The Ugly Gun

[KCSO]

Picked up a lever gun over the weekend, a Marlin CB 94 Cowboy with the 24" barrel. There is nothing really remarkable about that except that it only cost $300 AND it's ugly.

A couple years ago we did a case where a family disappeared while on probation and we had to hunt them down and bring them back. The daddy was in violation of probation and thought we had caught him so they ran off. His father in Law after they left found he was missing a couple guns and the SIL (Slime in Law) went up for felon in possession. About a year later we are working another case in the area and discover a survival bunker in the SIL's farm and buried in the dirt in the cave is a Marlin CB. The Father in Law, a good friend of mine looks in his gun room and his Marlin CB is an empty box! His cowboy special is ruined, the SIL is in the pen and can't be sued and my buddy is still out because NOW we are going after the SIL for another count of felon in possession.

End of story is the friend comes over this weekend and sells me the recovered rifle because he gets PO'ed just looking at it. The bore and internals are perfect but the whole outside of the gun was rusted and pitted in places and will need to be stripped, draw filed and re blued. The good news is the rifle is a real shooter, I had used it as a test gun for an article in NCOWS when they first came out and it was exceptionally accurate. I will be restocking the gun with a old style cresent butt stock and slim fore end and will rust blue the gun some day when and if I ever get time.

I won't publish my loads but in the 24" barrel with 4227 i was getting 1450 from a 250 grain bullet in the CB so it will make a good deer rifle for this fall.

[Terry Murbach]

WERE THOSE THE YAHOOS--MAN, WIFE, CHILDREN-- FROM NEBRASKA THAT DISAPPEARED UP IN THE BLACK HILLS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ??

MY VERY EARLY PRODUCTION MARLIN C/B IS EXCEPTIONALLY ACCURATE WITH IT'S BEST GROUP BEING .55" AT 100 YARDS. THE EARLY ONES HAD BADGER BARRELS; THEY'RE GONNA SHOOT !!!

[KCSO]

Yes, as Sheriff I worked that case and sent the fellow up the river. He got pen time here and in SD.

Yep that's the one, When I did the test on this one for NCOWS it was shooting under 3" at 100 yards with iron sights. What really surprised me was that FFFg powder gave me close to 1200 fps and cut one ragged hole at 50 yards.
This was when I got my baptism of fire when I designed and built and ADAPTER that looked like a screw to replace the push button safety. Boy did I catch heck.

[Sixgun]

KCSO,
Yea, I am a firm believer that some people are alive simply because its illegal to kill 'em.

Anyway, on to fun things: I did (just about) what you are planning to do to your Marlin. In my case it was a .375 Marlin that I thought was ugly. I stripped the finish off the entire rifle, refinished the wood in the old style, rust blued the receiver, mag., and barrel. I "antiqued" the hammer and the lever. I also fireblued the loading gate. Came up pretty neat. If it was not for the round bolt, you would think it was an old gun.

In your case, you got all that extra work with the pitting. I would just get the big pits out. The little ones add character ----------Sixgun

[J Miller]

KCSO & Terry,

You guys are lucky. The Marlin 1894 Cowboy with the 24" barrel I bought in 95 or 96 wouldn't group at any range to save it's life.
Matter of fact at 25 yds it was keyholing the bullets through the target.
I didn't keep it long enough to diagnose it's troubles.

Joe

[Ysabel Kid]

His cowboy special is ruined, the SIL is in the pen and can't be sued...

Why the heck can't he be sued? Civil suit, of course. I understand he probably can't be charged and convicted on essentially the same count, but the SIL's actions did monetary harm to the gentleman, so why can't he sue him? Granted, getting any compensation is probably a dim hope, but the slime should still have to pay for the damages he caused!

[Lawyer Daggit]

Look at the bright side of things, you will wind up with a rifle devoid of all of the embossed messages Marlin insists on printing on its rifles these days....

[Pipeliner]

I vote you give him an extra 5 years for doing that to a fine rifle!

[Pop Watts]

Hey guys I think you are being too harsh on Slime In Law.

He did pick a very good lever as his go to gun - he can't be ALL bad.

Still deserves to feel some pain though.

Pop.

[adirondakjack]

I have two of those rifles, a 2000 manufacture and one from '01. They will shoot! 320gr HARD cast gas checked bullet on top of 21.5 of H110 gave 1475 fps...... With 10 grains Unique and a 250, soda cans at 100 yards with irons......

I cut one to 16", and both have been converted using handmade carriers to run my Cowboy .45 Special these days instead of LONG Colt, and yes, both have "dummy screws" where the silly crossbolt safety was.....

[KCSO]

What happens when you get a judgment on a fellow in the pen making 25 cents an hour? You can garnish his wages? Unless he wins the lottery you will end up with more money wasted, even small claims requires service of the summons ect and costs will go to $100 or so, then you get a judgment and it costs you each year to keep it alive, see where this goes?

As to the Marlin's if you get one that isn't shooting you need to check the bore diameter. I have a 38-55 that measures 379+ and had a 44-40 that went 430 if this is the case larger diameter cast bullets are the answer. Also some brands of 45 Colt factory lead slugs are a tad undersize to boot.

SIL is due to get out in a year and I feel sorry for the kid.

[J Miller]

KCSO,

You gonna post us some pics of this ugly gun?

Checking the grove diameter was my next step but financial woes caused me to sell it and others to pay bills.
I still regret that.

Joe