Looking for any info about Marlin model 90 shotguns.
Any books, articles, videos, commentaries, links about them in general including disassembly (& reassembly), parts availability as well as any good gunsmiths familiar with them.
Yes, I am finally acquiring a model 90 in 12ga with 30” barrels & want to get all the info I can.
Thanks.
Jim

IIRC it was weagle who was the Model 90 guru. Not sure if he's still around.

Shotgunworld is a good source for all things shotgun related:

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/marlin-model-90.162561/

I posted this several years ago:


Well you asked, so here's more than you ever wanted to know about the model 90:

Charles Hammack over on the 16ga society turned me on to the Marlin 90 back a couple of years ago and since then I've been researching, buying and shooting my Model 90's at every chance I get. Here's some more info for you; most of which I have learned from Charles or other posters on the various shotgun boards:

The best kept non-secret in a classic American OU is the Marlin Model 90. Made by an icon of American firearms manufacturing and brilliant in it's simplicity, durability and handling characteristics. I have a 12,16 & 20 ga and I'd love to find a 410 and a rifle/shotgun combo.




You can still find clean 12 ga model 90's for around $300-$400 but the smaller gauges are bringing double that.

My primary Clay target gun is a 30" barreled 1950 manufactured model 90 and after approx 25K rounds over the 2 years I've been shooting it, it still locks up as tight as the day it left the factory.

I'd like to hear from someone if they have worn out a marlin 90. As I stated, I've put around 25,000 rounds through mine in about 2 years and it's still shows absolutely zero signs of wear in the action. There's no telling how many rounds were put through it in the 57 years before I bought it.

There's an error in the blue book regarding the separated barrels on the guns. It's actually the newer guns '49 to '59 that have the seperated barrels. The earlier guns have the Solid rib between the barrels.

The model 90 was made for Sears by Marlin with the pre war guns stamped Ranger and the Post war guns stamped JC Higgins. As part of the agreement, Marlin also sold guns through other channels with only the Marlin model 90 markings. After WWII the Sears guns also carried the Marlin stamp.

The metal finish on most of these old workhorses is very poor as the receiver is actually a malleable iron and will not take traditional bluing. They actually came from the factory with a Black oxide finish on the receiver. You will often find them with a very plum colored receiver which is what happens if you try to blue the malleable iron.




If you look inside you will see why they are so durable. They are powered by coil springs and instead of hammers and firing pins they have solid, inline strikers. A cool feature that most Model 90 owner are unaware of is that you can un-cock the gun by simply holding the triggers back as you close the action. (oops: I forgot to mention that you have to remove the automatic safety bar in order to do this)

The barrels have very long forcing cones and also very long parallel chokes. That explains why they are very mild kickers in spite of the relatively light weight and why they throw spectacular patterns. I love double triggers and extractors and the marlin extractor is a large single unit that is pushed out by the cam action of opening the barrel and is ultra reliable.

As far as prices. I paid around $300 for my 12, and $400 for my 20 and 16ga. I was patient and lucky on the small gauge guns though. $400 should buy an ultra clean 12 gauge version, and I'd expect it to last to hand down to your great great grand kids.

Here's a photo of the guts of a model 90.




Weagle

Thank you. Very helpful.

What book is this?

I didn't wear it out personally............but there's a Ranger 20 that's still at my mother's place that I had my smith work on the hinge pin. I don't recall if he put in a new one or did something else. But the gun was loose on the pin.

Now............that gun's been in the family since somewhere in the 40's. And it wasn't brand new then, if I remember the story right. It's been hunted for a lotta decades. Other than the (repaired) pin, the gun is still beautiful and ready to hunt.

Never owned one, but herald quite a few in the gun shops. They seem to be very nice user guns. I usually passed on them because i walked out the door with something else that called out louder to me. If I saw one in decent shape, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it.

I have had to sleeve the chambers of two of them that were badly egg shaped. Seemed solid otherwise.

I have worn out my 16 ga marlin 90 made about 1939. I was shooting trap with it using the bottom barrel and after lots of rounds, it started peening the firing pin hole closed. The other problem is the lug to hinge pin is worn and it does not close tight. I hold the butt stock with both hands and shake it and can feel it wobble, fixed it by taking a strip of metal from a beer can and shimming the hinge pin.