WWG Bear Proof Ejector

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:31 pm

Hi Fellas,

First post on the new forum. I asked you guys for any opinions, good or bad, about WWG's Bear Proof ejector a couple of months ago. The ejector in my Marlin 1894P had broken and locked up the action. After reading your replies, I elected to go ahead with the purchase of the Bear Proof ejector. I bought it from Brownells and installed it tonight. The installation was straight forward and the ejector seems to function as designed. My problem is that it severly tightened up the action. I've dry cycled the action about a hundred times trying to see if it would "work in" a little bit, but really can't detect any change in the way it feels after doing so. Have any of you guys experienced similar results? Did I miss or overlook something? The action cycles and the ejector ejects, but boy is it tight now. Thanks for any help!

Dave

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:38 pm

Send it back & get a factory part.

Couldn't resist.

I never even saw one but imagine it needs some fitting.
You'll have to determine if its too fat for the slot in the bolt or too high off the reciever wall & file,grind it to fit.

P.S. welcome to the forum!

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:40 pm

Welcome back!

Could be it needs even more wearing in. Maybe it's that strong!

joakleigh · Post by **joakleigh** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:59 pm

Based on the photo and the description: "Heavy lever gun loads in adverse conditions require positive, reliable ejection. Our one piece ejector easily replaces the lighter two piece factory ejector. For all Marlin 1895 and 444 Rifles. Available in blue or nickel. Requires gunsmith installation."

It looks like its a stout part and the tightening of the action your feeling is probably normal. Sounds like a give and take situation. More reliable ejection at the expense of smoothness. This is what has prevented me from ordering one. It just looked way to stiff.

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:56 pm

Thanks for the replies fellas! I sent an e-mail to WWG asking for their opinion also. I'll wait to hear from them and see what they say. I guess I could try to bend the leg a little bit and loosen it up, but it is brand new and I'd hate to screw up a $25

ejector by getting a little over anxious. I'll post a follow up and let ya know what I find out.

Dave

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:38 am

As I wrote over on cast BOOLETS, I stick with the factory part.
Heck, a bear would have to chew clear through the receiver to get to the ejector! I think the standard one would be safe from bears.

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:41 am

I know...there's a million (or more

) Marlins out there that have never had an ejector failure. But...mine failed and locked the rifle's action up when it did. It wasn't in a hunting situation, but it ruined an afternoon of shooting just the same. It failed like I imagine most of them fail...while ejecting heavily loaded, unfired rounds from the magazine tube. I wasn't cranking them out as fast as I could cycle the action either...nice and steady. Compared to the cost of the factory part, the WWG ejector is high. But...if it doesn't fail, what's another $20. I've surely spent a lot more for a lot less.

A custom $25 part for a nice rifle isn't going to change my lifestyle. To my way of thinkin', a one piece part, EDM cut from a piece of solid stock, is always gonna be better than a two piece part made out of stamped steel. I've got 2 of WWG's "Happy Triggers" installed in a couple of other rifles and have been well pleased. This rifle will end up with one too...eventually. Just thinkin' out loud. YMMV

Dave

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:14 am

I've done business w/ the guys up at WWG. Give them a call. Daned nice buch in my experience and will help you out. Their # is all over their website.

ccw9mm · Post by **ccw9mm** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:34 am

I also attempted one of these in my 1894P. Doesn't fit.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:37 am

As the ejector does not contact anything but the bolt and cartridge, I guess it is contacting where it should not. After 100 cycles, a wear pattern should be evident. Take it back apart and see.

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:38 am

ccw9mm said:

I also attempted one of these in my 1894P. Doesn't fit.

Did you have the same issue or something different. The ejector "fit" and does seem to function okay...IF you can cycle the action!

Tycer said:

As the ejector does not contact anything but the bolt and cartridge, I guess it is contacting where it should not. After 100 cycles, a wear pattern should be evident. Take it back apart and see.

Good suggestion. I plan on doing that, but I'm gonna go to bed for a while. (I work nights.) I might have time to take it back apart before I leave for work tonight. Also, I sent WWG an e-mail yesterday evening, so maybe they will have responded by the time I get up this afternoon. Thanks fellas!

Dakota Mike · Post by **Dakota Mike** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:11 am

I called them direct. I asked them about the gunsmith thing and was told that it is a drop in and the gunsmith thing is just incase there is a slight difference in your gun. I bought it to relace the on in my Marlin 32, it droped right in. It was as you say a tad stiffer so I put it in my 95 It also dropped right in. I don't need the speed in my 45-70 so it has worked out fine.

Jayhawker · Post by **Jayhawker** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:25 am

Try putting a little grease in the slot the ejector rides in - that might help. Also, make sure the post is fully riding in the hole in the side of the receiver. It should move freely in that hole. If it's too big for the hole, it may be putting pressure on the bolt.

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:49 pm

Update:

I got an e-mail reply back from WWGs this morning. He said to lightly (and lightly was emphasized about 8 times

) stone the slot that the ejector rides in. I don't have time to do it before work tonight, but when I do, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Dave

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:57 pm

Dave H. wrote:I know...there's a million (or more ) Marlins out there that have never had an ejector failure. But...mine failed and locked the rifle's action up when it did. It wasn't in a hunting situation, but it ruined an afternoon of shooting just the same. It failed like I imagine most of them fail...while ejecting heavily loaded, unfired rounds from the magazine tube. I wasn't cranking them out as fast as I could cycle the action either...nice and steady. Dave

Exactly what happened to me. Bearproof one was a bit tight, and I polished it with a diamond stone where it rides in the bolt groove. Works fine. Broke my Leatherman awl trying to get the jam unjammed without going back to the house. Scratched up the Parkerizing a bit on the gun, but it still kills deer

Dakota Mike · Post by **Dakota Mike** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:27 pm

I shoot SASS. And earlier asked the question about the ejector since mine broke. Quite a few commented that they had replaced it and that they carry a spare just in case. You figure SASS people put a lot more rounds through their Marlin than the average person.

farmer44mag · Post by **farmer44mag** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:53 pm

i just got mine in the mail a few days ago and installed it tonight. it dropped right in my 336 and didn't tighten up the action at all. I ran a few live rounds through the action to test function and seems to work fine- seems to eject a little more to the rear- hopefully the emptys will go more strait out the side.

