I have a few pre-'68 .22's that were deemed "unworthy" of the expense of a serial number when they were made.
None of them suck.
Just picked up a Marlin 81 that is typical of the breed - a simple 1 lug bolt (handle root) given a basic blue job then stuffed in a very plain walnut stock, etc.
Looks like a '60's gun - Microgroove, tip off rail, plastic trigger guard.
My gut tells me its going to be a good shooter - under the powder grime the bolt looks well machined, the bore is as nice as any Microgroove barrel I've seen, even the trigger is pretty good for the old Marlins (my least favorite cheap trigger).
Got me thinking that there are plenty of the "plain Jane" guns out there that are going the extra mile for their owners.
If you've got a diamond in the rough, post it here. They deserve their 15 minutes of fame.
