Can anyone help me I have a Marlin rifle with serial number dl278 3 stamped 1894 made in Italy also stamped terni Tubata is circular stamped around Terni need to know what ammo I can shoot?

Answer 1

I am not sure why you feel this rifle is a Marlin- is it marked Marlin anywhere on the rifle? Can you describe the rifle- bolt action, single shot, etc? Terni was one of the Italian military arsenals, and is marked on MANY Italian military firearms. Tubata is a marking I have found on a number of Italian rifles that have been "sleeved"- a bad or obsolete bore is drilled out, and a sleeve inserted permanently, providing a new bore. This is known as the "Tubata" process. If Italian military, these were made in at least 4 different cartridges at different times. To determine which cartridge your rifle is chambered for, and IF it is safe to shoot (some of the wartime conversions were done in desperation, and may NOT be safe to shoot) you need to take your rifle to a good gunsmith. He may need to make a casting of the chamber using a product called cerrosafe to see what the shape and measurements of the chamber really are. This is generally not a very expensive job- and a very good safety measure.