how to know your getting a real vintage 1894 marlin

[strauch]

does anyone know how to verify if it is a real 1894 manufactured marlin 30/30? i found one and want to make sure its a real one before spending the kind of money they want on it. i have found how to code the 1968 and newer rifles. not the older ones. is there any kind of markings or signs or anything i should be looking for?

[marlinman93]

If it's a .30-30 then it's a model 1893, not an 1894 Marlin. If made in 1894 it should have a serial number in the 95,750-115,000 range. But it might be lower than the lower serial number if it was made in 1893, but shipped in 1894.
Need to really read up on old Marlins before diving head first into purchasing collectable Marlins. There's more to it than just dating them to a particular year, and far too much to list it all here. I would suggest buying William Brophy's fine book "Marlin Firearms, A History of the Guns and the Company That Made Them."
Bill's book is a necessity for anyone considering collecting these fine old guns; BEFORE the first purchase.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Struach;

Another thing you might look at is the barrel markings. There should be two lines, one being the company name and address, and the second line a list of patent dates. A Marlin Model 1893 ( since you mention that the caliber is .30-30 ) would have three patent dates. Those dates are: Oct. 11, 1887, April 2, 1889, and Aug. 1, 1893.
One other thing worth mentioning is that this gun would have been made after 1895. Since it is a .30-30 caliber, the smokeless powder calibers came out after 1895 and the .30-30 was one of them. The side of the barrel should also be stamped " Special Smokeless Steel".
And, what Marlinman93 mentioned, get the Brophy book for starters. It is a wealth of information that should help you.