For Better or Worse...'til Death do us Part

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Iron_Marshal
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For Better or Worse...'til Death do us Part

Post by Iron_Marshal »

Well, I have finally bought my first levergun, a .44 Mag Marlin 1894SS. Thank you all very much for the advice you have given that helped me make my decision. I have been saving money for this since before Christmas and I am very excited to finally have her in my hands…’til death do us part. I hope to one day turn this rifle over to either one of my boys or grandchildren…but I hope my boys don’t grow up too fast. I can’t wait to go to the range with my boys and spend time together doing the dad and son thing.

I do have some concerns about the rifle and would like some more advice from y’all. The butt pad is mounted slightly off center and the wood of the butt stock is exposed on one side and I am concerned the wood will splinter off. The rubber pad is glued to a plastic piece that sticks out on the other side and it is sharp! That is the only thing “wrongâ€
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Hobie
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Post by Hobie »

I would sand the pad to match the butt. Because I've not handled the rifle the method is up in the air but it can be done by hand or with the help of a bench mounted disc sander. CARE must be taken in doing this.

I've never seen a sharp edged lever. Not disputing you, just might be a matter of perception. If it bothers you, break the corners.

I believe that the best way to break in a barrel is to shoot it. Cleaning all the jacket fouling out after every couple of hundred or thousand rounds (every gun is different), i.e. when accuracy percipitously declines, is the best method. All the fancy count and clean methods are just shootin' voodoo. Just don't heat the barrel beyond where you can touch it with your bare hand. I believe the throat has to be way hotter for the barrel to get that way and that is not good for long term use. Don't worry if you have to fight off the living dead though. :wink:

It is your gun, use it, make it fit YOU. If it isn't right make the mfg make it right.

Are you in the far SW Virginia mountains?
Sincerely,

Hobie

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Thanks Hobie, I appreciate the help. I sent you a PM a couple of months ago telling you where I work. Remember? If not I'll tell ya again.

I don't think the butt pad needs to be sanded, but it needs to be moved just a BIT. I am afraid the screw holes are off center and I may have to drill new holes. I hate to send it back to the factory after only having it for ONE DAY!
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
homefront
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Post by homefront »

Congrats on the new lever! :D
Remove the pad, put some 5 minute epoxy and a toothpick or two into the off-center hole in the stock. After the 5 minutes, re-attach the butt pad using the one ok screw hole and drill through the old hole in the pad (that was previously off-center) into the wood stock with a drill bit slightly smaller than the threads of the screw. Be sure to hold the butt pad exactly where you want it when you drill. Put the screw back, go shooting (and take pictures)!
As far as prep before shooting the gun, I'd just swab the barrel with your choice of bore cleaner, followed by a couple of dry patches. I'd also disassemble the action, give all the metal parts a wipedown with a cloth dampened with ATF, and grease the few pivot points.
jhrosier
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Post by jhrosier »

The Marlin '94s are assembled by drunken monkeys.
The one that I bought last fall was a collection of sharp edges and arguably matched parts.
The buttstock was put in the drill jig crooked and the sling swivels are about 1/8" off the centerline.
The action was full of metal chips and sharp edges. The locking lug would hang up on the recess in the bolt unless the bolt was manually pushed forward.

A sorry mess, indeed. This was the first new Marlin that I've owned, and the last.

I polished most of the sharp edges and cleaned out the metal chips.
It will be trading material when I go to look for an imported levergun.

Jack
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Post by homefront »

The Marlin '94s are assembled by drunken monkeys.
The one that I bought last fall was a collection of sharp edges and arguably matched parts.
Unfortunately more and more guys have the same complaint. :cry:
I'm lucky I got my 94's before the slipshod workmanship started.
nemhed
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Post by nemhed »

Congrats on your new purchase. I think the more you shoot it, the more you'll love it. In regards to the butt pad, I have a new 1894C that came with a red rubber butt pad. I'm going to replace it with the older style black, hard rubber/plastic with the Marlin logo. The red rubber seems to be too tacky and hangs up on my clothing when raising the rifle to the shooting position, and this gun doesn't need a recoil pad. Maybe I'm the only one that has this problem. The only other thing (besides shooting it) I'm going to do to my 1894C is replace the trigger with the one from WWG, the trigger is terrible on mine. No other complaints with mine. Maybe the drunken monkeys only installed the trigger on mine.
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

I don't know about drunken monkeys, but the butt pad is definitely off center. The trigger is a bit heavy but it seems to break crisp. I'll let you know for sure when I get to shoot it. I agree that the red rubber seems to grab at my shoulder. I haven't seen any metal chips but I haven't removed the lever or bolt yet.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Hobie
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Post by Hobie »

Irish_Cop wrote:Thanks Hobie, I appreciate the help. I sent you a PM a couple of months ago telling you where I work. Remember? If not I'll tell ya again.

