The Marlin Forum

[Marshal Halloway]

After many requests and with the upgraded forum, I am happy to announce the addition of the Marlin forum.

Enjoy!

[Bibbyman]

Thank you!


Video review of my Marlin 1889 44WCF. 

[onegunred]

Thank you .

[cactus joe]

Bibbyman, Nice video and nice rifle, Thankyou

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Great video and rifle.  In about 2004, I had an 1889 in 44-40.  It had a bullet hole through the comb of the stock!  The bullet furrow looked to be about 44 caliber, and was angled in such a way it must have missed the shooters face by inches.  I always wished it could tell the story.  It was a great shooter, but the trigger guard pinched my fingers. 1894 had a larger, more open trigger guard.

[Major 2]

Nice Bibbyman 

I'll chime in with my Marlin an 1894 Classic Limited in 32/20

I bought it NIB about 4 years ago, it was a limited run manufactured in 1989...


No video to offer.. But I have the Article I wrote and was published >

The First Time Around                        By Roger Ragland - Major
   I missed out the first time around; in 1894 John M. Marlin Co. introduced their new Lever Action Rifle. Designed by Lewis Hepburn the rifle was available in a 24-inch barrel and was chambered for a variety of pistol rounds in .25-20 Winchester, .32-20 Winchester, .38-40, and .44-40. My Dad spoke often of his chambered in 32-20 with affection. Just prior to World War Two and days following Pearl Harbor, Dad had said he had traded his rifle away in need of a side arm. His volunteer service in the Coast Guard Axillary, and the use of his 32' Cabin Cruiser, The "Lenape" required he be armed for Coast watching duty in and around Lower Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay and upper Key Largo. (As well as the 2 armed Coastie's assigned to the Lenape)   For further reading about Florida in the early days of WW II?  I offer,    http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/lifestyles/world-war-ii-at-home-how-it-changed-south-florida-/nf9Jn/            
Note: the above  Link appears no longer supported                                                                                                                                         
I never got to shoot the old Marlin, as it was long gone by the time I came along. I did however get to shoot the side arm, a S&W Hand Ejector Model in his favorite round 32-20. I own that gun now, in which gun, the nostalgia around those memories, and the stories brought me to wanting a Marlin 1894 in that chambering he spoke of. I just had to own and shoot one of my own.   
   I almost missed J.M. Marlin's next intro.... a beautiful lever action Marlin in that magic caliber - .32 WCF.  In 1989 J.M. Marlin began re- offering their 1894 in two classic calibers, the 32-20 and the .25-20. , this time it was to be a limited run offered for about two years. It proved popular, the run lasted five years and they added the .218 Bee.  Called the Marlin Classic Limited or CL they featured a half or button magazine that held 7 rounds, and Ballard rifling instead of Marlin's famous Micro-grooved rifling.                                                                                                       
The nostalgia I felt peeked when I pulled the S&W out, having found Star Line cases were available again about 2 years ago. I started looking for a rifle to shoot with it. I started watching Gun Broker and in the next weeks I found a nice circa 1990 Classic Limited new in box at a "buy me now" price, pulling the trigger so to speak, and fired off a Money Order. The idea then was a nice companion to my Dad's Hand Ejector revolver. Arriving box stock it was nice piece, but the action was stiff and clunky. I needed to do some work, so on very good advice I acquired, a spring kit, a one piece firing pin, I also purchased a stainless magazine spring and follower (these were more for easy maintenance than any real issue) I also bought a Cross-Bolt Safety Replacement , this was for pure cosmetics. I admit that defeating the safety on a woods carry gun or range plinker is not for everyone. 
   Ordering from Uniqueteck, I got the Palo Verde Marlin Spring kit.  The spring kit also includes a replacement spring for the Lever Latch Plunger, most other "kits" don't have this little spring, believe me it's the BOSS!  The main spring is tunable with colored shims to suit your favored rate. Contacting Slick Magic, I got their SS one piece firing pin, also ordered their 38/357 Stainless follower and the SS 38/357 Mag Spring ( same part for the 32-20 )
These parts are all "Plug-n-Play." you won't need incredible talent to install them.
As always start by making sure your gun is unloaded. Remove the lever screw, pull the lever out then remove the bolt. Watch out for the ejector, it's just in there loose in a notch and will fall out. You will need to drive out the pins that hold the firing pin in place, the rear one needs to come out, but the middle one does not need to come all the way out, just tap it till the firing pin will slide out.                                                     
  Your new one piece firing pin slides in, turned correctly so the center pin will tap back in place, replace the rear pin.                                             
Remove the pin to the lever plunger install the new spring from the Palo Verde spring kit. Reinstall the bolt; don't forget the ejector (a dab of grease helps here) and the lever. A quick check for burrs was prudent but polishing was not really necessary as none where found.                                                         
To replace the mainspring, you have to remove the butt stock. With the hammer down remove the mainspring. The mainspring retainer slides sideways in the slot. You don't need to bend or force it? It will come out the side. The kit has a little color chart for the spring shims, find the one for the caliber your rifle is and use this as your base line? you can tweak it later if you wish, 38special worked great for my 32-20.                                                                            Install the new mainspring and shims on the hammer strut in order according to the color chart provided. Put the mainspring retainer on the strut, with the bottom edge inserted into the slot in the lower tang. Push the top of the retainer forward and slide it in. Now give it a try you will be amazed, as this will bring the gun to life!

