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Post by 4given on May 5, 2020 12:45:11 GMT -7
I'm going to take my Marlin 1894SC into a local smith for an action job. I don't really need a "full race" Cowboy action shooting job but I would like it to be smooth, quick and reliable for range, field or defense purposes.
For those of you that are familiar with such things, what specifically would you have done or not have done?
Thanks!
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Post by missionary on May 5, 2020 19:33:49 GMT -7
Good evening Brother
I have never sent a rifle to any one to get worked over. There is plenty of do it yourself info over at the marlinowners.com site.
But then I have never bought a new Marlin. I figure to get a good used one and take care of myself whatever it needs for my shooting style.
But one thing for sure If your Marlin has the plastic following in the mag tube get rid of it fast. You can used a 38 special brass case which will never wear out or rust. Or a nickel case that will never rust or tarnish.
If you do not like the trigger pull lighten the trigger spring before touching the hammer spring. But so far I have no fear removing one coil from hammer springs.
Feeding may be an issue with square shouldered slugs like semi-wadcutters. Our 41 mag would Only cycle round nose. So I got a fine round stone and worked the sharp chamber edge putting a slight rounded corner on it Now it feeds any style except wad cutters.
Other Marlins needed the fore arm wood relieved, barrel bands opened up, mag tube adjusted at the receiver, loading gate fitted so it would close flush....
So in the end your Marlin ay be OK as is. Sit and watch a program and cycle it a couple hundred times. If it is tight and drags pull the bolt and look where the parts are rubbing. Dobber a little very fine valve lap compound on those spots, assemble and cycle it 50 times. Dissasemble, clean, and cycle some more. Make a couple dummy rounds and check the feeding through the gate and mag and cycle through the action. As nice as your's shot the 158's the front guard and tube are probably OK.
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Post by 4given on May 6, 2020 7:27:39 GMT -7
Good evening Brother I have never sent a rifle to any one to get worked over. There is plenty of do it yourself info over at the marlinowners.com site. But then I have never bought a new Marlin. I figure to get a good used one and take care of myself whatever it needs for my shooting style. But one thing for sure If your Marlin has the plastic following in the mag tube get rid of it fast. You can used a 38 special brass case which will never wear out or rust. Or a nickel case that will never rust or tarnish. If you do not like the trigger pull lighten the trigger spring before touching the hammer spring. But so far I have no fear removing one coil from hammer springs. Feeding may be an issue with square shouldered slugs like semi-wadcutters. Our 41 mag would Only cycle round nose. So I got a fine round stone and worked the sharp chamber edge putting a slight rounded corner on it Now it feeds any style except wad cutters. Other Marlins needed the fore arm wood relieved, barrel bands opened up, mag tube adjusted at the receiver, loading gate fitted so it would close flush.... So in the end your Marlin ay be OK as is. Sit and watch a program and cycle it a couple hundred times. If it is tight and drags pull the bolt and look where the parts are rubbing. Dobber a little very fine valve lap compound on those spots, assemble and cycle it 50 times. Dissasemble, clean, and cycle some more. Make a couple dummy rounds and check the feeding through the gate and mag and cycle through the action. As nice as your's shot the 158's the front guard and tube are probably OK. Thanks for the advice. I have done a certain amount of work on my handguns and bolt action rifles but I have never dissasembled a lever gun. I suppose I will have to learn at some point. |
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Post by missionary on May 6, 2020 9:21:35 GMT -7
Marlins are one of the easiest. Just remove the one bolt on the lever and out slides the whole bolt assembly. You Tube must have at least five 10 minute programs on the disassembly of your model.
