How Old Is That Marlin Model 60?

Last Friday, a reader of my article on "Replacing the Feed Throat on a Marlin 'Glenfield' Model 60" emailed to ask when my Marlin Model 60 was manufactured. Interesting question. I knew that the particular model I used in my article dated from before the mid-1970's, but not the particular year of manufacture. In making a quick search, I came across the web-page for a company calling itself the Antique and Collectible Firearms and Militaria Headquarters which had several resources for determining manufacture dates for various manufacturers, including Marlin. It stated that, for Marlin firearms made between 1969 and 1990, "[t]he first two digits of the serial number designate the year of manufacture, either as the last two digits of the year (in 1969-71) or as a number code (1971 and later)." According to my reader, the system for 1971 and later was to subtract the first two digits of the serial number from 100 and that would give you the year (in a 2-digit format). My particular model was made in 1970.