The Jim Carmichel Marlin

By Joe Berk

I am a fan of Marlin lever action rifles, and when I saw this one in a Gunbroker ad 15 years ago, I knew I had to have it.  I’ve been reading Jim Carmichel’s articles for a good 30 or 40 years, and owning a rifle that he once called his just felt right.  I already had the .38 Special dies, so there would be no additional expense for that (although that became a moot point, as I decided to keep this rifle unfired).

Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that the tuned Marlin rifles (slicked up for cowboy action shooting) were just about impossible to find back then, and not too long after that Marlin stopped offering these guns altogether.  That’s kind of moot, too, as I’m not a cowboy action shooter and at this point in my life I have no plans to become one.  And then there was the thing that’s always been irresistable to me:  Pretty walnut.   This rifle checked all the boxes for me:  Good walnut, good provenance, rarity, color case hardening, an octagonal barrel, an action job, and it was made from my favorite firearm material (i.e., unobtanium).  I called the shop selling the gun, worked out a trade for a handgun I no longer wanted and a little cash, and the Cowboy Carmichel Marlin you see here was on its way to me.

When I remember to do so, I save the Gunbroker ads that prompt me to purchase a firearm.  Here’s the text from that ad:

Rare Marlin Cowboy Competition in .38 Special, 20″ octagon barrel, case colored receiver. This rifle is unfired and owned originally by Jim Carmichael, the shooting editor for Outdoor Life magazine. It comes with the box numbered to the rifle, manual, hammer extension, lock and a letter attesting to being part of the Carmichael collection. Very nice wood, nice metal and finish, unfired and collectible.  Factory tuned for cowboy action shooting.  Shipping is $45 CONUS upon receipt of payment and copy of FFL.  Has special “factory-tuning” operations performed on it to enhance levering speed and target acquisition. “Tuned” parts include: finger lever, finger lever plunger spring, hammer, breech bolt, breech bolt lock, carrier, hammer spring, and ejector. For serious Cowboy Action shooting competitors who want a lightning-fast carbine, the 1894 Cowboy Competition is the perfect choice. Features a 20″ octagon barrel for quick sight alignment, and a western-style straight-grip walnut stock. Sights are traditional Marble adjustable semi-buckhorn rear and Marble carbine front. The receiver, bolt, trigger guard plate and lever of the 38 Special are color case-hardened for an authentic 19th Century look. To accommodate tang sight installation, the serial number is located on the left side of the receiver.

Caliber 38 Special. Capacity 10-shot tubular magazine. Lever action with squared finger lever; side ejection; color case hardened receiver, bolt, trigger guard plate and lever; solid top receiver; hammer block safety. Straight-grip American black walnut; hard rubber butt plate; tough Mar-Shield finish; blued steel fore-end cap.  Tapered octagon barrel with deep-cut Ballard-type rifling (6 grooves). Twist Rate 1:16″ r.h.  Adjustable Marble semi-buckhorn rear, Marble carbine front sight. Offset hammer spur (right or left hand) for scope use. Serial number is on left side of receiver, instead of tang, allowing custom installation of a tang sight by a competent gunsmith.  Overall Length 37.5″Weight 6.5 lbs.

Sometimes you see something that you recognize is a want and not a need.  I didn’t need the Carmichel Cowboy rifle, but I sure as hell wanted it.  And now I own it.

The ExNotes blog has a number of other Marlin stories, and you can find them here.

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Help us keep the lights on:

Don’t forget: Visit our advertisers!