Custom 1st Year Marlin Model 1893 20 1/2″ .32-40 Lever Action Rifle Antique
SOLD FOR: $1,925.00
LSB#: WY240313JL001
Make: Marlin Firearms Co.
Model: Custom Model 1893
Serial Number: 91044
Year of Manufacture: 1893
Caliber: .32-40 Winchester
Action Type: Lever Action Rifle w/ 2/3 Length Magazine Tube
Markings: The top of the barrel is marked “MARLIN FIRE-ARMS CO, NEW-HAVEN, CT. U.S.A. / PATENTED OCT. 11. 1887. APRIL. 2. 1889.” and at the rear with “32-40”. The top of the receiver is marked “MARLIN SAFETY”. The bottom of the receiver is marked “91044”. There are commemorative medallions inlet to each side of the buttstock that read “COLUMBIAN / 1893 / EXPOSITION” on the left and “WORLD’S COLUMBIAN / EXPOSITION / CHICAGO / 1893” on the right.
Barrel Length: The barrel has been cut to 20 1/2″.
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a Lyman folding Beach-style sight dovetailed to the barrel. The sight presents either a brass bead or a hooded beaded post. The rear sight is a folding vintage 1876 ladder sight. The tang is equipped with a vintage peep aperture sight, adjustable for windage and elevation. The sights are not original to the gun.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth birdseye maple with a capped forearm, straight grip, straight comb, and a crescent steel buttplate. A sling plate has been installed in the belly, there is no provision for a forward sling mount. There are cracks around the rear of the buttstock with a few grain-line cracks around the edges of the wrist and forend. There are some minor losses around edges, most notable in the barrel inlet of the forend. There are some light nicks and scratches. The wood is alternately proud and shy to the metal. The LOP measures 13 3/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has mostly worn to white with areas going to a light patina. The stocks rate in about Very Good overall condition as refinished Antique and likely not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling shows wear, but is fairly well defined. There is scattered erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 5 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 30% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Remaining finish is scattered and mottled by areas of wear and light patina. There are some scattered spots of surface erosion. There are scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Good-Very Good condition as customized Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a more thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: This the first rifle Marlin designed for, then new, smokeless powder cartridges. Marlin christened the improved lever-action Model 1893, and offered it as a rifle or a saddle-ring carbine, both featuring case-hardened receivers and sporting blued Ballard match-grade barrels. It was produced from 1893 to 1936. This a Model 1893 made in the first year of production. Factory records indicate it shipped with a 26″ barrel, so this rifle has seen some radical customization, apparently to commemorate The World’s Columbian exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, a world’s fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World in 1492. Customization includes cutting the barrel back to 20 1/2″, shortening the magazine tube, replaced sights, and an eye-catching set of birdseye maple stocks. The result is a very distinctive rifle that would display well in any collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
