All Marlin rifles are finely sighted. Figure 11, shows the Marlin improved graduated peep sight. Figure 12, shows the Marlin improved vernier mid range peep sight. Lyman peep sights for Marlin rifles have the following dis tinguishing marks on the under side of the base. B. Ballard, models 1891 and 1892, 32 caliber: E. models 1888, 1889 and 1894 ; II. models 1891, 1892 and 1897, 22 caliber; J. models 1893 and 189.5; M. model 1881.
The Marlin Combination Receiver Sight, shown in Figure 13, gives the greatest possible distance between the front and rear sights without in any way interfering with the grip of the right hand. It allows free and unobstructed manipulation of the hammer. With it there is no danger of injuring the shooter's eye by recoil or hasty throwing of the rifle to the shoulder. It has it folding leaf and may he used a peep or open sight. This sight is intended for use on side-ejecting Marlin rifles having flat top receivers.
The Marlin take down repeating shot gun is the result of an effort to pro duce a medium lightweight shot gun that should combine the elegance of out line. perfection of ludance, ease of taking :quirt, and quality if finish of the best double guns with the superiority in sight mug and shooting of the single barrel, and also possessing- the rapidity of time and magazine capacity of American repeat ing rifles. The standard gun is t welve-guage, clumbered for 2% inch shell, and the action handles ally twelve-guage shell not exceeding 2% inches in length. The barrel, 30 inches long, bored for smokeless powder, is full-elmked. The in:aerial d the barrel is a very high go nle steel, and all barrels a r" proved in he rough by tiring exces.si ve elm rges in them. They are then, ea eh and every one, tested tit the target loy firing frozn 3 to 5 shots and counting the pellets.
The full-choked barrels are required to target better than 325 pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards, using 1% oz. number 8 shot. After the barrels have passed these tests they are finished on the outside and go to the assem bling room. When the guns are assembled complete and have passed through a thorough shop inspection they go again to the proof house and the finished gun is proved with special heavy loads. Each gun is then fired from 6 to 10 times with standard factory loaded shells, assorted, and if no fault can then be detected by the final inspection, they are ready for shipment. The stand ard weight is about 7 pounds, for so simple and compact is the action that they can use a heavy barrel and still get this moderately light weight while making the action extra strong. In the action it is at once noticed that the
makers adopt the solid top frame and side ejecting principle that has been used so successfully in rifles for the past ten years. This solid top acts both ways, protecting the head of the shooter from the exploding cartridge and the ejected shell, while at the same tizne protecting the action of the gun from rain, 8/10W and all foreign substances.
The breech bolt of this gun, when closed, fills the opening in the frame com pletely, adding to the neat and pleasing appearance of the arm greatly, as well as being of immense service in keeping out sand, dirt, twigs, pine-needles, etc., all of which would tend to make the action work hard and might some tii»es disable it entirely.
On top of the frame for its full length is milled a solid rib slightly hollowed and neatly matted, adding an attractive feature and assisting greatly in tak ing quick aim. The frame has a blued finish. The stock has all the style and shapeliness for which Marlin Arms are famous. The regular length is i3g inches, with 1% inches drop at comb and 2% inches drop at heel. All guns have pistol gyips, small and oval iu shape. Butt plates are rubber, extra, thick and special quality for strength. They are strongly cross lined on sur face so that they hold firmly on the shoulder with no tendency to slip. The gun has a wonderful buoyancy and balance that must be felt to be appreci ated. That dead-weight, clubby feeling believed by some to be inseparable from a repeater is entirely absent. The magazine is loaded by passing the cartridges directly into it under the carrier with the action closed. This may be conveniently done with the gun up-side down. The capacity of the arm is six shots, one in tbe chamber and five in the magazine.
To take down a trombone action three parts must be disconnected : the action bar, the magazine and the barrel. These operations are performed in the Marlin shot gun with the action closed, as follows: First. To disconnect the action bar, move the fore end and bar to the rear a slight fraction of an inch until the small notch on inside of bar is opposite the action bar stop, then tip over the stop from the notch in the barrel to the notch in the action bar, when the handle, bar and bar stop can be drawn for ward clear of the frame.