I just picked up an 1895 in 45/70 from an auction. The gun's in very good shape, but I have no idea when it was made.

The serial number is 26073***. Is there anywhere I can plug this number in and find out more info about the gun? I couldn't find anything on the Marlin Web site.

Also, how can I tell if this gun has Ballard rifling or Micro-Groove? The barrel is NOT stamped Micro-Groove, so can I assume therefore that it's Ballard?

Do all 1895s have walnut stocks? This looks like walnut, but it's real dark.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.


mike cullison

Michael,
I put *** for the last three digits of your serial number. Security reasons for you. While the members here at Beartooth are a trustworthy bunch, there may be a few shady characters surfing the web with malicious intent.

Sorry, I cannot help with the manufacture date.

1976.
http://oldguns.net/

I'm not a Marlin historian, but I think it was all Micro-groove at that time. Ballard is 6 groove, Micro is around a dozen grooves. If I'm wrong, there's some folks here who do know.

Bye
Jack

In fact the date is 1974. Checked your link Jack, to see if there was a discrepency, but it concurs. 1974 same as the 39A I got new when I was a kid.

Yep, ***** 1974 *****

http://armscollectors.com/sn/marlinlookup.php

I'm not sure, but it's probably micro-groove. Seems I see alot of guys grumbling about leading in the micro-groove. just use mold(s) to cast your leads a few thousandths bigger and that'll take care of that. Never see anyone complaining about jacketed rounds in the micro-groove. Looking at the situation from a tool&die maker's perspective, using a multi-point tool to hot-forge the rifleing, as in the button process for micro-groove, (depending on the consistancy of the button's forging lobes) should return a slicker, more consistant rifleing than the single-point cut process used for ballard style rifleing.

Michael,
I put *** for the last three digits of your serial number. Security reasons for you. While the members here at Beartooth are a trustworthy bunch, there may be a few shady characters surfing the web with malicious intent.

Thanks a bunch. I wondered about that. But I figured since the online auction where I bought it has a strict policy of putting complete serial numbers for all its auction guns in each description I was safe in using it.

Didn't occur to me that it's a different story when the SN is associated with my name.

Thanks again.

With the Marlins you subtract the first 2 numbers from 100 and that will give you the year it was made.

In fact the date is 1974.

I'm not sure, but it's probably micro-groove. Seems I see alot of guys grumbling about leading in the micro-groove. just use mold(s) to cast your leads a few thousandths bigger and that'll take care of that.

Thanks for that info. Wow, I'm really surprised it's that old. I didn't realize Marlin made the 1895 that long ago--the modern version, I mean.

I thought maybe late 80s or early 90s.

I think this means I paid too much for it. I thought I could steal it for about $200, but then it got bid up and I got the bit in my teeth and ended up paying $400. I'd say it's about a 95% gun.

When you talk about cast bullets are you talking only about ones used to reloading or are the all-lead bullets in the cowboy loads like PMC and Ultramax the same thing?

1976.
http://oldguns.net/

I'm not a Marlin historian, but I think it was all Micro-groove at that time. Ballard is 6 groove, Micro is around a dozen grooves. If I'm wrong, there's some folks here who do know.

Bye
Jack


Thanks for the URL, Jack.

When you talk about cast bullets are you talking only about ones used to reloading or are the all-lead bullets in the cowboy loads like PMC and Ultramax the same thing?

Don't know! Where lead bullets are concerned, I was just giving you the info I've seen in passing. I've only seen references to increased dimeters in hand-cast bullets. They could be available in component or cartridge form though. I just don't know about that. I'm not into the cowboy thing. I prefer pistol-grip levers and only shoot jacketed CE rounds. I am begining to entertain the possibility of re-loading and possibly casting. You might want to nose around in re-loading and cowboy sections for that info. I do know that micro-groove is not the death nail to firing lead rounds, as the leading situation can be overcome.

When I initially read the title of this thread, I thought perhaps a member of this forum had taken his appreciation of lever action firearms a little to the extreme. I have several levers in my stable, but to actually dress one up and take 'er out on the town is going a little overboard....in my opinion. However, I may not be as open-minded as some people.

When I initially read the title of this thread, I thought perhaps a member of this forum had taken his appreciation of lever action firearms a little to the extreme. I have several levers in my stable, but to actually dress one up and take 'er out on the town is going a little overboard....in my opinion. However, I may not be as open-minded as some people.

Surely I'm not the only forum member onery enough to give Michael a little good natured ribbing for his choice of words for the title of this thread. Probably explains why my wife and daughters roll their eyes at most of my feeble attempts at humor.

Marlin year of manufacture maybe determined from the following list of letter/numeral prefixs to the serial number:

1946-C
1947-D
1948-E
1949-F
1950-G
1951-H
1952-J
1953-K
1954-L
1955-M
1956-N
1957-P
1958-R
1959-S
1960-T
1961-U
1962-V
1963-W
1964-Y,-Z
1965-AA
1966-AB
1967-AC
1968-AD, -68
1969-69
1970-70
1971-71
1972-72

Starting in 1973, the year of manufacture maybe determined by subtracting the first two digits of the serial number from 100:
Example: SN 2512345 would have been made in 1975 [100 - 25 = 75].

mike --

i have never dated an 1895. oldest woman i ever dated was born in 1910.

based on my experience, i suggest you take along some Geritol for her on your first date.

and only give her coffee to drink, to keep her awake, nothing alcoholic.

also, go easy on the fast-dancing, try to stick to slower stuff like waltzes and foxtrots.

good luck

lapsub

p.s.: don't forget to bring along some extra size-13 hearing aid batteries for her.