The Marlin 39A represents the oldest and longest continuously produced shoulder
firearm
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
in the world. The current variation gold trigger
lever-action
The toggle-link action used in the iconic Winchester Model 1873 rifle, one of the most famous lever-action firearms
Lever-action is a type of action for repeating firearms that uses a manually operated cocking handle located around the trigger g ...
.22 Caliber ''Golden'' 39A is produced by the
Marlin Firearms
Marlin Firearms Co. is an American manufacturer of semi-automatic, lever-action, and bolt-action rifles. In the past, the company, now based in Madison, North Carolina, and formerly based in North Haven, Connecticut, made shotguns, derringers, ...
Co. of
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
. The Golden 39A is constructed in Remington’s Marlin factory in Ilion, NY.
History
The Golden Model 39A started life as the
Marlin Model 1891, the first
lever-action
The toggle-link action used in the iconic Winchester Model 1873 rifle, one of the most famous lever-action firearms
Lever-action is a type of action for repeating firearms that uses a manually operated cocking handle located around the trigger g ...
rifle ever chambered in
.22LR
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smoothb ...
and the magazine was loaded through a conventional side gate in the receiver. The
tubular magazine
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holding several cartridges with ...
was changed to front-loading with the Model 1892, due to the difficulties of
receiver feeding the small
rimfire round
Round or rounds may refer to:
Mathematics and science
* The contour of a closed curve or surface with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, cant, or sphere
* Rounding, the shortening of a number to reduce the number ...
.
[Wallack, LR. "Sixty Million Guns". 1983. In ''Gun Digest Treasury'', Harold A. Murtz, editor, DBI Books. 1994 p.193 ] The 1892 gave way to the takedown Model 1897,
[ which became the Model 39 in 1921 and Model 39-A in 1939.][ The Golden Mountie Model 39A was introduced in 1954. The 39A was produced until 1983 when the current Golden 39A was introduced. Changes between models were so minimal the rifle is considered to have been continually produced to the same basic specifications for over 100 years. The Model 39-A did not have a cross hammer safety, whereas the current Golden Model 39A has had one since introduction in 1983. The Golden 39A is still considered one of the finest examples of a lever .22 rifle, and one of the most accurate .22 rifles ever produced. It is also the best-selling lever rimfire in U.S. history.][ Additionally "mountie" versions have been produced at various points in the rifle's life which featured a shorter 20" barrel and a straight stock. These rifles have been alternately called Model 39M or 1897 Mountie. The Mountie has a magazine capacity of 20 Short, 16 Long or 15 Long Rifle .22 cartridges.
Since the early 1950s Marlin has used their ]