"MARLIN MODEL 1889 DELUXE RIFLES WITH CONSECUTIVE NUMBERS. SN 87607 & 87608. Cal. 38 WCF (38-40). Two very rare Model 89's with rare & desirable case colored receivers. Serial number 87607 has a rare 24" oct to rnd bbl with half magazine, ivory bead hunting front sight, slot blank in rear seat & a Lyman loop tang sight. Mounted with very highly figured, B-style checkered American walnut with serpentine pistol grip & Marlin embossed hard rubber shotgun buttplate. Serial number 87608 has a 26" oct bbl, full magazine, German silver Rocky Mtn. front sight, Marlin semi-buckhorn rear sight with adjustable aperture & a Lyman loop tang sight. Mounted with very highly figured, flame & shell grain B-style checkered American walnut with serpentine pistol grip & crescent buttplate. According to the book Marlin Firearms, Brophy, only 55,119 of these first side-eject Marlins were made and of that number only 207 had short magazines, only 508 had half oct bbls and only 3,729 had 26" bbls, making this, indeed, a very rare pair of rifles. There is no indication of how many were case colored but blue was the standard finish with color case hardening a special order feature. Note: These two rifles are consecutively numbered to a third Model 1889 from another consignor, being sold elsewhere in this auction. CONDITION: Serial number 87607: Extremely fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain 96-98% strong orig blue with forend cap retaining about 90% orig blue. Receiver retains just about all of its orig brilliant case colors, slightly thinned on bottom front. Lever & hammer retain most of their strong orig case colors, somewhat faded on outer face of lever. Stock has a chipped buttplate toe with minor nicks & scratches on both stock & forearm and overall retains most of its strong orig piano varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. Serial number 87608: Extremely fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain about 99% strong orig blue with forend cap retaining about 97% glossy orig blue. Receiver, lever & hammer retain virtually all of their brilliant case colors with some slight etching on left side of receiver. Lever case colors are turning dark. Buttplate retains about 80% faded case colors. Wood is sound with a very few, very minor nicks & scratches and retains about 98-99% strong orig piano varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 4-35009 JR51 (22,500-27,500)"
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