1894?,357mag,Ballard stamped barrel,

[Hkman]

Hello everyone,
I have spent hours looking for info and or posts on this forum for some info on my rifle but can't seem to find anything to help me.
I have a rifle,1894,I think, 357mag 24 inch octagon barrel, curved butt plate, marlin safety stamped on top of receiver with ser# 53635 stamped on bottom of receiver just before barrel.
There is no model stamp on the top of the rear tang. I think this must be made after 1935, as that's when the 357 mag cartridge was introduced.
Could someone help me out with the year of manufacture?
The blueing is real nice, possibly reblued, but all the stamping are real strong with no trace of buffing or polishing before blueing.
The bottom plate of the receiver looks a little like case hardening as does the bottom receiver tang but everything is nicely blued.
Rifling is clear and sharp,barrel is Ballard stamped.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

[Hkman]

I have found some new info.
This gun is probably a 1889 model, it has a lower tang safety for the lever.
It has obviously had a different barrel installed at some point.
I guess by the serial number it must have been made in 1893 or 1894?
Has anyone ever seen one of these earlier models rebarreled for a newer pistol cartridge?
Thank you for your time.

[marlinman93]

Your serial number range puts your Marlin in 1891, well before any Model 1894's were built, and also long before the .357 cartridge was ever introduced in a Marlin!
It's likely your gun is a Model 1889, and not an 1894, and also likely it's been relined or rebarreled and then changed to be a .357 Magnum. The Model 1889 didn't have a stamp anywhere indicating it's model designation, which also makes me fairly certain it's a model 1889. Likely the whole gun has been refinished when the other work was done. Please be careful with what loads you feed in your rifle as I personally wouldn't shoot factory .357 Magnum ammo in that old gun.
Not sure what "Ballard stamped" would be on the barrel as Marlin didn't mark barrels back then with any reference to the Ballard style rifling?

[Hkman]

This is great info.
Thank you very much for your time and effort.
I will get some 38 special ammo or cowboy loads for it.
Once again thank you very much!