Lever lockup

[centershot]

Hello all! Hope you're all enjoying big-game season this year - and I hope you're all having more success than me! LOL! Anyway, I've discovered a slight problem with my Marlin 336 since season has started. This is the first year that the state has allowed rifles for big-game hunting in this area, so I have never used this particular rifle in cold weather. The problem is the gloves on my hands. When I try to slip my fingers into the loop, the gun unlocks. It doesn't take much downward pressure to get it to unlock so I have to be very careful to slip my hand in without disturbing the lever. I never noticed this when shooting it without gloves on, is this something that I just have to get used to or can this be remedied somehow? TIA!

Patrick

[FWiedner]

Patrick, you can shop for and install a larger lever/loop, you can take off your glove to shoot, or you can practice, practice, practice until you get used to it.

[Pitchy]

If the lever unlocks pretty easy even without gloves on you can replace or stretch the little spring that is behind the plunger on the lever.
There are lighter aftermarket springs to make it easier to unlatch the lever, maybe someone put one of those in it.

[centershot]

I don't have this problem with either one of my Marlin 1894's, so I was wondering if their was a fix to this. The gun was new when I got it, no chance of someone swapping springs out. I'll check out that plunger spring though, maybe I can get it worked out.......

[adirondakjack]

look at the nose of the plunger as well. Might be a little file work would get ya a more positive engagement without making it too tight. My levers are used as race guns, so the plungers have been rounded and springs lightened. You want the reverse, a nice sharp "peak" to the plunger and make sure it engages squarely....

[Leverdude]

look at the nose of the plunger as well. Might be a little file work would get ya a more positive engagement without making it too tight. My levers are used as race guns, so the plungers have been rounded and springs lightened. You want the reverse, a nice sharp "peak" to the plunger and make sure it engages squarely....

+1, Jack nailed it. The profile & smoothness of that plunger matter alot.

[AJMD429]

Sounds like you need one of the larger-loop levers - not the 'John Wayne' trick ones, but just one with a big larger opening. They are hard to find that aren't overly big, though.

[CEMENTHEAD]

I have larger hands, so I normally operate the lever with the middle 2 fingers of my lever hand. My pinky rides outside the lever and slightly to the rear. Once I got used to it, I have come to prefer it. It's just an option for you to try. Try it with an UNLOADED gun mounted to your shoulder. Most of my leverguns are straight grips, but it works with pistol grips too.

Good luck, Tom

[Griff]

look at the nose of the plunger as well. Might be a little file work would get ya a more positive engagement without making it too tight. My levers are used as race guns, so the plungers have been rounded and springs lightened. You want the reverse, a nice sharp "peak" to the plunger and make sure it engages squarely....

+1, Jack nailed it. The profile & smoothness of that plunger matter alot.

As jack understands and works with Marlins a lot more than I do, I'd trust his take on this implicitly.

[Pitchy]

look at the nose of the plunger as well. Might be a little file work would get ya a more positive engagement without making it too tight. My levers are used as race guns, so the plungers have been rounded and springs lightened. You want the reverse, a nice sharp "peak" to the plunger and make sure it engages squarely....

+1, Jack nailed it. The profile & smoothness of that plunger matter alot.

As jack understands and works with Marlins a lot more than I do, I'd trust his take on this implicitly.

It all depends what the problem is, if it`s his big hands with gloves on that`s causing the lever to pop open nothing shy of tying it shut will help other than a bigger lever loop or longer like i did to mine. If it`s a spring or plunger shape issue then that`s the fix, simple.

[centershot]

Thanks guys, I'll check it out!

Patrick