Trigger Job

[FallRun]

Called a gun smith yesterday and asked him what it would cost to lighten the trigger on a Marlin 30/30. He told me I couldn't pay him enough to do it. He said he didn't want the liability. He said what you have there is a hunting rifle not a bench rest gun. What gives? He also said I probably wouldn't find a smith that Would do that. Am I missing something here?

[Denver]

Sad, but true. In this age of lawsuit happy environment, few gunsmiths are willing to do any work on guns that have to do with altering "safety devices" installed at the factory. Unfortunately that includes lightening the trigger pull.
Best thing to do is to learn to do the work yourself. The Marlins are some of the easiest guns there are to work on. Replacing springs with lighter ones will often result in a lighter trigger pull and easier, smoother operation of the action. There's also an after market trigger called the "Happy Trigger" sold by Wild West Guns and Brownells that makes a smoother, lighter trigger.
Do a web search and you can find most of the info you need.

:castmine:

[KCSO]

In the gunsmith business insurance is rated by what work you do. If you sell ammo it's one rate and powder and primers is another rate. If you change parts you get by cheaper than if you do liability work. With the marlin careful stoning and polishing and a spring set will drop you to about 2 1/2 poounds crisp. There are fellows out there who do this work. Check the back pages of SASS or NCOWS for names.

[Char-Gar]

Most gun work is no more complex than tuning up a car. Neither is rocket science and in these days and times, it behooves folks to learn how to work on their own guns.

[lovedogs]

Marlins are quite easy to work on. Get yourself something that'll give you the disassembly procedure... they're really easy. Then order a spring kit from Brownell's or someone who sells them and install it yourself. That's usually all it takes. If you have to eliminate creep that will entail a little careful stoning but that's also easy to do. My 1894 Cowboy came with a hard 6 1/2 lb. pull but after a spring from Brownell it's now a nice crisp 3 lb. and that's good enough for what the rifle is used for. It's crisp enough that it doesn't even feel like it's really 3 lbs. It turned out real nice. And, of course, you can keep the orignal spring to put back in if you want to sell it to someone who desires a heavy pull... like the bogus "gunsmith" you talked to .

[siamese4570]

Fallrun: I went thru the same thing with a marlin that I had. For a little more than I paid for a trigger job, I could have bought a Wild West Happy Trigger. You can put it in yourself and it really works. Do a search on the marlinowners website. They will tell you all about it.

Siamese4570

[jbremount]

Called a gun smith yesterday and asked him what it would cost to lighten the trigger on a Marlin 30/30. He told me I couldn't pay him enough to do it. He said he didn't want the liability. He said what you have there is a hunting rifle not a bench rest gun. What gives? He also said I probably wouldn't find a smith that Would do that. Am I missing something here?



My marlin 30/30 trigger was not bad, but the action was less than desired. Once I lighten the action it is a good shooting gun. check out these tune ups for the marlin (http://www.marauder.homestead.com/files/TUNING_M_1894.htm)

The Marlin 30/30 is pretty easy to work on once you find the instructions.
You can also buy a reduce power mainspring and a reduced power Finger Lever Plunger Spring from WWW.gunsprings.com

[PatMarlin]

Do they make a model 94 "happy trigger" for unhappy Winchester owners?..
:mrgreen:

[PatMarlin]

Most gun work is no more complex than tuning up a car. Neither is rocket science and in these days and times, it behooves folks to learn how to work on their own guns.


Ditto on that one Charles.. :drinks: