Marlin 39A Survival Rifle

[Pop Watts]

Well, I recently posted about getting my hands on a Springfield M6 survival rifle but as it turns out they are practically impossible to get here in Australia and there were quite a few negative comments about them anyway.

A couple of my mates here in Sydney are still looking for an M6 but I decided to put my energy into something different - with a lever.

About a year ago I stumbled across some barrels out the back of my local gun shop. I bought 3 brand new Marlin barrels -22 TDS / 45-70 / 45 Colt. I sold both the 45 barrels for a profit which meant the 22 TDS barrel and mag tube cost me nothing.

I just picked up an old 39A that was in good condition as far as action and barrel went, but the timber was a bit rough. It had been drilled for a receiver sight as well. So I bought a plastic stock set for a 336 and set about making it fit the 39A with the TDS barrel. After a couple of hours work I have a little 22 survival rifle that weighs 5lb and breaks down to just under 20"

A mate gave me a Williams FP sight that screwed straight on, so now I just have to get it to the range and sight it in. Next I have to work out how to use the void in the rear stock to store some survival essentials.

There is a pic of it with my 39M for a size comparison.

Note the pic with shoes shown - as per "levergun" requirements.

Happy days.

Pop.

[Haycock]

Too cool!

I like it a lot.

What's on the list for.... shall I say... "butt storage"?


Hay

[Pop Watts]

Hay,

What to put in the butt?????

Ammo, flint, blade, water purification tablets, fishing kit.....

What would you recommend?

Pop.

[dr walker]

In the hollwed out buttstock of one of my rifles I keep tools useful for that particular rifle.

[Haycock]

Hay,

What to put in the butt?????

Ammo, flint, blade, water purification tablets, fishing kit.....

What would you recommend?

Pop.

I'd use it exclusively for ammo storage, and focus on adapting it to that purpose so as to maximize capacity, silence and water resistance.

Hay

[J Miller]

Pop,

That's a pretty neat little rife. I like it.

Not only that but that all metric tape measure is something you don't see up here. Our are inch/metric.

I showed the pics to my wife and she didn't see the tape measure, she noticed the forearm had more brown than the stock.

Good job.

Joe

[C. Cash]

Love it! Well done Pop Watts.

[Rusty]

Nice job Pop.

Marlin used to sell their M70 Papoose rifles with a zipper up case that has loops inside to hold the rifle secure inside. If you could find one of those or something like it you could have an entire kit all in one neat package.

[AJMD429]

Now THAT is a 39A I really like...!

I had no idea the "336" stock would fit the 39A - how much alteration did you have to do to make it fit...?

P.S. - what's the "TDS" stand for...?

[rjohns94]

TDS - TAKE DOWN SHORT?????? I don't know but I love My marlin TDS. I carry it in my bush pack all the time. It does not have have a hollow stock but in my nalgeen container, I have fishing gear and lures, ammo, fire starters, extra bow string, paracord, extra ammo (in a snuff can) a knife, first aid gear, compass, survival blanket, extra arrow blades and field and blunt points. I also carry water and food in other containers. Good luck with that very kewl version. Blessings

[GoatGuy]

Now, that's way cool.

[FWiedner]

Beautiful. THAT is a survival rifle.

As for "butt storage"... a pound of tobacco, a gallon of gasoline, 100oz silver... then maybe some wire for a small animal snare, fishing line and hooks, a small knife, a space blanket, firestarter and spare ammo.

[Pop Watts]

[quote]I had no idea the "336" stock would fit the 39A - how much alteration did you have to do to make it fit...?

P.S. - what's the "TDS" stand for...?[/quote]

AJMD,

I have no idea what TDS stands for, it is stamped in the barrel and I assumed it meant "Take Down Scout"??????

The 336 rear stock was easy to fit. just take a few edges off the tabs that lock in aroud the tang to receiver area. The front needed to be cut much shorter (the TDS barrel is machined for a shorted timber than even the 39M) and then filled with builders bog and fitted back to the rifle to create a smaller mag tube channel. Then a fair bit of filing to get the end cap to fit right.

The mossy oak patern on the stock is how it came and yes there is a little differernce in the front and rear colours, but I am learning to live with that.

[jeepnik]

Pop, that's a darned sweet idea, using a 39 for a "survival" rifle. For years I carried an AR-7 in my jeep, it now rides in my wife's sedan trunk. But I found, and you might as well someday, that the .22 is a bit light for some jobs, and completely wrong for others.

I converted my first shotgun, a Mossy 500 .410 to my perfect "survival" gun. Broken down in three pieces, it's only 22" long. And with a variety of shot and slugs, handles small to medium sized critters whether they walk or fly. I realize I couldn't carry the same volume of ammo as I could in .22, but I'm not figuring on surviving doomsday.

Still, you've go me to thinking, and now I'm gonna have to build something like you have. What the heck, the odds of ever needing one for something serious are pretty slim, but the utility of your short takedown .22 can't be denied. As another already ask, what kind of mods did that 336 stock need?

[adirondakjack]

COOL!

Now for the stock. I'd be tempted to work out an "O" ring seal for the butt plate, make the stock watertight. A 1/4 turn "zeus" fastener in place of one screw would be superb. Acraglass is your friend when doing mods on synthetic stocks.

Get ya one of the smallish firestarter steels and make ya up a tiny little firestarter kit(they have em only 1.5" long X 1/8" thick), A small vial of dryer lint treated with vasaline is great tinder, a broken bit of hacksaw blade a super striker... Put it all in a small ziplock?

Then work out ammo storage. Maybe something as simple as a ziplock bag to stuff in the buttstock cavity? Pad it against rattling with TP in yet another small ziplock

[gamekeeper]

Love it! Well done Pop Watts.

+ 1

[Tristan]

Pop -

Just shows that some thoughtful consideration and initiative can really pay off!

In the buttstock I'd have a pull-through string with a weight for cleaning the bore, a supply of ammo, and perhaps a tiny bottle of oil - but only if I was sure, sure, sure the oil bottle was a type that wouldn't leak.

Would it be possible to shorten the barrel, mag tube and mag tube spring so that both components were the same length? That would add up to an even easier package to store.

- Tristan

[2ndovc]

Neat!!

I'll take that over an M6 anyday. I've had a couple of the Sringfields. Nice guns but I get bored with
them quickly.

jb

[Pop Watts]

Hi Tristan,

I cannot cut the barrel shorter because Australian Gun Laws only allow a 16" barrel as minimum. Any shorter and I would be in trouble. I think there would be a lot of trouble getting the mag tube right if you cut one down as well.

Pop.