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Post by 4given on May 6, 2020 9:46:28 GMT -7
Marlins are one of the easiest. Just remove the one bolt on the lever and out slides the whole bolt assembly. You Tube must have at least five 10 minute programs on the disassembly of your model. Sounds good! I'll see what I can find on Youtube. |
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Post by 4given on May 6, 2020 13:58:15 GMT -7
After watching a bunch of youtube videos I have decided to do the action job myself. I have done quite a bit of work on my handguns, bolt rifles, AR's and Ruger 10/22's so I am now confident I can work on a Marlin 1894. Besides polishing all the recommended surfaces, I will install a Pioneer Gun Works Marlin One Piece Firing Pin Kit. These kits come with a one piece firing pin, light hammer spring, and a light lever plunger spring. I ordered a stainless steel follower and a leather lever wrap from them too. www.pioneergunworks.com/marlin-rifle-parts I also ordered a Wild West Guns Happy Trigger for it. www.wildwestguns.com/product/trigger-happy-kit/I'm probably going overboard but this should be a fun project while we are mostly stuck at home for a while longer. |
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Post by missionary on May 6, 2020 15:21:07 GMT -7
Working on a Marlin is easier to me than a Winchester 1892. Although having worked on several it all seems straight forward except getting the angle perfect for the cartridge guides.
I would think with the parts you have coming your Marlin will act like a whole different lever gun. You will not regret the effort.
And all those parts you remove.. put them in a plastic bag clearly marked which Marlin they come off. If you decide to sell the next buyer will appreciate getting them.
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Post by 4given on May 7, 2020 5:48:19 GMT -7
Thanks brother Mike! That’s encouraging. I hope it turns out all right I’m pretty sure it will. Yes I’ll hang on to all the original parts for the next guy, or just in case I need them. I really like this gun so I don’t see me getting rid of it but you never know! I got the skinner sights on yesterday. Looks really good I’ll post some pictures later today. I also took the stock rear sight off and put a plug in the dovetail.
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Post by 4given on May 14, 2020 9:03:54 GMT -7
I have her all disassembled and everything polished that needs polished. Still waiting on my Happy Trigger. Should be here today they tell me. I notice the bottom of the carrier has the dreaded Marlin Jam "notch" worn into it and some other fairly significant wear. See picture:  I figure while it is out I am going to file it down enough to JB weld in a piece of high carbon steel Jigsaw blade like this fella did: www.marlinowners.com/forum/jams-all-kinds/24519-different-way-fix-marlin-jam.htmlShould be fun to do and hopefully keep me from ever having any more wear in this area. |
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Post by missionary on May 14, 2020 11:18:41 GMT -7
That is the permanent fix. I would first stone that section smooth and give it a try. But as you have it apart and are ready to do it keep on the trail.
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Post by missionary on May 14, 2020 11:29:09 GMT -7
Did you ever figure out what year this Marlin was made ? That wear occurs after a while. Maybe the previous owner never cleaned or lubed that wear area.
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Post by 4given on May 14, 2020 11:38:41 GMT -7
Brother Mike,
According to the serial numbers it is a 1995. I was surprised there was that much wear when I opened her up. I figure while I have the time, I'll do the permanent fix and be done with it.
Brother Kevin
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Post by missionary on May 14, 2020 18:56:33 GMT -7
Howdy Brother Kevin
You are going to be very happy when you get it done. Keep all your receipts for your work so when you pass it on everyone will know what you have done.
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Post by 4given on May 15, 2020 8:52:48 GMT -7
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Post by missionary on May 16, 2020 2:59:58 GMT -7
Good morning
What I would do is replace the lifter and finger lever and operate that repair and good trial. If all is well you are ready to roll with those parts.
A little modern grease would after the "trial" will slick that wear area up nicely.
