Update- Redding, CA Gun Show Report- Pictures Added!

[Shasta]

I went to an annual local gun show today, and things have sure gone downhill for this show. It used to be the best show around here when it was sponsored for many years by the Lions Club, but they dropped it and it now has a different sponsor. Vendor numbers are way down and there just was not a lot to see. Most disappointing for me was the very low number of leverguns for sale, not that I need any more.

It was not all bad though as I have been on the lookout for another older Marlin 39A to have as a back-up to my current 1955 vintage silhouette rifle. There were just two 39A's at the show, each priced at $700, which seems to be the going rate these days. One looked to be of late 70's vintage, in great shape but I want to mount a tang sight and this one had the serial number on the upper tang so no drilling holes there. The other was also in good shape and was a pre-Microgroove dating to 1947. The tang is already drilled for a tang sight! The front sight hood was missing and the sight itself was beat up a little, but I would be replacing that anyway. It might possibly be a re-blue as the bluing was brighter than I would expect, but this rifle was more to my liking. The vendor was a local gun shop that I seldom go to, so I'm thinking I might have better luck dealing with the owner rather than his gun show salesman. I doubt the rifle will sell at the show as it seemed most of the guns being bought were black rifles and handguns. I'm in no hurry to buy, so it won't matter if it does get sold.

One other very interesting rifle was a Winchester Model 71 Deluxe. It looked just about perfect and even had the bolt mounted peep sight. I was surprised that it was priced at just $1,550 until I found out that it was not a real Deluxe, but a copy built from from parts. Still a very nice rifle if originality is not an issue.

The only thing I did buy was some raffle tickets for a Henry Golden Boy .22, so who knows, I might wind up with a new-to-me gun yet!


Shasta

[Griff]

Sounds like you enjoyed walking around...

[Shasta]

So.... I went to the aforementioned shop and sure enough that old Marlin 39A did not sell at the gun show. I gave it a close examination and concluded the bluing is all original and very good. The wood is sound and not dinged up much, and the bore is bright and shiny. It dates to 1948, so what's not to like other than the price? I decided that if the dealer would throw in the sales tax and transfer fee, I would buy it. He did, and I did. Now I just have to endure California's idiotic 10 day waiting period. Picture to come when I have it in hand.

Shasta

[Lefty Dude]

Sweet !!!

[Poohgyrr]

Sounds pretty good. Congratulations.

[Shasta]

I finally have the promised pictures:









I have a Marble's tang sight ordered and am looking forward to seeing how it shoots!

Shasta

[stew71]

Very nice!!

[Les Staley]

I've got the mate to that gun, mine being a 1946. I couldn't tell if yours has a fluted comb, doesn't look like it. (One of the identifiers of a third model, first variation). Mine is also Ballard rifled and over all looks almost as nice as yours. Congrats on your find!

[Bill in Oregon]

Nice rifle Shasta! Have the Dems in Sacto gotten around to imposing a waiting period for rimfire ammo yet?

[jnyork]

Shasta, nice grab there. Nice 39a's are getting harder and harder to find, it seems.

I shot quite a bit of IHMSA silhouette up in your part of the country while I was attending Lassen College in Susanville back in the 1978-1982 era. A bunch of us would get a van and go over to Redding to shoot there, they had a nice silhouette range where there was also a skeet and trap range with a clubhouse, don't know if it's still there.

We also attended the first rifle silhouette match at the Hat Creek club, must have been around 1981 or so , the range was still under construction, targets were situated among the trees which made things kinda nice. Had a great time.

[Shasta]

Nice rifle Shasta! Have the Dems in Sacto gotten around to imposing a waiting period for rimfire ammo yet?

Howdy Bill,

The background check nonsense for ammunition purchase in California is set to begin January 1, 2018. I have a good supply of .22LR and will lay in a bunch more before then. I can't help but wonder how much more money they will be charging to cover the cost of the check.
One would think that a CCW license holder would be exempt, but the Dems are never sensible.

Shasta

[Wind]

Hey there Shasta -- If you need a little more "reach" than the Marbles tang sight gives you, try an MVA. Their Marlin 1895 base is what you want and a #108 Sharps Venier makes for plenty of reach!!










Hope this helps. Best regards. Wind

[Shasta]

jnyork-

Back in the early '80's I regularly shot silhouette at the old Redding Gun Club, but it was shut down in the late '80's because the nearby landfill needed to expand, and the city had unwisely allowed a subdivision to develop on the opposite side, so the range had to go.
On the plus side, the Hat Creek Rifle & Pistol Club range has expanded and now features a very full schedule of NRA silhouette disciplines. We are hosting the 2017 California State Lever Action Rifle Silhouette Championships this coming Memorial Day weekend.

Wind,
Good to see you are still around, you haven't posted much lately. I enjoy watching your long range levergun shooting on Youtube. I agree that the MVA is hands down the best sight to have, but they are spendy. I do have MVA on my BPCR rifles, as well as on my 1876 Winchester and my Low Wall .22 long range rifle. Their scopes are also the best. Pretty soon I plan to buy one of their "B" series scopes for my Springfield 1903-A3 for use in Vintage Military Rifle Silhouette.

Shasta

[Griff]

Nice looking rifles (Shasta and Wind). A friend of mine competes with a '49 production. He swears that's probably the last of the really good mdl 39As.

[HawkCreek]

Holy cow, Wind! I havent seen that one in your videos, that's a .22 with some RANGE!

[jnyork]

jnyork-

On the plus side, the Hat Creek Rifle & Pistol Club range has expanded and now features a very full schedule of NRA silhouette disciplines. We are hosting the 2017 California State Lever Action Rifle Silhouette Championships this coming Memorial Day weekend.

Good for you guys, wish I could be there.

[Poohgyrr]

That looks like a lot of fun.

[1894c]

that Marlin 39A is a very nice rifle... thanks for sharing... :)