snapping turtle
Grandmaster
Been hording levers all my life. Some of my first gun show purchases were levers, my first new rifle purchase was a lever action, my first trade was for a lever action. It has become very profitable because I was buying these rifles when the were tools not collectibles. Many of the ones I purchased long ago maybe were bought at Kmart and taken deer hunting two years and then stored in a closet for years. with the closing of the original marlin factory the idea of them being tools died. Most of mine are marlins but a few savage browning and Winchester are around.
Had a long conversation with the wife about what was a fine collection of marlin 39a’s and Mounties. I kept many and sold a few but I hate selling good guns. So my collection of 17 39a,s is down to a 39AWS (un shot) a 39d, a 39c a 39a 1940’s era a Mountie 1950’s era and two matching 1980’s versions of 39a and 39m. Trimmed about 10 from the herd. Congrats on those who purchased them from me. she said that 17 of basically the same rifle was to many on New Year’s Day when I had them all out for a yearly cleaning and of course mental health check. I checked myself and unfortunately compromised.
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The profit (well value increase verses inflation) was put into a few other levers. The rest went to debt pay off for interest cuts on house and cars.
I have shot all but the AWS but now the 1980’s 39s and 39m are the one that get shot often as from my testing they seemed to be the most accurate ones of the bunch as I think from the 1960’s to 1989 seemed to be the highest quality of marlins around. I think the new machines of the era and the older craftsmanship was still around giving the best of both worlds gun wise.only a single pre 1964 1982 is in the bunch in 25-20 a saddle ring carbine. The pre 1964’s were already to expensive when I started collecting.
The one my wife came to like most was my marlin 444 outfitter. She asked why I bought it and I told her it was my Bigfoot gun. Two years later for christmas she got me a custom buttcuff with a bigfoot on it.
why the interest now. I don’t know as when I was buying them the bolt action fire was king. The lever was the gun someone who could not afford a bolt hunted with. Maybe that was why I always went the lever action route.
Had a long conversation with the wife about what was a fine collection of marlin 39a’s and Mounties. I kept many and sold a few but I hate selling good guns. So my collection of 17 39a,s is down to a 39AWS (un shot) a 39d, a 39c a 39a 1940’s era a Mountie 1950’s era and two matching 1980’s versions of 39a and 39m. Trimmed about 10 from the herd. Congrats on those who purchased them from me. she said that 17 of basically the same rifle was to many on New Year’s Day when I had them all out for a yearly cleaning and of course mental health check. I checked myself and unfortunately compromised.
.
The profit (well value increase verses inflation) was put into a few other levers. The rest went to debt pay off for interest cuts on house and cars.
I have shot all but the AWS but now the 1980’s 39s and 39m are the one that get shot often as from my testing they seemed to be the most accurate ones of the bunch as I think from the 1960’s to 1989 seemed to be the highest quality of marlins around. I think the new machines of the era and the older craftsmanship was still around giving the best of both worlds gun wise.only a single pre 1964 1982 is in the bunch in 25-20 a saddle ring carbine. The pre 1964’s were already to expensive when I started collecting.
The one my wife came to like most was my marlin 444 outfitter. She asked why I bought it and I told her it was my Bigfoot gun. Two years later for christmas she got me a custom buttcuff with a bigfoot on it.
why the interest now. I don’t know as when I was buying them the bolt action fire was king. The lever was the gun someone who could not afford a bolt hunted with. Maybe that was why I always went the lever action route.
