Installed Long Hunter one piece firing pin kit

[BrimstoneJerome]

Well its real cold out so it is armature gun smith time. My question is has anyone who has installed this kit, (steel firing pin, main spring, and lever button spring), had issues with the lever button spring, or making the lever button work properly? I was a bit conservative when bending the arm spring upwards, (the spring that holds the trigger block down). Now with a slight jostle of the action like setting the rifle on the table, the lever button will come forward. Just looking for some one who has been thee done that.

 

thanks

Brim

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

The original lever button spring is very strong and was designed to positively hold the lever up with the stock springs. Part of the point of the kit is to reduce the levering effort and this includes making it easier to start the lever downward by lightening the lever button. Sounds like you were to "conservative" with the trigger block spring and it is pushing the lever down. Lighten it a little more and retry the lever until it stays up with normal movement of the gun.

[BrimstoneJerome]

Will do, thank you. Larsen, I remember shootin with you longtime ago at ACSA and Rio, I was about 12 13 then following around Malpais Mike. Thanks again for the help.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Will do, thank you. Larsen, I remember shootin with you longtime ago at ACSA and Rio, I was about 12 13 then following around Malpais Mike. Thanks again for the help.

 

Now I feel even older and more decrepit.

[BrimstoneJerome]

Not my intention.

 

Apologies,

Brim.

[Jackrabbit Joe #414]

Don't fret about old Larsen Brimstone, as he just hates to admit about not getting any younger! Waaaa, Haaaa.......

 

Haven't seen you in some time probably 10 or so years. Hope to see you again on the range somewhere.

 

Take care:

Jackrabbit Joe

[Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440]

Yep, take a little off the trigger safety spring. BUT, if yer lever latch pops open now and again, don't sweat it. I have the light springs in mine, and the pointed end of the lever latch rounded some, so yeah, it pops open if ya look at it crossways. I learned to hold thelever shut while loading, and to squeeze the lever against the tang when I shoulder the gun. So if it's open a tad, I don't even know it. The bottom line is, make the latch smooth enough to eliminate the "bump" when it opens and closes.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Brim:

 

on the Marlin, there are 3 items that effect the 'popping open' of the lever.

 

The FIRST item I would check out is the mag tube spring. When loading rounds in the mag tube, the round that you see at the loading gate is also pushing against the 'knife' edge portion of the lever. A really strong spring in the mag tube can create enough 'pushing' pressure on your rounds in the mag tube to cause your lever to pop open, especially when your trying to 'tweak' your trigger safety bar spring and lever latch button and spring.

Anyhow, if it were me, I would size my mag tube spring to about 2.5 or 3" longer than the mag tube.

 

SECOND: I would 'tweak' that trigger safety bar spring to where it pushes the trigger safety down thru its recess yet not enough that you can't push the bar up with finger pressure. You do want it to continue to function as a safety without being overly strong.

 

THIRD: Now I would set up my lever plunger. I like using either Longhunters spring or an appropriately sized spring from an ink pen. They both work great.

Now, take your plunger and shove it onto a Q-Tip. All this does is allow you to hold it better while polishing it. Keep the angles the same but polish up those angles. And polish up the body of the plunger also. I personally have found that if you put a sharp edge where those angles meet and then give that edge a slight 'roll' (And I do mean 'slight roll'. Don't over do it), it gives REAL GOOD feeling when you open and close your lever.

NOW, polish that hole in the lever where that plunger sits. You want it to move freely back and forth inside that hole. And Last but not least, chamfer the entrance to that hole. You will be surprised at how much a sharp edge on that hole entrance can hinder smooth movement of that plunger.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Oh yea, my Marlin is setup that very little feel (or bump) is noticable when working the lever open or close.

 

In working with this, you will start to understand how to best set this up.

 

Good luck.

 

 

..........Widder

[BrimstoneJerome]

Jackrabbit Joe good to hear from you! It has been a long hiatus from CAS, Uncle Malpais Mike got my trigger finger twitching again by giving me the gift of a life time, a pair of Ruger NMVs for a graduation present this past may. Since then I've gathered my gear back up, and shot Rio for the first time since '02. I'll be comin down from CO. For a few AZ. Matches with uncle, hope to see you there.

 

A.J.

 

Thanks for the info, much obliged.

 

Thanks regards,

Brimstone.

[Hells Comin]

I would call Jim ( Longer Hunter ) He is one of the Finer Gentlemen around. I"am sure he would be glad to help you, and who better to explain how to install his kit!

Hells Comin

[Two Dot, 14911]

I bet Uncle Mikey could bend it for you.

Get him to buy you a 1911 for Wild Bunch next.

 

See ya soon A. J.

 

Two Dot

[BrimstoneJerome]

H.C.

 

Much thanks for the advice, LH's kit is OUTSTANDING, I was just bein a little over cautious bending the arm sprin,g idea being better to bend it a little and ask questions then to bend it too much and have to ask question, about un-bendinging it. I got it figured out thanks to the kind folks of the wire, its a great product with great service.

 

Thanks again H.C.

 

Mr. Two Dot!

 

good to hear from you, remind Uncle I graduate from grad school Aug. 2012. And I ended up whipeing the snotr from my nose, putting my grown-up pants on and bending it my self, haha.

Give my uncle a good solid dutch rub for me at WR, hope to see ya at some matches when I head south.

 

See ya round the fire.

[BrimstoneJerome]

Thanks for the thorough advice Widder. Your work on Marlins, that I've seen through the videos and what not, is very skilled and impressive.

 

Many Thanks.

 

Brim.