Shot In The Dark

[SUB VET II]

Have a friend some distance from me that has a 32 Special, lever action rifle that has come down through the pipe estimated to be about 80 to 100 yrs old. Can find no manfactures name or much of anything else. Up near the front sight are the letters or name sheard. On rear sight base what appears to be the letters marble glasstcne. and the letters misch. He sez there are what may be a SN 446876. That's about it. Any clues?

[Dave]

Sounds like a rifle which has had an awfull lot of wear or has been buffed and refinished, maybe several times. ID would almost be impossible without a picture. The 32 Special was a Winchester cartridge but others may have used it. Do you know what a Win. M-94 looks like? If not, Google it and see if similar, barrel, magazine length and other details may vary however. Marble, Glasstone (Gladstone?) MI was/is an after market maker of rifle accesories and knives. Serial number seems hi for a M-94 that old, however.

[SUB VET II]

Thanks Dave; Rifle is in So. Calif. and I'm in the north. It does have an Octogan barrel. Forgot that. Will tell him to pull it up on Google.

[da gimp]

the trigger guard on bottom of reciever? Top eject or side? Marlins will be side eject, Winchesters will eject thru top. Does it have a visible hammer? if not, then might be Savage 99 lever, any of these rifles can have an octangonal barrel.Win '73 would be in .32-20, Win 92's & 94's would be .32 Win spec, Both Marlins & savages were made in a heck of a lot of calibres too.


Pix would help dramatically.

da gimp

OFC, Mo. Chapter


TY 4 your service to our country sir

[SUB VET II]

Thanks Da Gimp Will relay the message. It's bound to be something.

[Dave]

Win. 92's were chambered for the .32 Special? Don't think so. Somebady should be able to tell manufacturer date from serial number.

[n64atlas]

If a Winchester 94 [Which came in 32 Special], serial number would put it at 1908. Thus 100 years old. Optional sights included Marble No 95 rear sight. Marbles also made a # 5 sheared bead front sight for the 94 in 32 special

[Jim K]

Marble made sights based on the patents of William Sheard; many were used to replace the factory sights on a variety of rifles. FWIW, any non-factory feature will reduce the collector value, if any.

If the caliber is correct, .32 Special, the rifle cannot be a Model 1873 or Model 1892 as both are far too small. The .32 Special has a paper edge over the nearly identical .30-30, and many shooters swore that it was far superior in the game field. Winchester considered it as falling between the .30-30 and the more powerful .30-40 Krag.

Jim

[SUB VET II]

Thanks all: With the above information am sure he can come close enough for govt wk. to name it. Again thanks...Sub VetII