39A finish

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45ACPete
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Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2010 6:55 pm

39A finish

Post by 45ACPete »

My LGS has a 39A for the bargain (in Calif.) price of $500. It has a N prefix S/N so it dates from 1956. The catch? Someone drilled and tapped the barrel for a side mounted scope (included). It also has a high gloss finish that I immediately thought indicated a reblue. The gun is tight and the stock is flawless so for me--a shooter not a collector--it was a good buy. If it has been polished and blued it's a very good job--no overly zealous rounding of edges etc. I didn't get to shoot it--it's in jail for about five more days--so that will be the real test. I was let down once before when a bargain priced 39A turned out to be no more accurate than 1 1/2 in. groups at 50 yds. I got rid of that one for what I paid for it. This one? Any body ever seen one with a high gloss finish?
Regnier (gunrunner)
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Re: 39A finish

Post by Regnier (gunrunner) »

45ACPete;

You do know that in 1954 Marlin drilled and tapped the side of the barrel for scope mounts for Sears, Roebuck and Company. It may be possible your barrel may have been a left-over barrel that Marlin used on this rifle. Refer to page 290 of the Brophy Marlin book. The Sears guns used a Weaver N-Mount scope base. You might want to compare the hole distance to that of a Weaver N-Mount scope base, if you can find that information or a base.
Those early Marlin Model 39-A's did have a fine finish. They really knew how to polish the metal then. It was in the later 1960's that Marlin cut the process and the finish was not as fine as the earlier gun. So, this finish may be the original finish as well.
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45ACPete
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Re: 39A finish

Post by 45ACPete »

Wow, Regnier--you sure know how to get a guy's hopes up. Actually, I did see something in one of my books about the Sears scoped 39A. Maybe I have a diamond in the rough after all. If so, it will be the second 39A I've scored from the same guy. Actually, the other one is a 39M I bought from him about three years ago. It had a bit of rust here and there which cleaned up leaving some slight pitting in a few places--actually barely noticeable. It is a quite serviceable gun and I got that one for $400.
45ACPete
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Re: 39A finish

Post by 45ACPete »

A follow up to my post of two weeks ago. Today I picked up the 39A I bought just before the fires hit the central CA coast--rather lightning hit us and the fires were the result. I had to wait in line outside the gun shop--only one customer at a time allowed inside-- while the frazzled owner--working alone-- struggled to complete paperwork for panicked new gun owners. Anyway, got the gun home and I'm happy to say it looks exactly like one of the Sears Marlins from 1954-55 even though this is an N prefix l956 gun. It has a Weaver J4 scope in a Weaver N3 mount--the scope is flawless--still has the protective connecting lens covers marked "Weaver". My initial impulse on seeing the gun two weeks ago was to replace the scope--I have a recent Weaver "classic .22 4X I intended to use but it wouldn't work with the N3 mount and anyway, I decided that the 3/4 in. tube J4 is just fine. It looks like it belongs on the gun--indeed it should since it has probably been there for more than 60 years. Other than a couple of minor scratches on the forend the gun is nearly as flawless as the scope. Our local range had to close due to the threat of fire and hasn't reopened yet so I haven't fired it yet. I should be able to do so soon and will report on the results here.
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