Early Marlin Model 16 Pump Shotgun

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

JimmyM65;

Okay, this makes a little more sense. You have an early, first variation Model 1898 Marlin, exposed hammer pump action shotgun. With those low numbers, it most likely is a first year production gun, or early 1899.
Frankly, the first variation of the Model 1898 is not as safe a gun as the second variation. This gun does not have the same type of "hang fire safety" system as the later pump action shotguns. To open the action on this gun without firing it, you have to push the firing pin in with your thumb in order to open the action whereas the later guns had the new, patented release system that worked much better.
If you want to shoot shotguns, new ones are cheap, and this one could be potently dangerous if everything in the action is not properly locked up, which can happen in these older actions. I would not be afraid if this was a second variation using low pressure loads, but not in the first variation guns.