EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & UNIQUE MARLIN MODEL 1881 VERY FIRST MARLIN LEVER ACTION RIFLE PRODUCED.

EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & UNIQUE MARLIN MODEL 1881 VERY FIRST MARLIN LEVER ACTION RIFLE PRODUCED. SN 1. Cal. 45-70. Std grade rifle with 28″ oct bbl, full magazine, German silver blade Rocky Mtn. front sight and early style semi-buckhorn rear sight. Top flat is hand engraved in period script “J.M. Marlin New Haven Ct. U.S.A. Pat’d Jan. 7. ’73, Sept. 14. ’75 Nov. 19. & 26. ’78, June 3. ’79, Dec. 9. ’79.” Chamber area is marked “45 GOVT”. There are no other markings visible on metal. Receiver is very first type with rebated bottom front edge of frame and small ejector in the bolt. Dust cover is dovetailed into frame and secured to bolt with a small screw. Mounted with nicely figured, uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with straight stock & smooth, nickel plated, semi-crescent buttplate with short rounded tang. Minor disassembly of this rifle disclosed small numbers “1” on the left sides of the top and bottom tangs, inside the buttplate, twice inside the forend cap, bottom of the bbl and front end of the stock inside the metal. No additional disassembly was attempted to determine if other parts were also numbered inside. This rifle is the only serial number “1” Marlin lever action rifle known and believed the only one ever produced as all succeeding models of Marlin lever actions were numbered sequentially thereafter. This rifle is pictured & described extensively on pp. 149-151 and 154-155 of Marlin Firearms, Brophy. Page 154 shows the rifle in complete disassembled detail and all pictures of this rifle are identified as serial number “1” and most of photographs of rifle are readily identifiable as this rifle by various marks & scratches. This rifle was on loan from The Marlin Firearms Company and was part of the Marlin exhibit in The Cody Firearms Museum, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming from about 1993-June 2007. The Model 1881 was the first model of lever action ever produced by Marlin. At the time of its release it was the first successful, large cal, lever action, repeating rifle. Therefore this is the first rifle ever produced in that model and a truly unique opportunity to acquire a very special SN 1 Marlin. The rifle has been consigned from the Marlin Firearms Corporation, where with the exception of its exhibition at Cody, has resided since its inception. This is the first time ever offered at public sale. This firearm has been consigned directly to us from the Marlin Firearms Company where it has been for over a hundred years. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Appears to be new & unfired retaining about 98% orig bbl blue with only sharp edge wear and some light surface etching. Magazine tube retains 98-99% strong orig blue and forend cap is flaked to a plum patina. Forend cap screw is battered. Receiver & dust cover retain virtually all of their glossy orig blue with two or three fine scratches and some very minor flaking. Lever & hammer retain most of their orig case colors and buttplate about all of its orig nickel finish. Wood is sound with minor handling & storage marks and retains virtually all of its bright orig factory oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-31616 JR142 (40,000-60,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2007

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2321	$103,500.00	EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & UNIQUE MARLIN MODEL 1881 VERY FIRST MARLIN LEVER ACTION RIFLE PRODUCED. SN 1. Cal. 45-70. Std grade rifle with 28″ oct bbl, full magazine, German silver blade Rocky Mtn. front sight and early style semi-buckhorn rear sight. Top flat is hand engraved in period script “J.M. Marlin New Haven Ct. U.S.A. Pat’d Jan. 7. ’73, Sept. 14. ’75 Nov. 19. & 26. ’78, June 3. ’79, Dec. 9. ’79.” Chamber area is marked “45 GOVT”. There are no other markings visible on metal. Receiver is very first type with rebated bottom front edge of frame and small ejector in the bolt. Dust cover is dovetailed into frame and secured to bolt with a small screw. Mounted with nicely figured, uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with straight stock & smooth, nickel plated, semi-crescent buttplate with short rounded tang. Minor disassembly of this rifle disclosed small numbers “1” on the left sides of the top and bottom tangs, inside the buttplate, twice inside the forend cap, bottom of the bbl and front end of the stock inside the metal. No additional disassembly was attempted to determine if other parts were also numbered inside. This rifle is the only serial number “1” Marlin lever action rifle known and believed the only one ever produced as all succeeding models of Marlin lever actions were numbered sequentially thereafter. This rifle is pictured & described extensively on pp. 149-151 and 154-155 of Marlin Firearms, Brophy. Page 154 shows the rifle in complete disassembled detail and all pictures of this rifle are identified as serial number “1” and most of photographs of rifle are readily identifiable as this rifle by various marks & scratches. This rifle was on loan from The Marlin Firearms Company and was part of the Marlin exhibit in The Cody Firearms Museum, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming from about 1993-June 2007. The Model 1881 was the first model of lever action ever produced by Marlin. At the time of its release it was the first successful, large cal, lever action, repeating rifle. Therefore this is the first rifle ever produced in that model and a truly unique opportunity to acquire a very special SN 1 Marlin. The rifle has been consigned from the Marlin Firearms Corporation, where with the exception of its exhibition at Cody, has resided since its inception. This is the first time ever offered at public sale. This firearm has been consigned directly to us from the Marlin Firearms Company where it has been for over a hundred years. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Appears to be new & unfired retaining about 98% orig bbl blue with only sharp edge wear and some light surface etching. Magazine tube retains 98-99% strong orig blue and forend cap is flaked to a plum patina. Forend cap screw is battered. Receiver & dust cover retain virtually all of their glossy orig blue with two or three fine scratches and some very minor flaking. Lever & hammer retain most of their orig case colors and buttplate about all of its orig nickel finish. Wood is sound with minor handling & storage marks and retains virtually all of its bright orig factory oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-31616 JR142 (40,000-60,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2007 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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