Marlin mag tube question..

[msp2640]

For those that have more experience than I, a quick question. I'd like to replace the mag tube on my Marlin 1894 44 Mag with a shorter one, trying to make a "button mag" out of it. I have a generic 1894S model 20 in bbl, nothing really collectable, but would like to save the original parts as made by Marlin. I see that replacement mag tubes are available and I know a tube plug & screw and shortened mag spring will also be needed. My basic question is, is it an easy job to shorten the replacement mag tube to fit just beyond the forearm and should it be done on the barrel or receiver end? I have not disassembled the rifle yet to see how the tube is connected to the receiver. My brother in law runs a machine shop and would be doing the actual work on the tube itself, I'd just be the assembly guy - Thanks for your thoughts/ opinions - Bill in MA

[msp2640]

After looking a little deeper into this, it appears that I may be out of luck, unless I'm miss informed - or can't read a schematic diagram correctly. The 1894S has a barrel band that attaches the mag tube to the barrel, behind the front site, which when removed may leave groove where the band screw passes thru - which I can live with. The tough part is the mag tube will need to be attached to the barrel in some fashion, if the tube is shortened. It looks like a dovetail will be needed on the underside of the barrel to attach the mag tube with a barrel stud. Anything else I might be missing out on, if others have attempted something similar? I really like the "sporter" look of the mag tube just about hidden underneath the forend, but not if it's going to cost a bunch to accomplish - Thanks Bill

[pietro]

Since replacement magazine tubes are readily available, and these aren't going to be collectors items even in my Grandson's lifetime, I made my button mag by cutting the issue magazine off at the rear end, thereby preserving the holes @ the front of the tube for attaching the end cap. (zero cost)

I also cut the magazine spring so that the spring's free length = 1-1/2 x longer than whatever exact length magazine you decide upon. (IOW, a 10" long magazine needs a spring with a 15" free length)

While the anchoring of the front of the shortened mag tube can be done in a few different ways, I elected to purchase a rifle-type forend nosecap (w/2 screws), and it's companion tenon ($20 total), which I inletted the forend wood for (the nosecap), and hand cut a dovetail in the bbl underside in the correct position for the tenon.

The bbl holds the tenon in the dovetail; the tenon holds the forend cap via the two cap screws (one on each side); and the forend wood is held by the receiver recess & the nose cap.

While rifle manufacturers use a special, flanged magazine cap that mates with a matching internally-grooved forend nosecap to retain the magazine tube in the receiver, I elected to simply drill a hole vertically up through the bottom of the nosecap & magazine tube & install a small retainer screw. While not PC, it works OK.

As an alternative, you could go with a bit longer magazine, say 2/3 instead of a button - and just shorten the tube spring as above, but use a much longer magazine cap retainer screw, which would thread into an appropriately-located (new) D/T'd hole in the barrel bottom for it, as the forward anchor.


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[msp2640]

Pietro - Thanks for the reply, my rifle has a nose cap style forend and I just bought another which has the QD stud already attached to it, for a direct replacement and removal of the tube clamp QD stud that is there now. This weekend, I hope spend sometime looking closer at it and remove the forend. If the tenon that you speak of is in there, then it makes this swap nice and easy. I didn't have a good grasp of how the mag tube stays anchored in the receiver, but makes sense that the cap screw into a tennon would hold it - Thanks again for the help - Bill

added: I'd like to avoid adding a dovetail to the bottom of the barrel if at all possible, so keeping my fingers crossed....

[pietro]

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If the forend of your rifle has a nosecap and not a barrel band, I can guarantee there's a tenon, dovetailed into the barrel bottom, that the nosecap's side screws thread into.

NOTHING hold the magazine tube into the receiver - the only thing that keeps the magazine from moving forward under recoil and/or the spring pressure of a loaded magazine is the crosspin, etc, in a forward magazine tube barrel band, or an existing long screw, rising up vertically through the end plug into the barrel bottom (I can't see your rifle, to know which it has).

All you should have to do to achieve a button magazine is to make the proper measurements, and shorten the mag tube from the rear (as above) & spring - then secure the capped magazine tube from moving forward by either pinning it in place through the existing nosecap (from the bottom), or use a looong setscrew in the same way. (which, come to think of it, could be done with a longer threaded QD stud in your new/replacement nosecap, acting like a setscrew - the threaded part has to extend up through the thin wood there, though, to interact with the tube)

The pin or screw, passing through both the nosecap and the tube wall will keep the tube in place.



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[msp2640]

Pietro - I did some checking last nite and upon closer examination, I do have a tenon under the barrel which accepts the screws for the nose cap (as expected) - however it does not retain the mag tube, just the nose cap (just a bar with 2 threaded holes on the sides). I'm going to see if Marlin ever made a tenon type, which accepts both the nose cap screws on the side and the the tube plug screw from underneath to make this work - I tend to doubt it though. If unsuccessful, I guess the option as you stated above is to dovetail a second tenon to retain the second plug screw, but it's a lst resort. My search continues - thanks Bill in MA

[pietro]

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AFAIK, Marlin never made an interlocking nosecap/magazine endcap - only Winchester, and while you could certainly buy/adapt a .38-40 or .44-40 sized set (the .25-20 & .32-20 sizes are too small for your .44, IIRC) to your Marlin, IMO they're a bit pricey (in the $50 range from Wisner's or Numrich Arms).

You don't need a 2nd dovetail/tenon - please re-read my previous reply (post #5, above) carefully.



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[msp2640]

Pietro - I understand what you mentioned earlier, I was just hoping to accomplish it from available factory parts. Once I can really spend some time on it, hopefully this weekend, I can get a clearer picture of how I'll go about it - Thanks for your help/ input on how to get it done -- Bill in MA

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Pietro is correct in how to do this.

As an additional consideration, according to McPhereson's accurizing book if you set up the mag tube length and the forearm fit to allow a tiny bit of fore/aft play, the tube and forearm are less likely to influence the barrel negatively. I put just enough play to feel in setting up several Marlins with good results.

BvT