Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Lever action 22lr's. - Winchester 9422 vs Marlin 39A

The Winchester is nice, I prefer the Marlin. And as someone posted, I was in the 39 Marlin business before Winchester came up with their gun.

This 39 has been a perpetual project gun since I was a teenager back in the '60's. I got a Fajen stock, fitted it, then checkered it. IIRC, the factory forearm was better wood than the factory stock, so it matched pretty well with the Fajen wood. This gun was at one time set up with scout scope mount, then tang sight for CAS (thus leather wrapped lever), now wearing a VX-2 3-9x40 CDS. Years ago, I did a trigger job, drilled and tapped a set screw ahead of the trigger which functions as a trigger stop. I smoothed the trigger, didn't like the sharp edged, honed the sear until it feels more like an Anschutz than the typical 39 Marlin. Notice how the bases are set up, one on the receiver, one on the barrel.

Like most Marlins, it's very accurate. Years back, I bought a Volquartsen .22 Short 10-22. It had an aluminum bolt, modified mag, SS bull barrel chambered and twisted for the Short. It shot well, but this 39 Marlin grouped the same .22 Short ammo tighter than the Volquartsen. Now, that really made me mad. I sold the Volquartsen barrel, aluminum bolt, modified mag, bought a Green Mountain .22 LR barrel, a steel factory bolt, turned that .22 Short Volquartsen into a .22 LR. My son still has that rifle.

I'm going to get ballistic tape for the Federal Game Shok 38 gr. HP, about my favofite .22 LR hunting round. I'm going to zero at 50 yds, run the tape in 25 yd. increments as far as one turn of the CDS will allow. It should be fun plinking at 200+ yds. This set up should be great for squirrels, will get a chance at them this Fall.

DF