Marlin stock Interchangability?

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have a 444S and have just bought one of the big ugly shiny 45/70 X whatever Marlins with the grey laminate stock (YUK!!!!!!!!). Can I swap the stocks? (The 444 will is only used for hunting) I am fitting a longer mag tube to the 45/70 so that I can compete in Cowboy Pat Garrett matches.

Alternately, If I remove the finish, can I stain it dark brown or similar??

The grey laminate is no doubt a superior stock for hunting, but it sure don't look kosher for cowboy.

The 45/70 Cowboys have really dried up and this was the best option left for me.

I think this will be a great rifle, but it just looks like sin.

I really fancy the big ballard rifled 1 in 20" twist barrel, it should work well.

Mick.

[Naphtali]

Buttstocks of the same type, pistol grip or straight, should interchange with no more fitting than would occur on any stock installation. Foreend may require adjusting barrel channel, but I doubt it.

Laminated birch has each ply saturated with color by pressure. The color will not be affected by removing layers -- sanding. While it's reasonable to believe you can stain the laminations and alter their surface color, I think the color you seek cannot be achieved.

I viewed a thread, possibly on Marlin Owners forum, where your laminated stock had spray-on truck bed liner applied. Surprisingly, it looked nicely conservative on the rifle.

Hope this helps.

[DanWalker]

Interested in swapping for a solid wood stock set? I have an 1895 marlin with some honest wear on the wood, that would be a perfect candidate for a refinish job.

[6pt-sika]

The grey laminate is no doubt a superior stock for hunting, but it sure don't look kosher for cowboy.


Okay I agree that the laminated stock isn't very "period" for CASS !

However I don't really think stainless steel was either [smilie=1:

[Four Fingers of Death]

They had steenking pistolas in nickle, but I don't remember any rifles. I suppose a few were silver plated.

[Naphtali]

. . . However I don't really think stainless steel was either [smilie=1:
Columbia Gun Coatings, Columbai Falls, MT
Jeff Sternad 406.892.2507

This is an attractive matte black finish nearly identical with the finish on Leupold's matte-finished telescopic sights. I have a friend who recently picked up his 1895 from Grizzly Custom in Columbia Falls. The rifle is very attractive.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I'll be coming accross for End of Trail next year, that might be a good option then. I had a SAKO powder coated some years ago. It looked pretty good until I went to re-assemble it, nothing fitted! had to soak it in the acid tank at the radiator shop for a week or more to remover it. Then I had it re-blued. Boy, so much for saving money! I suppose this guy uses more suitable paint. :D

Oh! I forgot, when I got it back I couldn't find the bits like the trigger and trigger guard, etc, so after searching for 12 months I pid big bucks for all of the bits, then found them a few months later. Not one of my better gun tinkering memories.

[goatboy_k]

if your laminate stocks are straight grip and your intrested in selling them to help your project along, i'll give you a fair price for them

let me know

kurt

[Four Fingers of Death]

Sorry, but they come out with the pistol grip stock:

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/xlr/1895XLR.asp

I have looked at pics of my 444S and they look very similar, apart from the XLR looking a little beefier, but that may not be the case. I'm looking forward to be able to compare them. The XLR is in the gunsmith's getting a new mag fabricated and de-horned/ taking the sharp edges off and a general slick up and trigger job. It should be a formidable rifle when it is finished.
If the stocks don't swap, I will get a new set of stocks made up. I'll try and get by with the cheaper options first, but I'm not too worried, I've never had a custom rifle before.

I might even make it a project to fabricate a SS tang sight with interchangable posts for Pat Garrett 50 yards cowboy action style shooting and longer range stuff.

[leadeye]

I'll be coming accross for End of Trail next year, that might be a good option then. I had a SAKO powder coated some years ago. It looked pretty good until I went to re-assemble it, nothing fitted! had to soak it in the acid tank at the radiator shop for a week or more to remover it. Then I had it re-blued. Boy, so much for saving money! I suppose this guy uses more suitable paint. :D

Oh! I forgot, when I got it back I couldn't find the bits like the trigger and trigger guard, etc, so after searching for 12 months I pid big bucks for all of the bits, then found them a few months later. Not one of my better gun tinkering memories.


Powder coating is hard to get a low film thickness, you usually have .002-.003 or better. Liquid paint can sometimes get a lower thickness .0008 or so and still give you some protection.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Yep, might just stick with the Stainless. Course, if I win the lottery, I could cover that shiny surface with deep engraving. I think I might just 'sleeve' the metalwork. (Sleeve it alone :) )

[osage]

Years ago I used a bowflange paint kit to turn a Winchester 1200 into a better turkey getter. Flat brown, black, green and a can of remover AIRC. While I left it on the 1200 it was for painting colorful target bows during hunting season then removing it. Don't know if it still around or available down under.

'sleeve' I like that, might pay to remember it next time I think about change'n some thing.

[Four Fingers of Death]

'sleeve' I like that, might pay to remember it next time I think about change'n some thing.

Yep! I heard that from a more sensible person when I was in my early 20s, made me think many times and no doubt saved me from wasting a lot of money. Didn't always work however.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I never went ahead with this as a Marlin Cowboy turned up at the local gunshop shortly afterwards and I bought it and sold the big shiny one to pay for it. My brain must have been suffering from some nasty malise at the time, because I sold off the Cowboy shortly afterwards without firing it, D'Oh!!!! How to drop about $500 bucks in one easy lesson, d**khead!