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Post by 4given on May 16, 2020 6:05:41 GMT -7
Good morning What I would do is replace the lifter and finger lever and operate that repair and good trial. If all is well you are ready to roll with those parts. A little modern grease would after the "trial" will slick that wear area up nicely. Good morning Brother Mike, I put it together last night and it seems to work just fine. I loaded up the magazine a couple of times and cycled then all through without a hitch. I’m taking it to the range this morning to shoot it. |
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Post by 4given on May 18, 2020 8:42:09 GMT -7
Good morning What I would do is replace the lifter and finger lever and operate that repair and good trial. If all is well you are ready to roll with those parts. A little modern grease would after the "trial" will slick that wear area up nicely. Well it turns out I used the wrong type of jig saw blade. The one I used was made from High Carbon steel. It is not tough enough. After reassembling the rifle I cycled the action a couple of hundred times or so and then took it to the range and ran 40 or 50 rounds though it. I brought it home removed the carrier and found the "Marlin Jam" notch and funny wear pattern was already starting to form. See picture:  I did a little research and found out you want a jig saw blade that is made from High Speed Steel NOT High Carbon Steel. High Speed Steel is "tool steel" which is a lot harder and abrasion resistant and etc. I ordered some from Amazon. They will be here tomorrow. I'll just file it down, JB weld the new HSS piece into place and try that. I'll let you know how it works this time |
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Post by Junior on May 19, 2020 1:34:31 GMT -7
One thing to think about with these guns. Marlin did a full redesign of the lifter a couple years ago for the 357 and 44 mag model guns and the new design is MUCH better. My 44 mag with new style lifter will feed anything, even empty 44 special cases with 0 hang up at all. I would do some research on what they changed and see if you can modify your old one or just put a new one in it.
Also be careful with polishing the lifter. I have a 94 in 32/20 that someone go a little ambitious with the buffing wheel and now it will pop the rim of the second cartridge onto the lister now and then and jam the whole gun up right and is quite the pain in the butt.
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Post by Bullshop on May 19, 2020 6:19:52 GMT -7
Our 357 mag had the same problem with jamming and I looked at getting a new lifter but at $80.00 I just couldn't do it. Instead I did an extensive re-build of the original lifter. There were two problems I had to address and solved them both in the same way. One problem was that after we had the new SS barrel installed the lifter didn't raise cartridges high enough to clear the bottom edge of the chamber so bullet noses would catch the sharp edge of the freshly cut chamber and halt forward motion of the cartridge and cause a jam. The other problem was as you describe with the rim of the cartridge still in the mag tub extending out enough the interfere with the upward motion of the lifter also causing a jam.
What I did to solve both problems was to section out an empty 45-70 case, cut pieces to roughly fit their intended location , and silver solder them in place. After soldering the pieces were slowly worked down to a perfect fit. Old Ugly 357 mag is now a very dependable feeder even with bullet nose shapes that can cause problems as they did previously in this one. Keith type bullets with the full caliber sharp shoulder outside the case mouth are a type that can cause feeding issues with any lever gun but they are no longer a problem. RF type designs aid in feeding because there are no sharp edges there to catch just a smooth transition from meplate to crimp. When well tuned they should feed any bullet style but not all factory guns are well tuned and for those the RF, round flat design works best.
OOPS!! I often forget to mention that I am usually referring to cast bullets , so sorry. Most jacketed bullets will basically be of the RF type so should feed well. The one exception might be with HP designs with large open tip with a generous amount of lead exposed.
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Post by 4given on May 19, 2020 6:53:16 GMT -7
Thanks for all the tips! The main reason I am getting kinda fussy about this lifter is I want to get it very reliable for a "travel rifle" for my wife and I when we retire in 4 years. Lord willing, we are planning to spend a few months in the winter at Lake Havasu on the California side. It needs to work if I need it to work.
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Post by Junior on May 19, 2020 7:06:27 GMT -7
My 32/20 likes to jam even with RF profile bullets if they are soft. I have not had time to really retest it down and look it over yet.
My 44 mag is my work rifle when our on the highways paving in remote Alaska. 10+1 in the run and then I have a simply rugged butt cuff on it with another 10 rounds. It makes sense because I carry a 44 mag handgun most of the time as well.
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Post by Bullshop on May 19, 2020 14:38:19 GMT -7
That Marlin 44 mag is a lot of gun. When your Mom and I were in the islands in S. E. Alaska we both carried one. My working load used the Lee 310gn WFN-GC at 1700 fps MV. That is a lot of fire power and with 11 shots as fast as you can snik snik that lever, WOW.
