Marlin Wild West Trigger install

[TheCelt]

89497

Saw this PDF outlining the replacement of the two piece Marlin trigger on the 1894/1895 with the one piece trigger sold by Wild West. I have not seen any data before on replacing the Marlin trigger so I thought I'd repost the file here for the benefit of this group. I know a lot of folks shoot cast Boolits in Marlin rifles, and this trigger swap may be of interest to you folks. I hope I am not breaking any rules or stepping on anybody's toes by reposting this. It was put in the public domain by the OP so I guess it's OK to post here.

[PbHurler]

Thanks for posting this, I've been considering a WWG trigger for my 1895 for awhile, haven't yet decided if I'll go through with it.

[Lead Fred]

I see no reason to change out the GG trigger, works well & knocks down anything that walks on the planet

[TheCelt]

I see no reason to change out the GG trigger, works well & knocks down anything that walks on the planet

Well Sir, if the two piece Marlin trigger works for you then stick with it. Having shot an 1895 in 45-70 with both triggers I can say that the one piece trigger shoots a lot better FOR ME. It reduces the trigger pull by about half (6lb 9oz to 3lb 4oz) and removes all creep. This post was not intended to start a debate on triggers. It was intended to provide those contemplating the installation of a one piece trigger in their 1894/1895 Marlin information that is not readily available anywhere else.

I'll be the first to tell anybody that Marlin made a fine rifle, I own five of them. Fact is though there's areas of the design that are driven by lawyers and not shooters, the trigger is one of them and the two piece firing pin is another. Replacing both makes and excellent rifle a superb rifle!!!

[rattletrap1970]

I had never heard of this trigger till now, and I have just extensively read as many reviews of it as I could find. It seems everyone loves this trigger. And, as someone who does trigger jobs on Ruger MK pistols I know just how much better an aftermarket trigger can help. I'm sold on it and will be ordering one very soon. Thanks a lot for the info.

[jmort]

Wild West up-grades are just that, up-grades. Many people want more reliability and better performance. Wild West knows what they are doing.

[TheCelt]

I had never heard of this trigger till now, and I have just extensively read as many reviews of it as I could find. It seems everyone loves this trigger. And, as someone who does trigger jobs on Ruger MK pistols I know just how much better an aftermarket trigger can help. I'm sold on it and will be ordering one very soon. Thanks a lot for the info.

Rattletrap, you will not be disappointed. The triggers are a bit costly but the change in my rifle was worth every penny. The sear on the trigger as it comes requires NO attention. My hammer sear notch was a bit rough but a few passes with an emery fingernail board smoothed the burrs right out. I'd have to say it feels right up there with the Timney match triggers on my target rifles now, it's that good. jmortimer is spot on when he says Wild West knows what they are doing!!!! BTW, I am in no way associated with any manufacturer or vendor, I just like the trigger.

[rattletrap1970]

Funny thing is, the trigger on my Marlin is suprisingly good for a stock rifle, but, since I use it only for target shooting (silhouette soon) every little bit helps. I also want to somehow find a way to put a vernier tang sight on it for that purpose. I'm even considering getting a replacement stock and cutting the upper tang recess deeper and attaching a tang extension UNDER the upper tang to extend beyond the throw of the bolt (also hiding the screws).

[TheCelt]

Rattletrap, The trigger on my 1895CB felt "gritty" for lack of a better term. truth be told a little polishing on trigger and hammer would have probably gotten me close to where I am now with the WW trigger but it still would have had the flop. Your idea about mounting a tang sight well to the rear to clear the bolt is interesting. That should put the sight right at about the same distance from your eye a scope objective would be. I replaced my rear sight with a copy of the original ladder sight from Buffalo Arms. It was hard to find the sweet spot on the friction screw so I set the base sight up for 50 yards and the ladder sight for 150, don't plan on shooting the rifle much farther than that. Let me know how your mod works out as it is an interesting idea.

[rattletrap1970]

LOL, normally I'd do this on CAD, but I haven't taken my rifle apart yet.
Here is my idea though:


http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/Tang_zps2736c0ce.jpg (http://s885.photobucket.com/user/rattletrap1970/media/Tang_zps2736c0ce.jpg.html)

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/1886_marlin_zps2a5cd3f3.jpg (http://s885.photobucket.com/user/rattletrap1970/media/1886_marlin_zps2a5cd3f3.jpg.html)

[TheCelt]

I Like it!!!! looks like a marketable idea and I'm thinking it'll generate a lot of interest.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Here's another way to go which you may not have considered. Use the two already drilled and tapped holes on the side of the receiver just below the Ejector locating pin hole to mount a Lyman 66 LA receiver sight.

For shooting Cowboy Silhouette the Lyman sight is much easier to dial in to the 4 distances and those coordinates will repeat unlike the tang sight which has very little in the way of markings that you can readily use. There are some expensive tang mounted sights that are very good and you see them mostly on BPCR rifles. The Marble and Lyman tang sights are not even close to the Lyman Receiver sight in that regard.

