I've been wanting a nice tube fed, bolt action .22 for a while now... Was considering getting the Marlin 981 but instead I found this at the show.
A Marlin model 81 with a side mount base & an older Weaver B4 scope that's still very crisp & clear... The guy wanted $110 for it. He bought it as part of a collection from a widow... She said her Husband had it for many years. I just had to have it. Talked him down $10 & took it home with me.
When I got home I took it to the bench for cleaning & it was very dirty. Lots of Wd40 goo in it, filthy bore & even some fine sand mixed in there. Found a pristine bore under the crud & a nice light trigger & smooth action. The stock looks far too nice to be original & somewhere along the line someone added some sling swivels not to mention the scope & mount. Also, it has an oddly bent bolt. I've seen other variations in pictures online that match this bolt. I doubt it's original but then again it could have been optional? Hard to say.
From the research I've found so far they made the original Model 81 from 1937-1940 so this one looks to be a pre-war model. 1940 & up began as a model 81C & continued using a letter prefix after the model #. If anyone has more detailed information that would be greatly appreciated.
Here's some pictures for your enjoyment.
