Hot Iron Hill Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Good morning All, I am new and starting to get my guns and gear for Cowboy Shooting. I have been looking at some Marlin 1894’s some JM stamped and some not, should I only get a JM stamped or is a Non okay? What is the differences? Thank you all, Hot Iron Hill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheriff Langston Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Hi Hot Iron, Some more knowledgeable will chime in however I have one with a JM stamped barrel. As I understand it indicates it was made by Marlin before being bought out by Remington where the quality control became very questionable.. I would stick with the JM barrel personally. Good luck, keep asking questions. Sheriff Langston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrel Cody Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 1 minute ago, Sheriff Langston said: Hi Hot Iron, Some more knowledgeable will chime in however I have one with a JM stamped barrel. As I understand it indicates it was made by Marlin before being bought out by Winchester Remington where the quality control became very questionable.. I would stick with the JM barrel personally. Good luck, keep asking questions. Sheriff Langston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheriff Langston Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Thanks Tyrel, not enough coffee yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 It was worn out tooling that was the real issue... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackrabbit Joe #414 Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Welcome aboard there Hot Iron Hill: Yep, that's the way to go with a JM stamped Marlin the others have had some problems. It doesn't take much but getting on SASS and asking is always the best way. Good Luck and see yah on the range some where in time. JRJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 5 minutes ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said: It was worn out tooling that was the real issue... One of many. They moved the old tooling and left behind all the employees that knew how to build a Marlin lever action. The very best Marlins don't have a JM stamp. But they were made over 100 years ago. Marlin 1889 made in 1891 in 44WCF. I'll put it this way, I closely examine every Remington made Marlin lever gun I come across. I've yet to see one I'd buy due to a number of visual flaws I see just by looking it over. With one exception, at the NRA convention last year the Marlin booth had some out or their custom shop on display that looked right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 18 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said: One of many. They moved the old tooling and left behind all the employees that knew how to build a Marlin lever action. The very best Marlins don't have a JM stamp. But they were made over 100 years ago. Marlin 1889 made in 1891 in 44WCF. I'll put it this way, I closely examine every Remington made Marlin lever gun I come across. I've yet to see one I'd buy due to a number of visual flaws I see just by looking it over. With one exception, at the NRA convention last year the Marlin booth had some out or their custom shop on display that looked right. It's not that they knew how to build them, it's that they knew what they had to fix due to the crappy tooling... Which of course made the manufacturing of the gun significantly more expensive to produce. Phantom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostVaquero Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 In general a JM stamped Marlin was assembled and fitted by people working for the company for years. Once Remington bought Marlin as has been mentioned the tooling worn and all new employees that did not know how to fit and machine pieces. Remington before their bankruptcy replaced most if not all the machines. I have a Remington made Marlin called the limited that came out about a year back. It runs as good as my JM stamped Marlins. That being said I have picked up other Remington made Marlins affectionately referred to as Remlins, and they have been stiff and gritty as heck. Most JM stamped ones a whole lot better. Bottom line less chance of a clunker if you go JM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Lets put it this way-I will not work on a Remmy made Marlin. The JM stamped ones, are your best bet. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 I did a search on one of the online gun broker sites and see that the prices of new Marlins have risen considerably. Still no 357/38 so if you're considering that caliber, you're about going to have to look for a JM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Iron Hill Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 Thank you everyone for the great advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Henry Quick Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 I have one of the new ones coming - it's being completely reworked by Long Hunter, so I figured it would be a worthwhile investment. We shall see. http://www.longhunt.com/web/index.php?page=Marlin-1894-Custom-Cowboy-Action Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VICIOUS, SASS#8014 Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Howdy As a hard core Marlin fan I suggest only a JM Marlin that you have cycled and or shot. I just bought a Winchester 73 carbine made by Miruko in Japan. Best money I ever spent on cowboy guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Dang Winchester Miruku are getting more plentiful, with more models and calibers available than in the past. Top quality guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Just now, Warden Callaway said: Dang Winchester Miruku are getting more plentiful, with more models and calibers available than in the past. Top quality guns. Has Miruku parts gotten any easier to find? OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 I only needed parts once and Mary called down to the Browning and Winchester service center in Arnold Missouri and the lady that she talked to took her order and went back and sacked up the parts while she was still on the phone. Got them in a couple of days. We could have driven down there and dealt in person. Some folks do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick McClade Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 I have built several hundred Marlins for customers over the last few years. I personally will NOT work on any “Remington” built Marlins. The few I have done have taken two-three times longer to work on than any of the JM stamped rifles. The fit and finish of the Remington rifles are seriously lacking. My professional opinion as a Marlin gunsmith is to wait and spend the extra money on a JM stamped rifle in 38spl, 357 or 45C. Try to stay away from the 44mags, they seem to be more problematic from my experience. Welcome to the game, Slick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 38 minutes ago, Slick McClade said: Try to stay away from the 44mags, they seem to be more problematic from my experience. Welcome to the game, Slick Slick-May I ask what it is you find with the .44's over the .38/357 rifles? I ask, as I have shot my 1981 made .44 MG carbine(bought new in early '82)and my 24" bbl'd .44 CL in SASS for many years now. Saw the same issues as my wife's .38CBC had with the .44's. Those issues seen in our 3, '94s like broken front FPs and the usual Marlin Jam fixing was the 'biggest' deals(minor really). TNX, OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick McClade Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said: Slick-May I ask what it is you find with the .44's over the .38/357 rifles? I ask, as I have shot my 1981 made .44 MG carbine(bought new in early '82)and my 24" bbl'd .44 CL in SASS for many years now. Saw the same issues as my wife's .38CBC had with the .44's. Those issues seen in our 3, '94s like broken front FPs and the usual Marlin Jam fixing was the 'biggest' deals(minor really). TNX, OLG I replied but now it’s not here I’ll try again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick McClade Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 From my past experience I can never get the 44 mag smooth as I want my customers guns to be. The 45C on the other hand seems to be the smoothest of them all after the work is done. I can’t put my finger on the exact issue with the 44 but I have never been able to get them to my 100% satisfaction. I’m pretty picking about the way I want my customers match rifle to run. They should be smooth as glass and run without a hitch using one finger in the lever. Anyway that’s my thought and experience, I may not be 100% right and maybe another marlin smith like say “Widder” might chime in and give there experience with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 First off, I will answer Hot Iron Hill's question based solely on my experience with a few dozen JM brand Marlins and only 4 Remington produced Marlins. The Remingtons were bad..... very bad, to work on. Serious issues from timing, both initial and secondary, to an opened portal hole that allowed the magazine tube follower to freely pass thru onto the carrier with the last round and when the rifle was empty. This situation even prevented cycling the action with an empty rifle. As for the .44 situation that Slick mentioned, I have had similar experiences with the .44's being a little more 'picky' when trying to slick em up. I relate this to a few things particular to the .44: 1. On the angle feed mod, the .44 rim is different enough that it doesn't feed 'as smooth' under the extractor as other calibers. Basically, its .002 greater in diameter and sometimes, this is just enough to cause a feeding 'bump'. 2. Some .44 bolt face designs are different and create a different feel when the rim is trying to connect to the bolt face. AND 3. The chamber entrances of those .44 Marlins I have worked on seem to be of tighter tolerances than any of the other calibers, ESPECIALLY when working with an 'Angle feed' mod. BUT, the Angle Feed mod was an enhancement over the factory feed setup. When you combine BOTH #1 and #3, this can sometimes prevent the gunsmith from getting that "majik" feeling on a finished rifle. Well, those are my comments. In my experience, the .44-40 was the easiest to set up, followed closely by the .45 Colt. The .32 H&R is the easiest 'carrier' to setup BUT, other work on the rifle required more work than the other 1894 calibers, which justified my higher charge to set up the .32 The biggest issue, based on my experiences, on both the JM Marlins and the Remlins, is the timing. Luckily, I think many of the good SASS gunsmiths who work on Marlins understand the timing aspects and therefore, produce good, smooth rifles for their customers. From looking at three .38/.357 caliber Remlins, I ain't sure the Remington folks know anything about the Marlin timing, especially with the .38 length cartridges. Well, that about covers it. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Middlefork Bob, SASS #53945 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I bought one right in the middle of the buyout and move and it was truly a lemon. However, I did not give up on them and have bought a couple non JM Marlins (an 1894 and an 1895) in the last couple years and they were very good rifles. One thing I noticed is the new ones have a little square barecode thing on them and this seems to indicate a later production. My opinion is the later production Marlins are good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Slick-Thank you for your time and effort to post twice. May I ask, if you think the feeding issue was party due the design of the OEM Marlin extractor, and how the hook can interfere with chambering? Widder-Do you still find these feeding/chambering issues with the .44, to continue with the advent of the RPP extractor? I ask, because after I installed that extractor, I found that all 3 rifles will feed semi-wadcutter shaped bullets as smooth as can be. Going through my notes. I did have to polish the entrance of the chamber on both of my .44's. I also did this on the .38CBC. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex M Rugers #6621 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Don't want to hijack this thread , but do any of you more informed Wire Marlin guys know the time frame and sequence of events of the whole Marlin to Remlin change-over. I have tried several approaches and can't get a good fix on it. Reason I ask , I just bought a 44 mag recently that I thought was going to be a JM , because it was marked North Haven, Conn. on the barrel. When it arrived , I recognized right off it wasn't a JM because the serial number didn't fit the Marlin pattern. Has two letters in front of a five-digit number , followed by the letter "C". Plus the fact there was no JM stamp. If it helps any the letters are MR in front of the serial number. Hopefully this rifle was built by the Marlin guys before the real junkers started ; it looks and feels alright , but I haven't shot it yet. It does have a weird (to me) front sight hood , has an opening above the sight blade. Enough rambling ; if any of you guys can put dates on the different phases of the change-over , it will be most appreciated. The different Marlin sites I checked had nothing useful. Thanks , Rex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Iron Hill Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 I have been looking at the Marlin’s because of the money factor. Would you all remind me to stick with look for a JM Marlin or is there a better option for the money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roscoe Regulator Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 My Remlin 44 Mag 1894CS works well, but I got cut up with it running it fast until softening a number of knife edges on the breech bolt, lever, and trigger and adding a lever wrap. Mine has very nice wood and finish, about 5 years old. 44 Spl runs well in it too, completely stock. The problem would be with someone running it faster than I do. If it was more than my backup rifle, I would get it slicked up, while then not exactly an economy rifle when done. Note that this rifle was never a choice for SASS but simply a gun I already owned when joining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 LUMPY, I haven't tried the new RPP Extractors in any .44 caliber Marlins. My guess is that they would work great and either solve or help reduce feeding glitches. No doubt, IMHO, the RPP Extractors have been a blessing to many Marlin owners. REX, Sorri, but I don't know the time line of the Marlin/Remington change over. Lumpy might know, or maybe even Warden. HOT IRON, Never rule out any of the 66 or 73 models until you have tried them. I'm a Marlin shooter because they fit me well and I can work on them, if needed. BUT, the Uberti made rifles from Taylors and Cimmaron are used by many of the top shooters in Cowboy Action matches and serve them well. Shameless Advertisement: if you are in need of a good Marlin, you might want to try Slick McClade or Boomstick Jay. Both of these cowboys can be very helpful. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick McClade Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I’ve tried the RPP extractors in the last 44 mag and I couldn’t get it to work any better. I just took a factory extractor and tweaked it until finally it fed smooth and extracted strong. The chamber tolerance does seem to be a lot tighter and less forgiving on the 44 than other caliber rifles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 2 hours ago, Rex M Rugers #6621 said: Don't want to hijack this thread , but do any of you more informed Wire Marlin guys know the time frame and sequence of events of the whole Marlin to Remlin change-over. I have tried several approaches and can't get a good fix on it. Reason I ask , I just bought a 44 mag recently that I thought was going to be a JM , because it was marked North Haven, Conn. on the barrel. When it arrived , I recognized right off it wasn't a JM because the serial number didn't fit the Marlin pattern. Has two letters in front of a five-digit number , followed by the letter "C". Plus the fact there was no JM stamp. If it helps any the letters are MR in front of the serial number. Hopefully this rifle was built by the Marlin guys before the real junkers started ; it looks and feels alright , but I haven't shot it yet. It does have a weird (to me) front sight hood , has an opening above the sight blade. Enough rambling ; if any of you guys can put dates on the different phases of the change-over , it will be most appreciated. The different Marlin sites I checked had nothing useful. Thanks , Rex This site should help answer your questions. http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/ Hot Iron Hill-Like several of us have said-We will not work on Remmy made M/94 rifles. Yes-stay with the JM marked ones. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.