I have several of them on my Marlins, and have been trying to find two more. for my 336 .30-30 and .45-70 CB. A cheaper alternative is the Williams Receiver Sights however they are harder to get to repeat when changing them on every stage.

Just another way to look at that might suit you better. You don't have to worry about the bolt hitting the sight everytime you lever it.

The Wild West triggers and ejectors are good stuff and improve the rifles significantly.

Randy

[MtGun44]

HMMMM. I did a normal trigger job on my Marlin. Not sure why the trigger would
need to be changed to get a good pull. Made mine 4.5 lbs crisp.

Bill

[TheCelt]

HMMMM. I did a normal trigger job on my Marlin. Not sure why the trigger would
need to be changed to get a good pull. Made mine 4.5 lbs crisp.

Bill

Mine was a bit heavier than that, well over 6 lbs in fact. After installing the WW trigger it was a shade over 3lbs and felt great. The trigger didn't flop around either like the stock trigger did. Like I said before, this post wasn't intended to start a debate on Marlin triggers, it was to provide info for those that WANTED to change their triggers. If you are happy with your stock trigger then by all means stick with it.

[tygar]

89497

Saw this PDF outlining the replacement of the two piece Marlin trigger on the 1894/1895 with the one piece trigger sold by Wild West. I have not seen any data before on replacing the Marlin trigger so I thought I'd repost the file here for the benefit of this group. I know a lot of folks shoot cast Boolits in Marlin rifles, and this trigger swap may be of interest to you folks. I hope I am not breaking any rules or stepping on anybody's toes by reposting this. It was put in the public domain by the OP so I guess it's OK to post here.

Had Jim West put his trigger, ejector, big loop, ghost ring & trijicon site on .450 GG long time ago. Best thing to happen to a Marlin ever.

[MtGun44]

"Flop around"??????? My trigger is just a trigger. What is this flopping around
that seems to be such a problem?

This whole thread is confusing to me, I must have a different kind of Marlin or
something.

Bill

[btroj]

"Flop around"??????? My trigger is just a trigger. What is this flopping around
that seems to be such a problem?

This whole thread is confusing to me, I must have a different kind of Marlin or
something.

Bill

Me too. I have hunted for years with 3 different Marlins. Never have had a trigger flop around and cause me problems.

I think the Marlin trigger flop is a great bit of advertising........

[TheCelt]

Bill and btroj,

Nobody said the trigger flop was a problem. What is a fact is that the WW trigger is an improvement over the stock trigger. The Original Post was intended to provide those that were interested in the trigger swap with information that may be of benefit to them. At risk of beating a dead horse here, if the trigger upgrade is of no interest to you feel free to disregard the thread.

Don't know how it can be any clearer than that Bill.

[btroj]

If trigger flop isn't an issue then why is it even mentioned? Why not mention the color of the trigger too? Maybe the slight, indistiuishable difference in curve?

WW has done a great job of marketing item I feel are of questionable value. My father in law bought me one of their ejectors, it one of mine ever actually breaks I may actually use it.

Great marketing. Questionable actual need or value.

[TheCelt]

If trigger flop isn't an issue then why is it even mentioned? Why not mention the color of the trigger too? Maybe the slight, indistiuishable difference in curve?

WW has done a great job of marketing item I feel are of questionable value. My father in law bought me one of their ejectors, it one of mine ever actually breaks I may actually use it.

Great marketing. Questionable actual need or value.

I mentioned the trigger flop as an aside. The WW trigger made a big difference in my rifle and I feel it was a worthwhile upgrade, you obviously do not feel the same way. That being the case I'd like to point out to you that the OP was for those interested in the upgrade. Since you are not feel free to start your own Marlin trigger thread.

[Greg B.]

I put a Wild West trigger on my 1895 by following a you tube post and got a much improved trigger pull. Since I have minimal gun smithing skills this was a good solution for me as I didn't have the opportunity to wreck anything.

[MtGun44]

Just trying to understand what is being discussed. Still don't actually know what
is meant by "trigger flop". Not trying to disrespect the thread, don't get all cranky.

Actually don't know what you mean.

Bill

[W.R.Buchanan]

Bill: Some of the Marlin triggers will move forward a little on their own and then when you put your finger on them they go back, and this is the flop they are talking about. Since they are a two piece design sometimes there is a little slop between the two parts. Sometimes it is pretty bad and when you tip the muzzle down the trigger flops forward a lot. If you take a Marlin Centerfire rifle and grab the trigger you will find it moves fore and aft easily.

This bothers some people, others not so much.

This has never bothered me simply because my three guns that have these triggers are all pretty tight, and if I really thought it was a problem that needed fixing I would take mine out and silver solder the two parts together which is essentially what a Wild West trigger looks like except it is made out of a single piece of metal. They are nicely made and cost about $75-80.

As far as them enhancing trigger pull. They might improve the feel and the sear is probably polished nicely, but the single biggest thing you can do to accomplish that is to install a lighter hammer spring or to grind a coil off each end of the existing spring to reduce it's tension.

