Yet another serial number/date question.

[MikeJordan]

I found a very nice saddle ring carbine, but not so nicely priced with the description "Marlin Firearms 93 .30-30 caliber carbine. Model 1893 saddle ring carbine. Serial # 3183". The serial number is under the lever. Could this be made around the end of WW1, say between 1918 and about 1920? I have ordered a copy of Brophy's book, so hopefully I'll get this serial number thing figured out someday. LOL

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

MikeJordan;

A Marlin marked Model '93 will be after 1921. The serial number was also moved back, under the lever after 1921, too.
Up to 1921, the guns were marked Model 1893 on the upper tang. Guns made after 1916 and up to 1921 had the serial number up near the forearm with a letter prefix from A to D.
Brophy's book was published in 1989, and a lot of new information has come to light regarding serial numbers after 1916. So, his book regarding this time frame will not be of help.

[Lynxcat08]

Gentlemen I also have a head scratcher. Having seen 77 summers and having had a gunshop in Nebr years ago, I can usually ferret out enough info on a particular firearm to satisfy my curiosity. This Marlin, however, has me baffled. It is by all appearances a 1893 model but makes no reference I can find as to it's designation. As follows: top of bbl " Marlin fire-arms co. New-Haven. Ct, USA.... patented Oct 11 1887 April 2 1889. august 1 1893" near the receiver 32-40, top of same "Marlin Safety". Near the forestock bottom on rec ser# 107060. No tang markings at all. Top left of bbl "Special Smokeless steel" Correct front sight and a extended buckhorn rear. Rifle buttstock with curved steel buttplate, custom checkering on both stocks. 26" Oct/round bbl with oct ending near end of mag tube. Does not appear to have been reblued but as with other Marlins I have, have had, the bluing is 99% and approx 35% Color Case on rec, heavier on the protected areas. All in all a beautiful lever action by Marlin. Anyone who might jump on this wagon would be greatly appreciated. As a footnote I have a 1893 SRC that had a poor bore so sent it off to Jes reboring and had it converted it to 35/30 years ago, now I find out I have a Remington 360 Buckhammer and factory ammo available!

[BUSSMAN69]

Question for Gunrunner. Does that information that you gave out on the years for the Models "93" and "1893", does that also apply to the change from the Model "1894" to the Model "94" ??

[marlinman93]

Question for Gunrunner. Does that information that you gave out on the years for the Models "93" and "1893", does that also apply to the change from the Model "1894" to the Model "94" ??

Unlike the Model 1893 to Model '93, the change does not apply. For whatever reason Marlin changed the model name in the catalogs for both guns around 1905, but didn't change the rollstamp on the Model '93 until around 1921. But the Model '94 got the rollstamp change on the top tang very close to the catalog date change.

[marlinman93]

Gentlemen I also have a head scratcher. Having seen 77 summers and having had a gunshop in Nebr years ago, I can usually ferret out enough info on a particular firearm to satisfy my curiosity. This Marlin, however, has me baffled. It is by all appearances a 1893 model but makes no reference I can find as to it's designation. As follows: top of bbl " Marlin fire-arms co. New-Haven. Ct, USA.... patented Oct 11 1887 April 2 1889. august 1 1893" near the receiver 32-40, top of same "Marlin Safety". Near the forestock bottom on rec ser# 107060. No tang markings at all. Top left of bbl "Special Smokeless steel" Correct front sight and a extended buckhorn rear. Rifle buttstock with curved steel buttplate, custom checkering on both stocks. 26" Oct/round bbl with oct ending near end of mag tube. Does not appear to have been reblued but as with other Marlins I have, have had, the bluing is 99% and approx 35% Color Case on rec, heavier on the protected areas. All in all a beautiful lever action by Marlin. Anyone who might jump on this wagon would be greatly appreciated. As a footnote I have a 1893 SRC that had a poor bore so sent it off to Jes reboring and had it converted it to 35/30 years ago, now I find out I have a Remington 360 Buckhammer and factory ammo available!

Your Model 1893 was likely made in early 1894, and the model rollstamp wasn't used on most early 1893's and a good number of 1894's also. I've seen a number of both rifles with no top tang rollstamp on them that are 1st or 2nd year manufacture.

The .35-30 is one of the oldest wildcats made, and it dates back to around 1930 when someone decided they wanted a bigger bore and heavier bullet in their .30-30 rifle. It's recently had a resurgence in interest and companies like JES in Oregon have made a good living reboring and chambering this great old wildcat again.

[BUSSMAN69]

Well Thank You for that information. I was bidding on a Model "94" rifle on the "Gun Auction" website last month. The old Auction Arms website. And it was roll stamped "Model 94" on the top receiver tang. But the serial number traced to 1904 manufacture per Brophy. That had me scratching my head big time. I had the misconception that Model 93's and Model 94's were post WW1 production.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

BUSSMAN69;

The information Marlinman93 gave you applies to the Model 1892/'92 and 1897/'97 as well. For some reason, only the Models 1893 and 1895 marking did not change. This does make things very confusing when trying to place a time frame on all of these when some were changed and the others did not.
The one thing that does seem to coincide with the model changes is the introduction of the Marlin/Hepburn receiver sight. All Marlins made after August 1, 1903 were drilled and tapped for the sight. The models mentioned above and the Model '94 are all drilled and tapped for receiver sight, and none of the guns marked 1892, 1894 and 1897 seemed to be drilled and tapped. Now for sure, the .22 caliber Model 1892 and 1897 with their round top receivers could not have been so modified. The Model 1892 in .32 Colt caliber and all of the 1894' s had a flat top and could have been modified for the receiver sight but do not seem to have been.

[marlinman93]

One other note. The 1893 and 1895 had the "Marlin Safety" rollstamp moved forward when D&T for the Hepburn receiver sight. But on the Model 1894/'94 the rollstamp was eliminated from the receiver top due to the short action.

[BUSSMAN69]

WOW, talk about confusing. I'm glad some of you guys on here have got this all down. I am definitely taking some notes down about all of this. Thanks for all of the information and shared knowledge on this.