Found 2 of the same lever gun I have been searching for. One is a 1982 pre safety, the other is a 1984 post safety. Same price for both and aftermarket sights on both (top mount ghost rings on the pre safety, side mount ghost ring on the newer rifle). Both are in fantastic condition, but the pre safety has some honest wear on the side of the receiver (not scratches, just worn bluing) as well as a couple marks on the mag tube. The newer rifle has some scuffs on the stock, but the bluing is fantastic. Being both the same price, I'm trying to get input as to what is the better buy between the two. Thoughts?

The pre-safety is the better buy assuming the overall condition is comparable.
If you ever decide to sell, people will pay more for it.

Priced the same?  Pre-safety is no brainer if condition is good IMHO.

Are either, or both, 'Micro-groove' marked barrels?  If so, you might consider the standard rifling vs. micro-groove for resale as some folks think those are less accurate with cast loads.  I've found that they are perfectly accurate if you slug the barrel and use properly sized bullet for you loads.

I have pre-safety and post-safety Marlins... they're all great guns, but I prefer pre-safety by a wide margin myself.

Safety?



Aloha, Mark