Inside a Marlin 1888

[Safestuffer]

Hi everybody, im new here and I thought everybody might enjoy seeing something new and different.
I recently purchased a Marlin 1888. Ive had my Marlin 1894 apart a lot in trying to resolve the Marlin jam, and after reading about the 1888's history here and elsewhere I figured it would be nice to see how it was changes and improved into the 1894, and contribute back what i could.

Here are a few pictures showing how the action of an 1888 looks and compares to the later 1894.

1894

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1888

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Carrier/lifter telescopes around the bolt

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They are a very cool design with a lot of interesting ideas but ultimately the design seems pretty fragile and overcomplicated, particularly the bolt with its intricate machining. Comparing the 188 bolt on top and the 1894 bolt on bottom, its clear the 1894 bolt was both stronger and much cheaper to produce.

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Thank you for reading, here is tbe 1888 .

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[samsi]

Never seen the insides before, thanks. There's far less steel in that lock-up than I would've expected.

[OldWin]

I've never seen one apart either. I've only seen one 1888, and it was rough. I had an 1881 for many years, and still have an 1889. I always like the look of the 1888.

[marlinman93]

The Models 1888 and 1894 were both designed partially or in the case of the 1894 completely by LL Hepburn. Hepburn had just been hired by John Marlin as the 1888 model was being designed, having just left Remington when they filed bankruptcy. So the Model 1888 was the first design he had input on. Some of the internal workings and design was based on or modified from the larger Model 1881 Marlin that had proven successful for many years by then. But in order to make a smaller action for pistol length cartridges Hepburn made changes to make it stronger in a smaller package.
Interestingly Hepburn immediately redesigned the mid sized Marlin to become the Model 1889, Hepburn and Marlin's first side eject rifle, and the 1889 sent the Model 1888 into obscurity in just a bit over one year. Thus only about 4800 Model 1888's were ever made. Five years later Hepburn upgraded the Model 1889 to become the Model 1894, and the 1889 ended with a run of about 50,000 rifles made.
During his tenure at Marlin as a designer and shop superintendent (1887-1911) Marlin never went outside to purchase any rifle design. Every rifle developed during that time was an LL Hepburn design. Marlin might never have become as successful had John Marlin not hired LL Hepburn. Had Hepburn not broken his hip walking to work during a winter storm in 1910 there's no telling how much more he'd have done. He suffered for five years with the hip not healing and died in 1916.

[earlmck]

Thanks for the fine views Safestuffer and for the history Marlinman. Very interesting for us shooters of old rifles.

[LeverGunner]

That is very interesting, thanks for sharing those pictures Safestuffer. Thank you for that information Marlinman, very informative.

[hfcable]

all of this is very interesting. i finally found an 1888 for a reasonable price some years ago. it is a 44/40 . has a pretty good bore and functions well but cosmetically is a 'just an old gray dog':

[KWK]

Here are a few pictures showing how the action of an 1888 looks and compares to the later 1894.

I nominate you to make a YouTube video showing how all those action bits fit together. I admit I can't quite figure out all the details from the photos.

The carrier rocker looks beefier than in the later ones. The section of the carrier which holds the incoming cartridge I don't understand. Is the firing pin exposed on the top of the bolt? I remember from the patent drawings it has a "flag" aft which prevents it from going forward if the locking bolt is down. I don't see how it snakes through the bolt to the breech face.

[Safestuffer]

The carrier is a lot like the winchester 1873 carrier in that it is a "box" that the cartridge feeds into. When the lever is at full extension the carrier tilts down and takes a cartidge from the magazine, then tilts back up where the bolt closes through it and feeds the cartridge into the chamber.

Here are a few more pictures of the bolt

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[Safestuffer]

Carrier
W. Bolt

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Alone

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[marlinman93]

Because the carrier was so large in the Model 1888 it made the breech bolt lighter, and weaker. Never heard of any failing, but the change in 1889 to a much smaller carrier made for a much heavier breech bolt, thus stronger. No reason for a carrier to be so big when all it does is lift a cartridge from the magazine tube to the chamber.
The big brother 1881 had many issues with broken carrier ears as Marlin designed them to encase the cartridge as it lifted the cartridge up to the chamber, then the carrier began to be forced down as the round chambered and those spring steel ears were forced open as the carrier lowered. Marlin 1881's saw numerous broken carriers, and there were a total of three different carrier designs before they got one that didn't break the ears off. In the end it just needed the ears to be smaller so they were more open on top and wouldn't break.

[KWK]

Carrier

Thank you. Now I understand the carrier and why the bolt is so narrow. Given the 1873 Winchester worked well enough, this bolt will be plenty adequate.

There are a couple of other items I see but don't understand. It's time to pull that patent up again. (I recall the patent said the carrier design already existed and so wasn't part of the patent--and I see this is so.)

edit: It's US patent 371,455. It shows the dished, top of the bolt slides out to access the firing pin. There's another bit I see in the photos but not the patent, but I get the overall idea. Nice.

[JBowen]

Thanks, Safestuffer and welcome aboard!

JBowen

[marlinman93]

Carrier

Thank you. Now I understand the carrier and why the bolt is so narrow. Given the 1873 Winchester worked well enough, this bolt will be plenty adequate.

There are a couple of other items I see but don't understand. It's time to pull that patent up again. (I recall the patent said the carrier design already existed and so wasn't part of the patent--and I see this is so.)

edit: It's US patent 371,455. It shows the dished, top of the bolt slides out to access the firing pin. There's another bit I see in the photos but not the patent, but I get the overall idea. Nice.

Many parts of the 1881 and 1888 Marlin rifles fell under existing Burgess patents and Marlin paid royalties to use those items.