Marlin 1889 Lever Gun
I have owned a Marlin 1889 in .44-40 for about 30 years, and am curious as to its history and possible value. Here is what I know about it.
When I first saw the gun a gunsmith had it on display as a curio. The gun had been drilled thru vertically about 4 inches back from the muzzle and again thru the buttstock. The barrel was bent at the drill point and the receiver was slightly bowed. The magazine tube was also damaged where the drill came down from the barrel, and the rear sight was pressed flat. The octagon barrel is a bit rusty, but all markings are still easy to read. The wood is all dry and needs replacing. The buttplate is steel with what looks to be a small trap door to store a cleaning rod behind. The original finish of the gun looks to be browned rather than blued.
His story was that he found it lag-bolted to the rafters of a bar in northern Arizona as a decoration. All he could recall from his talk with the bar owner was that the gun was thought to be no good after a cartridge case separated and jammed inside the chamber. He bought it right off the rafters of the place for next to nothing, and had thought about trying to repair it for years but never got around to it.
The gentleman was getting on in years himself and offered to sell it to me, as I had earlier bought a Mexican copy of an 1873 Winchester as a wall hanger (cheap, awful condition, found in the desert). So I bought the Marlin too.
As I showed it around it was suggested to me that the gun looked easily repairable. Sure enough another gunsmith said he could chop and crown the barrel, straighten the receiver and clear the chamber. He would also fashion a new rear sight and cut a new dovetail to re-mount the original front sight. The magazine tube could be cut down too, but a new spring would be needed. All this was done and it was tried with light .44-40 loads. Worked fine, but that was that, I have not fired in since. I have the cut off pieces stored with the gun.
The serial number looks to be 63?91. The question mark is a number I cannot read due to scratches. Searching online I find it may have been made in 1891 or 1892.
I am curious to hear opinions on what it may be worth? Do I have the age right? Has anyone heard a similar story about this gun and how it came to bolted to the rafters of an Arizona bar?
Sadly the gunsmith I bought it from passed away a short time later, I was never able to pick his memory any further. I do not know the name of the bar or even the town in Arizona.
Appreciates all comments,
Chris in Tempe, AZ
When I first saw the gun a gunsmith had it on display as a curio. The gun had been drilled thru vertically about 4 inches back from the muzzle and again thru the buttstock. The barrel was bent at the drill point and the receiver was slightly bowed. The magazine tube was also damaged where the drill came down from the barrel, and the rear sight was pressed flat. The octagon barrel is a bit rusty, but all markings are still easy to read. The wood is all dry and needs replacing. The buttplate is steel with what looks to be a small trap door to store a cleaning rod behind. The original finish of the gun looks to be browned rather than blued.
His story was that he found it lag-bolted to the rafters of a bar in northern Arizona as a decoration. All he could recall from his talk with the bar owner was that the gun was thought to be no good after a cartridge case separated and jammed inside the chamber. He bought it right off the rafters of the place for next to nothing, and had thought about trying to repair it for years but never got around to it.
The gentleman was getting on in years himself and offered to sell it to me, as I had earlier bought a Mexican copy of an 1873 Winchester as a wall hanger (cheap, awful condition, found in the desert). So I bought the Marlin too.
As I showed it around it was suggested to me that the gun looked easily repairable. Sure enough another gunsmith said he could chop and crown the barrel, straighten the receiver and clear the chamber. He would also fashion a new rear sight and cut a new dovetail to re-mount the original front sight. The magazine tube could be cut down too, but a new spring would be needed. All this was done and it was tried with light .44-40 loads. Worked fine, but that was that, I have not fired in since. I have the cut off pieces stored with the gun.
The serial number looks to be 63?91. The question mark is a number I cannot read due to scratches. Searching online I find it may have been made in 1891 or 1892.
I am curious to hear opinions on what it may be worth? Do I have the age right? Has anyone heard a similar story about this gun and how it came to bolted to the rafters of an Arizona bar?
Sadly the gunsmith I bought it from passed away a short time later, I was never able to pick his memory any further. I do not know the name of the bar or even the town in Arizona.
Appreciates all comments,
Chris in Tempe, AZ
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63191 was made in 1891, 63291-63991 were all made in 1892. 0 -
once it was altered didn't it loose its antique status?? 0
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