doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Marlin '97 question

I know that the early Marlin 1897 22lr frames were case colored, but I have a latter one made around 1910-1915 and wondered if they were case colored all the way through to the end of their manufacture. This frame shows no case colors on the outside or inside, hence the question.
Thanks

The models 1891 and 1892 .22 levers were blued frames, with CCH as an option. The models 1897, '97, and 39 were all casehardened throughout their production. If your 1897 or '97 marked Marlin is blued, it wasn't done at the factory.
Hammers, triggers and levers were cased on early 1891 and 1892 Marlins. This is often missed when someone restores one of these early Marlin .22 levers, so they blue everything. Another dead giveaway that it's not factory.

Thanks Vall. That's the conclusion I had come to also, but didn't know for sure. I have one that is rusted lightly all over and need to restore it for a customer, but just needed to be sure what direction to go with the casehardening. I hear that Don Menck is no longer in business. Is there someone else that you'd recommend for casehardening that won't take a year to get the job done?
Thanks,
Blair

Clowdis, I've gotten excellent service and super turn-around from Doug Turnbull for a couple of decades, not to mention fantastic colors!

Really appreciate ya'lls help. Maybe if the job goes through I'll post some pictures. It's really a nice little rifle, somebody just let the rust get away on it. Bore is shot, firing pin is broken, but otherwise solid.

I've had and used several of these splendid little rifles including the sideloader 1891, it's the oldest firearms design IN THE WORLD remaining in continuous production from its inception, almost 120 years now.

Feeding in the earlier examples is sometimes iffy, the factory offered to retro-fit the later cartridge cutoff and top cartridge guide to earlier rifles. Relining is slightly more difficult than with most other 22RFs because of the number & shape of the breech relief cuts for the extractor and boltface extensions.

I suggest that your reliner smith use a 'Bentz' reamer and chamber the new liner to MINIMUM headspace, it'll allow you to take full advantage of the little Marlin's built-in propensity for fine accuracy.
Regards, Joe

Wonder if those early blued 91 and 92 frames were hardened first, then polished and blued.

Darn! I was afraid that was the case. I have a beautiful little 1897 in the 2060XX range with a very nice "restoration". The bore is perfect and whoever did the restoration made it look like factory. It is a great little rifle.