Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Marlin Model 39

Can any of you Writers give me some feed-back on the Marlin 39 and variants.
Am wanting to know about "lifespan" for micro-groove rifeling and about the "rebounding" hammer of the newer models, and if it has a half cock notch.
I'm sure some of you have an opinion on this rifle (grin!)
Thanks! Virgil B.
Also, someone on lever rimfires posted that gases from a blown rim could go down the firing pin, and into the shooters eye. Is this a possibility? again, Thanks!

My first "quality" rifle (1948) was a long-craved, long-studied Marlin 39-A ($50.49) with Ballard rifling. I've had seven others since, and would love to have one now. Quality suffered with the passing of years, but the later ones were still good guns. I have no quarrel with the fine, shallow rifling. All eight of mine � all scoped 4x � were very accurate.

My 39 was made in the mid '50's. Yes, I've experienced gas in the eye, but it was with CB caps as that load probably doesn't generate enough pressure to cause the case to seal the chamber. I've never experienced it with normal or hi vel loads.

I agree with Ken, they are all high quality rifles and very accurate. You won't go wrong with a Marlin 39.

Ken, Ought 6,
thanks for the replies!
Am still wondering about the micro-groove? Maybe I should just go ahead with a new Marlin...Heck, they're only a hundred, or so, more than a good used one...(still like the idea of the Mountie with 20" barrel)
Guss I could always have the barrel cut down.
Virgil B.

I have a 1950s era 39a (nonmicro rifling). Could not be a better repeating rifle, though the 1890 Winchester pump gun is a hell of a close second. Anyway, buy an old one. One w/o the whiteline spacers if you can find it. They will never be worth less than they are today. Put a vintage Marbles tang sight on it and you are set for anything, even the Dangerous Game like Charging Rabbit and the ever so sneaky Killer Squirrels that look at you like you "owe them money" and will settle for your hide.

Indeed, the Marlin 39a is a mighty fine rifle in the old days. The microgroove versions are supposed to be okay too, but I can't say that I have actually owned one so that's just hearsay to me. I'd pay more for regular (ballard) rifling myself.

Brent

BrentD,
I've got a Win 62A with a Marbles tang peep. It's a great shooting rifle, just NEED something NEW?
Also own a 94-22 Legacy, but have been "convinced" I NEED a Marlin, simply because, I've never owned one!
How's that for GUN LOONE rationalization! (grin!)
Virgil B.

My god man, if you are going out in the field w/o a Dangerous Rabbit Rifle, then you sure as hell need one. Doesn't sound looney to me.

Just wanted to add,
If a guy was to cut the barrel on a new 39, at the mag. tube, how long would the barrel be?
This would be another way to get an aprox. 20" barrel (am thinking)...The wheels are going 'round!...And, still have the pistol grip stock! Virgil B.

I'd never cut a barrel on a 39. You would have to deal with the spring loading tube and shortening that may have prove difficult. Not shortening it will, perhaps result in reduced capacity, or other problems. You will also have to deal with the tube/barrel mounts and I can't recall how they work on the 39 w/o going down to look at mine.

Besides a long barrel and sight radius is always a good thing. For me, a barrel less than 30" is on the short side anyway.

Brent

Of the eight that I've enjoyed, the Mounties were out and away my favorites.

I have mid 60's in carbine, mountie & rifle. Love them all but the carbine is my favorite. No telling howmany cases of 22's have been down it's microgrove barrel & it's still a minute of squirel head rifle.

Not to take away anyone's pleasure in the Mounties, but I, for one, have never felt inconvenienced or troubled by the heft and balance of the full-lenth version. I like the way it comes to the shoulder and stays there, with the muzzle holding remarkably steady, for off-hand shooting.

- TJM

I too have always loved the original long ones and never had any negative feeling toward any of 'em � I just liked the Mounties a bit better.

If you have both � or access to both � chronograph the same ammo in both, one right after the other. Your results may surprise you.

Over several seasons, both versions seemed equally capable of making bang-flop head shots on a passel of gray squirrels and groundhogs.

I'm going to bet the velocities are higher in the shorter barrel of the Mountie. That's okay. Despite the fact that I can almost hear the bullet braking in the last six inches of the barrel of my full lengh 39A, I'm still fond of it.

having tested velocities extensively in different lengths of barrels I will say that it is really pretty clear that high velocity ammo goes considerably faster in longer barrel - against the dominant paradigm I know. But a fact in testing barresl from 18" to 29.5".

If, however, one sticks with subsonic, low velocity ammo as one should for squirrel head hunting, then you will find little or no difference with any legal-length rifle barrel, from 18" to 29.5". I have never personally found a bullet to go slower in a longer barrel but I keep looking.

Your mileage may vary, but I bet not much.

My top .22 has a 16" Lilja barrel inside a bored out 28" #2 Winchester barrel. The terminal 12" is bored to 0.625" and acts as a bloop tube or back-bored rifle. Very little barrel time which is good for offhand accuracy, no sacrifice to velocity with competition grade ammunition or the subsonic Lapua or Ely hollowpoint hunting ammo, and excellent sight radius and handling.

Brent

Brent

Thanks for the "testimonials"
It's great to get the feed-back from happy users!
You've put my mind at ease on the micro-groove rifeling.
Now, I just have to see what the "used" market has to offer. Am hopeing to come up with a Mountie, with octagon barrel (grin!)
Prolly not much chance, 'cause I don't have the patience to wait! 'Sides nobody said I was limited to only ONE!
Virgil B.

The 39A full length in my safe has now been shot by 4 generations of my family starting with my grandfather and now going on to my son. Micro grove shoots like I can't believe with a 4x out to 100 yds on cans and clays and is better than me with the Lyman peep that it gets used with more than not in the woods and other jobs.
Enjoy the search for yours.

Just be sure to wear shooting glasses. Twenty plus years ago I represented a 16 year old who lost an eye shooting a Mountie, we advertised for information and found other instances of blowback with the 39A. In this particular case a bolt face bevel on the ejector or extractor slot - I forget which - had been cut too much, did not support the brass, and the case head popped, there was nothing in the design to keep gas and brass from zipping back into the shooter's eye. The ammo also tested out as overpressured, so the accident was not entirely Marlin's fault.

I don't know what brand of .22 rifle that one of my dad's boyhood buddies was shooting when he fired a shot and fell dead without any great sign of what had happened. Only a very dedicated search by the coroner disclosed that a tiny sliver of steel had blown back out of the rifle, had penetrated his brain, and had left only a very tiny entrance hole that didn't bleed even so much as a bead.

Someone posted that there is a relief port on the newer 39's to deal with a ruptured rim.
Anybody know when this feature was implamented?

Also, do the rebounding hammers have a half-cock notch?
Thanks!
Virgil B.