A friend is looking to buy one of these rifles in 45/70 caliber. A local shop has a used one for $500. It's a JM stamped Marlin, but has the crossbolt safety. Serial # is 97009XXX. The gun is in good shape. Wood is 90-95% and metal is easily 95% or better. In my neck of the woods pre Remlin 336's in good shape go for 400-$450. How does the $500 price sound?

very good price and it if was a 1972 model with 6 groove rifling, double that. 95s bring more than 336s so can't compare. I don't like the crossbolt safeties and I usually either weld them up or at least put an inert plug in there. Note: I am not advocating that anyone deactivate any safety device, for the record.

pretty good. I buy a Ludwig Safety delete kit for all my crossbolt Marlins. Basically a plug that fits in the safety hole and looks like an extra screw. Returns the gun to 'normal' operation with 1/2 cock and nothing to get in the way! Installation time... about 5 minutes.

I've got a Marlin Model 1895 that I bought new (I think in 1972). It has the strait pistol grip, a curved-hard-rubber butt plate without the white line spacer and not really fancy, but better wood than I've seen on any other Marlins. Its serial number is less than 800, but it has the uncommon 8-groove barrel mentioned by Layne Simpson in his article about the 1995's a couple years ago. I bought it back then although I could not really afford it because I really wanted one and figured they would soon be discontinued because there would be little demand for them (I was wrong!). The owner's manual even says it was OK to use hopped up hand loads in it. Mine has not had much use and is in about a 98 percent condition and is not for sale, but what would it be worth?

Yours will be a B prefix; made in 72. I have one. They go for 1000 on a good day; usually a bit less but more than the 12 groove models. And since yours is used and fired, less. I load the Marlins up to the gills; they will take a lot of pressure.
I make those fake screw/safety hole plugs.