Marlin 1897 Bicycle Rifle

[Pitchy]

Don`t know if this was posted before but it`s the first time i`ve seen one and thought it was cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMbelqq1i5E

[GunnyMack]

I knew they existed but had never seen one. Not surprising since only just over 200 were made.
Neat little rig!
Wonder if we could get Henry( or Remlin) to make one?

[765x53]

With a 20" round barrel and 1/2 magazine, it would be identical to the 39C made in the late 60's and early 70's.

[Griff]

I knew they existed but had never seen one. Not surprising since only just over 200 were made.
Neat little rig!
Wonder if we could get Henry( or Remlin) to make one?

Sixgun probably has one...

[GunnyMack]

I knew they existed but had never seen one. Not surprising since only just over 200 were made.
Neat little rig!
Wonder if we could get Henry( or Remlin) to make one?

Sixgun probably has one...

Yes Griif I think you might be right-Maybe a couple!

[Sixgun]

Sixgun probably has one...

Which one you want to see...the full nickel plated one, the consecutive serial number 1, 2, and 3 ones, NIB specimen, or the one that Teddy Roosevelt used on his African safari? Ahhhh...that stuff is junk....thinking about donating them to leftist causes.

Wow, on a serious note, I never even heard of them. Back in the day, several gun manufacturers did have shortened/lightened versions of guns that erroneously got called "bicycle guns" or "baby carbines" by the public but in reality, they were just guns made smaller for folks who likes these things for various reasons.----6

[rossim92]

neat video! Too bad not all levers are made that way for ease of repairs and maintenance. I guess that would weaken the reciever strength for the big bore and high pressure rds.

[Bill in Oregon]

Hadn't seen one either, Pitchy. Very cool design. Thanks for the link.

[marlinman93]

With a 20" round barrel and 1/2 magazine, it would be identical to the 39C made in the late 60's and early 70's.

A true Marlin 1897 bicycle rifle was not a 20" barrel! They were a 16" barrel.


I owned a 16" 1897 Marlin bicycle rifle, with an even more rare 1/2 octagon barrel! In a 16" barrel the half octagon was closer to being half octagon than the usual 24" 1897 half octagon barrel was. My gun also came with the canvas and leather trimmed carrying case to strap the case to the tube on a bicycle. They're a very neat gun, and I've only seen a couple others beyond the one I used to own.

[marlinman93]

I knew they existed but had never seen one. Not surprising since only just over 200 were made.

The number of 200 made isn't exactly correct since Marlin stopped recording the info on guns around 1906 with 355,600 serial number range. But the 1897 continued to be made until after WWI, with a pause during the War. So there were others made that wont show in the records, and the total made is actually unknown. The total recorded might be 200 or so, but those built later might add another 10% or more? No way to know or guess, and be accurate. I saw one 1897 bicycle rifle with a serial number just over 425,000 which would make it several years later I'd guess.

[Batman1939]

I've heard they no longer are made because folks have stopped hunting bicycles !