This thread is a continuation, a part-II question from a thread I started over in the General Discussion forum on the merits of having a gunsmith look over a rifle, that one a Remington pump .22, that had been stored for at least 25 years, before I began shooting it again.
I'd brought a second gun along today, this one a shotgun, to Allison & Carey (out on 173rd and Stark in Portland) for the same inspect and clean treatment.
The shop owner (don't think he said his name, but did offer that both Allison and Carey are both gone from the biz now) looked at the gun, and looked at one of his books, looked at the gun some more and finally offered that he thinks this is a Marlin Model 28 12-Ga, and that his book says, (paraphrasing, I don't remember the exact words, but this is what I took away,) "These guns are 70-100 years old and should not be fired, they're beginning to come apart in a bad way."
So, the question is, is he right? It is a Marlin, it is a 12 Gauge. It doesn't say Model <anything>. It does have a series of patents and dates on the barrel, the newest of which is Dec 21, 1909. I didn't notice any other code-stamps.
It has a number that might be serial number just forward of the loading port, but that's only four digits long. (?!?)
The gun came from my wife's family and she was surprised that it could be that old. She thinks she knows when it came into the house, and says (and I agree) that her father was never one to buy used. That would place it at 45-50 years, but there are those patents, eight of 'em listed between 1896 and 1909 -- hard to believe they'd just stop inventing at that point and continue selling. I'll see if I can attach a few pictures...
And then, if it is a Model 28, and I'm beginning to believe it is, having found a few pictures on some other sites, what of the warning against firing it? Avoid? Only fire light loads?
Thanks for any help...
MrB
I'd brought a second gun along today, this one a shotgun, to Allison & Carey (out on 173rd and Stark in Portland) for the same inspect and clean treatment.
The shop owner (don't think he said his name, but did offer that both Allison and Carey are both gone from the biz now) looked at the gun, and looked at one of his books, looked at the gun some more and finally offered that he thinks this is a Marlin Model 28 12-Ga, and that his book says, (paraphrasing, I don't remember the exact words, but this is what I took away,) "These guns are 70-100 years old and should not be fired, they're beginning to come apart in a bad way."
So, the question is, is he right? It is a Marlin, it is a 12 Gauge. It doesn't say Model <anything>. It does have a series of patents and dates on the barrel, the newest of which is Dec 21, 1909. I didn't notice any other code-stamps.
It has a number that might be serial number just forward of the loading port, but that's only four digits long. (?!?)
The gun came from my wife's family and she was surprised that it could be that old. She thinks she knows when it came into the house, and says (and I agree) that her father was never one to buy used. That would place it at 45-50 years, but there are those patents, eight of 'em listed between 1896 and 1909 -- hard to believe they'd just stop inventing at that point and continue selling. I'll see if I can attach a few pictures...
And then, if it is a Model 28, and I'm beginning to believe it is, having found a few pictures on some other sites, what of the warning against firing it? Avoid? Only fire light loads?
Thanks for any help...
MrB