Now, while the butt stock is off is the time to replace the cross-bolt safety. The replacement pin looks like a screw, it is easy to install, and if you ever want to put the factory safety back in, that is easy too. I do recommend a tiny drop of Blue Loctite on the Allen lock screw.   Disclaimer: disabling/removing the cross-bolt safety not only invalidates the warranty *, but it can have other consequences. I did replace my cross-bolt safety on my Marlin with the replacement static part...its your option to do so or not.                                               
I'm not sure if any warranty still exists on my 25 year old, new in box old stock JM Marlin Co, Classic Limited anyway, with Marlin becoming part of Remington Arms and the Freedom Group in 2007.                               

   The 32-20 is a flat shooting, light recoil and accurate round, I had used it when my Rotator cuff was healing. I began to look at the CL as a CAS shooter? I had owned a JM Marlin 1894 in 45 Colt about 20 years ago, a sweet Cowboy gun, that gun is still being used in CAS by its current owner. Of course the CL's 7 shot magazine is a disadvantage to 10 or + round stages so I considered a full length tube. I just wrote some stages with load 7 then load X more, both on and/or off the timer? that would suit my Spencer shooting pard right down to the ground. Thus far, I have shied away from the full tube modification; I like the look of the half magazine. I?ll continue to use my 73 short rifle for NCOWS, at least for now and the 32-20 Classic for plinking.  RR

 

[scrubby2009]

Count me in. M1889 in 38WCF wiith the 28" octagon barrel . 15 + 1 is just fine with me and compared to the newer Marlins with the cartoonish front stocks, I love the slim quickness of handling this old rifle for field carry. Took it buck hunting for a week this last fall in D-3 here in NorCal. Had my War Dept.-issued NMA strapped to my packframe for a sidearm and tramped all over the hills. Thoroughly great little rifle. I handload for it using Bear Creek's moly-coated RNFP in 180gr flavor over 15gr of 2400. I can get a 8 to 10 inch group at 100 yards with open sights, good enough for the brushy country we hunt.

[Bryan Austin]

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Thanks for the new Marlin Forum guys. When I was at the Baltimore show a guy had a Marlin factory built take down rifle with a second bbl/full length mag assembly in .30-30. A very nice rifle. It had been hunted I?m sure and had some wear but it was the first Marlin takedown that I?d ever seen. I don?t recall the caliber of the other bbl, had my hands on a couple of old Marlin 38-40, 44-40s but didn?t buy one. Maybe next year.

[Navy Six]

Also many thanks for this forum. The more I use my Marlin--1894 in .357--at Cowboy matches with blackpowder, the more I like it. My wife has one as well. It was my first Marlin and am now sorry I missed a chance at one in 44-40. Will look forward to learning from those with more expertise with this action.

[Bryan Austin]

Marlin 1889 manufactured in 1891. Open sights, 265 yards