Marking JM Marlin
I have a marlin single shot rifle that looks like a winchester low wall. Chambered in 38 long colt with a 38 in. octagon barrel. I am looking for history on this gun...Anybody know of it?????[?]
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I'm pretty sure that you have a Marlin Ballard Rifle....But the Barrel length and Caliber just don't Come up...Would You please re-measure the barrel and double Check the Caliber...and send a Photo if you can...We'll try and get to the bottom of this riddle.......best....
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
Zip....your rifle is indeed a Marlin-Ballard and is known as a #2. The J.M. Marlin marking indicates that it was made before 1881 when Marlin Firearms was incorporated. The actual caliber is 38L (38 Long) but most people use 38 Long Colt for casings. You should have 2 patent markings under the J.M Marlin marking, the 1875 patent date indicating a reversible firing pin so that you can fire either rimfire or centerfire. Firing it is pretty much a reloading proposition and you will need a mold that casts a "heeled" bullet much like a .22 rimfire. An old Ideal #1 reloading tool marked 38 L.O.L. will have such a mold. The heeled bullet is needed because the bore diameter is much larger than the I.D. of the 38 Long or Long Colt case. If you work through that, they are fun to shoot. By the way, if you indeed have a 38" original barrel, it is very rare. Most were 30", 28", 26" or 24".
Have fun.....
max
load the old ones with the old tools.....0
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