336 has hitch in its getalong

[Bill in Oregon]

Guys, thanks to my habit of hanging around in shady company (just kidding, Earl ) I simply had to have an early 1950s waffle-top 336-A in .35 Remington. It's nothing fancy, but has a fine bore, which is what counts most to me. However, I do note a stiffness in the action, right at the point where you first drop the lever. Takes a little extra poop to break it loose. Anyone familiar with Marlins know where the sticky spot might be?

[Grizz]

is that the normal resistance of the bolt contacting the hammer? or before that.

sometimes the ejector spring is a problem

maybe when you take it apart you can blue print the breech block and other moving parts and look for wear that way if it isn't obvious

is the bottom screw thru the trigger housing loose?

nice rifle btw, I bet you're gonna really enjoy shooting it.

[Bill in Oregon]

Gosh, Grizz, you mean ta say I should carefully examine it for any obvious issues?

(Bury face in palm and sigh ...)

[OLBIKER]

Look at this link.
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufacture ... htm?page=2

Number 17 and 19 are your problem on the lever.That would be the finger lever plunger and spring.They are probably gunked up with 50 some years of crud.Take your lever off and soak that area with kroil.You can also take it apart.There is a small roll pin holding the stuff together. When you drive the pin out make sure your hand is over the plunger & Pin as they could fly to parts unknown.

[Bill in Oregon]

Gracias, OB.

[Montana Outfitters]

sometimes cleaning it helps..............................

[7.62 Precision]

You can stone the plunger a bit, too, to lower the resistance, but often cleaning is all you need.

I just had one in recently from 1952 that had a really stiff action and heavy trigger. The finger lever plunger barely wanted to move.

The rifle was totally full of gunk - hardened oil, carbon, rust, dust, brass shavings, lots of pine needles, some pet hair, all the usual stuff. Someone had added spacers on the hammer strut behind the spring to make the spring much heavier. I'm sure with all that gunk it was having misfires.

I cleaned it and removed the spacers on the hammer strut, and it was much improved.

[Griff]

On the picture that olBiker referenced, item 17 is the lever plunger and if it's recess and spring are plugged up with grit & whatnot, it can be hard to "pop" outta the lower tang.

sometimes cleaning it helps..............................

This.

[OLBIKER]

Gracias, OB.

Bill, glad to help.OB

[Chuck 100 yd]

Cowboy shooters replace the spring with one of much lesser power.
Note that tiny pin is designed to be installed and removed from just one end. That pin is knurled on one end to make it Jam into the lever. A very close look at it with a magnifier will reveal the larger end. I find that when the pin was installed, it was driven in flush with the lever and the other end fell just a tiny bit short of coming up flush with the lever. That may help in deciding which end to hammer on. Use a 1/16" pin punch. Have fun
Quite often a little penetrating oil and use will free it up without having to remove it.

[Mossyoak1957]

I had a real tight spot when I cycled my 1969 Marlin 336 35 Rem.
I cleaned and polished everything but the Locking Bolt(#44) on the diagram and that's where the problem was,the locking bolt was very tight on the sides where it was against the receiver,I polished the sides "only" of the locking bolt with a Dremel buffing wheel and polishing compound,slick as snot on a doorknob now.