Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin Talk "Marlin Safety"

Do any of you gents (or ladies) know the significance of the words "Marlin Safety" on the top of the receiver of a 1894 32-20 made in 1898?

Marlin incorporated some "safety" design changes to their previous Marlin rifle, the Model 1889 ...

Such as a one-piece trigger and a two-piece firing pin, to prevent the rifle from firing unless the finger lever was fully closed.

These design changes to the Model 1889 resulted in the rifle becoming the "Model 1894" - and may explain the words "Marlin Safety" stamped on the receiver of your original Model 1894 ???

Actually the 1889 was advertized as the "Marlin Saftey Rifle" and that is when the "Marlin Saftey" slogan started being stamped on the top of the recievers. The 1889 was advertized as being safe because it could not fire unless the bolt was fully closed and this was in conjunction with other features such as side ejection making a "Marlin Saftey Rifle". The 1889 and 1891 had a trigger interlock that the lever depressed when fully closed to allow the trigger to work. "Marlin Saftey" was also stamped on the top of the Model 1891. In the 1894 the trigger interlock was eliminated and the two piece firing pin became a "Marlin Saftey" feature (still along with side eject).

The 1892 eliminated the trigger interlock by a new firing pin design that was held reward by the lever unless the action was fully closed. Note that the 1892 model did not come out in 1892 - it was first made in 1896.

Guns firing before the breech was fully close must have been considered an issue, or possible was just advertizing back then. The Whitney-Kennedy's of the late 1870's and 1880's were advertized as "the safest reapeating rifle made" because they "could not fire unless the breech was fully closed".