Home Forums Lever Action Central Rimfire Levers My new to me Model 39

I've always wanted a model 39 for no particular reason other than I liked the gun. I've never been able to find one in the condition I wanted for a price I was willing to pay. Finally I got a great deal on a Model 39D. The serial # prefix is "71" which I learned is the year it was made. A google search revealed that this model was only made for a few years starting in 1971. I do have a couple of questions which I'm hoping more knowledgeable folks on the "fire" can answer for me.

1. Although the barrel is stamped with the Marlin name and North Haven. Conn. ( see picture) there is no JM stamp on the barrel in front of the receiver. There is a hammer stud that is stamped "JM". Is this normal?

2. The receiver is drilled and tapped for a scope mount but the middle screw appears to be slightly larger in size from the other two. Again, is this normal?

I doubt if I'll use this rifle for anything but plinking but it sure feels great to scratch the itch I've had for one of these guns. Enjoy the pictures and thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

If you can't read the stamping on the barrel in the pic it reads "The Marlin Firearms Co., NorthHaven, CONN. USA. Model 39D

I have a near mint 1971 model D I'll be selling. Would you mind telling us how much you paid?

pal - you have a pm.

Thank you!

Very nice!!!!

OP

look on right side of barrel ahead of receiver....

sometimes its not a full stamp mark

as here...right side

No stamp on either side of the barrel.

The only thing I can think of doing is to remove the forearm piece and see if the roll mark happens to be covered due to miss placed roll mark.

Btw nice snag, enjoy.

Excellent purchase, sir!

The most rare 39 made, and just outstanding shooters. A true gem. You could not have picked a better one to buy than a D. Well, maybe a TDS if you can get past that damn crossbolt safety.

Well done indeed sir. Congrats.

Thanks for the kind words. I'll admit to not knowing a thing about the "D" model 39's until I bought this rifle. The price was right so I bought it just thinking it was a regular 39. I guess I just got lucky.

Still wondering about the lack of a JM stamp on the barrel of this rifle. As previously mentioned it has the Marlin inscription on the barrel and 39D as well. I removed the forend and checked for the stamp there as well and there is none. The only JM mark is on the hamper spur. Does anyone know if this is unique to this model?

I’ve got a 1971 39D. Mine has the JM stamp on the barrel, left side, just in front of the receiver.

Very accurate. My most accurate .22.
2nd most accurate is my Savage MK II BV with a bull barrel.
Savage is very accurate also, but the 39D’s groups are a little tighter and more consistent.

Had a guy bring an earlier one to me for a trigger job this winter, he bragged on it quite a bit. I thought oh yeah, right a real tackdriver levergun. We benched it when he came to pick it up with some CCI Std Velocity. Holeesmoke, outshot my Win 75, accurate, I'm a believer now.

Love this things! About to post pics of mine I've had since 1970. Still my favorite.
Congratulations and happy shooting!!!

I'm still perplexed about the lack of the JM stamp. As previously mentioned no stamp on either side of the barrel and none under the forearm The barrel is stamped Model 39D and it wears a hammer spur with the 39D designation. I'm guess it was somehow missed at the factory.

So what's the difference 'tween a 39A and a 39D?

Honestly I don't know all the differences between the 39D and the regular Moeel 39. The barrel is 20" long instead of 22 and there is no hood on the front sight. Maybe some of the more knowledgeable folks on this site can enlighten us about the differences.

The 39D has a shorter barrel and a barrel band forend.

Bruce

That is a great looking rifle.

That’s a neat rifle. Congrats!
I’ve got a 39A made in 67. Love that rifle. Wouldn’t part with it for nothing.

Nice rifle,, I've got a 39A that over the years has had about 5 sight and scope combo's. This fall I mounted a 2.5 Leupold compact and it was a match made in heaven!! Sighted for 65yds or so the magpies and squirrels are in the zone.

That is a JM Marlin - the stamp may be very light or like you say they may have simply missed doing it. No matter it’s a JM…..the hammer spur marking was common back in the day and these can fetch a handsome amount by themselves (just check on eBay). I’m not sure if it was an option that they left the factory with but I think that was an aftermarket add on. I have never seen a hammer spur marked 39D but I haven’t seen a lot!! FWIW I have a few marlins that are very lightly marked JM from that era so it wouldn’t be a shock to see one without.

Nice rifle you will like it!!

PennDog

Sorry for the confusion. The hammer spur is marked "JM" not "39D."

I read through all this and decided to drag my old 39D out and look for the JM stamp. Mine isn't stamped either. I wonder if there is a serial number range where the stamp is missing?

The serial # on mine is written as 71 73XXX. I'm guessing that the "71" before the gap is the year of manufacture. Hopefully, we both have a rare and very valuable version of the 36D. :-)

Interesting. Mine is a 70 prefix. 65xxx

Bought my mountie new in 69 and it so stamped. Hammer spur came on it and is stamped JM. I know it must have come that way because I bought it Target in Duluth MN. Wonderful rifle and it killed a ton of sage rats when I lived in OR. First new gun I ever bought and my son will get it when I go home.

My 39A has a 24" barrel.

Do not remove the larger screw on the top of the receiver.

That screw retains the cartridge guide spring inside the receiver at the top.

Don't want to lose it either as they can be hard to find...

Thanks for the tip.

One of my gun buying regrets; back in the 70’ a K -Mart was going out of business and had a display Marlin M-39 for $100. I had just divorced and had remarried. Starting over, I felt like I could not afford at that time. Too many bills and stuff needed that were a necessity. Back then, as like today, courts always ruled in favor of the female no matter how sorry or crazy they were.

My Lyman 17AHB front globe sight has been on backorder for 2 months on MidwayUSA, otherwise I would've been plinking with my Model 39.

A good friend just gifted me my first Marlin Model 39. Its the Golden 39A model. I’m in love, its already my most favorite rimfire rifle and I have several.

Great guns!

I posted this about my 39A.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...8955/marlin-39-trigger-stop#Post18848955

DF

My grandfather gave me a mint 39D back in the late 70's so he and I could hunt Squirrels together in the woods of Northern Indiana. It was my first 22 and now the most cherished gun I own. It's still in near 100% condition, sans one little nick in the feed tube, thanks to a careless college girlfriend who clumsily rested it against t-post. Knew there was a reason I never married her. Ha! Anyway, as others have alluded, it's one heck of an accurate bast#rd, especially for a lever. Loves Mini Mag HP's. Quick anecdotal story...While in high school, me and a buddy were out dinkin around behind our neighborhood. He had his Nylon 66 and me the 39D. We spotted a rabbit about 125 yds away down a pipeline right away. I sat down on the ground and rested the gun on my knee. Don't remember how much I held over with the 4x scope, but anyway my buddy chuckled and said "no way". I squeezed off the shot and dumped the rabbit on the spot. Head shot at that. I'm sure it was more luck than anything, but resulted in a dead rabbit nonetheless. I've made some pretty long shots on Crows as well. Besides a 1968 Browning T-Bolt I inherited from my dad, the 39D is the most accurate 22 I own.

As for markings, my serial number also starts with 71. I have the JM stamp on the right side of the barrel, just ahead of the receiver. I also have the JM marked hammer spur.

I think of the various sporter weight .22’s (especially lever actions) that the Model 39 is one of the most accurate and definitely most fun rimfire rifles one could own.

I second Fenton, I have one presently and it’s stamping is as he said. My recollection of the 39 is the rarest is the carbine, do not know if it had a letter designation or not, as I recall it was very close to the later m designation though May had a 3/4 magazine tube rather than barrel length , though I am not sure since I have never seen one