Jammed up 1956 Marlin 336

[Old Time Hunter]

Ok guys...circa 1956 Marlin model 336 chambered for .30-30.

Issue:

1. Loaded cartridge still in chamber

2. Lever a 1/4 open (will not move any further, either way)

3. Lift gate is loose, flops from bottom of receiver to top and can slide a small screw driver into cartridge gate to push back down.
4. Magazine is empty.

5. Bolt will not move.

Removed the stock and took out the hammer spring, just in case.

Buddy inherited this rifle from his Dad, put a few rounds in and fired the first. Went to cycle another round in and it jammed.

Any ideas???? Besides have him buy a Winchester...

[AJMD429]

I'd take off the lever and bottom 'tang' stuff, pull out the locking lugs, and then try using a hard nylon punch or wood to get the bolt out.

I did that with an 1894 years ago without much of an issue. Mechanism is pretty similar.

[Chuck 100 yd]

After you remove the lever the bolt is only held in by the extractor gripping the cartridge rim. the locking bolt should have dropped down from its locking mortices in the breech bolt. I suspect the cartridge is just jammed in the chamber. Can the bolt be moved a little for and aft? It may take a rod down the barrel and some force to remove it. I`d use a solid ,one piece, aluminum or brass rod and tap it with a hammer. Good luck.

[Tycer]

After you remove the lever the bolt is only held in by the extractor gripping the cartridge rim. the locking bolt should have dropped down from its locking mortices in the breech bolt. I suspect the cartridge is just jammed in the chamber. Can the bolt be moved a little for and aft? It may take a rod down the barrel and some force to remove it. I`d use a solid ,one piece, aluminum or brass rod and tap it with a hammer. Good luck.

Maybe keep your hands and face clear of the muzzle...

[Pete44ru]

.

The Marlin 336 loading gate is it's own spring - notorious for binding the lifter.

I'm betting that you need a new loading gate ($12).

R&R it via removing the 5 screws that secure the bottom metal/tang to the action (each screw will go bace only it's own hole).


.

[Old Time Hunter]

Appreciate the suggestions but;

A) the lever does not drop far enough to take out, barely moves in any direction, but is already disengaged from the lifter. Can not get it back over the notch.

B) cartridge door is clear and functioning, no bent spring.

C) lower tang is unmovable, even with stock off and front lower screw out it is not so much as a slight wiggle and do not want to beat on it with a hammer.

D) bolt is solid...tried to move it even slightly with a brass drift and hammer...broke one drift and then the hammer. Nada...

Would like to remove the lower tang...any secrets????

[Pete44ru]

Appreciate the suggestions but;

C) lower tang is unmovable, even with stock off and front lower screw out it is not so much as a slight wiggle and do not want to beat on it with a hammer.

Would like to remove the lower tang...any secrets????

Why I posted to remove 5 screws to drop the lower tang:

1) Lever pivot screw
2) Tang/stock screw
3) Forward screw on action bottom
4) One screw on the LH side of the lower edge of the action sidewall
5) One screw on the RH side of the lower edge of the action sidewall


.

[Dave]

It sounds like removing the lower tang is the only option.

[.45colt]

I don't know if this will help but saw it a few days ago.http://www.hunter-ed.com/washington/stu ... _700046633

[Old Time Hunter]

Why I posted to remove 5 screws to drop the lower tang:

1) Lever pivot screw
2) Tang/stock screw
3) Forward screw on action bottom
4) One screw on the LH side of the lower edge of the action sidewall
5) One screw on the RH side of the lower edge of the action sidewall


.

Thanks Pete...had all five out, still would not budge without trying to bang on it. My feeling is that this gun had not been attended to for years and the chamber is rusty or way too dirty. Locking lug is froze in place.

Have it up at the cabin, soaking in blaster solution, will try again in a couple of days.

[7.62 Precision]

Have it up at the cabin, soaking in blaster solution, will try again in a couple of days.

Soaking is good, and it is not a bad idea to shoot a good bit of penetrant down the bore to help kill the powder in that live cartridge.

[BenT]

If the screw that holds the loading gate on comes lose. The gate will back out enough to hang things up. So make sure that screw is tight .

[Griff]

HAMMER screw must come out to remove the lower plate.

[w30wcf]

If the action is open just a little, try to disengage the bolt from the cartridge by lifting up the extractor ever so slighty while pushing down softly on the lever.

I wonder if it is not the cartridge at all and the face of the hammer is bound against the bottom of the bolt (assuming the action is open that far). You could stick a knife between the hammer and the bolt to see if that is free.

w30wcf

[Griff]

Why I posted to remove 5 screws to drop the lower tang:

1) Lever pivot screw
2) Tang/stock screw
3) Forward screw on action bottom
4) One screw on the LH side of the lower edge of the action sidewall
5) One screw on the RH side of the lower edge of the action sidewall


.

