Fantastic

 

Nice find, Skinner Sights makes a nice sight that loos great on Marlins, IMHO.

Skinner Sights

Machined from Solid Bar stock, Skinner Sights offers improved function, durability, and appearance over factory sights. Specializing in Peep Sights - Aperture sights. Check out our innovative and expanding sights, optics and accessories product lines.

skinnersights.com

 

Nice find, Skinner Sights makes a nice sight that loos great on Marlins, IMHO.

Skinner Sights

Machined from Solid Bar stock, Skinner Sights offers improved function, durability, and appearance over factory sights. Specializing in Peep Sights - Aperture sights. Check out our innovative and expanding sights, optics and accessories product lines.

skinnersights.com

View attachment 410001

One of the earlier Lyman sights, I prefer those steel models over the aluminum currently made, and with the target knobs would be better for his purpose than a Skinner sight. If you can find a Redfield sight they are also good. Look up model numbers and ebay is your friend, I found several that way.

 

Fantastic rifle, fantastic price, and even more, fantastic pictures of the bore. Well done. You will love it!!

 

Thanks. Questions about the Skinner sights:
The website recommends the smallest aperture .040" for "target shooting". Is this what you would recommend for NRA Silhouette? (I'd get the standard .096" as well.) Also, how do you compensate for elevation, especially with a small aperture? (40m, 60m, 77m 100m targets)

 

Just like a p

eep sight in the string of a compound bow. You always want the smallest you can get for accuracy. The larger ones are to let it more light in early morning or late evening hunting situations.

many do not know how a peep sight works. You simply look through is at your front sight and your brain will sender or for you. Too many folks try to get the peep size to fit the front globe and that’s not at all how it works. Get the smallest like they said for accuracy and just look though it and only concentrate on the front sight and the target. Forget the peep is even there.

 

That 39A should be drilled and tapped on the side for a Receiver sight, using one with target knobs will yield better results for your intended uses, Skinner is okay for set and forget but you'll need to dail up elevations for Silhouette.

 

Nice add for your collection. Love those ‘ol classics.

 

Saw this after your post about the sight. Those are the best pictures of the inside of a barrel I have seen, good job. Highly recommend an all steel side mount receiver sight. You will probably find that the bead on the front sight is too huge for silhouette too,but you have simple low cost options for rectifying that. You can just remove the elevator from the barrel sight and it will not be in the way of your new proper sight picture.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

 

Saw this after your post about the sight. Those are the best pictures of the inside of a barrel I have seen, good job. Highly recommend an all steel side mount receiver sight. You will probably find that the bead on the front sight is too huge for silhouette too,but you have simple low cost options for rectifying that. You can just remove the elevator from the barrel sight and it will not be in the way of your new proper sight picture.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

I actually prefer the large bead, makes it easier for my eye to center in the rear aperture. Of course I'm a six o'clock hold shooter, if you prefer to cover the target, then struglx's suggestion for a smaller bead is a good idea.
If your rear sight folds down, I've found that sufficient to clear to sight line, without having to remove it. Though one of my 39's the rear sight would pop back into battery and I was constantly pushing it back down, so I took the sight off. Williams makes easy to install dovetail blanks if you go that route. Good luck and happy shooting. Maybe we'll run into one another at a silhouette match.

 

Good looking lever gun.

 

Just picked up my new (old) rifle, a Marlin Golden 39A. The prior owner was apparently an old gentleman whose wife, upon his death, found this rifle tucked away wrapped in a blanket. She had no idea there was a firearm in the home. It looked like it has not been shot in decades, and several generations of critters lived in the barrel, along with some light rust and a few scratches and dings, but all-in-all, in very good shape. It is 1979 manufacture (SN# starts with 21), 4 years before the "cross-bolt safety", and has the barrel stamped "JM". With Maryland tax and transfer the total was $503.50, plus $30 in gas to drive to pick it up.

The bore cleaned up nicely and shows no corrosion and little wear.

Chamber

Bore

Crown

My intention is to install an aperture type sight and shoot it in NRA Silhouette. However, I know very little about these rifles and will likely be asking questions on this forum frequently.

You have a very nice fined.
The Marlin 39A, 39M they have been around a very long time. Reason is, they are made from STEEL. Extremely reliable, well made and easy to clean. Currently I have a 1977 39A. I regret selling my 39M. Please enjoy.

 

Nice, never get tired of a 39a

 

Thanks to all for the great responses. FYI - I have (back)ordered a Williams FP-39 rear aperture sight and will try this out in competition, while keeping a lookout for a steel elev/windage adjustable version like a Lyman. The Skinner sight looked very nice but lacked the needed elevation adjustment. I already love the feel of this rifle.

 

Great find
one of my best rifles, they all shoot very well and are like a full size center fire rifle
I have turned down $1400 for my Marlin 39A, I'll keep it
I bought this new in 1980 for $120, the night I bought it I took it apart and refinished the stock with hand rubbed oil

 

What brand of Oil do you use?
Thx.

 

Very nice rifle. Good to see it is going to get some use in after all those years.

 

Nice 39 A. Fun rifles to take out and shoot and also nice rifles for small game hunting. Actually the cross bolt safety was added in '83 to the center fire Marlin lever rifles but it was 1988 when Marlin made the mistake(my opinion) to add that feature to the Model 39 A rim fires.

 

Correct. a friend of mine has a 83 39a and it does not have a cross bolt safety. I have a 82 that does not have one either.

 

Live and learn - thanks for the correction.

 

I’m REALLY wanting a Marlin…

 

What brand of Oil do you use?
Thx.

it was 1981 LOL I was 21 and the Rifle and 2500 rounds of Winchester western 22LR was $149 + TAX
I went home and thought this guns is nice BUT for the crap finish that made the wood look like it was fake
by 2am I had the first of about 100 hand rubbed oil coats

back then I just stuck my fingers in the oil bottle and rubbed it on the stock, like before going to work then when I got home I would rub it down with 0000 steel wool ( don't do where you put oil on you get steel buggers in oil)
then after dinner I would do 0000 steel wool and more oil
I did this for weeks
that was 1981 and in 2023 still looks good

 

Just picked up my new (old) rifle, a Marlin Golden 39A. The prior owner was apparently an old gentleman whose wife, upon his death, found this rifle tucked away wrapped in a blanket. She had no idea there was a firearm in the home. It looked like it has not been shot in decades, and several generations of critters lived in the barrel, along with some light rust and a few scratches and dings, but all-in-all, in very good shape. It is 1979 manufacture (SN# starts with 21), 4 years before the "cross-bolt safety", and has the barrel stamped "JM". With Maryland tax and transfer the total was $503.50, plus $30 in gas to drive to pick it up.

The bore cleaned up nicely and shows no corrosion and little wear.

Chamber

Bore

Crown

My intention is to install an aperture type sight and shoot it in NRA Silhouette. However, I know very little about these rifles and will likely be asking questions on this forum frequently.

The 39A is a good rifle and shoots just as good as it looks, l had one 5 years ago and shot in the club Silhouette match that was held on Thursday night l did well with the rifle and the Marble sight, l could only use one screw to hold the sight in place it never moved, other shooters with 39A did the same thing it just stayed rock solid.

 

beautiful rifles guys , every time i see these posts im impressed with the quality of the marlins and think its been a while since mine have been on an outing - i gotta remedy that soon ,

 

My 39A has a slim forearm. Fits my hands well. 1967 model.

 

That's a steal at that price in today's market. Congratulations!