I've Got This Old Gun...

[rainshadow1]

Hey guys, Anybody know the old Marlin 30-30's?

I just traded a Mossberg Ultimag for an old cowboy gun!

The only things I can find printed on it are the serial number underneath, forward of the lever, 10040, and the barrel has a "CAL. 30-30" stamped on it. That's it.

I've determined so far:

The marlin serial look up site says it's manufacture date was 1885.
The screw/pin pattern and shape of the lever fulcrum mount suggest model 36, but
It has a side eject bolt, not the sliding wall one, but the hole in the receiver one.

My dilemma is, I don't know if they made the hole in the receiver exposed bolt model 36 in 1885. I've found that one as the "transitional" model and thought it was later in the line.

Anybody know these old Marlin 30-30 Lever's?

Will post a pic soon...

[actionshooter]

 Marlins can be real tough as they didn't do a great job keeping track of serial numbers in the early years. For quite a while they actually serial numbered the guns as they left the factory instead of when they were made, so the serial numbers and model changes don't always match up.

Post a pick and give some specifics.

[rainshadow1]

It has a 2/3 magazine tube on it from another gun, it obviously had a full tube before. Might try to find it, if I can't, might try to find another one.















Plan to take it apart and see if I can find any more markings.

[jdb]

The 1885 would pre date the 30-30 by a full decade. Plus it didn't become known as that till well after wwI before it was known as .30 wcf I'd say its  probably late 30's to early 60's

[actionshooter]

Your gun is an early model 336,

[jdb]

Model 36's were made from 1936 to 1947.

[jdb]

That serial number is a an inigma

[jennyfell55]

It looks like a model 336 to me too. From 1948 to 1968 they used a letter code in the serial for date of manufacture though  Starting in 1969 the first 2 numbers of the serial are used to give you the year, but that would make this gun made in 1990 

[actionshooter]

That serial number is a an inigma

I agree, something wrong with the serial number.......

[rainshadow1]

That's why I was thinking the bolt might be the best indicator, but...

Why no other markings on the barrel than CAL.30-30? Some said smokeless steel, etc. And no letters, no model name...

[actionshooter]

That's why I was thinking the bolt might be the best indicator, but...

Why no other markings on the barrel than CAL.30-30? Some said smokeless steel, etc. And no letters, no model name...

That's unusual also, there wouldn't be anything about smokeless, gun is way to new for that, but it should have the regular verbage; Marlin, blah-blah.

[actionshooter]

If I remember correct, Marlin was the first to label using 30-30. 30 WCF was what Winchester used well after WWII. My 46" Winchester is 30 WCF. These older guns are tough to research. Serial numbers jump all over the place.

Winchester started the 30-30 in 1947 (or so) back in the day different ammo companies marked the ammo differently either 30wcf or 30-30 even though they are the same. Marlin used the 30-30 designation from day 1, I believe.

[snowpack]

kind of looks like there were errors when stamping the serial number.  looks like they had to stamp one of the zeroes twice.

[actionshooter]

Here's a thought and I don't know if this is even possible, but is the 2/3 tube original and the barrel is earlier?

[jdb]

My dad has a model 1936 from year 1939 and model 1893 from year 1901.