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Opinions on Marlin 94 .38-40


DeaconKC

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Okay, I'm talking with a guy about a restored Marlin 94 in .38-40. Metal has been refinished and has unfinished wood. Rifle is complete. Would one of the older guns like this be good to consider for this sport? Help @Widder, SASS #59054 especially!

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I have a saddle ring carbine made sometime prior to 1923, a 24" octagon made probably in 1906, and a 22" heavy round barrel made in 1904. They all needed a little work when I first acquired them, but no problems since. Love those Marlin .38-40's!

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2 hours ago, DeaconKC said:

Okay, I'm talking with a guy about a restored Marlin 94 in .38-40. Metal has been refinished and has unfinished wood. Rifle is complete. Would one of the older guns like this be good to consider for this sport? Help @Widder, SASS #59054 especially!

 

I'm not Widder, but my guess is that he's never had experience with an early flat spring Marlin 1894. 

 

My experience with them,  the heavy hammer spring would need to me carefully reduced in weight or somehow converted to coil to reduce the effort to lever the gun.  Maybe other parts could be updated too.  Keep in mind with these old gun, many of the critical wear, break, loose parts are not easily obtained and are not cheap if you can find them.

 

If you like to shoot antique guns at a leisurely pace,  you'll be happy.  But you probably won't beat Missouri Lefty.  Here I'm shooting an old Marlin 94 in 38WCF that I rebuilt from junk. 

 

 

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I thought you had him there! :lol:
 

I put the springs in a small bench vise and draw file them thinner - not narrower, thinner. Break the sharp edges, polish, reinstall. I had one break a few years ago and replace it with... maybe a modified '73 spring? I don't remember, but it worked. I broke an ejector spring on one of them sometime back too, and that was kind of hard to find.

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