If I have been to say shotgun firm, what would you image? Remington? Mossberg? Benelli? After I say Marlin, what do you consider? Doubtless lever motion rifles just like the Mannequin 336 or the at all times reasonably priced Marlin Mannequin 60 tube-fed semi-auto .22 LR. These are comprehensible associations, however you too can relate Marlin to shotguns. In the course of the flip of the century, Marlin received into the pump-action shotgun world. They produced a ton of various pump-action shotguns, together with immediately’s obscure object of need, the Marlin Mannequin 28.
The business took discover when Winchester launched the Mannequin 1893. It wasn’t the primary pump motion, however it was profitable, and the Mannequin 1897 was much more profitable. That was nice for Winchester, but in addition the business as an entire. Winchester needed to battle off a lawsuit from Francis Bannerman, who owned the rights to the Spencer pump-action shotguns as he produced the primary ever pump actions.
Winchester gained their case by proving that pump motion wasn’t novel to Spencer’s weapons. They even discovered an historic patent for a pump-action bullpup rifle, which they painfully recreated to show their level. This allowed Winchester to win the lawsuit however was additionally a Bat sign to the firearm business that you could produce pump motion shotguns and nobody can sue you. Marlin jumped on that revelation and launched the Marlin 1898 shotgun.
The Marlin 1898 was rather a lot just like the 1893/1897. It was a pump-action, tube-fed shotgun with an uncovered hammer. That was their begin, and Marlin produced a wide range of each hammer-fired and “hammerless” shotguns, just like the Mannequin 28.
The Mannequin 28 – My Mistaken Buy
I initially purchased this gun for 2 causes: it was $110, and it was an outdated shotgun. That’s sufficient to warrant me opening the pockets. The gun was marketed as a Mannequin 43, and I bought it as such. Nevertheless, I broke open Marlin Firearms: A Historical past of the Weapons and the Firm that Made Them and realized the options and markings didn’t match. I had purchased a Mannequin 28.
No hurt on my half; I needed an inexpensive outdated shotgun and simply so occurred to get one which was low cost and even older than I anticipated. I definitely didn’t thoughts.
The 28 moniker isn’t a reference to a 12 months, it’s only a mannequin quantity. The Mannequin 28 was Marlin’s first hammerless shotgun. Manufacturing started on the Mannequin 28 in 1913 and lasted till 1923. Marlin boasted on the time that the Mannequin 28 was the “most interesting repeating gun on this planet.” That’s cocky, particularly in a world the place the Winchester Mannequin 12 existed. The Mannequin 28 in 12 gauge price $22.60 when it was first launched. (About $720 immediately.)
Marlin produced each hammer-fired and hammerless shotguns for years. The Mannequin 42, for instance, was a hammer-fired shotgun produced as late as 1922. That very same 12 months, they launched the Mannequin 43, which eclipsed the Mannequin 28.
The Mannequin 28 In Colour
Marlin’s personal promoting touted the protection advantages of the gun. They made a giant to-do about it being not possible to fireplace the gun till the bolt was totally ahead. That is possible as a result of the Winchester 1893 may very well be fired out of battery. Additionally they brag about their security system, claiming, “No less complicated, faster, or simpler system might probably be designed.” We’ll speak extra about that security later.
The Mannequin 28 got here in numerous configurations. Probably the most base mannequin, and what you see right here, is the 28A. A would possibly as properly stand for “throughout.” It’s the bottom mannequin that might do a little bit of every little thing. There have been additionally the A, B, C, D and Entice and Entice Particular fashions. B, C and D represented increased fashions with issues like Damascus barrels, higher-quality steels, higher wooden and higher metallic finishes.
The Mannequin 28 has a takedown design. The latch system appeared straightforward to make use of, however it didn’t transfer a lot, and I wasn’t one to power a century-old shotgun to interrupt down. Across the barrel sits a lock nut that may be tightened to get rid of play between the barrel and receiver. This accommodated put on over time and stored the gun locked tight to the receiver with out interrupting the takedown design.
The gun held six rounds, which in 1913 was a ton. It was aggressive. The Mannequin 28 additionally had a detachable facet plate, rather a lot like a revolver. You would take away the inventory, three screws, pop the plate off and have quick access to the internals. The chamber is a correct 2 3/4-inch chamber, so that you don’t want to fret a couple of 2 5/8-inch chamber.
Capturing the Mannequin 28
Earlier than capturing the gun, you need to acquaint your self with a sequence of strange controls. Keep in mind that security? It sits in entrance of the set off. Plenty of weapons use that configuration efficiently, however man, it feels a bit dangerous on this configuration. It sits proper in entrance of the set off, and it’s a tiny tab that locks a bar behind it. Pulling it rearward to have interaction the protection simply feels dangerous.
On the highest, on the tang, sits a small button. This button unlocks the motion if the hammer is cocked and permits you to cycle the gun. A button on the suitable facet permits you to drop one spherical at a time from the journal to rapidly and effectively unload the gun. Simply don’t have your face wherever close to the underside of the gun as a result of the shells are launched out of the gun at speeds that will rival me at a taco bar.
The gun’s historic, and you need to be choosy in regards to the ammo you fireplace via it. Metal shot is a no-no, and I’m not placing ultra-powerful hundreds via the gun. It feels sturdy. Why danger historical past to throw some {powerful} slug downrange? I maintain a number of containers of those sub-1,000 FPS entice hundreds and fired only a few via the gun.
The gun dealt with the shot surprisingly properly. The mashed bead isn’t the very best sight, however it works. The motion works greatest when manhandled ever so barely. The Mannequin 28 wants a vigorous reminder that it’s a pump shotgun.
The Marlin Shotguns
Nowadays, the pump-action shotgun format is identical. It’s fascinating to see the various codecs and ergonomic designs numerous producers tried to tug off earlier than all of us settled on the format everyone knows as of late.
A bulletin declaring these weapons unsafe was put out by some secondary proprietor of Marlin. From what I can discover, this situation is primarily associated to the Marlin 1898. Most individuals assume the hammerless weapons are advantageous. I’m not going to shoot the Mannequin 28 a lot, however I’ll respect each pull of the set off, each pump of the motion and that scent that solely outdated weapons appear to have.
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