Original Item: Only One Available. World-renowned sharpshooters Annie Oakley, a star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West, and Frank C. Miller, crack shot of the Irwin Bros. Cheyenne Frontier Days Wild West Show, often shot with Marlin rifles in their exhibitions.

"I gave as high as 15 exhibitions a day, shooting under all conditions, rain, wind, night, in parades in the streets," Miller said in a 1915 interview. "And late last fall, I used some of the guns on a hunting trip to Canada and Wyoming. From all this, you can see what opinion I have of Marlin guns."

This example however definitely pre-dates those exhibitions by a while, and is actually the earliest example of a Marlin Repeating Rifle that we have ever had! Prior to the introduction of the "Safety" and "New Safety" models, this is the first generation design, originally simply called the "Marlin Repeating Rifle" in catalogs. It was not officially referred to as the "Model 1881" until 1888, shortly before the introduction of the Model 1889 "New Safety". Unlike later examples, the Model 1881 is a "Top Ejector", which did mean that there was a chance of a hot spent cartridge being thrown back into the shooter's face. All later models were "Side Ejector" types. Production lasted until 1891, which means that all Model 1881 Rifles are Pre-1899 Antique Firearms per Federal Law.

This was the rifle that really set off the "high power" cartridge race in lever-action repeaters, and was the first successful design that could handle the .45-70 "Government" cartridge and other longer cartridges. Winchester had tried with their Model 1876, which stretched out the Toggle-link design, however while it could chamber some more powerful cartridges, it was big and heavy, and also still could not handle the .45-70. After the 1881 came out, it became clear to Winchester that the design was at the end of it's usefulness, which is why they teamed with John Browning to make the Model 1886, a direct answer to the Marlin Model 1881.

This is the first time we have had a Model 1881, and it definitely looks to have led an interesting life. The top of the barrel patent markings are still mostly clear:-

There are no other markings on the gun aside from the .38-55 caliber marking on the top of the chamber, and the serial number 11009 on the bottom of the receiver. This is a very early serial number, which unfortunately means there is no way to precisely date when it was produced. Marlin numbers were issued sequentially across different models, and we do know that Serial 48004, a Model 1889, was made in 1891, so we believe this example was made in 1885 or there abouts. We also noted that the rifle was personalized, with a name and date somewhat crudely engraved into the left side of the receiver:

C.B. Shefler
March 1894

We have also considered that the first initial could be an "I" or a "L". Definitely some interesting research potential.

This very early Marlin repeating rifle is in very good condition, with a fantastic worn patina of age on the exterior. It was most likely originally blued on the barrel, with other components case-hardened, and the barrel still retains a good amount of bluing on the sides and bottom, however the other components have had the original finish wear away. The barrel is fitted with a lovely nickel bladed front sight and iconic "Buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The stock wood is in good condition, showing the expected wear of age, and a lovely dark red brown color. The fore stock has pressure dents on both sides, and there is a small chunk missing on the left side woodline. The butt stock has a crack near the toe, probably surrounding the lower screw. There looks to have been a nailed repair long ago, which was not really effective.

Functionally, the rifle cycles well, though it is a bit stiff at times, and probably not as tight mechanically as it once was. If the lever is pulled down too quickly it can cause the bolt to overshoot the hammer, which can take some work to get it back in line. We checked the bore, and it is actually in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There are some spots of past fouling and oxidation, as to be expected from a rifle of this age, but we would still rate it about a 7-8 out of 10.

A lovely example of a very early Marlin repeating rifle design, the earliest that we have ever had. Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1885
Caliber: .38-55 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 42 1/8 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 10 ? -round tube magazine

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.