Managed to find and purchase a Marlin 336, Carbine, 30-30Win, Brown laminate stock.

[Dthunter]

I just purchased this nice little Marlin 336BL 30-30 Winchester carbine from a friend of mine yesterday!

I am wondering about this rifles vintage. The serial numbers are all numerical and no letters. The serial number is: 910 ***43
The stamping on the barrel say it was manufactured in North Haven CT.

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a629/darcytyndall1/image1_zpsrygnpvgc.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/darcytyndall1/media/image1_zpsrygnpvgc.jpg.html)

Is this one of those Remlins? LOL! The rifle seems very well put together! no loose parts, wood is fitted properly, blueing is flawless.

The only issues I have found so far, is that the action has a "slight" hitch upon closing the action. When the front of the bolt contacts the extractor and compresses it, the lever slightly sticks. If I operate it with a smooth and purposeful motion, there is very little resistance.

The whole action will be disassembled tomorrow and I will spend some time polishing wear points to a mirror finish. Slick her up and have it operate like wet ice on wet ice!

I am hoping to get this rifle shooting cast boolets, even though its micro groove rifling, (I know some guys have no issues with it, but my targets will tell me what it likes and doesn't like). I will start with the 311291 RN, 180 grain Gas checked.
If things show promise, I may purchase a couple of moulds from Accurate Moulds, to better suit my needs. Like a larger metplat.
I will try to work up my loads to achieve velocities around 1900 +/-, and still get under 2" groups at 100.

[runfiverun]

I'd try 311 diameter.
no clue on the rest I only have one marlin and it's in 375.

[OverMax]

Could try shooting un-sized lead cast that is indeed G/checked than pan lubed to accommodate that Micro-Groove barrel of yours.. A simple pass through a cake cutter punch will compact and trim away any excess boolit lube left from its pan lubing. "Then its simply load em up than shoot em."
{Cake cutter punch. Its bore should be around .004 larger than the 291s cast itself. That cake punch can be purchased from Buckshot here on this site. He'll custom lathed it for yaw so's to match your 291 boolit lubing/triming spot on.}

[popper]

Could be the 2 pc firing pin that makes it feel like a hitch when clambering.

[Dthunter]

I have cycled the action about 500 times today. The action is improving a little.

I will polish the wear points when I get the chance

[TXGunNut]

SN indicates 2009, pre-Remlin. Sounds like a good little rifle.

[Eddie17]

I have a mid 90s Winchester 30/30, could you elaborate, on polishing parts?
New to this. thanks

[Uncle Grinch]

Remlin serial numbers on 336's start with MR, I believe.

[pietro]

I have a mid 90s Winchester 30/30, could you elaborate, on polishing parts?
New to this. thanks


Just spend a few evenings, while watching the boob-tube, cycling the lever repeatedly, until it feels smoother ( FIRST ensure that the gun's unloaded).

Although the repeated clickety-clack noise may drive your family to distraction, it should knock off any rough edges.

.

[Dthunter]

I have a mid 90s Winchester 30/30, could you elaborate, on polishing parts?
New to this. thanks

I have never worked on a win94 action before, but what I do on Marlins is remove the lever,hammer,locking lug, carrier and loading gate spring.

i polish all the pivot points slowly, to a mirror like finish.

the carrier top surface is super polished and the sides as well.

i even give the action a very slight radius on the inside lip of the loading port. This way, when feeding fresh rounds into the tube, they slide in like they are lubricated, and there is no chance of pinching and cutting/gouging your fingers or cartridge cases as they are loaded.

After the polishing job, the action cycles, and locks up almost effortlessly.

[northmn]

I kind of agre with Pietro, most of the older levers that are so "smooth" got that way from loading and unloading. I had seen a couple of Remilins when they first came out that I would ahve smoothed, but most Marlins tend to be pretty smooth. When I bought my Marlin 30-30 CB I double checked to make sure it chambered a cartridge the first time I shot it.

DEP

[Ric-san]

Picked up my Marlin 336 in like new condition from a local pawnshop...buddy worked there so I got it cheap back in 1999... A true JM stamped Marlin...have fun with yours.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Dt: that is a nice looking gun. I have reworked every Marlin I own and the rewards are well worth the 2-3 hours spent going thru the gun. Night and day difference.

I usually install a Brownell's Spring Kit at the same time which reduces the trigger pull weight. Surprising how nice these guns come out when done.

I got the instructions on how to do it off www.leverguns.com (http://www.leverguns.com)

Randy

[Uncle Grinch]

Check out some of the resources on www.marlinowners.com

[FergusonTO35]

Wow, that is sweet. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but that configuration was not "officially" catalogued by Marlin. I thought all the BL carbines had the large loops. Either it was a very limited run or a previous owner assembled it that way. Nice carbine either way!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Ferg: a Minor Correction in your nomenclature. A Carbine has a barrel band on the fore end. His gun actually is a "Short Rifle."

Randy

[FergusonTO35]

Yes, that is correct. It's just hard for me to get used to "short rifle" as that is the definition of "carbine" in my mind.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I had issues as well, but it has nothing to do with the barrel length. Carbines generally have barrels 20"or shorter but with the barrel band.

I think the term "Short Rifle" ends at a 22" barrel. After that they are simply Rifles.

I have a 1894 CB with 24" Octagon Barrel and it is a Rifle, I really want a 1894 CB with a 20" Octagon Barrel which will be a Short Rifle.

I think these terms were coined when Winchester came out with the 1873 which was available in any configuration from a 14" barreled carbine to a 30"+ rifle. when you didn't want the Barrel Band or later the Saddle Ring, you ordered a "Short Rifle."

Rather than Hijack this thread further I'll start a new one and maybe someone who knows more can comment on the origin of the terms.

Randy

[Dthunter]

Thank you W.R.Buchanan! That spring kit sounds interesting! I may get myself two or three of those for some of my other levers.

2-3 hours spent is time spent on a labour of love in this case! I love tinkering with little improvements on rifles! I even had the priviledge of building custom barrels/rifles with a very talented gunsmith here in Canada! Its So cool to modify and customize our own rifles!

I hope my boys will grow up enjoying this sport of hunting and shooting! And it would be so satisfying to see them use rifles I built many years before they were born!