marlin 1894c date of manufacture?

[coopershooter]

Hello guys,
 Just picked a clean marlin 1894c. it has no crossbolt safety. how can i tell when it was made?
  im thinking about a pair os xs sights,  gost ring and white post sets. any thoughts?
 thank you.

[336SC]

Marlin dates of manufacture are determined by the serial number.  Earlier Marlins have letter prefix, the later ones do not.  Your 1894C
is post letter code so take the first two numbers of your serial number and subtract from 2000 for your date of manufacture.  For example my 1894C serial number starts with 21, so subtracting 21 from 2000 = 1979, the exact year I bought that one.  Give it whirl and see what you get. 
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[coopershooter]

So if my serial number starts with 18, 2000-18=1982?  Thanks for the info! Ive wanted one of these for a long time.  I,m hoping to find a s&w model 66 or 19 as a companion.
thanks!
 coopershooter.

[BruceP]

What about the ones that start with a letter. My dad inherited his brothers 39A years ago and I just got it when my dad passed last month. The serial # starts with an "R"

Bruce

[yukondog]

BruceP
I bileave its 1957-1958
check the marlin stickies.

[coopershooter]

The barrel is marked micro groove, when handloading, is there anything special i need to know? seems like i read micro groove barrels like one type bullet (cast/jacketed) over the other. id like to try the lbt style 180 gr gs.
 thanks for any info!

[336SC]

BruceP - R is 1958 on your Model 39.

Coopershooter - 1982 would be correct for your date of mfg.  Microgroove barrels are said to be difficult to get cast bullets to shoot with
any degree of accuracy but it's an old wive's tale.  I shoot cast bullets of my own making all the time in my 1894C with microgroove barrel.  What is needed is a gas checked cast bullet, it should be .002" over groove diameter, and the case mouth needs to be belled enough so the cast bullet does not get scraped by the case mouth.  I shoot three different cast bullets in mine from 1450fps all the way up to 1950fps with accuracy and no leading.  Two are gas checked at 165gr and the the one I shoot at 1450fps is plain based loaded in
.38 Special cases and it is my walk about load.  The two gas checked designs are for deer hunting.  My Lyman 358156 bullet equals the
muzzle velocity and muzzle energy of the first 30-30 factory loads (160gr bullet @ 1960fps) and does it with a bigger hole to boot!!!! If
someone tells you that cast bullets won't shoot in marlin microgroove barrels, they are not doing things correctly.
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[BruceP]

Thanks for the replies.

Bruce

[yukondog]

I have a 444 micro grove that shoots cast very well and a 41 also micro grove that prefers jacketed bullets and a 35 rem that shoots both, play with both the gun will tell what it likes, and good luck.