Warden Callaway Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 I watched this rifle on GB for a week or more and nobody else wanted it. I waited until the last 20 minutes to put in a bid. It said "I won!". But won what was as little unclear. The pictures and description clearly stated a numerous faults. I was sure I'd find more. But that's just pepper in my soup. The good: It's a "94". In 1903 Marlin started marking the model number as "94", dropping the 19. The serial number puts it after 1906. It's unclear when it was actually made because records were lost or not kept after 1906. Then WWI disrupted normal production. After the war, there is still no records. The 94 was produced in some number but not catalogued. All were apparently made from parts on hand. Most were in 25-20 and 32WCF with round barrels. I'm guessing between 1906 and when the converted over to make guns for the war. This one is in 38WCF and has a non-standard 26" octagon barrel. I've got several 25-20s and 32WCF in the early rifles but not a major bore size. The bore shows lots of rifling. The breach face and firing pin are if the later small diameter. What's there looks like it matches. Overall patina is lightly pitted but no deep pitting or signs of being sanded. No deep scratches or dents. The bad: The rifle has seen a lot of "improvised" repairs. Every screw is buggered. The hammer main spring is a cobbled affair of two springs. The magazine spring was likely original and rusted to point of crumbling. The lever plunger is missing. And the worst, the ejector is missing. The ugly: The buttstock is homemade and looks to be red oak. The buttplate is missing. The forend has been broken and glued and had a rasp taken to it. The hammer screw was homemade but at least the threads in the frame were not screwed up. I'll likely let luck and time decide how I proceed. I'd like to find an original buttstock, buttplate and forend, I'd go that way. If not, I will likely install new wood. I'm sure I can get it in good shooting condition. It needed me. If I hadn't rescued it, it would have likely been parted out. The total of the parts would likely be twice what I paid for the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne Culpepper 32827 Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 cool,, good luck with it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 keep us posted as you work on her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted May 22, 2018 Author Share Posted May 22, 2018 I knew things were going too good. I took Ford into Jiffy Lube this morning and got right in and out in 20 minutes. I even found a $10 coupon online that they gave me credit for. Went by the computer shop and told the wizard my problems uploading to YouTube. She suggested I use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi because the router was on the shelf a couple of feet away. There went the $10 that I'd saved on the oil change for an Ethernet cable but I got home and it worked! Then... The plunger was missing from the lever on the project Marlin. Wouldn't be bad but butcher shop gunsmith had soldered in a tube and cross drilled a new hole through the side. Then whatever he put in in place of the plunger had broken out. I drilled out the tube and had the plunger installed. There was still a big gap on each side where the cross hole had been drilled and then ripped out. Well, long story long, the end broke off the lever. I have four other first generation Marlin 1894s that have levers. But they are needed in the rifles they are in. I'll start looking for another lever. It'll about have to be one from an early model. The lever from a the newer models are contoured a bit different. Welding is one thing. Holding the parts to make a weld is another. I'm thinking I can epoxy a copper rod in the plunger hole to hole to hold the two parts in proper position. Then tack weld the two parts together then remove the copper rod and continue to V out spots and weld. There is only a chance I can pull this repair off. But it's just a chunk of junk as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 Warden We have seen you work magic before. Being from MO originally Ill say Show Me. I know you will succeed with this one. Imis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted May 22, 2018 Author Share Posted May 22, 2018 I tried the levers out of my other four early Marlin 1894s and three caused the dreaded Marlin jam. The 4th one seems to work tolerably well. I took it out and shot 8 shots with mixed results. Feed is a little iffy and I had a few failures to fire. Because I've had the gun apart a number of times, I've not put any effort in cleaning or oiling it. I'm thinking the bolt block is sometimes not always raising high enough to push the back part of the firing pin inline with the front part. Encouraging but a ways to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder SASS #13056 Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 A little spot weld and some judicious stoning should fix the Marlin Jamb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted May 23, 2018 Author Share Posted May 23, 2018 I had left the old gun dirty and dry until I fitted it out with replacement parts. This morning I brushed and and took steel wool to the action parts and went over the sliding areas with a hone. I oiled it with Mobil 1 oil. It made a big improvement. I would have shot it more this morning but got sidetracked going to make a deal on a Marlin 1889. