Marlin 39A with strange scope w/pics

hulkaru

Hello all, just joined and I think I am going to enjoy this site. Well what I was looking for was a little back ground on this old Marlin I got from my wifes Grandpa... It is a 39A K1286 (would like to know the year of manufacture) but it has a scope on it that is 15 1/2" long and a diameter of 3/4" all the way the endcaps screw on. There are no marking that I can see. The front ring mount is connected via dovetail in the barrel. The rear mount is connected on the side of the rifle via two screws. Two knobs on the ring to adjust. On top of the tube body there are two pannels with screws to adjust the focus, not a powerful scope by any means. I have been looking all over the internet to find one mounted on a marlin to no avail. I will try to get some pics up to help. I am interested in listing this rifle and would like to know a bit before that is done. What would be a fair price to ask? I thank you all in advance.
Tom

kimi

Welcome to the forums, Tom. Please post the pictures as you noted and some members might be able to help you ID the scope and its mounts.

Happy Thanksgiving![:)]

Emmett Dunham

The rifle was manugactured in 1953. I have seen the rear mount while searching for parts for the Model 39 I am restoring, I would try to find some markings on the mount and see if you can list them here. To bad the receiver was drilled, no matter its a family thing.

The 39 I purchased from a punk who gave the story that the rifle and others he was selling were his grandfather's and he had some nice weapons and he did't need the rifles. After I cleaned the rifle up I could see were his grandfather carried and used the weapon, his son will never see or touch the Marlin.


Emmett

perry shooter

Looks like the scope could be a *.Hello Kimi I don't have the " BOOK" and yield to his great ref. on the subject of older scopes . I have had a number of rifles with this style of early scope and for some reason the scope just said * . A marlin scope would stand to reason . But I think this would predate the rifle. Cheers Karl.

SCorvers

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Beautiful rifle. Should bring a fair penny.

kimi

Maybe perry shooter is correct about the scope being a *, I don't know. How did you come to identify that maker perry shooter?

Here's what I just now came up with:

The "scope tube" might be a Marlin since it looks very similar to the one pictured on page 134 of Nick Stroebel's book, "Old Rifle Scopes," but the mounts on your Marlin does not match the ones in the noted reference. Stroebel describes this scope as the No. 1 Telescopic Sight with a three-point, non-click adjustable rear mount (1935?-1940). (Turn the knobs on the rear mount to see if they make a clicking sound.) Stroebel also notes that the scope is 4X that is 15.5 inches in length which has a field of view of 30 feet at 100 yards, and a tube diameter of .075 inches with a weight of 16 ounces.

Posting a close up picture of the front mount might help with identification of the mounts too.

Is the rear mount and its base all one piece, or two separate pieces?

Stroebel also mentioned that the No. 1 Telescopic Sight also came with an off-set mounting block to be used with top ejecting lever actions, and that manufacture ended with onset of WWII.

hulkaru

Thanks for the info thus far, The rear mount has two adjustment knobs one spring loaded knob and another knob that looks to tighten the two parts together. Turning the knobs I find no clicks or felt spots, it is smooth turning. I tried to take close up pics but my daughter has run off with the better of the cameras. Tom

kimi

Good picture of the front mount. Try to get one of the rear mount when you get the chance too. Hopefully, someone will come along and be able to ID things for you and the rest of us as well.

If you find that the topic is locked when you re-visit this forum, it's because topics are generally locked after 10 posts. If this proves to be the case and you have more pictures or questions, start a new one.

One other note, make sure of the exact length of the tube, because your scope and mounts might well be Mossberg, since some of them are very much like yours, to include, the rear mount.

Another maker, Wollensak, made a similar looking scope that had the brass tube with a black enamel. Stroebel noted that it was 15.75 inches in length.

Hi Karl: After going through Stroebel's book last night, the only scope I remember seeing that had a tube made of brass was the Wollensak. The Wollensak, the Marlin, and the Mossberg made a scope tube that seems to be almost identical to the one described by hulkaru, but the only one that I can find in the "BOOK" as having the brass tube is the Wollensak. Maybe someone like Bert, or other folks who make a lot of gunshows can shed some light on this issue.

mond

nice bit o'kit...[:p]

hulkaru

What would be a decent price for this rifle. Thanks, Tom

kimi

Tom:

Your rifle and scope combo looks to me, to be highly desireable for many reasons. One is that the Marlin lever action is highly popular and highly accurate. The serial number, according to Col. Brophy's book indicates it was made in 1953. This was one year before Marlin began using the improved rifling known as Micro-Groove. This would mean that your Marlin has the old style Ballard rifling which is much preferred by some people. Brophy also notes that the receiver was tapped and drilled for like sights in 1945. Then, too, your rifle has what I would call a very nice old scope and mounts with certainly what must be today, a very unsual front mount and base unit. If your rifle "is" all original then it might bring a price like the one pictured here, give or take: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=84317061 - and if one is to believe that your scope and mounts are Wollensak, in very good condition, then Stroebel's book shows a price of $125.00 to $225.00.

Please understand that I am not telling you that you have an all original rifle, or a Wollensak scope with like mounts. I hope I have been clear to this end. Also, please do not "quote" what I say here in any adverstisement that you might post on auction should you decide to put it up for auction on GB, or sell it through another source.