Marlin Model 39-A .22 S, L, & LR Lever-Action Rifle, 24 in Barrel, 1948 Production, Takedown, Ballard-Style Rifling, Blued Steel and Walnut, Barrel-Mounted Scope
This Marlin Model 39-A is a 1948-production .22 S, L, & LR lever-action rifle, identifiable by its E-prefix serial range. It features the classic takedown system with a coin-slotted screw, a 24-inch barrel with pre-1954 Ballard-style cut rifling, and a solid-top, side-eject receiver. Blued steel construction and walnut furniture complete the period-correct configuration, and it comes with a barrel-mounted scope installed via rings and blocks.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair condition, showing extensive signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: There is widespread rust and pitting on metal surfaces, with widespread scratches and blemishes present. The installed optic shows extensive exterior rust. The crosshairs remain visible, and the rear lens exhibits significant glare.
What’s Included
- Barrel-mounted scope (installed via rings/blocks)
- Barrel scope rings and blocks (installed)
- Front and rear sling swivels (installed)
Built in the United States in 1948, this Model 39-A sits squarely in the desirable 1940s era of Marlin rimfire levers. The E-prefix serial range aligns with its year of manufacture, adding useful dating context for collectors and enthusiasts interested in period-correct features.
The rifle retains the hallmark Marlin takedown design, using a coin-slotted screw for separating the halves. Its receiver is the solid-top, side-eject pattern associated with the 39-A, and the right receiver wall is drilled and tapped for a side-mount. A barrel-mounted scope is currently installed using rings and blocks.
The 24-inch steel barrel uses pre-1954 Ballard-style cut rifling with no Micro-Groove marking, a detail many buyers look for on early postwar examples. A full-length tubular magazine runs beneath the barrel, and a barrel-mounted front sight arrangement is present.
Walnut furniture includes a pistol-grip stock and matching fore-end, with an uncheckered finish, a serrated buttplate, and Marlin's bullseye inlay in the stock. The length of pull measures 13.5 inches, and sling swivels are installed front and rear. The rifle is finished in blued steel throughout the barrel and receiver.