Value guide
What is my Marlin worth?
Marlin lever guns are all over Michigan deer camps, and there is one dividing line that matters more than everything else on the page — one letter stamped on the barrel that a family clearing a house has no reason to know about.
No page can price your gun, and any page that offers to is guessing. What this one does is show you the things that decide the number, so you can look at what you have and know whether you are holding something ordinary or something worth a proper look.
The JM stamp, and what happened after 2007
Marlin rifles made at the company's own North Haven plant carry a small 'JM' proof stamp on the barrel. Remington acquired Marlin in 2007 and moved production, and rifles from the period that followed developed a poor reputation for fit and finish. The market responded exactly as you would expect: JM-stamped rifles are sought after and command a premium over otherwise identical later guns. If you have a Marlin, look at the barrel just forward of the receiver — the presence or absence of those two letters is worth checking before anybody makes an offer.
The models that turn up, and what they mean
| Model | Made | What it means for value |
|---|---|---|
| Model 336 | 1948–present | The lever gun most families have. JM-stamped examples in good order are wanted; later production is ordinary. |
| Model 39 / 39A | 1922–present | A lever-action .22 with a long production history and a real following. Frequently the most valuable gun in a modest collection. |
| Model 1894 | 1894–present, with gaps | Pistol-caliber lever guns. Certain chamberings and production runs are notably scarcer than others. |
| Model 60 | 1960–present | A semi-auto .22 made in enormous numbers. Ordinary money, and honest about it. |
| Model 1895 | 1972–present | The big-bore lever gun. Demand has been strong and JM-marked examples reflect that. |
| Golden 39A / early production | mid-20th century | Earlier variants with distinctive features that collectors distinguish carefully. |
What to check before anybody makes you an offer
- The barrel, just ahead of the receiver, for the JM proof stamp.
- Whether the rifle is Micro-Groove or Ballard rifled, which some buyers care about a great deal.
- The condition of the stock, which on a camp rifle is usually where the wear is.
- Whether the tube magazine and the original sights are intact and unaltered.
And the two rules that apply to every gun on this page:do not clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real fraction of the total.
"It's a deer rifle that's been used every season, so it's worth nothing"
Honest use is not damage. A JM-stamped 336 that has been carried for thirty years and looked after is a gun people actively want, and it is worth considerably more than a neglected one of any age. What hurts a Marlin is rust, a cracked stock, and somebody having taken a wire brush to it.
Where exactly is the JM stamp?
On the left side of the barrel, close to where it meets the receiver, in small letters inside an oval or beside the caliber marking. It is easy to miss and worth looking for in good light before you decide what you have.
Getting an actual number
Condition, originality and configuration decide it, and none of the three can be judged from a description. We appraise firearms, collections and estates across Michigan and the Great Lakes region, free and with no obligation — you get a written list with a value against each firearm and it is yours to keep whether you sell to us or not.
Related: what determines value on any gun ·how to sell a collection ·you inherited firearms
Other makers
Winchester, Remington, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Browning, Ruger and military surplus rifles.