The Wild West Ejectors are another matter They are only about $12 and they are EDM'd out of a single piece and are far superior to the two piece Marlin part. The Marlin part can literally fail at any moment due to it's design and cheap construction.

All of this is covered in detail on Leverguns.com in the Marlin Resources section.

Randy

[TXGunNut]

I've only had one Marlin that had a trigger I didn't like and the WWG trigger fixed that. I don't have the skills to do a proper trigger job so this trigger was the answer for me. A bit pricey but well worth it in this case.

[Airborne Falcon]

89497

Saw this PDF outlining the replacement of the two piece Marlin trigger on the 1894/1895 with the one piece trigger sold by Wild West. I have not seen any data before on replacing the Marlin trigger so I thought I'd repost the file here for the benefit of this group. I know a lot of folks shoot cast Boolits in Marlin rifles, and this trigger swap may be of interest to you folks. I hope I am not breaking any rules or stepping on anybody's toes by reposting this. It was put in the public domain by the OP so I guess it's OK to post here.

I've been giving the idea of trying a couple of these on a couple of my Marlins a lot of thought lately ... this thread may have just put more over the edge.

[TheCelt]

I've been giving the idea of trying a couple of these on a couple of my Marlins a lot of thought lately ... this thread may have just put more over the edge.

Give it a go on one of your rifles and see how you like it. The PDF outline is pretty good and the author covered about every aspect of the trigger swap so you have an excellent guide to follow.

I liked the result I got on my 1895, it reduced the trigger pull by about half and felt very good. Good luck with the swap and let us know how it goes!!

[MtGun44]

Ok, thanks for the explanation. My Marlin GG doesn't flop, at least that I ever noticed, and I did a trigger job on
it pretty easily, but I have been doing them on guns since the 1970s so have developed some skills and have
the tools. I know this is not something for everyone. Drop in parts can be a good thing.

Bill

[popper]

The 'flop' is the slack in the 2 piece trigger. Standard trigger is like a 2 stage, take the slack out then a firm(but sometimes gritty and heavy pull). I changed mine out and it is good now but I did like the 2 stage feel. I would think hunters would like the takeup for when you are wearing gloves or fingers are cold - There is no takeup in the WWT. Unfortunately they only solved half the problem - Marlin hammer side could use the bushing and a good clean notch. No way will I tamper with the hammer spring - even with the cross bolt & half cock safety. Don't want light strikes or an accidental discharge. Good gunsmith is lots cheaper than a missed shot or hospital bills.

[monge]

I have 5 marlin lever guns and noticed that the triggers vary one gun my xlr have a crisp4lb trigger right out of the box, some of my others need some work polishing and light filing. My guide gun has the wild west trigger no wobble and 4lb pull but I still had to work the hammer a little, every gun is unique take it apart and take a look at the parts . polish them first and see how it feels, if you screw up the hammer or trigger sear the are pretty cheap to replace!

[TheCelt]

Ok, thanks for the explanation. My Marlin GG doesn't flop, at least that I ever noticed, and I did a trigger job on
it pretty easily, but I have been doing them on guns since the 1970s so have developed some skills and have
the tools. I know this is not something for everyone. Drop in parts can be a good thing.

Bill

Sounds like yours was good right out of the box Bill. Of all my Marlins the 1895CB was the worst of the lot, the trigger was free to move a full 3/8" for and aft. I could have lived with that but the trigger pull was mighty stiff and didn't feel good at all!!! I don't have your experience on doing the trigger jobs so you're right, this "drop-in replacement" was a good option for me. Interestingly, the WW trigger I received was still two piece!!! The trigger and sear are mounted on a "Sleeve" through which the mounting pin slides and a spring preloads the trigger. The reduction in trigger pull sure made a big difference.

Hope Ya'll ain't getting hammered by the storm to bad Bill.

[MtGun44]

It looks like the storm is going to miss us to the south and east as far as ice, but
we will be getting snow tonight and tomorrow. White Christmas may be in the
cards.

I have had several Marlins, the older ones have OK enough triggers that I have never
noticed enough to want to do something about them. The 95 GG was marginal,
but I was taking it to Africa and doing a lot of offhand practice. I finally realized that
I wasn't shooting as well with it as with my Ruger 77, primarily due to the Ruger
having a much better trigger (that I reworked decades ago), so the GG got
a 4 lb crisp job. I must say, it is one of the very, very few guns where I had
to actually change the sear and hammer contact angles a touch. It was clear
that pulling the trigger actually cocked back the hammer a bit, which is totally
wrong. Normally I do not want to rework this angle, it is usually just right
from the factory and all that is needed is polishing and on some designs
you can/must reduced sear engagement somewhat. Trigger work is ticklish
and the result if you get it wrong can be a seriously dangerous gun. I
have ruined a few parts over the years, and learned a few things. As an
engineer, I have studied the designs and finally feel comfortable with
MOST triggers, although the AR is not at all easy to work on and stay
safe, IMO. Given that I have done triggers on many rifles and pistols
over the years, I still use a drop in Rock River Arms kit for ARs. I can
totally understand that for many/most a good set of drop in parts is
a really good solution.

Bill