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Thread: field stripping a marlin 1894s

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    field stripping a marlin 1894s

    i just saw the stickie on field stripping a winchester....
    lever guns are new to me.....
    any of the more experienced marlin lever gun members
    feel like creating a stickie for the marlins ???

    thanks
    mike
    only accurate rifles are interesting

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
    9.3X62AL's Avatar
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    The Marlin field-strip is positively simple compared to Winchesters. This applies to the modern Marlin lever rifles I've messed with--Models 336, 1894, 1895. I have no experience with pre-war Marlin lever guns.

    After confirming unloaded condition, lay the rifle on its left side. Set the action lever about "1/3 open". Unscrew the lever pivot screw, located.......well, where the lever pivots. That done, the lever assembly (1 piece) can be withdrawn downward away from the action. Remember the positions of the lever and bolt for re-assembly ease.

    Next--withdraw the bolt backwards out of the action. 1-piece assembly.

    Next--the ejector is a little V-shaped part now visible with the bolt withdrawn. Remove it from its recess, noting the slot it fits into and the peg that locates into its action wall hole. This might be the most often lost gun part in world history, with the possible exception of S&W revolver rebound slide springs. Laying the rifle on its left side helps prevent ejector loss--it will fall free with minimal assistance by gravity. Marlin will mail you one in short order, if your local gunsmith is out of stock. I'll bet Marlin gets 10-20 requests per week for this one.

    Done. Re-assembly is in reverse order, and if you re-locate the bolt as above, the lever/bolt actuator tip will easily find its way into the bolt recess it belongs in. If the lever won't line up for the pivot screw hole, you missed the connection. Move the bolt a little (it is in a slight bind from cocked hammer spring and ejector spring tensions), and re-try the lever fit.

    The Marlin lever rifle design allows bore cleaning from the rear, just like a bolt rifle. I like that a lot.

    If I haven't jacked this up--Marlin enthusiasts please help here--this might be worth stickying.
    Last edited by 9.3X62AL; 01-20-2007 at 01:36 PM.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master
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    This is a very good description by Deputy Al, exactly the way I do it.

  4. #4
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    Deputy Al, that's a better description than the one in the Marlin owner's manual. It just occurred to me that having given Jaremy my .30/30 I'm down to one Marlin. Think I'll order an ejector forthwith! BTW, a 336 30/30 ejector will interchange both ways with an 1894 .44 Magnum Cowboy, even though they look quite different.
    Eagles have talons, buzzards don't. The Second Amendment empowers us to be eagles. curmudgeon

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Hope it helps someone. Now, I should add that I haven't yet LOST one of the ejectors--but have searched intently for them more than once, often resorting to those parts magnets and expander/grabbers usually seen in the tool chests of Nissan and Toyota mechanics.

    FWIW, I DO have several rebound slide springs and thumblatch spring/rod assemblies for S&W revolvers on hand. Those tiny damn things can get lost while in plain view like a whitetail buck on opening day, so spares for us revolver cranks are a near necessity. Brownell's stocks these in great depth, and I'm sure they do a brisk business.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    Good job, Al. And Yup, it's the same for the pre-war Marlins clear back to, well I don't recall anything different on my '89. For sure the '93's, old Model '94's and '36's are the same. There's a touch of difference in the ejectors but they're in the same place and operate the same. Thot I'd lost an ejector once, crawled around on the floor, reached under everything I could, even emptied the trash can. It had dropped down inside the action! Regards, Woody
    Take a kid along

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy

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    Good job descibing Deputy. This is so simple there is no reason to clean from the muzzle end. It takes much longer to explain then to do.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I'm sure everyone figures this out for themselves, but I find it essential to push the hammer down with my thumb when reinstalling the bolt, so the bolt slides in without pressure or hassles. Rotate bolt so extractor rides in left side bolt groove - that is what locates it rotationally. To remove the extractor I just turn the gun over and bump it very gently with my hand from underneath - extractor falls through the ejector slot into my hand. To reinstall the extractor I put the back of it (the end with the projecting pin) into the front of the groove in the action, and slide it backward. The pin just drops into the hole. If you have any trouble getting the bolt to slide in, with the hammer held down, the extractor is out of position. You can check by looking whether the pin is sticking out slightly on the outside of the left side of the action. Just lay rifle on left side, pull out the bolt, reseat the extractor, hold down the hammer, offer up the bolt in the right rotational position, and it will slide straight in.

