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HELP!!!! Coast of a Tune-up Marlin .45 Colt


Pee Wee #15785

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I am talking to the wife about sending a JM Marlin with under 50 rounds through it to a good gunsmith.  What would you ask for the gunsmith to do keeping stock parts as much as he can?  I want to use it as a deer rifle along with SASS.  What would you have to pay for a good action job?  If you had a smith work on your gun, without naming the smith would you tell me what it cost?  I need a good high and low price as she is an accountant.  After getting the rifle, as I shoot .44-40, getting it slicked up I have to have numbers as to the cost.

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16 minutes ago, Pee Wee #15785 said:

I am talking to the wife about sending a JM Marlin with under 50 rounds through it to a good gunsmith.  What would you ask for the gunsmith to do keeping stock parts as much as he can?  I want to use it as a deer rifle along with SASS.  What would you have to pay for a good action job?  If you had a smith work on your gun, without naming the smith would you tell me what it cost?  I need a good high and low price as she is an accountant.  After getting the rifle, as I shoot .44-40, getting it slicked up I have to have numbers as to the cost.

$800, plus the cost of the gun, for an 1873.  I suspect a Marlin would be considerably less expensive.

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Normal slicking up a Marlin 1894 should be around $150, give or take.

 

Turning one into a VERY reliable and slick 1894, might run $200, plus parts and return shipping.

 

Any trigger work you want might run $35 more.

 

..........Widder

 

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Just shoot it. It will wear smooth after a few hundred rounds. I use a small O'ring over the safety, that I install with circlip pliers. If hunting I cut the O'ring to use the safety. If the gun runs rough I sub out ejectors as that has been the only problem I've had when new.

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Look at Cody Conagher’s website ( Http://www.codyscowboyshop.com/). He has done a couple of ‘73’s for us and does great work with a fast turnaround.  His price on a Marlin action job looks more than reasonable, and I am sure he would consider what you plan to use it for when he does the work.  

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If you are happy with the stock throw of the gun and it doesn't need any repair, then it might be a project that you would enjoy doing yourself. IMO the Marlin 94 is a much easier gun to work on than the 73. The big gains in a Marlin come up front with some simple polishing and spring replacements. It's that last little bit that takes some "fine" tuning that you need a Guru for. You might be happy with what you can do yourself. Just a thought.

 

Snakebite 

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1 hour ago, Snakebite said:

If you are happy with the stock throw of the gun and it doesn't need any repair, then it might be a project that you would enjoy doing yourself. IMO the Marlin 94 is a much easier gun to work on than the 73. The big gains in a Marlin come up front with some simple polishing and spring replacements. It's that last little bit that takes some "fine" tuning that you need a Guru for. You might be happy with what you can do yourself. Just a thought.

 

Snakebite 

 

YEP.   ^^^

Check out Marauders website.  Lots of info on tuning various Cowboy guns, especially the Marlin 1894.

 

..........Widder

 

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23 minutes ago, Pee Wee #15785 said:

Would you ask for a fix on the Marlin Jam while the smith had it?

If you are getting the "Jamb", then you need some other work. IMO most folks would not want to tackle the fix. I always used a Hack saw blade, but I'm sure that there are others with much more experience than me. 

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Pee Wee,

The info I'm about to share is from my experience only concerning the JAM.

 

What is well known as the 'Marlin Jam' is a situation where:

1.  The timing ramp on the bottom of the carrier has worn a few .000

2.  The timing ramp on the bottom of the carrier came from the factory a little shorter or mis-angled.

3.  The ammo being fed thru the rifle is shorter than the timing ramp has been tuned.

4.  I never recommend bending the carrier upwards.  This can cause your carrier tongue to rise to high

during cycling and allow rounds from the portal to shoot UNDER the carrier.   This is as bad as the JAM.

 

I agree with Snakebite in that you need to let someone who KNOWS about Marlin timing, especially in relationship to your

cartridge OAL, set up your timing.    Slow timing works better with longer OAL ammo.     Faster timing is a must for shorter

OAL ammo.

 

Welding a piece of saw blade works very good and can be done locally.    

A good hard TIG weld properly set will work great, but will wear a little with usage.

Sending the carrier to Gunner Gatlin in Michigan is my preferred method to 'permanently' set the timing ramp on the carrier.

Gunner inserts a piece of carbide steel in the ramp and it takes a diamond file if you ever try to reshape it.

 

If you are shooting a normal 'short OAL' ammo (such as a .38 special at around 1.40 OAL),  ask Gunner to give you about .005

LIFT in your carrier timing.

If you are using 1.50+ ammo, such as in most .357 stuff, you may never need any height increase in the timing ramp.

 

If I can help with information in any way, please call me at:  865 / 696-1996.

 

Understanding the Marlin timing helped me create the C45S and .45 Colt ammo feed interchangeably in the .45 Colt Marlin.

 

P.S. -  I've handled BRAND NEW 1894's that wouldn't feed anything because the timing was so bad from the factory.

AND... I've handled OLD 1894's with a few thousand rounds thru them and their timing was still in great shape.

 

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

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