looking for info on marlin 21 shotgun

[Riven_Cole]

sorry if the is the wrong forum category, mods feel free to relocate if necessary.
i know that marlin issued a safety warning but i cannot find out exactly why (even marlin reps cannot seem to find out why, they assumed it was simply cause it was a really old design and they were simply being cautious, feel free to inform me if you know better) i have brought it to a competent gunsmith where it was given a clean bill of health (nothing broken/damaged or even worn really) and i was recommended to use 2 3/4 dram equivalent shells. he also recommends no than higher than 3. (feel free to correct me on the loads if you know what should be safe to use) gunsmith also remotely fired it and it functioned flawlessly. head-spaces perfectly, passes all safety checks. NO RUST anywhere.
anyway to the point (sorry for rambling) i got it for $50. what is the current value? is it grade a or b (i find conflicting info on the difference) ? what was the date range of manufacture (also find conflicting info on this)? any way to tell the exact year of manufacture? overall weight is ~7-8 Lbs. do the pics provide enough info? any other info i can do my best to provide if needed

pic 1 shows a little finish wear on mag tube
pic 2 shows the worst of the finish wear. spots are remaining finish
pic 3 doesnt do the finish justice, but about 75% overall is still there if i had to guess based on my math.
pic 4 shows the patina. it is not rust.


btw barrel is good no pitting, and there is little/no wear to the internals. cycles smooth and easy. surprisingly easy to disassemble/reassemble. took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to do so down to the last part. but then reverse engineering is usually my strength anyway.
anyway just thought i would throw these questions out there and see what i got back.
thanks

 

[Riven_Cole]

hello? anyone? there has got to be someone on here who knows more than what i have found so far, given the sheer number of users, let alone the number of people who actually know what they are talking about

 

[Sam1911]

Wow, very reminiscent of a Winchester 1897! Cool! I've never seen one before.

I assume you're restricted to 2-3/4" shells -- or is it 2-1/2s? Some of those guns from back in the roll-crimp days are pretty short-chambered.

 

[Riven_Cole]

hey sam,
works with 2 3/4 remington and estate target loads just fine. remington being slightly longer. bout 1mm
butter smooth action with both too
thanks for the reply

 

[Sam1911]

Good to know. I've been a bit concerned about that before with some older guns I considered purchasing. (One a Win Model 12 with a 1917 serial number!)

That's a beauty, enjoy it!

Oh, just out of curiosity, does the trigger mechanism have a disconnector, or will it fire on closing like an 1897 and other oldies?

 

[Riven_Cole]

apparently it will slamfire (i believe is the term feel free to correct) if you hold the trigger and pump but i refuse to do it. i want this gun to last

 

[Sam1911]

I've heard it called "slamfireing" but I don't think the term is really appropriate.

I had older relatives who told how that feature was a real boon to the market-gunners shooting ducks for a living back in the good old days (...well, the Great Depression and before). A lot of them got so good that they'd hold the trigger down, empty the mag, and have more ducks on the ground than empty shells!

 

[Riven_Cole]

i have no doubt it would be fun, but on a 100 year old (at least) gun i will attempt to refrain
besides, permanent rotator cuff injuries make it difficult anyway.
p.s. i could call it "fanning" if you prefer. i believe that is another term for it.
p.p.s. i kinda thought slamfiring was appropriate cause you have to slam the bolt forward to prevent failures to lock in battery when doing so.

 

[rule303]

Allegedly, if the lockup point on the bolt fails, the bolt will fly out the back of the gun into your face. I have never seen or heard of it actually happening, but they must have issued the warning for a reason (unless it is just a CYA measure due to age). The old Marlin shotguns are every bit as well built as the Remingtons and Winchesters of the era, and can be purchased for a song compared to them.

 

[Riven_Cole]

i have heard of the bolt-leaving-gun myth and both me and the gunsmith who inspected the shotgun believe it to be exactly that. especially considering how many things work against that happening. for one the bottom of the bolt thats inside the receiver would need to be sheared off, the safety sear defeated, and the pump arm disconnected. neither of us (me or gunsmith) could imagine that happening without severe weakening which would have other indicators according to gunsmith. also according to the marlin rep it was simply because it was an old design and they did issue the statement for cya purposes as far as they knew when i spoke to them.
thanks for the reply.
btw, do you know the value of the different conditions for this one? best i can find is stuff from several years ago that relates mainly to parts (read: broken) guns. where mine is mechanically perfect and has about 70-80% finish. i found recently though one estimate from 2003 i think saying that would be a value of $350 somewhere in there, i was looking for something a bit newer though in that department though. not really looking to sell mainly just see exactly how good of a deal i got. i honestly dont think the guy who sold it at the gunshow knew what he had. he was an older gentleman who said he was thinning a collection he inherited. i could tell he was not a gun guy. oh well, his loss = my gain
thanks again for taking the time to respond