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffield, SASS #23454 Posted May 24, 2018 Share Posted May 24, 2018 Find a lead/acid "D" cell battery. Disassemble it and use the carbon rod in the center to make a filler for the hole in the lever where you need to make a built up weld repair. This will keep weld from entering the hole, and all you will have to do is file down the outside of the weld. Duffield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted May 24, 2018 Author Share Posted May 24, 2018 12 hours ago, Duffield, SASS #23454 said: Find a lead/acid "D" cell battery. Disassemble it and use the carbon rod in the center to make a filler for the hole in the lever where you need to make a built up weld repair. This will keep weld from entering the hole, and all you will have to do is file down the outside of the weld. Duffield Thanks for the tip! Since I was set up to shoot the video of the 1889, I took the also recently acquired 94 project gun out for a video review. It didn't go as smoothly as the 1889 but then again, this gun has a number of borrowed parts. I'm encouraged. I'll not worry about the little hiccups until I get parts to replace the borrowed parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 13 hours ago, Duffield, SASS #23454 said: Find a lead/acid "D" cell battery. Disassemble it and use the carbon rod in the center to make a filler for the hole in the lever where you need to make a built up weld repair. This will keep weld from entering the hole, and all you will have to do is file down the outside of the weld. Duffield You can also pack the hole with shaved pencil lead. Powdered up brushes from an electric motor work the best. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 This one is a 38-40 as well, and was made in 1900. I had to hand fit the ejector, and still need to replace the extractor, as the ejected brass just barely dribble out the port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted May 25, 2018 Author Share Posted May 25, 2018 Fortunately, someone pointed out Wisner makes some new parts for these old guns. http://www.wisnersinc.com/model/center-fire-lever-1881/ I need 3 ejectors, one extractor and a hammer spring. I've not the courage to ask for more gun parts money at this time. The reply, "money pit", comes up often when I'm working on these old guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Just say the parts are cheaper than psychologists are. So Wisner's makes these parts, and they are not NOS Marlin parts. Good to know....... OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted May 29, 2018 Author Share Posted May 29, 2018 I've been working on repairing the damage to the lever. I'm making progress and not totally screwed it up... yet. I took a different approach. I turned out a steel plug with hole in the center to weld in where the plunger will go. Once all the welding is done, I'll drill the plunger hole to size. I've also discovered that the lever is bent. I'm thinking about a good way to go about fixing it. Here is where I'm at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 The lever will bend with out to much effort, at the junction of where the finger loop meets the trigger area. Make a wooden block/'form' to fit into the finger loop area and clamp into vise. Slide a section of pipe over the tongue of the lever/trigger guard, and apply force buy pulling on the end of the pipe to 'open' up the TG area just a bit-No hammer...... Use the other lever for your pattern. You may have to heat the area also. I would not worry about that side to side clearance just yet. How does it look with that second lever in place? OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 I didn't have much trouble getting the lever bent back in line. I already had the dirty job done before reading your method. I just rigged it up loose in the machine vise and supported the loop end. Then used a bar clamp to apply steady force. It took a couple of shots to get it right(r) but it works much better. The closed lever now pushes the locking bolt up another 30 thousands or maybe a little more. I also took out the old firing pin and cleaned up the hole. I installed a new firing pin front, back and spring because I had them. I haven't shot it since I've made these changes but it has to help. Yesterday spent 3 hours with one of my scrounger buddies. Two hours in just visiting and telling stories. About a half hour of looking at guns he pulled out of a couple of safes. Among them were two Marlin 1888s, two Marlin 1889s, Marlin 1894, and a Marlin 1893 in 38-55. All had been re-color case hardened and blued with high grade walnut wood. The other half hour was spent rummaging through a ton of stuff looking for a buttstock and buttplate. We didn't find anything I needed. I've been searching online; eBay and parts places for a correct crescent steel buttplate. There are a couple on eBay but they are way over my budget. Track of the Wolf, Dixie Gunworks, CPA Rifles, Homestead, and others have a reproduction buttplate that is rough cast that is more like a Winchester shape and dimension than Marlin. Finally this afternoon I hit on a buttplate offered by Numrich Arms that was for the Marlin 1895 Century Limited. It's made by Marlin, the dimensions agree and the price was so right I ordered two. Here is what the buttplate should look like except these will be "in white". I'm weighing make vs buy on new buttstock and forend. I have a Dupla-Carver and the wood and patterns to go by. Just need the gumption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 great looking project - i think i would make the furniture myself , your not in that big a hurry here , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Graham, # 26112 Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Thanks for sharing your cool old Marlin find with us! I have a 44-40 about the same