctor
Beginner
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2015 10:23 pm

Re: marlin 31-20

Post by gundoctor »

Gunrunner, thank you for the info. I will keep searching for more info. as I just out of curiousity would like to see some pic.s of the diff. grades if possible. As a side note I know that I am putting way more work into this shotgun than it is worth from a dollar stand point. But I am saving a piece of american history, Can't put a dollar figure on that from my point of view.
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