MachIVshooter
Member
I've been after one of these for awhile, finally found one that really spoke to me and struck a deal with the owner. It was the most I've paid for an old Marlin yet, but a fair price for a pretty rare gun.
Most know I've got a thing for vintage JM guns, and also for suppressing them. This one I won't be threading, though, as it's far less common than the 1892/3/4, and I already have an 1895 SS with a can anyway.
It's an 1881 short rifle in 45-70, very early production with a mid 2XXX serial. Decent condition for a 140 year old gun, though the bore is about what you'd expect of a well-loved black powder era rifle; good rifling, but a fair amount of pitting, including the chamber. Some slop in the fore end, plenty of light dings/scratches in the furniture and patina on the steel, but overall not bad. Should be perfectly usable with appropriate loads.
And it won't be shot a lot, mostly a collectible for me. But I do plan to use it some. Anyway:
Most know I've got a thing for vintage JM guns, and also for suppressing them. This one I won't be threading, though, as it's far less common than the 1892/3/4, and I already have an 1895 SS with a can anyway.
It's an 1881 short rifle in 45-70, very early production with a mid 2XXX serial. Decent condition for a 140 year old gun, though the bore is about what you'd expect of a well-loved black powder era rifle; good rifling, but a fair amount of pitting, including the chamber. Some slop in the fore end, plenty of light dings/scratches in the furniture and patina on the steel, but overall not bad. Should be perfectly usable with appropriate loads.
And it won't be shot a lot, mostly a collectible for me. But I do plan to use it some. Anyway: