Marlin Super Goose Review

Tough Chore

I was a robust young kid, capable of bailing hay for about half a day, but try as I might, I could not handle Doc Biehn’s Super Goose. The 34″ full-choke barrel and overall 56″ length came with a 10.5-lb. weight. The 4 ¾” length made it difficult if not impossible to mount, swing and shoot. Working the bolt was cumbersome, too.

I haven’t laid my eyes on one since the 1970s, but Tim Carey sees them on a regular basis. Many shotgunners will remember Carey from his long career at Griffin & Howe, but in 2021 he joined the sporting arms division of the Cincinnati-based Cowan’s Auctions. Every year he sees a few Super Goose 10 gauges and Goose Gun in other gauges come up for auction.

“Seeing a Marlin Goose gun is like seeing an old friend,” Carey said. “They certainly were never expensive, and even now when they come up for sale, they don’t command a high price. It was the era when fathers taught their sons to shoot with a small caliber bolt-action rifle before introducing them to a shotgun. Some of the folks who buy a Goose Gun these days are usually doing so because they had one when they were growing up. Others might remember their dad or granddad as having one. These personal stories come up at our auctions and they are a lot of fun.”

“Part of the theory for the 34″ barrel was it offered a longer sight plane to improve accuracy. Another idea was that the longer barrel would offer better ballistics and kill waterfowl at greater distances. What we know now is barrel length doesn’t make shot go faster or farther, and we’re thankful for that. Today’s shotguns, as well as those that command higher prices at auction, are lighter and livelier. They’re more enjoyable to shoot than the Goose Gun, which was a workout.”

Because of the low retail price, a number of gunners bought the Marlin Goose Gun as a backup to their primary gun. Ones that come up for auction at venues like Cowan’s Auctions typically are in great condition. Whether you pick one up for nostalgia’s sake or are adding to a collection of waterfowl shotguns, be sure to do this first: Hit the gym. You’ll need to rack a bunch of weight if you’re going to carry that shoulder howitzer into the marsh.

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