Of course tonight i go on the marlin forum and see a pic of the same exact ejector i put in mine that broke on someone after only a year of use- so i guess maybe these aren't any more dependable than the factory piece. Oh well, now i have a spare anyways

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:23 pm

Well, I said I'd post an update when I had one, so...here it is.

I'm more confused now than I was when I started. I pulled the bolt back out of the .44 Marlin tonight and (upon the advice of WWG) tried to deepen the slot that the ejector rides in just enough to loosen the action back up to a reasonable, functional level. Admittedly, I didn't have a stone that was ideally suited to this task. I ended up using the edge of a small, narrow mill file with the sides taped so as not to widen the slot...only deepen it a little. I made several light attempts and reassembled and checked the results after each one. I kept several other lever guns close at hand so I could compare their actions to this rifle's and not get tunnel vision on what I was working on. I was never able to get the action loosened back up to an acceptable level. I finally pulled the factory ejector out of my 1894 Cowboy Limited .45 Colt and put it in the .44. I put the WWG ejector in the Cowboy gun. The actions of both guns work great. The Cowboy .45 gun is one that already has WWG's happy trigger in it, so I guess now it has the whole package. I looked at both ejectors side by side, and compared the spring tension of both. For the life of me and I can't see why the ejector works perfectly in one rifle and makes the other rifle almost unusable. "Unusable" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the action was very hard, if not impossible to work without removing the rifle from the shoulder to gain leverage. That's too tight for my tastes! :

I just noticed that WWG has their own forum over on MO. I may take this over there also and see if they have any input. Either way...both leverguns are back in working order tonight and that makes me happy!

Dave

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:05 am

I'm no gunsmith -- not by a long shot but I'll be danged if I'd alter the slot on the rifle. I'd alter the part to fit the rifle. If you alter the rifle, you may do just a tad too much so that no part will fit it properly again. You can always get another part but not necessarily a new rifle.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:36 am

I agree with ED on that one. Factory parts are made to fit certain tolerances, after market parts may or may not be. I'd polish the ejector long before I'd touch that bolt.

But you done did it, so hopefully you didn't take to much out.

Joe

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:04 pm

Yeah, I had reservations about it also. I didn't remove nearly enough metal to do any irreparable damage. I quit way before then. I've functioned tested both rifles today and they both seem fine. Still wonder why the dang thing worked so smoothly in one rifle and not really at all in the other one.

crawdaddyjim · Post by **crawdaddyjim** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:15 pm

Dave, what you are seeing is manufacturing tolerances. The slot on the one rifle is at one end of the tolerance allowance ie: it is +.005 and the tolerance on the 45cb is at -.005.

Always tune the part to the whole. That being said most spring manufacturers will tell you to remove metal from something other than their spring. They don't want you taking the heat treat out of the metal. And on a small part like a spring or ejector it is really easy to overheat it.

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 5:32 pm

If I would have had a little more time, or patience,

I would have liked to have taken some depth measurments of the slots in the two bolts to compare them. But then you'd also have to measure the depth of the slot in the receiver inside wall I suppose to try and figure out where the differences lie. It just amazes me because there was such an exaggerated difference from one rifle to the other. Not even close... It darned near took both hands to cycle the action on one rifle when the ejector was first installed, but when it was switched to the other gun...butter!

crawdaddyjim · Post by **crawdaddyjim** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:05 pm

If I were doing this job.
I would take the ejector and the tight bolt out of the gun and put dykem on the ejector then slide it down the slot if possible. That way you get to see the high spots. Then file or stone down the spots until you get smooth action. For what it is worth. That ejector looks like a stamped part to my eyes. And as such will not be smooth on the surfaces that contact the slot in the bolt.

From the picture it looks like the corner needs to be radiused on the top of the ramp. Was the action hard to cycle in both direction or only on closing?

Mike-in-WV · Post by **Mike-in-WV** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:37 pm

Have had things like this happen before and for a custom fit I use Valve Grinding or lapping compound in the slot and work the ejector back and forth until it rides smoothly. Then clean it out well and ad some Lithium grease and see how it works. Mike

L.F.Combs · Post by **L.F.Combs** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:37 pm

This sounds like a job for that stuff called gunslick it came in a little tube, and it was black as tar. It really helped when working on something like this project.

Dave H. · Post by **Dave H.** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:09 am

Mike-in-WV said:

Have had things like this happen before and for a custom fit I use Valve Grinding or lapping compound in the slot and work the ejector back and forth until it rides smoothly. Then clean it out well and ad some Lithium grease and see how it works.

That's exactly what I wanted to do...but my lapping compound had dried up and gone bad since the last time that I used it (about a hundred years ago). I shoulda just waited until I had time to pick up some new stuff, but.......No! Gotta git-r-done!

crawdaddyjim · Post by **crawdaddyjim** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:56 am

Toothpaste, not gel.

Read somewhere, a guy loaded up his action with it and cycled it about 500 times. Said it was smmoooooth. YMMV.