I don’t want to do that thing where I ask a bunch of questions with a self-evident answer based on the title of this article. So, did you know that Marlin made shotguns? Marlin built a reputation on their lever action rifles. The modern Marlin, which is owned by Ruger, certainly isn’t producing any Marlin shotguns.
However, at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century, Marlin dived headfirst into repeating shotguns. Winchester released the 1893 slide-action shotgun. They came under fire from a man named Francis Bannerman, who owned the rights to the Spencer shotguns, which were the first pump-action shotguns.
Bannerman launched a lawsuit against Winchester. Winchester is known for rifles and shotguns but should also be known for patents. They were good at writing and researching patents. To beat Bannerman, they turned up a patent out of Europe for a pump-action bullpup rifle and even produced one. They won the lawsuit and were able to produce the 1893, but they also opened the floodgates for other companies to produce pump-action shotguns.
Thus, Marlin got into the pump-action shotgun business in 1898 with the Marlin 1898 pump-action shotgun.
The World of Marlin Shotguns
Marlin made a variety of pump-action shotguns from 1898 to 1933 and throughout three different incarnations of Marlin. Marlin has been owned and branded at least five times. There are enough Marlin variants to make a Marvel multiverse movie. The original Marlin Firearms Company, the Marlin Firearms Corporation, and the Marlin Firearms Company all produced pump-action shotguns under the Marlin brand.
The original Marlin Firearms Company produced the Models 1898, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 31. The Marlin Firearms Corporation produced the Models 42, 43, 44, and 49. The Marlin Firearms Company produced the models 53 and 63. That’s a lot of different shotguns. Most of these guns were improvements on previous models. Each number doesn’t represent a unique gun but can represent an improvement or even a different caliber.
Marlin shotguns came in 12 gauge, 16 gauge, and 20 gauge. It doesn’t appear they expanded beyond these three calibers, and 12 gauge shotguns were the most popular option.
Marlin produced both hammer-fired and internal hammer guns. The exposed hammer-fired guns were the 1898, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 30, 42, and 49. The hammerless (internal hammer) Marlin shotguns are the 28, 31, 43, 44, 53, and 63.
Marlin produced most of its shotguns in one of four grades: A, B, C, and D. They also produced guns in special models, including Trap, Trap Special, Field, Field Special, Brush, and Riot models. Takedown shotguns dominated this era, and most of Marlin’s shotguns were takedown designs. There were only two solid-frame guns: the Model 17 and 26.
The Contributions of Marlin Shotguns
Marlin shotguns did make some interesting contributions to the world of shotguns. Those contributions aren’t necessarily seen today, but they did do a few interesting things worth mentioning.
One feature included a hang fire safety system. The action remained locked if the user pulled the trigger and the gun didn’t fire. The user had to press the action release to open the action. When the gun fired, the inertia of the recoil disengaged the device, allowing the action to open freely. If the weapon didn’t fire, but the hammer dropped, the action wouldn’t open without a manual press of the release.
The Marlin hammerless guns placed the action release on the rear tang of the shotguns. As far as I can tell, these are the first guns to place a control on the tang. It’s a small but neat feature. I have a Model 28, and the tang-mounted release is ergonomic and handy.
Some Marlin shotguns, like the Model 28, also featured a removable side plate, similar to a revolver. This plate allowed access to the internals for repair or deep cleaning. I don’t think any other shotgun company produced anything remotely similar to this design.
Marlin Shotguns Now
One of the many Marlin incarnations warned that Marlin shotguns were too dangerous to be used and shouldn’t be fired. There seems to be a fair bit of controversy about this notice. Many will claim it’s aimed at the older hammer-fired guns. When fired, the bolt could eject, and the gun explode.
Many people claim that the hammerless Marlin shotguns are fine. The best idea is to listen to the manufacturer. For safety’s sake, I wouldn’t go against their advice.
It’s also worth noting that the hammer-fired guns can very easily fire if the hammer is down on a loaded cartridge. The half cock position is the more desired position.
Generally, any old gun should be inspected by a competent gunsmith before being fired. You never know if the chamber is the proper length, if the steel will give, or if your load is too powerful. Shooting old shotguns, in particular, should be approached with caution. Shotgun loads have gotten increasingly powerful over the years, and you should approach them with caution.
Marlin shotguns are a neat part of shotgun history, and sadly, they aren’t recognized or desired today. It’s not too sad, though, because I like buying 100-dollar century-old shotguns. If you can find one, I would grab it, especially if it’s cheap. They are neat little pieces of history.
