Just picked one up a few minutes ago, can anyone help me with a manufacture date? Serial number is 24098XXX Thanks

Maybe 1976.

Someone on another forum said to subtract the first two numbers from 100 and that would be the year, so 76 sounds right, thanks so much, Bill

According to this site Marlin Manufacture Dates
1976 is correct.

I have a 1979 and couldn;t be happier with it. I've had it since 1980 or so, but didn;t really appreciate what I had until I started reloading for it.

Bill, that's true, but starting only from about 1973 forward. Before that, it was a mixture of letters and, for a few years before 1973, the serial number started with the year of manufacture (i.e. Ser# 69xxxxxx = 1969 mfr)

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Stretch ®

"If you are a reloader and you don't know Lee, you don't know Jack" - Floydster

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Thanks Stretch, just got home from shootin' this thing and I'm with you, it shoots nice. I was just shootin' factory ammo and it shot 1-1/2 groups at fifty yards with open sights, and I can't see anymore. I was real surprised. Can't wait to load a little bit for it, gotta order a set of dies now, just been shootin' factory stuff in my other 44 which is a Blackhawk, don't shoot it much 'cause it's such a handful, but now I'm gonna start playin' around a little bit with 'em.

In case you're interested (and I've seen guys with other favorite powder/bullet combos out there):
Mine shoots 240gr Hornady XTP bullets very accurately, using H110 powder and Winchester LP primers. I use the Win primers because they are rated as magnum primers, which I believe is needed using H110 powder (along with a nice, stout crimp).

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Stretch ®

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I use the same primers, and come to think of it, it makes sense. H110 burns slow enough that you'll get a *tremendous* increase in velocity in a rifle-length barrel, so there may be high pressure for longer. Also, there's more powder, so you might get more consistent ignition with magnum primers. I'd used up my box of CCIs, so I can't test to see what those will do.

That said, I think I was using CCI primers in my .41 Mag rifle, and never had any issues, and that was the time I saw the 500+ fps increase between handgun and long gun velocities with H110 and Lilgun.

I really have nothing to compare my results using Win LP primers, KO, except what I've read. Evidently, without a magnum primer and a stout crimp in the 44 Mag, there is the probability of incomplete burn (assuming the use of H110, of course). I haven;t experimented with this cartridge to verify that, I just stuck by those recommendations.

__________________
Stretch ®

"If you are a reloader and you don't know Lee, you don't know Jack" - Floydster

DON'T BE SCARED©