I don't think the butt pad needs to be sanded, but it needs to be moved just a BIT. I am afraid the screw holes are off center and I may have to drill new holes. I hate to send it back to the factory after only having it for ONE DAY!
I'm at the point where my memory is a sometimes thing... :lol: If it is THAT far off, remove the pad, fill the screw holes then place the pad and re-pre-drill the screw holes and re-attach it. Then just a little sanding.
Sincerely,

Hobie

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Well, I feel MUCH BETTER…

I pulled out my gunsmith screwdrivers and removed the bottom screw on the recoil pad. When I did, the recoil pad wiggled right into place. Apparently the screw hole in the pad is of a larger diameter than the screw and it was simply tightened down off center. So…I am a happy, happy man. Now, if I can only get to the range to shoot it!
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

I just took the rifle apart and there were metal chips inside the action. I have thoroughly cleaned and oiled her and now I am just fondling the wee thing and thinking about the hunt this November.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
Jarhead
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Post by Jarhead »

Congrats on your new Rifle.... :) PICS?
Semper Fi
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claybob86
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Post by claybob86 »

I have one of those and it's a real jewel. There were some edges inside that needed a little polishing, but no chips. Fit and finish are as good as can be expected from a production gun. Very nice trigger, too. Hope you like yours as much as I like mine! :D
Have you hugged your rifle today?
Pete44ru
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Post by Pete44ru »

[I just took the rifle apart and there were metal chips inside the action.]

See ? You got a little "extra", for your $$$. :mrgreen:

If it's like every other new Marlin I've bought since 1967, it'll benefit from a few nights of driving your family crazy, from the noise, while you continually cycle the action for a few hours while watching TV or somesuch.

I then take them apart, look for the slight scratches on the internals/reciprocating parts and lightly stone away any roughness, relube & assemble.
SmokeEater2
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Post by SmokeEater2 »

Congrats! now..Where da' pics at? :D
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AJMD429
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Post by AJMD429 »

I did some of the 'action smoothing' things I think are posted elsewhere on the site (smoothing the hammer's bearing surface where the bolt comes back to cock it, mainly). I put a Williams FP sight on it, and then...I just shot it. Alot. It is just about the favorite gun I have if you don't take sentimental issues (i.e. this one was Great-grandpa's, or that one I got my first deer with, etc.) into account.

Great gun.
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"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.


Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Picture are coming...I promise.

I took several last night but I am not happy because I has to use the flash and is washed the rifle out. I will use daylight and post some in a few hours.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Post by Hobie »

Sounds a treat!
Sincerely,

Hobie

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

I have been reading old posts looking for the information to smooth the action of the Marlin 1894. The best post I found was titled, "Marlin 1894 disassembly." It has several excellent links and book titles that detail how to do the job properly.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Image

Here is one photo I took of the receiver and a custom Damascus steel knife along with a full load of ammo. I will try to load more later, but I am on a dial-up modem and it took forever to load just the one pic.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Image

Here is another...just don't tell my wife I put that steel barrel on her piano before I used the sheet music to raise it off the wood.

It is a bit washed out from the flash...sorry.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Image

Here is one of the butt stock.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Image

Here is another...
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Image

And another...
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Image

And one more for now...
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
SmokeEater2
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Post by SmokeEater2 »

She's a beauty Irish Cop! I like that knife you have there too. :)
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Iron_Marshal
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Post by Iron_Marshal »

Smoke Eater,

Thanks for the compliments. You are the first to see them I think. Brian Wilhoite does custom work for the Smoky Mountains Kinfe Company in Sevierville, TN. I really liked the Damascus steel that makes the blade, but I also bought that 'lil skinner because of the embedded fourleaf clover. I have skinned two or three deer and a few rabbits with it already and it seems to hold an edge very well. I thought the brass in the handle would compliment the brass of the .44 mag rounds so I included it in the picture...artistic soul that I am.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936
Jaguarundi
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Post by Jaguarundi »

Nice gun & pics :D ! Thanks for posting.
"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not."
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