Design changes??

[litl rooster]

Curios was just window shopping on a popular on line auction site. I come across a early 45/70 Fishgun made according to seller, 1881. I noticed it did not have a side port for ejection. Question is when did they go to side eject?
Thanks LR

[Drydock]

The first side ejection Marlin was the pistol caliber M1889.  This would evolve into the M1894.  The first side eject full rifle was I believe the M1893.

The M1881 (rifle Caliber) and M1888 (Pistol Caliber) were both top eject.

[litl rooster]

Thank you

[Drydock]

FWIW the short action top eject 1888 is the ancestor of all modern lever action Marlins, the first to have the vertical sliding lock block at the rear of the bolt.  After barely 13 months of production, L.L. Hepburn rotated the bolt 90 degrees, creating the side eject 1889.  All Modern Marlins are a linear descendant of this designl.

Only 4800 1888s were produced.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=marlin+1888&view=detail&mid=5D923B3805C6E195CC9F5D923B3805C6E195CC9F&FORM=VIRE

[Arizona Trooper]

The 1881 Marlin is an Andrew Burgess design. Burgess was very active after the Civil War. He designed the Whitney Burgess (the first 45-70 lever gun), most of the Whitney Kennedy and Whitney Scharf, the Colt Burgess, the 1881 Marlin and a slide action rifle and shotgun. During the war he was on Mathew Brady's photographic team and took the photo of Lincoln that's on the $5 bill. Very interesting and today largely unknown arms designer.