1888 Marlins

[dickaye]

My primary interest in collecting is pre 99 lever actions. I have to admit, until recently I have sort of overlooked Marlin. I have had a couple of 1881's but nothing else. My membership in M.C.A. has really peaked my interest and I appreciate everyone's help with my questions. Looking at Marlin statistics I see that the 1888 Marlin lever action has the smallest Marlin production levels of the pre 99 rifles and indeed, it was only produced for one year. Since many of the other models were produced for many years what was wrong with the model 1888?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Richard;

There was really nothing wrong with the Model 1888, except that it was top ejection, and that caused a conflict with the "W" brand of gun in the same city of New Haven, Ct. The Model 1888 was made from August of 1888 to October of 1889 with about 4,800 gun made (a close extimate since the records are incomplete). With L. L. Hepburns patent, Marlin advanced the lever action rifle to a new level with the Model 1889 and the side ejection system that Marlin used on all guns after that. It was called the "Marlin Safety" since any gas escapage would be deflected out the side of the gun instead of back into the face of the shooter. It would also all any telescopic sights to mounted directly over the barrel without interference with ejected shells.

[dickaye]

Rick,

I was reading last night that the 1888 basically shot handgun ammo. The "W" guys started off shooting handgun ammo and then went to larger calipers with their 1886. Marlin went the other way. They started big and then went small. I suppose it was handy in them thar days to have your handgun and rifle ammo interchangeable. I guess it still is that way for some shooters. What do you mean the 1888 caused a conflict with the other folks?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Richard;

The Model 1888 was a superior gun to the "W" brand Model 1873 that had far more moving parts with the toogle link system used in the 1873 and 1876 rifles. There was conflict between Marlin, Whitney, the Colt Burgess rifle and the "W" brand because the "W" brand figured it owned the lever action gun market. If you will check the upcoming Rock Island Auction, you will see a prototype "W" brand pistol that is supposedtly the gun that stopped the Colt Burgess rifle and kept the "W" brand out of the pistol business. Read the description of that gun and you will understand. The Marlin Model 1888 was a top ejection system gun that was better and lighter in weight than the Model 1873, and the ole boys over at the "W" brand did not like that. With the Colt, Whitney and "W" brand guns all top ejection, the market was overloaded with top ejection guns, so Marlin found a better way, and the story ends there. Colt stopped making the Burgess and Whitney did not last to much longer, so the "W" brand went on to build 720,610 Model 1873's during the production run of that model with the last one coming off the line in about 1932 or 1933.

[marlin 1893]

The Model 1888 was offered in 32 W.C.F. 38 W.C.F. 44 W.C.F. These cartridges were developed
by Winchester for their Model 1873. They were developed as rifle cartridges not pistol cartridges.
Marlin refered to them as pistol length cartridges.
These rifle cartridges were offered by Colt and other company's in their line of pistols.