1888 Marlin project

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:35 pm

Got this old 1888 from a gunsmith friend, who doesn't appreciate lever guns. He wanted to just give it to me, but I convinced him to take some money for it.
When it arrived it was missing the buttstock, buttplate, loading gate, and firing pin. I built a gate by cutting down a 336 gate. Made a firing pin by copying one of my other 1888's. The buttstock is a 90% inletted that came from Leverdude (Thanks Ken!) and the buttplate is a late model 1895 Cty. Ltd. that I rebent and fitted to the stock. The stock is for a 1895, so it needed some wood added to the lower tang area, and a bit of shaping, but it came out great, and the fill at the lower tang doesn't show at all. Dug the sights out of my parts bin; they're oriinal 1888 sights.
It's a .44-40, with 20" full octagon barrel, and a nice bore. Took a few hours each night the last couple weeks, but it's ready to go now, and saved from the scrap heap. Still need to do the final finish on the wood, but that's all.

3855 · Post by **3855** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:39 pm

Very nicely done.

airedaleman · Post by **airedaleman** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:43 pm

Vall, you've done it again! Nice save. (I've never even seen an 1888...)
Is the 20" barrel orignal or has it been shortened?

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:46 pm

I think it looks fantastic; you did some nice work mm.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:47 pm

Thanks!
Not a lot of them made Mike, with just 4,800 total mfg. I wanted to keep it "aged", but not stripped bare as it was when I received it. I rust blued it, but didn't take it all the way, and then gave it some aged wear to make it look 120 years old.-Vall

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:50 pm

WOW! Between you and Leverdude, you guys sure make a bunch of us

gon2shoot · Post by **gon2shoot** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:51 pm

SPEECHLESS.

I've got pretty much all the guns I want, but that one stirs somthin inside.
Ya done good.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:07 pm

Vall,

I love these rifle rescues stories. Let us know how it shoots, OK.

JOe

Jaguarundi · Post by **Jaguarundi** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:12 pm

Nice work.A labour of Luv and it shows.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:58 pm

J Miller wrote:Vall,

I love these rifle rescues stories. Let us know how it shoots, OK.

JOe

Sure will Joe! The bore looks great, and it's definitely going to the range!

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:12 pm

Fine work. Hope it shoots as good as it looks.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:03 pm

Vall,

What a surprise I just got when I reread your post. And as I looked at the pictures again, I saw that the 1888 was a top eject. Wow.
We finally got a new monitor that has a better tube or what ever is inside. My old one is so dark I couldn't see any details.

What kind of stock filler did you use around the tangs?

Joe

jdad · Post by **jdad** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:28 pm

Real nice!

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:17 pm

Nice Save!!! Neat gun!!

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:43 pm

speechless!!!

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:26 pm

Very, very nice Marlinman,

Ah Man! I don't have an '88--can I have it? I think the receiver would look very nice "all patina-ed out" but the rust blue looks nice also.

Along with a shootable 1895, the '88 is a Marlin that has eluded me. I do have an 1891 produced 1889 in 38 with 90% blue that has logged over 4K.

I passed up 3 Marlins yesterday. They were priced right but I guess I was not itchin' enough. A '94 in 44-40 fofmcb in 60% for 15, a 1893 2/3's mag, focb with a Lyman 21 in 50% in 30-30 for 16, and another 93 fofmcb in 38-55 in 60% barrel/mag, 10% receiver for 11--that last one had two "issues"------------Let us know how she shoots.---------Sixgun

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:36 pm

J Miller wrote:Vall,

What a surprise I just got when I reread your post. And as I looked at the pictures again, I saw that the 1888 was a top eject. Wow.
We finally got a new monitor that has a better tube or what ever is inside. My old one is so dark I couldn't see any details.

What kind of stock filler did you use around the tangs?

Joe

Yes Joe, the 1881 and the 1888 were the only two top eject Marlin levers made. I personally thought both the 1881 and 1888 pushed Winchester to build the 1886 and the 1892, as their previous designs fell off in sales when Marlin introduced these two models.
I use very little filler, but I do glass bed my stocks with Brownells Acraglass Gel, which comes with brown and black dye to color it. Because of the shorter tang on the 1888, I also bedded th filler piece into the lower tang with AG. I first fitted a piece of walnut to a very tight fit with extra wood above. Then I bedded th stock and filler to the action. I don't use their release agent, as I had a near miss with a gun I almost didn't get the stock off; so I use axle grease and clay as release and fill, to avoid the gel getting stuck to the wrong places!
The bedding compound makes the stocks fit perfect, and often enhances accuracy of the guns I've done.
Thanks for asking!-Vall

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:59 pm

Awesome job Val! Thank you for taking the time to rescue such deserving levers!!!

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:58 am

Very nice, Val. I enjoyed seeing how you restored that old rifle and have made it into a very nice rifle.

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:32 am

very nice job....and inspirering....gonna have to try that myself.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:30 am

Marlinman,
Thanks, gives me hope for my 1873

Rimfire McNutjob · Post by **Rimfire McNutjob** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:57 pm

I love short rifles (no barrel bands) and in this case, I have to say that is one of the finer looking Marlins I've seen. Fantastic job on that gun.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:02 pm

Thank you fellas! I really enjoy rebuilding these old basket cases.

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:21 pm

Well played!

Mutt · Post by **Mutt** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:26 pm

Sir , You do FINE work..........Mutt