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clarence said
Lt. Mike said
Oh yeah, they’re fun especially with the BP loads.
\Except for the cleaning part–not only the bore but the cases too. Had my fill of that!
I don’t mind the cleaning too much, soap and water does the job. I put a bucket of soapy water next to my shooting bench and drop spent cases into it after I shoot them. Run a wet patch down the bore after 3 or 4 shots and when you finish shooting. At home tumble cases in soap and water then polish if needed. Clean gun with water, dry well and lube.
Bottom line, I just love to make old guns bark again, so I’ll do the work to make that happen.
U.S. Army combat vet, 32 years CCFD Lt. (retired), NRA Benefactor member, Marlin Firearms Collector Asso., Cody Firearms Museum member - 89213093, WACA member - 11928, Griffin Gun Club board member, Hunter, BPCR shooter, Hand loader, Bullet Caster
After moving on from the M1881 and the M1888 (another cool Marlin), Marlin’s design change to side ejection set them up to be well-positioned when hunters developed a fondness for scopes. Although Marlin was never able to achieve #1 status in the lever-action world, I think their side ejection design helped them maintain the #2 spot – particularly once scopes became very popular.
Bill Hockett said
Andrew Burgess was certainly a genius firearms designer, possibly second only to John M. Browning.
Marlin (& Rem) also had the services of another genius designer, Lewis L. Hepburn, who designed the side-ejection rcvr (M.1889), initially for safety considerations, though it’s adaptability for scope use soon became more important.
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Let’s face it. No one ever made a movie called “Marlin ’73”!
WACA Life Benefactor Member
NRA Life Member
clarence said
Bill Hockett said
Andrew Burgess was certainly a genius firearms designer, possibly second only to John M. Browning.Marlin (& Rem) also had the services of another genius designer, Lewis L. Hepburn, who designed the side-ejection rcvr (M.1889), initially for safety considerations, though it’s adaptability for scope use soon became more important.
Yes, Lewis Hepburn, the inventor of one of my favorite Marlin sights:
I’m going to play devils advocate here for a spell.
First, I appreciate a Winchester dripping with features just as much as anyone else.
But…you take a Marlin dripping with similar features, equally well built, maybe the lines not quite as refined as a Winchester, as the Marlin tends to be more angular. But, the Marlin is valued at X, which suggests that is the inherent value of such a rifle with those specific factors. The similar value of the Winchester is X (the value of the rifle + special order features) + Y (the abstract, such as affiliation with John Wayne, Winchester ‘73, etc, in it’s very generalized sense). The more abstract Y, that’s the Winchester premium.
Edit: To clarify, the “big bucks” one pays for a comparable Winchester over a Marlin is for the abstract and not the concrete.
steve004 said
Yes, Lewis Hepburn, the inventor of one of my favorite Marlin sights:
I guess so , if you’ve got 3 of them! Another advantage of the sold top rcvr.
clarence said
steve004 said
Yes, Lewis Hepburn, the inventor of one of my favorite Marlin sights:
I guess so , if you’ve got 3 of them! Another advantage of the sold top rcvr.
Indeed, however, several decades later Winchester cracked this nut when they added their bolt peep to the Models 64, 65 and 71. I like that sight as well 
steve004 said
Indeed, however, several decades later Winchester cracked this nut when they added their bolt peep to the Models 64, 65 and 71.
Yes, again playing catch-up.
I collected Marlins a long time before I even looked at a Winchester and was blessed to be one of the original charter members along with 31 other great folks, 3 Canadians and 29 Americans, of which there are only 5 of us remaining. The Marlin gun always fascinated Me in their simplicity and quality. Take a mod. 1893 for example , there are 2 moving parts, lever and bolt in the whole receiver and removal of 1 screw dismantles the whole thing. Their rifling was superior and also their durability. Their case hardening and resultant colors were more pleasing and seemed to stand up better over time. So what am I doing with all these Winchesters in My rack and very few Marlins. Well back in the 1980’s I run into Bunker Hunt and His brother,s plan to get rich in the silver market, They did I didn’t. I had to sell off a large part of My Marlin collection to keep a roof over Our heads, it was a very expensive lesson for Me but one well learned. I never lost My attraction to firearms and when I got things straightened out I was well aware how the Winchesters by far out sold the Marlins both in value and quantity. Of course there are a lot more Winchester collectors than there are Marlin collectors mainly because of availability. I don’t know what the numbers are but I’d bet a dollar to a dog biscuit for every deluxe Marlin there are 40-50 deluxe Winchesters, and likewise collectors. I guess I’ll always consider Marlin,(the older ones), any way , a superior gun. I kinda lost My fervor when they were sold out and now I guess basically a Remington. I wonder, in the future how many collectors will cherish a Japanese Winchester, most of the folks on this site already don’t like ’em.It’s kinda like Colt and Remington, You tell Me which one built a better handgun, but which one is more desireable to collectors, a colt 1860Army or a Remington 1875.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
Here’s a Model 1886. Not a Winchester. But there’s not a Winchester M1886 on this planet that has a smoother action than this rifle. This does not mean I don’t like ’86 Winchesters – I do – very much – but there is a lot to like when we look at a variety of firearms made during that golden age. And Henry’s right – there is much to admire about a vintage Deluxe Marlin rifle.
Henry Mero said
I collected Marlins a long time before I even looked at a Winchester and was blessed to be one of the original charter members along with 31 other great folks, 3 Canadians and 29 Americans, of which there are only 5 of us remaining. The Marlin gun always fascinated Me in their simplicity and quality. Take a mod. 1893 for example , there are 2 moving parts, lever and bolt in the whole receiver and removal of 1 screw dismantles the whole thing. Their rifling was superior and also their durability. Their case hardening and resultant colors were more pleasing and seemed to stand up better over time. So what am I doing with all these Winchesters in My rack and very few Marlins. Well back in the 1980’s I run into Bunker Hunt and His brother,s plan to get rich in the silver market, They did I didn’t. I had to sell off a large part of My Marlin collection to keep a roof over Our heads, it was a very expensive lesson for Me but one well learned. I never lost My attraction to firearms and when I got things straightened out I was well aware how the Winchesters by far out sold the Marlins both in value and quantity. Of course there are a lot more Winchester collectors than there are Marlin collectors mainly because of availability. I don’t know what the numbers are but I’d bet a dollar to a dog biscuit for every deluxe Marlin there are 40-50 deluxe Winchesters, and likewise collectors. I guess I’ll always consider Marlin,(the older ones), any way , a superior gun. I kinda lost My fervor when they were sold out and now I guess basically a Remington. I wonder, in the future how many collectors will cherish a Japanese Winchester, most of the folks on this site already don’t like ’em.It’s kinda like Colt and Remington, You tell Me which one built a better handgun, but which one is more desireable to collectors, a colt 1860Army or a Remington 1875.
Henry –
I knew you had an extensive and impressive history with Marlins. Can you give any speculation to how many you had owned that were equipped with the Hepburn receiver sight?
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