Marlin Saftey 44-40

S

shaneb

Inactive
I am trying find out a little about a riffle I have inherited.
To make things a little more interesting the firearm is in another State and I'm trying to find out if it's worth getting it here.
The only information I have is that it is a 44-40 Marlin Safety.
Serial number: 153928
Octagonal barrel
Another number?: 3894.
Marlin Safety, Pat. US 1887
Aug 1, 1833
April 2, 1889.
I hope someone can fill me in on the possible value and or if it is a collectable item, I have no real idea of its condition, just that apparently it looks old
 
I am not a Marlin expert but SN 153928 is listed as having been made in 1897.
That makes it an antique by BATF pre-1898 definition.
It is probably a Model 1894 and is definitely a "collectable item."
Dollar value depends on condition, configuration, condition, originality, condition, and current interest in the model.

Note that there is a current production Marlin 1894 that sells for $400-$500; your original 1894 if, IF in good condition is worth substantially more. So don't get ripped off by somebody showing you the price tag on a 1997 gun as typical for your 1897 rifle.
 
If it's marked Marlin Safety I suspect that it's not an 1894, but a more desirable Model 1889.

The 1894 was a derivitive of the 1889, but their production overlapped for a number of years.
 
The "Marlin Safety" term apparently was derived from the use, in the Model 1891, of a separate sear that allowed blocking the trigger until the lever was fully closed. This was in addition to the older two-piece firing pin that did not allow the firing pin to be driven forward unless the bolt lock was fully up into the bolt body.

The marking appeared on both the Model 1891 and 1894 models (and on other models as well that were not made in .44-40).

Jim
 
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