Marlin Firearms Collectors Association

Got it, thank you. I've definitely got a 17 then.

Appreciate the expertise and the help!

Thanks for the reply! My shotgun has a solid frame, so I guess that would rule out the model 19. However, there is no model number on the upper tang behind the hammer. So that would be indicative of an 1898, however as you pointed out, the patent dates correspond with a model 17. Are there any disti...

I should clarify, I BELIEVE this is a model 1898, but some research leaves me unsure because I can't find any other model 1898s with patent dates as early as 1889 like mine has.

Perhaps this is an earlier model?

I just acquired a Marlin 1898 12g pump in a private transaction. Nobody - including the Buffalo Bill museum in Cody, Wy - can tell me when the gun was made. I know it was after 1904, because the last of 5 patent dates engraved on the barrel is Nov. 29, 1904. The first patent date listed is April 2, ...