age. I bookmarked the link to the parts as I worry about the old hairpin thingy giving up on me. They look so much more fragile than the modern ones. Hopefully there will be some in stock soon so I can get a spare to keep in the parts box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 Got another piece of the puzzle today for my project Marlin 94 - a proper steel buttplate. (Shown near the buttplate on my Marlin 1889.) There are several original buttplates on eBay starting bid of $150. There are reproduction rough cast in steel or brass for around $50 and shipping depending on where you find them. But they are replicas of the Winchester buttplate and the dimensions don't match. I finally snagged onto a buttplate made for a Marlin 1895 100th year commemorative that was not only the correct size, and shape, but made by Marlin and at a reasonable price. So reasonable, I bought two. They are steel and "in the white" and will require polishing ane bluing or browning but that won't be a big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 i like the original parts , when doing these you might as well do them right , do share some puotos when you get things moving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share Posted June 23, 2018 More parts to the puzzle. The last couple of weeks have been hot or busy with shooting matches. But I managed to saw out some walnut to make new wood for the project Marlin. I sawed them from a root ball and was disappointed there wasn't much figure in them. I cut two sets just in case one didn't turn out. I have the gun repaired to shooting condition and have been testing it for groups. The barrel is rougher than I hoped. I'd get a few shots in a tolerable group and then flyers, then really wild shots. It does better with smokeless loads of Unique. I keep shooting and cleaning it and it seems to be doing better. I may have to reline the barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 The project is moving along. I have been shooting it and not gotten very good groups from it. I have a barrel liner on order form TJ'S Enterprises and our local cowboy gunsmith on board to reline and chamber it. Meanwhile, I just got the notion to take what I have and decorate it Indian style. It already has a crude, homemade buttstock. Wouldn't be hard to fake some rawhide repairs and add some brass tacks. Nothing that couldn't be undone. Can't do much to hurt it.. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 Got the barrel liner in today. Looks good. This is what the bore looks like on the inside . Here is TJ's barrel liner in 38WCF caliber. Here is what it looks like on the inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 You really should remove that lint. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 Just now, The Original Lumpy Gritz said: You really should remove that lint. OLG You can't see it with a bore light. But an endoscope picks up EVERYTHING. It makes the pits look 2 foot deep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Do you have the chamber reamers? OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.A. Stranger Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Thanks for sharing, very informative ! D.A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 6 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said: Do you have the chamber reamers? OLG My cowboy gunsmith does. Plus the long drills, etc. He'll be doing the liner install. I'd like to do it myself but he's already equipped and experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 39 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said: My cowboy gunsmith does. Plus the long drills, etc. He'll be doing the liner install. I'd like to do it myself but he's already equipped and experienced. Would he let you take pictures of the work? OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted July 8, 2018 Author Share Posted July 8, 2018 1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said: Would he let you take pictures of the work? OLG I've not asked him. He did the barrel swap on my 44 Magnum to 44WCF project while I watched. But that was pre-arranged plan and only took a few minutes as I had the gun stripped down and ready to go in the barrel vise. That turned out easier than changing out a lawn mower blade. This is going to take a good bit longer. Drilling out 26" of barrel and maybe reeming. He uses Acraglas to fix in the liner so I'd expect he'd let it cure for some time before installing and clambering. And he's waging war on Japanese beetles that are eating his garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 IIRC: Due to the length of the core drill used. He will have to drill from the breech, and then the muzzle. Looking forward to seeing the finished project. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share Posted September 3, 2018 I got the stripped rifle back yesterday with new TJs liner installed, chambered and test fired. I'm thinking that I'll remove the barrel and lightly draw file it and brown it before going on. Also, the other parts. Then this late fall after our cowboy shooting matches are over start on new wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 10, 2018 Author Share Posted September 10, 2018 I'm in the process of cleaning up the outside of the barrel on my Marlin 94 project gun and here I'm removing the barrel to make a better job of the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Solo Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Thanks for posting up the progress, fun to keep up with how its going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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