Questions about a marlin safety

[ABCZAR]

Hey,

I have a friend who is transfering some guns to me that he got in an inheritance...he got a truck load literally and is giving me about 12 various rifles and shotguns and rimfires..damm that just sucks..gotta get a forth gun locker.......anyway my questions.

One is an old marlin safety....oct barrel, 24in

On the barrel is the pattent dates: Oct 11 1887 April 2 1889

44W

Now is the cal 44-40?...and is 44-40 winchester the proper name?

How can I get the date the rifle was made, I do have the ser# also and have heard different things, the first 2 numbers being the year the rifle was made was one of them...any truth to that?

I don't have a pic right now as don't have the gun in my hands yet but hopefully this enough to answer the questions.

I am more of a milsup guy and haven't owned one of these before.

any help would be appreciated....I will try to get a picture of it soon.

thanks

 

[Markb]

Contact the Cody Firearms Museum with the serial number. For a fee, they will provide you with a manufacturers letter establishing the provenance of the gun. It is about $60.00. They will also establish the calibre with the letter, IIRC.

 

[arcadia]

Give me a PM and I can help you get rid of them.

 

[stocker]

The original Winchester designation for the cartridge was 44WCF (44-40) just as the 38WCF (38-40), 32WCF (32-20) and 25WCF (25-20) were similarly arrived at. The other companies really didn't like to make it simple as it promoted the Winchester name. Consequently they adopted slightly different designations for the same cartridges. Later in production most or all settled on the 44-40 designation.

Cody can research Winchester production but I haven't heard that they also do Marlin rifles. Anybody know for a certainty?