Thanks Pete...had all five out, still would not budge without trying to bang on it. My feeling is that this gun had not been attended to for years and the chamber is rusty or way too dirty. Locking lug is froze in place.

Have it up at the cabin, soaking in blaster solution, will try again in a couple of days.

The floor plate is usually very tight in the frame, if you have the stock off, squeeze the upper & lower tangs together, behind the hammer, the front should pivot clear, allowing you to then pull it clear, IF you have all the proper screws out.

If the cartridge is still up against the bolt face, and the bolt has moved even an eighth of an inch, it ain't the chamber.

[Rusty]

I'm wondering if someone didn't stuff a .32 Special in there by mistake?

[7.62 Precision]

I'm wondering if someone didn't stuff a .32 Special in there by mistake?

That was my thought, as well, or an improperly sized case.

It is amazing how tight an action can get jammed this way. I saw a .30-06 Winchester 70 that was broken in several ways when the owner tried to extract (with a hammer, eventually) a reloaded cartridge that was just neck sized after being shot through another firearm with an oversized chamber. The owner of that firearm just neck-sized the cases to save stretching each time they were fired, but then gave some reloads to the other guy who tried to chamber one in his M70.

If you want to see an AR get jammed up solid, stick a 5.45 cartridge an a mag of 5.56, slap the mag in a 5.56 rifle, and start shooting . . .

[Chuck 100 yd]

I looked at one of mine from the same vintage. It appears that you could take a small screw driver or similar tool and pry the extractor away from the cartridge head enough to release it from the cartridge rim. This should allow the bolt to slide rearword IF the cartridge is what is preventing the bolt from being retracted . It is still possible that the locking bolt is not fully released from the breech bolt. I would guess that there is a part either broken or a piece of debris jammed in the works somewhere. Good luck.

[AJMD429]

If you want to see an AR get jammed up solid, stick a 5.45 cartridge an a mag of 5.56, slap the mag in a 5.56 rifle, and start shooting . . .

That sounds like the voice of experience, either as doer, or observer...

[7.62 Precision]

Observer on more than one occasion, and unjammer, too. Oh, and I hammered a Glock 21 apart once, too, that had a bad reload chambered.

He said, "That's one of the ones I found on the range. They were all on the ground in front of the benches; I picked up a bunch of them!"

[Old Time Hunter]

After ten days of effort...we are all good.

Here is the conclusion:

A) managed to disassemble the lower tang...Blaster did it's job, broke the rust between the receiver and lower tang. The seam along both sides of the receiver were apparently rust welded, could not see that from bottom or top. But after sitting in solvent for a week had streaks of orange dripping from seam. Slight tap with a plastic hammer on inner bottom of tang and it started to yield.

B) locking lug was bond tight against bolt, obvious pressure from the bolt. This could have been a dilemma as the bolt had not fully seated the live round. Measurements indicated that shell still needed at least .015", maybe .020" to fully seat. Afraid to tap back of bolt in an attempt to seat cartridge for fear of possibly setting off round. Same thing for the locking lug.

C) fabricated a "ball" remover (a small self tapping screw welded to a broken end of a cleaning end) similar to what I use to dislodge stuck bullets in a muzzle loader and used a Dewey cleaning rod with a home made slide hammer on it. It worked! Took a couple of fairly hard taps to dislodge the bullet from the case, then a couple hundred to pull it up through the barrel...almost lost the bullet right at the muzzle as my screw was slowly unscrewing even though the Dewey rod rotates freely. Poured the powder out.

D) Gave the back of the bolt a couple of heavy whacks...second one set off the primer! One more hard one...the locking lug dropped out of the receiver.

E) Tapped the bolt out using a long aluminum 1/4" rod down the barrel.


The shell was crushed about .100" up from the rim and the chamber was filled with stuff, not allowing the cartridge to seat in the chamber. Apparently the crude caused the cartridge not to seat in the chamber and my "buddy" used excessive force to try and seat it.

After scrubbing the bore, chamber, cleaning, and making sure everything was shiny and oiled, re assembled. Seems to work perfectly.....

[Tycer]

Sounds like he got pretty lucky that round did not seat fully.

[Old Time Hunter]

Sounds like he got pretty lucky that round did not seat fully.

Yep...and that the hammer would not strike the pin!

[Pete44ru]

.

I luv it, when a plan comes together ! .


.

[Shasta]

Glad you got the problem resolved. I'm not much of a Marlin guy, but as someone who likes to do his own gunsmithing when possible, I found this to be a very interesting thread.

SHASTA

[Nath]

Now go get the Winchester

Sorry, could not help that.

Glad your safe and done Sir.

N.