    None of that is needed for Deputy Al's sticky - just about everyone will figure it out immediately. I wriggled a few things pointlessly for a few seconds on my first try long ago before I got it, so I thought I'd mention it. Disassembly and reassembly is a matter of seconds each way, no fiddling or heavy pushing involved. This is not like reassembling a 1911 Colt, which I always found to be a pig of a job, mainly because of the heavy pressure on the slide stop detent ball. The Marlin goes together like it was designed for a five year old to do it.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master
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    GOOD add-on, Grumpy One. Many thanks! Also, thanks to Woody for the old-version info. I have a Model 27-S whose receiver top end is like the 94's, except the ejector is secured in place.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master 45r's Avatar
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    which one is the best revolver caliber.357,41,44, or 45 colt.I've thought about getting one as a compliment to one of my sixguns but can't decide between marlin 94 or puma 1892 in 454 casull.leaning towards marlin 45 colt cowboy. have a lot of good GC molds in 45 caliber and figure it would be better than getting kicked hard by 454 casull puma.Have heard a lot of praise for the 1892 but still haven't been able to decide.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Hard to answer this question for someone else--right now, the only "companion set" of rifle and revolver I have are in 32-20 WCF. In that chambering, the revolvers are a LOT more finicky as to load acceptance/accuracy than are the rifles, so on the few occasions I've carried both--the revolver load gets the nod. Lyman #311316 @ .313", 5.5-6.0 grains of SR-4756, WSP primers in R-P cases. High velocity loads go into Starline cases for ID, so they don't find their way into a revolver.

    I had a 94 in 44 Mag some years ago, and the good loads in the revolvers (240 j-words or 250 GC) atop 24.0 x WW-296 shot very well in both platforms. Brief loan a few years later of a 94 in 357 Magnum showed the same story to be the case. The straightwall revolver rounds don't appear to be as finicky as the WCF hyphenated critters. The 44, 45 Colt, or 454 might make a better deer/hog/black bear rifle than the 357, but good projectiles like the 357 Maximum 180 FNGC or the Nosler Partition 180 would make the 357 rifle deer-capable for closer work. If hunting isn't in the cards, buy a rifle based on your existing tooling to save a few coins.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master
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    You can always load the .454 down, but you can't load the .45 Colt up.

    However, unless you're hunting something really tough, the .45 Colt in a rifle is pretty impressive.

    When I bought my Puma .454, it was about $200 less than a Marlin in .45 Colt.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master 45r's Avatar
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    which 45 lever rifle shoots the most accurate with bullets sized .452 or .454 if necessary.would like a lever gun to shoot the same bullets as my revolvers but read that a lot of lever rifles have sloppy chamber and throat specs.wondering if it would be better to look for a used rifle and have it rebarreled with tight specs like a custom revolver.Is that possible or do you have to get a custom mold to fit oversize chamber in what the factories offer.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Here a link not just for disassembly, but tuning and smoothing as well. I did all the smoothing operations to my 1895 Cowboy, and the difference is unbelievable; it's a completely different rifle.
    http://www.marauder.homestead.com/fi...ING_M_1894.htm

    Kevin
    History will record, with the greatest astonishment, that those who had the most to lose, did the least to prevent its happening.

    The problem with Liberals is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so.

    - Ronald Reagan

  15. #15
    Boolit Man hollow-point's Avatar
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    great description! also helped with my 22magnum.
    hollow-point .......... member in south australia ...............THE MAN WHO NEVER MADE A MISTAKE NEVER MADE ANYTHING!!!! mature age is a privilige granted to but few!

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Morgan Astorbilt's Avatar
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    Kevin, You beat me to the punch. This site is used often by Cowboy Action shooters.

    BTW, My original .38-40 Marlin 1894 (made in 1894) comes apart the same way.

    Morgan

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy Blackhawk Convertable's Avatar
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  18. #18
    Boolit Man
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    The 1889 Marlin comes apart the same way with the exception the ejector is held in by a screw.

    TGM

  19. #19
    Boolit Mold
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    great description! thanks for the help.

    rusty

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by rvpilot76 View Post
    Here a link not just for disassembly, but tuning and smoothing as well. I did all the smoothing operations to my 1895 Cowboy, and the difference is unbelievable; it's a completely different rifle.
    http://www.marauder.homestead.com/fi...ING_M_1894.htm

    Kevin
    Wow. Thanks for the link Kevin.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check