Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

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Hank Dodge
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Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

Post by Hank Dodge »

Well....It's been a while since I had a Model 1894 apart. I have an early model that I was tasked with doing a deep cleaning on after many years of storage. The action worked before disassembly, but was heavily fouled in old grease and gunk. Now, after cleaning and reassembly, the action becomes locked when I try to install the pivot pin with lever closed. I can't swing the lever down / open the action. What could be binding things?

I had the action apart like I would for a general cleaning. I did not remove any of the screws accessed from inside the receiver, or remove the lower tang / trigger assy. from the frame. Everything was cleaned well and oiled for reassembly. I tried to reassemble it the way it came apart. The only thing that gave me any confusion was the lifter dropping back into the frame, it took a bit of coaxing to get the two lifter screws to line up with the pivot holes in the lifter. Now, it all seems like it goes together right until I install the lever pivot pin through the bolt in place. I've had the pin in and out now a number of times and it feels centered etc., but still the same problem. Something is locking me up in the action and not allowing the lever to function. I'm not seeing what is out of place. Anybody have a thought what went wrong?

Thanks
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Shasta
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Re: Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

Post by Shasta »

I have had the same thing happen, and it was the lever pivot pin that was the problem. I had pushed it too far in from the left side of the receiver. Once you have the pin in place, install and tighten the screw that retains it into the side of the receiver. Then take an appropriate size pin punch that fits the hole in the right side of the receiver and tap the lever retaining pin up against the seated retaining screw. The action should then work properly (at least mine did).

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Hank Dodge
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Re: Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

Post by Hank Dodge »

Shasta wrote: Sat Sep 28, 2019 8:50 pm I have had the same thing happen, and it was the lever pivot pin that was the problem. I had pushed it too far in from the left side of the receiver. Once you have the pin in place, install and tighten the screw that retains it into the side of the receiver. Then take an appropriate size pin punch that fits the hole in the right side of the receiver and tap the lever retaining pin up against the seated retaining screw. The action should then work properly (at least mine did).

Shasta
Thank you for the reply. I tried doing that.....but, it had no positive effect for me. I'll have to make sure that the retaining screw is not protruding into the receiver too far. I did not check that yet, but I did try levering it without that screw in place. Is there anything else in there that could be causing the problem that I'm having? Could the lifter somehow be out of sync causing it to lock up? The lifter was the only part I had any difficulty putting back in place.
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Shasta
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Re: Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

Post by Shasta »

With the action open, can you push the lifter down, and if so does it snap down and stay down? The lifter should snap positively down and stay if pushed, and pushing the lever downward should snap the lifter positively back up. The lifter should not be floppy loose. If that checks out, then I think the lever pin position still needs a very slight right or left adjustment.
You might try using a nail or a drill bit to make a test lever pin that is a few thousandths shorter than the original. If it works, then you know the problem is lever pin adjustment.

Shasta
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Pete44ru
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Re: Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

Post by Pete44ru »

Hank Dodge wrote: Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:25 pm
Well....It's been a while since I had a Model 1894 apart.

The action worked before disassembly, but was heavily fouled in old grease and gunk.

Now, after cleaning and reassembly, the action becomes locked when I try to install the pivot pin with lever closed.

Anybody have a thought what went wrong?



FWIW, the finger lever link pin should be R&R'd with the bolt open about 1/2", not closed.

I would suggest that you disassemble it via knocking out various pivot pins to drop most of the parts out, then re-assemble it.

Here's a tutorial: http://www.castbullet.com/misc/tdown.htm


.
Last edited by Pete44ru on Sun Sep 29, 2019 1:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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AJMD429
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Re: Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

Post by AJMD429 »

Thanks for posting the tutorial. 8)
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Hank Dodge
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Re: Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

Post by Hank Dodge »

Well....You guys nailed it! It was that darn lever pivot pin that was hanging me up. I had the chance to get back into it today, and I swear that I had that thing together and apart more than a few times. It took taking a few thousandths off the overall length of the pin, and radiusing both ends of it before the action worked like it should.

Thanks again for the help, I really do appreciate it.
"Shoot them big guns......you can see the holes better!"
1894c

Re: Help needed with 1894 re-assembly......

Post by 1894c »

This is why I like Marlin leverguns, not that Winchester's aren't great, but those of us who are "mechanically challenged" the Marlin works for me... :)
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