This is a nice example of a deluxe Marlin large frame rifle in 40-65 caliber that was shipped in May 1897. These rifles were the answer to the Winchester M1886 lever action rifle and although they never attained the same status as the Winchester rifles, some consider them to be a better and stronger than the Winchester rifles. The barrel is a half round, half octagon pattern that is marked on top "MARLIN FIREARMS CO. NEW-HAVEN, CT. U.S.A. over PATENTED.OCT. 11. 1887, APRIL 2. 1889, AUGUST 1. 1893" and the left side is marked "SPECIAL SMOKELESS STEEL" . The top of the receiver is marked in script "MARLIN SAFETY" and the top of the tang is marked "MODEL/ 1895". It is fitted with the half length magazine tube that extends approximately 3 inches beyond the forend and has a pistol grip stock with the Marlin marked black plastic buttplate The stock and forend are both made of a deluxe, high figure walnut with checkering on both sides. The rifle is equipped with a silver blade front sight and a replaced fixed standing rear. It has the blued finish on the barrel and magazine tube with a casehardening finish on the receiver, hammer and loading lever.

Partially refinished (stock) with 60-70% of the original blue finish on the barrel, magazine tube and forend cap which is starting to turn a brown patina mixed with thinning on the edges and flats overall. The receiver, hammer, lever have turned a mottled/silver patina pattern overall with approximately 5% of the case colors remaining in the protected areas. The stock and forend have fine color and figure overall. The stock has been broken completely through the buttstock directly behind the pistol grip and has two large cracks running parallel to the break which have both also been repaired. They all run along the grain lines of the stock, which is one of the weaknesses of highly figured wood.