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Post by Junior on May 19, 2020 20:36:52 GMT -7
Mine absolutely will not stablize that bullet. As much H110 as I can stuff under it and they still hit sideways at 20 yards.
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Post by Bullshop on May 20, 2020 7:06:15 GMT -7
I remember trying that load on a domestic type rabbit that had gone feral that were plentiful around our house in Delta when we first moved there. The rabbit was maybe 25 yards away sitting in some brush looking straight at me. I put the Marlin front bead about on his nose and squeezed. There was a loud WHOP! and a cloud of white fluff. On inspecting the damage I found a perfectly quartered rabbit with two shoulders and two hind legs lying several feet apart from each other with the middle basically spattered about hanging from the bushes in gobs of fur and flesh. Perfect! Rabbit quarters for dinner.
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Post by 4given on May 20, 2020 7:38:23 GMT -7
Update and progress report: Last night, before replacing the carbon steel patch I put on my carrier with a high speed steel patch, I took a file to the "snail cam" on the lever and carefully radiused the sharp edge a little, then polished it with a felt wheel and Flitz metal polish with my Dremel tool. Don't know if it's enough or not. Looks about like the picture in the Marauder instructions I suppose. marauder.homestead.com/files/marlin94fix.htmlAfter filing the snail cam I put the rifle back together and cycled dummy 38 special and .357 rounds through it and it worked just fine. I then disassembled the rifle, measured the thickness of my new high speed steel jigsaw blade, and filed that exact amount from the old repair. I cut and fitted a piece of the new high speed steel and JB welded into place leaving it to cure. I'll most likely put it all back together tonight and see how it works! |
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Post by 4given on May 21, 2020 6:37:04 GMT -7
Update for those interested: I finished the the carrier repair by rounding the sharp edges and giving the new patch a nice polish. The new high speed steel is harder and takes a polish a lot nicer that the high carbon steel I used previously. I polished the sides of the hammer and the hammer strut. I sanded and polished the groove in the bolt that the ejector rides in some more. I did not radius the hammer face as I don't have a belt sander. I might have to have someone do that for me. Don't know who yet. I did polish the radius again for good measure. I put it all together and it works great so far. It cycled .38 special and .357 just fine. Not totally happy with the lighter hammer spring that came with the one piece firing pin I bought. I had to use the washer that came with it so the slot in the hammer would clear the upper portion of the hammer strut when cocked. I think this made the spring a little more stiff. It is lighter than the factory spring for sure, but I would like there to be less resistance cycling the action when the gun is up to my shoulder if possible. Not a big deal but why not do it if I can do it and still get reliable primer strikes and ignition. There is still some resistance at the end of the cycle when closing the action. Not bad but could be better. I'll bet both of these things would improve with radiusing the hammer like W.R.Buchanan suggested. In the mean time I thing I'll look at some other hammer springs. Palo Verde adjustable hammer spring kit perhaps? Anyway here are some pictures of the new repair on the carrier and a couple of close ups of the snail cam after I filed and polished it. I don't know if it is enough or not. I did not want to over do it. Any comments would be appreciated!    |
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Post by missionary on May 21, 2020 16:48:28 GMT -7
Howdy Brother Kevin
Looking real good ! And far better to read the action will cycle with 38 Special !!
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Post by Bullshop on May 21, 2020 16:55:39 GMT -7
I want to thank you for sharing this whole procedure with us. Its been very interesting and educational.
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Post by missionary on May 22, 2020 5:55:38 GMT -7
Good morning
20 years ago when we bought our Marlin CCL in 41 mag the only rounds it would feed were round nose. Isure ould hae ade ery good use of this information
Dan Can this be made a "sticky" downing Gun Smithing ?
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Post by Bullshop on May 22, 2020 6:26:48 GMT -7
It should be made a sticky but I don't know how. Jr. was taking care of such things se we will have to get him on it.
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