Marlin 1895 guide gun feed issue

[deankeck0]

Hey guys, I just bought the Marlin chambered in 45/70 this past weekend, then purchased everything to reload. I made a dummy round to see how it cycles before making a bunch. When i try to chamber one it gets caught and wont go all the way in unless i go back and forth with the lever a couple times :( When i eject the round there is scrapes on the brass and it puts some cuts in the brass horizontally. Can someone help me figure out what might be wrong...

[stubshaft]

Your cycling the action too slow!

[Gtek]

I have more than a few and a LITTLE polishing on bottom edge of chamber area never hurt a one. Some new were not to bad, some would almost leave shavings in action. This can be a can of worms, new rifle, used rifle, do you feel comfortable on complete tear down to gain correct access to bottom of chamber feed area? COAL confirmed? Sometimes they like one bullet better, more than another untouched. Sometimes new ones need a little time (cycle count) to loosen up just a little to perfect. And cycle speed can make a diff. Oil it up well and sit down with her muzzle flat, sights up and cycle 50 to 100 times. Gtek

[TXGunNut]

Which bullet or boolit? COAL?

[deankeck0]

I cycle it real fast and try cycling hard and doesn't work. The boolit is 405gr. fngc from cast performance bullet company seated at 2.550 oal. I bought it at the St.Charles gun show and the guy said that he sold it new to someone and they brought it back because it kicked too hard for him and said the guy only shot maybe a couple boxes through it.

[deankeck0]

I've never taken a lever action apart before.

[deankeck0]

I shined in with a light and can see a little shavings inside and can see brass coloring around the chamber area. I really hope i don't have to call Marlin about shipping it to them :(

[TXGunNut]

Check out the sticky @ the top of the page, a Marlin is pretty simple, hardest part is finding a screwdriver that fits the screws properly.

[deankeck0]

So yous think the chaber might just need to be polished up?? If so, what do i use and how to do it...

[TXGunNut]

I'm going to defer to the Marlin experts around here but if a burr is visible on the rear of the chamber I think you've found your problem. Removal may involve a pocketknife, a round ceramic rod or a cratex stone on a dremel tool. I think best plan is to identify the specific issue and then discuss ways to address it.

[deankeck0]

Tell me what you all think... I think i found what the problem is. When you cycle the lever, and the bolt startes pushing the boolit forward it looks like it is getting stuck under the ejector wire. Could the ejector wire be too stiff not letting the bottom rim of the boolit slide under neith it. I took it apart and wiped the bolt and lever down with balistol and i can get it to cycle when i do it really really hard and fast. Should i try to stretch out the ejector wire a bit, what do yous think.

[btroj]

Ejector or extractor? If it is the extractor then some very judicious polishing of the bottom of the extractor may help. Go slow, far easier to take it off than to put it back!

Many Marlins just need to be broken in. Tear it down, it is pretty darn easy. Clean the inside of the action, wipe down each part. Lubricate each part, put it back together. Cycle the action a few hundred times. It can be amazing what getting grunge and bits of manufacturing goo out can do.

[deankeck0]

I guess the extractor...it's the one connected to the bolt that hooks on the brass and flings it out.

[collyer]

Have you tried a new shell that is not a reload?? Just a thought. I have a marling guide gun and I shoot a 375 grain from accurate molds
http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=46-375B-D.png, http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=46-375G-D.png. I have used the lee 405 and never had a issue with feeding. The 375 shoots wonderful for me and never a feeding problem. I have them sized to 460. Good luck.

[TXGunNut]

Many Marlins just need to be broken in. -btroj

+1 on that. I have a 336 that was nearly new when I bought it in 2010 and every range trip makes it better. My 1895 Guide Gun was new when I bought it and it gets better every year as well. I've learned that leverguns (and often boltguns) benefit from working the action about 300 times. After that shooting helps to loosen them up a bit. Lapping may be quicker but I prefer to let the parts do the work of smoothing each other down, not lapping compound.

[2hawk]

Try taking a small screwdriver and stick it under the extractor, pry away from the bolt just a little to reduce the tension on the extractor. Haven't needed to do this myself, but I think I ran across it on the MOF, and it only takes a minute to try it. No need to take things apart, but don't go crazy on it. HTH

[Matthew 25]

A second vote for trying a factory round. It would be lame to modify the gun if the problem was with your reload.

[deankeck0]

2hawk, you hit the nail. I wanted to let you guys know that yesterday evening while i had it apart cleaning the bolt, i took a towel with my finger and pulled on the extractor several times real slow to stretch it out a little and WALLAH....That baby cycles the boolits like butter, and i can cycle it very slow and it's great. Thank you guys for replying to try and help me out i really appreciate it.

[deankeck0]

O by the way, after doing that i loaded up 20 rounds of imr4198 36.5gr./ 405gr. fngc that's lowist start grains in both manuels and damn that baby kicks...:bigsmyl2: First time ever shooting one of these babies and it's awesome.

[Reload3006]

Is this a new gun? if so why not let Marlin take care of it? Call Marlin and see what they tell you to do. Remington has sent me boxes prepaid to send rifles back to them did all the work and sent them back to me. Marlin is owned by the same company if its new my best advice to you is dont touch it.

LOL I should have read the whole thread ... congrats on getting it figured out.

[2hawk]

2hawk, you hit the nail. I wanted to let you guys know that yesterday evening while i had it apart cleaning the bolt, i took a towel with my finger and pulled on the extractor several times real slow to stretch it out a little and WALLAH....That baby cycles the boolits like butter, and i can cycle it very slow and it's great. Thank you guys for replying to try and help me out i really appreciate it.

:bigsmyl2:

It's always nice when a simple solution presents itself. Enjoy your GG!
Here's a link to some information I found helpful in tuning my '94 and'95:
http://marauder.homestead.com/files/TUNING_M_1894.htm

:Fire:

[collyer]

Get a limb saver pad. It really help me out.

[badbob454]

yeah love that kick iv got one in my handi rifle ,loads hot and kicks HARD!!! kinda like holding a 2x4 on your sholder and having it hit by an 8 lb sledgehammer . but it feels kinda good ...