Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Marlin .357 - the best years

One day I'll walk into a pawnshop and see a Marlin lever action in .357 and my mood will be right and the price will be right. Hasn't happened yet - but ...

If it happens is there a range of serial numbers that I should be looking for - or staying away from? What are the good years of manufacture - and the bad years?

First....if its a pre safety.........(pre 1983) you'll be GTG......

even built after 1983 with the stupid X/bolt safety....these are keepers also..

Remington bought Marlin 2010 (ish) and started building junk....the serial number of RemLins

will begin with 'MR' Marlin/Remington..AKA RemLins

Remington's first 5 yrs or so were the problem childs....rough/cobby/poor fit & finish/crooked sights

Read on the internet they are better post 2015......so it must be true

The serial number code normally is...subtract first two from 100...IE...'22' from 100 = 1978 mfg date

study the date code list & that should better explain..

http://marlinspares.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Marlin-Date-codes-ver8-396mb2-1024x791.jpg

https://www.gunvaluesboard.com/marlin-serial-numbers-dates-of-manufacture-1664.html

http://www.lasc.us/FryxellMarlin1894.htm

http://marauder.homestead.com/files/TUNING_M_1894.htm

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

Those pre-safeties feel the best to me. I just picked up a 1894 FG .41 and it's not nearly as nice feeling as my old Pre-safety .357.

I heard ‘81 is a good ‘ un.

I have been a Marlin fan since the 1950s having owned dozens of them thru the years. All this yap about JM stamped, Remlins, etc. is just that. Marlins always were always will be a working man's gun that sells in the lower 1\3 price range of American made firearms. With that said the fit\finish of most mass manufacturing rifles of this price point will never nor was it ever meant to be that of hand made guns that sell for thousandS more than a Marlin.
I have never purchased any model be it 1894 or 336 pre or post Remington that was not functional. Has Remington for returns for mistakes yes they have but so did the original owner of the name.
Buy the .357 Marlin your eye likes and have fun

I suppose I'd rather have a pre-safety, but you don't run into them enough to be real picky. I'd rather have a JM than a REM.

I'd look the gun over carefully. If it's a good one and the price feels right, I'd give it a run.

It's not like you can't resale one easy enough.

Been getting a few JM Marlins here at pawnshop.

1895G .45-70 1999 pd. 650.00

357 1980 pd. 700.00

.35 rem 1980 pd. 375.00

All are 85 % good or better.

Bought them all.

Hammer back is a good look for leverguns, a serious and lethal intent, straining at the leash. The cross bolt safety makes it sane.

I've got a 1980. I'd sure like to shoot one of the new ones to see how they compare.Some times one of the local dealers has 3 or 4 of most models out on display that you can actually pickup and handle.Even in the same model I notice some look good some not so good.

I've been in hundreds of pawn shops and seen exactly one 1894 in 357. It had the 24" octagon barrel and they wanted $700 for it around six years ago. Probably a good price. And a really cool looking rifle.
With it's long barrel it would mostly just be a range gun for me. And I like rifles I would carry around in the woods and hunt with. The 18" 1894c is more my style.

Seen a few 44's but they're a lot chunkier.

Now I have seen quite a few of the 92 knockoffs in 357. They're pretty cool. And I imagine a blast to shoot. Compact and lightweight. Would make a great pack gun. But not really collectible.

The last Marlin I got was a JM gun, 30TK, and the first levergun I've had with a safety. I don't mind the safety. And this particular rifle was never offered without the safety. So sometimes there's just no way around it.
I do think that if you're buying it as an investment that the pre-safety adds some desirability.. But you might pay a premium for a real nice pre-safety model.