Home Forums Lever Action Central Rimfire Levers New/Used Marlin Model 39A

Well, I did it. I have been looking for a Marlin model 39A for some time now. I really wanted an older one but was ready to settle for one of the new ones. I looked at one at Gander Mountain which they wanted $569 for and yesterday I found one at a local gunshop which they wanted $475 for and it had better wood. As I was spending the day with a friend of mine going to pawn shops (he was looking for a guitar) I figured I would look for a model 39A. The last pawn shop we went into, I asked the clerk if I could see any lever action .22s they might have. He handed me a Marlin model 39A that someone had traded in on a Marlin 45/70. I don't know how you figure percentages, but this had to be 90%. There were a few minor marks on it, with the most noticeable being the white spacer was missing by the butt plate. Other than that, it was a real clean gun. With it were an inexpensive Tasco Pronghorn scope, a sling and they threw in a soft case. I asked how much and they said $400 out the door. It is now sitting in my gun case next to my model 336C in .35 remington. My 336C was manufactured in 1968 and the 39A was manufactured in 1964. Now, did I have a good day yesterday? Did I do alright?

Correction! I had indicated that the white spacer was missing. Maybe not. Is the spacer just a band around the stock or does it cover the entire end of the stock? It is white but indented about 1/32 of an inch or so. But not as white as my 336 which I indicated was a 336C but is actually a 336RC. Finally, I said the gun must be 90%. After looking at the guns in Gun Broker, it has to be 95% or better. Also, after looking at the guns on Gun Broker, and comparing the prices and conditions, I got a great buy.

I would say so .... bought mine new about a year ago and paid $450 ... not that that information is of any use to you now!

It sounds like you got a good buy to me. I couldn't tell you if it's original without looking at it or a pic, but it sounds like it's in pretty good shape. Congrats. I've owned a half-dozen of them over the years and they are a sweet piece.

The white-line spacers are a one-piece plate, between the stock wood and the buttplate/pad - and are known to discolor and shrink with age.

Simply buying a "replacement" spacer can be an exercise in frustration, however - since each rifle's spacer/BP was individually fitted/sanded at the time of manufacture, and a replacement may also be too small.
If you're luck, and get one a tad oversize for your rifle, then you'll be in clover.

I use the side from a large (empty/washed) Clorox bleach bottle, and set the BP on it to draw an outline a little bigger, including the screwholes.
After mounting on the stock, it's easily trimmed flush with a penknife blade.

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I hate white line spacers and removed the one on my Mountie which I bought in 1966. Thanks...Bill.

I called Marlin about the white outline spacer and talked to a very pleasant lady there. She told me the same thing that Rangr44 said. The spacers shrink and discolor with time. So apparently I still have the spacer, it just shrunk a little. She also said that they have no more of the white outline spacers and will be getting no more. Marlin has gone to a brown spacer.

I took the gun to the range with a friend of mine last week. He was getting pretty good groups and said the action was still very tight, smooth, and had a beautiful trigger. In case you are wondering, I had surgery on my right shoulder a little over a month ago, and had just come out of the sling the day before we went to the range. Starting therapy now. Tore a rotator cuff. Can't wait until I can shoot it myself.