Marlin Carrier Wear

[August]

How can a person tell if the carrier, or part of the lever that actuates the carrier, is worn on a Marlin 94?

I've recently started having a problem where the lever gets stuck at the bottom of its travel. I think it's sticking on the cartridge that's at the end of the magazine, but I'm not 100% sure about that. It happens only rarely, but at the worst possible times (in matches rather than practice). Some of my buddies say it's the way I'm operating the rifle, others think it might be the carrier.

I have searched and searched on the internet for an explanation of how the action of a Marlin 94 works. There is not a diagram, illustration, animation, or explanation to be found that clearly shows the relationship of the lever to the carrier during the cycling of the 94. There are many sites that talk about fixing/tuning the 94 (like Marauder's), but not a single description of the actual funtioning of the lever/carrier mechanism.

My question is: How would I know if wear on the lever, or carrier was the cause of jambing on my Marlin???

Thanks.

[Bullshop]

August
Sometimes its just a matter of changing the OAL a bit. Might try seating deeper or if thats not possible shorten the brass a bit.
The link between the lever and lifter on the new Marlins is rather week Its not much more than a bump of metal on the side of the lifter. I have seen one broke off on a new unfired rifle. It was assembled from the factory with the wrong mag follower in the tube and it extended past the lifter. On his first try the customer being of the bigger hammer school dropped the lever but it wouldnt go back closed so he hammered it till the matal tab on the lifter broke. After that the lifter would not go up but the lever could be worked.
The phoney plastic mag followers will wear and begin to do the same thing with use, so you may look at that too.
I got a new lifter free from Marlin and turned a mag follower from solid aluminum. The metal mag follower like the old ones is a way better deal.
Hope I give ya some ideas that may help.
BIC/BS

[woody1]

August, you don't say how old this rifle is. New model/old model? I'm guessing new and that you've decided the dreaded "Marlin jam" isn't the cause. Doesn't sound like it as you don't say there's cartridges sliding by. Typically when the lifter/carrier jams at the bottom of the stroke, it's the loading gate (loading spring) screw is loose. Doesn't take much sometimes to trap the carrier at the bottom of the stroke. Have you checked that? The loading spring could also be slightly "sprung" and/or have a boogered up spot on the inside. I'm guessing that's the culprit. Regards, Woody

[oso]

Remove the lever pivot screw and take out the lever. Take a look at the bottom of the Carrier for a horizontal line where the lever cam has a tendency to dig in. Feel for an indentation in the carrier. Note that the lever cam in not as likely to wear. Making a radius of the sharp edge of the lever cam may alleviate the sticking, but doing so or polishing out the indent in the carrier, if present may throw the carrier out of time. I thought there was a thread here that addressed this better than I, but I can't find it right now.
Try this link: http://marauder.homestead.com/files/Marlin94Fix.html

[MikeSSS]

I've got a small line on the carrier. Recently I rounded the sharp edge on the lever a bit. It still feeds like a champ but this rifle has been slicked by Steve Young (Nate Kiowa Jones) at steve@setvesgunz.com. He sure made that 94 slick, it even feeds SWC's like water through a hose.

You are not alone in having trouble visulizing how that sharp edge on the lever forges a notch into the carrier. The web sites mention it is caused by the carrier bouncing against the lever. Hmmmm.

[deadguy]

My Marlin developed the dreaded "Marlin Jam" recently. I fixed it by grinding/filing down the face of the carrier with the worn groove in it, until the ground out area was about as deep as a jigsaw blade. I then cut a portion of an old jigsaw blade to size and JB welded it to the spot. Then I ground the point off of that cam, put the whole thing back together, and no more jams!