Marlin Model 93 Serial Numbers

[Parley Baer]

Well today in my search for more Marlin Model 93 serial numbers I ran across one purported to be #4060. The pictures of the carbine did not show the serial number so I have to rely on the sellers infomation. The reason for the post is that this is the first Model 93 with a serial number in the 4000 range that I have ran across. The previous high was 3978 before we get into the 5000 range and when the numbers start up again.

It has been my theory that this big gap in serial numbers was the transition from the Marlin Firearms Corporation to the new Marlin Firearms Company. I think this theory still holds up as most likely the new Marlin Firearms Company did not want to duplicate any serial numbers of the previous production from the Marlin Firearms Corporation. I have over 400 Model 93 serial numbers recorded and trends are developing.

[Parley Baer]

I will need the information off of your rifle such as... What name did Marin use on the barrel such as Marlin Fireams Corporation? What is the caliber? Sounds like it might be a carbine. Does it have a full length magazine? What length is the barrel and is it round? Does it have a star* by the Model 93 stamp on the upper tang. Is there a bullseye in the bottom of the buttstock? Thanks, Parley

[Parley Baer]

With some information that has come to light recently I feel pretty confident that your rifle was made in early 1924. As posted above the highest serial number so far for a Model 93 that I feel was made by the Marlin Firearms Corporation is number 4060. Yours is right there so I would say your 93 rifle was one of the last made by the Marlin Firearms Corporation.

There is a January 1925 catalog by the at the time new Marlin Firearms Company. There is also a big gap in the serial numbers with the next group starting at a little over 5000 reported. I feel these rifles were the first output of the new Marlin Firearms Company in 1925.

[Dan Cash]

This question does not expand the OP's quest but surely will help this neophite. If a "Model 1893" as marked on the tang has a barrel marked Marlin Firearms Company with last patent date 1893, would it be a rebarrel?

Not trying to hijack the thread and if you folks want me to open a new thread, no problem.
Sincerely
Dan C

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Dan Cash;

No, that would tend to be the norm for a Marlin Model 1893 to have a Firearms Company marked barrel with a 1893 patent date. (they could be marked Marlin Fire-Arms Company as well) The following information is a little general, but pretty much applies. There will be a few oddities along the way, but for the most part, the information will apply to the Marlin Model 1893's and Model '93's.
The earlier Model 1893's may not have the 1893 patent date, but they are few and far between. The last patent date on those guns will be 1889, and may not have the model marking on the upper tang. The Model 1893 would have been made up to 1921, even during WW I using parts on hand to assemble sporting arms.
The guns with a Marlin Firearms Corporation marked barrel will usually be marked Marlin Model '93 and made between 1921 and 1924. There will be Model '93's marked Marlin Firearms Company, and they generally will have made between 1925 and 1935.
I hope this helps.

[Dan Cash]

Regnier, Thank you.

[tacron]

i have a marlin model 93 with a serial C1232. Barrel is stamped with the marlin firearms corperation. any idea of the mfg year? or how i can find a value. thanks

[Parley Baer]

What caliber is your rifle? Almost all the Model 93s with a C prefix or suffix are carbines. Is yours a Carbine? Is the serial number on the lower tang under the lever? Is there a star stamp by the Model 93 on the upper tang? Is there a bullseye on the bottom of the buttstock? I still don't have a good handle on the Model 93 with C prefixes or suffixes. However I would think your rifle would have been made sometime in the 1925-1930 time frame. As to value the best is to go to a gun auction website and looks for rifles similar to yours and see what they are selling for. Condition is all important.

[icharlieo]

What caliber is your rifle? Almost all the Model 93s with a C prefix or suffix are carbines. Is yours a Carbine? Is the serial number on the lower tang under the lever? Is there a star stamp by the Model 93 on the upper tang? Is there a bullseye on the bottom of the buttstock? I still don't have a good handle on the Model 93 with C prefixes or suffixes. However I would think your rifle would have been made sometime in the 1925-1930 time frame. As to value the best is to go to a gun auction website and looks for rifles similar to yours and see what they are selling for. Condition is all important.

I have a 93 carbine, serial no. 5406...marlin corp. no c or star, has a bullseye on the stock...in 32 special.

[SgtDog]

Been a while and this thread is old:-)). But here I am again fishing. Here is what I’m fishing for

C50** on bottom tang
24” round barrel
Full mag tube
93 (no star) on top tang
The Marlin Firearm Corporation
32 Special <>Special Smokeless Steel<>
No bullseye

I’ll check back to see if I have takers.
Thanks, John

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

John;

The lack of the trademark Bullseye may be a clue as to when your rifle was made. According to Brophy, there was a couple of years during the depression in the 1930's that the trademark Bullseye was not used. It would take a search through that period of Marlin catalogs to see if a closer date can be pinned down.
As you said, check back later as I will look through my catalogs to see if anything is mentioned.

[marlinman93]

The fact it's got a Corporation marked barrel, but no bullseye would indicate it's post WWI when the Marlin Firearms Corp. began. But the bullseye didn't start until the Kenna era of ownership. My guess is it's much earlier than 1930's, and likely early 1920's.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

SgtDog;

The trademark Marlin Bullsye first appeared on the cover of the 1923 Marlin catalog and all nearly of the catalogs of the era ( except for the 1927 ), either on the cover or back. The Bullseye was a selling point, in that a customer could pick out a Marlin gun simply by looking for the Bullseye when the guns were standing in a rack of guns.

The Corporation barrel markings was used by the newly formed Marlin Firearms Company on several models after 1924 when the Marlin Firearms Corporation ceased to exist and became the Marlin Firearms Company. One example is the Model 39, and some of the shotguns, too.
The roll stamps were expensive to make, so existing roll stamps were used by both the new Company and the old Corporation that used the original Marlin Firearms Company roll stamps and previously marked existing barrels that were left over when the Marlin Arms Corporation that later became Marlin-Rockwell, then Marlin Firearms Corporation. Existing marked barrels were used to save money. We know that Marln-Rockwell used Company marked barrels after 1916 and later made up a Marlin-Rockwell roll stamp used on a very few guns.

The "C" serial number prefix is the problem. Both the Corportion and Company used letter prefixes with serial numbers, and determining when this letter "C" was used by which company can become the issue in this case. For this gun, it may be around 1924, or then again, sometime in the 1930's as Brophy stated about the Bullseye.

The "Star" is another issue, too. There is evidence that the star came into use around 1926, but then there are guns made before that date that have the star, so when it was actually first used is up for determination as yet. Exactly when the star quit being used is not really known either. It may have been a bad decision to mark guns with the star, as any guns without the star could be considered to supposedly not be as good as those with the star. No company wants to state that one item they produce is actually better than the other items of the same make or model.

[SgtDog]

I thank you for the replies gentlemen. Yes, some conflicting characteristics make it a mystery date-range. Hard to imagine barrels marked with the ‘Corporation’ stamp would still be found that many years later - but I suppose it is possible. The Star, or lack thereof, seems to fall in the same ‘duel possibility’ territory. I’m inclined to think the two together (“Corporation” and lack of a “Star”) are two pieces of evidence for 1926 or earlier. Am I evaluating those two pieces if evidence coinciding together incorrectly?

[SgtDog]

Btw… if I knew how I’d post pictures. The forearm has an end-cap rather than a barrel band and the barrel is 24”.

From the first three posts on this thread it seems like with 1926 being the start of the “star”, and having a C5052 serial number that 1925 is a potential year of manufacture using a “Corporation” stamped barrel. Is that equally plausible to a depression era date?