Home Forums Lever Action Central Rimfire Levers Marlin39a or a Browning22/lr

Marlin39a or a Browning22/lr

That is the question,,,,,I want one or the other but cant decide.

Marlin,
take down design is nice for cleaning I have heard
but a 24 inch barrel seems a little long
like that scope bases will be used not a groved reciever,,,
hard to find and about $100 more,,,not that thats a big deal over time

Browning
shorter barrel, I like that
not takedown are they? So maybe harder to clean
groved reciever,,,ugggg
hafta refinish the stock right away, can't stand that high gloss

opinions and comments appreciated

Personally, I like the Marlin. It feels like a rifle to me. No knock on the BL22, they're a quality rifle, except they just feel like a toy to me. The BL22 has the same feel as a standard Ruger 10/22, just a little butt heavy and whippy in the barrel. The M39 has substance, balance, and that long barrel hangs perfectly for off hand shooting.

Finally...one of these questions that I still own both.

First off, have you picked up and fondled both? There is such a big difference in these two models I'd think one, according to your preference, would just shine way ahead of the other.

Both are great functioning and accurate rimfires. The Marlin is my favorite because it just has a better feel to it. The Browning is kind of a "tweener" gun. A little too big for little kids and a little too small for bigger kids, such as myself.

I agree totally with MOGC's post above.

I've had both, still have my Marlin(1954 model)

I still have both. Thanksgiving Day, we did some plinking while walking off turkey. Offhand, my son and I were hitting thumbnail sized targets at 25 to 30 yards with the iron sights of the BL-22. It is amazing how well it shoots for a light rifle, and it is something you can carry all day while hunting squirrels and rabbits without ever noticing you have it.

I prefer the Marlin. The barrel is longer but with such a short reciever it doesn't feel like it. The Marlin has a better trigger in my opinion. The brownings I have fired and had all had mushy triggers because of the lockup. I like the fact that I can clean from the chamber. Takedown feature is nice too for backpacking. I have taken mine down and slid it into the long pocket on the frame pack and taken it with me. All steel receiver and parts on the Marlin. I am partial to peep sights so I prefer the clean lines of the reciever versus the grooved top. My marlin was hands down more accurate then my Browning and my friends.



My boy likes it too!

I have 39A and 39M Marlins, don't have the Browning. I prefer the Marlins. If you think you may prefer the Marlin, but don't like the long barrel, consider finding a 39M with a 20" barrel. I found one last year, made in 1969, for $300.

fwiw,
I love my 39 Mountie/Golden Mounties(20" heavy barrel/straight stock). They are tough to find and I buy everyone I come across reasonably. I worked on one a few weeks back, that dated to 1937, that blew headspace by quite a bit. Did a weld build up on the bolt lever extension and filed to fit. Found there is very little on these rifles that can't be fixed even after a tens of thousands of rounds and many, many decades of shooting...

I don't consider the BL-22 or 9422 to be in the same league. And I've owned both...fwiw

Regards, Matt.

I have both, 39A no question is the better rifle. Trigger on the BL-22 breaks at 11 lbs.
Coach

Marlin 39A.

Ain't even a contest between the two.

I've owned the Browning and found it to be very accurate. I wish the Marlin had a straight stock, and a shorter barrel. I believe the Marlin is cheaper, and it's not made in Japan like the Browning.

Short barrel, straight stock versions of the 39 are/were available.

As I understand it, the optimum barrel length for velocity is something like 16-18 inches. The Marlin is 24", BL is 20?, 9422 is also 20" so there could be a noticeable loss in velocity with the Marlin. Anybody have some numbers?

Like VAnimrod said, you can get those configurations in the 39. However, with the 24" barrel you get extra quietness for CB use.

Pre-xactly why the 24" tube is the catazz...

Might be a pun there...

VAnimrod,

You're shooting at the wrong end!

39A Mountie is everything you'll ever want.

'06... not necessarily... depends on the load, the angle, and whether that end, is the entrance or the exit....

I don't know about the Browning, but be sure to wear glasses shooting the Marlin. Straight path for gas down the sides of the firing to your eye if a case head pops.

Down the sides of the firing pin.

Have shot 39s, 94/22s, and BL-22s. Bought the Marlin and the Winchester and would have bought the Browning except for the MADE IN JAPAN stamped on it. Same for the BPS and the BLR. Too bad, as they are really nice guns.

So does it blow the hammer off(cause it covers the pin and bolt)!

Bob

I have a 39A, but just ordered the BL22 w/ octagonal bbl. Henry doesn't even fall anywhere near the mark when it comes to a well made gun. If Marlin still made a 39 with an octagonal barrel I would buy one. I've found a few old Marlins starting from $800 (beater)up to $1,200.00. To make the search even more difficult the older Marlins would need the HS prefix on the serial number to be useful.

I have eight Marlin 39's, two Winchester 9422's. No browning BL22's or Henrys... so that might be an indication to which I like the best.

I too, every time I see a good 39 on the shelf, buy every one I see. Marlin 39's are pretty hard to find, around here and are high priced too... Almost any Marlin 39 will $350.00 to $450, no matter what the condition. And good ones can go as high as $550.00 which is more than the price of a new Marlin 39A. But, this is California where every thing is bassackwards.

Bill

Bushwacker - Great photo, the boy is a chip off the old block

still have my 39a that I bought in high school by mowing yards...seems like they were about 75$ or so in 1964, that was a bunch of yards at 5$ or less per....shoots just as good now as it ever did..it is the short straight stocked "mountie" version

I've owned both love the browning sold the marlin no problems with either i just like the short lever action of the browning and it is alot lighter. the marlin reminds me of my 30-30.

I have a Golden 39A, a Mountie, a BLR and a 94-22Magnum. I like them all, the Marlin's for their accuracy, the Browning for the short lever throw and the 22 Mag for shooting desert jackrabbits. My advice, get both and don't look back.