Slicking up the Marlin
- Thread starter Brad
- Start date
fiver
Well-Known Member
if you look closely at that silicone thickness along the fore-arm you'll find why it walks when it heats up.
when I done the sil's rifle I bedded the front of the fore-arm first so I could shim everything into the center of the stock.
then once I got that solid and straight I bedded the back half of the barrel channel and the recoil lug.
when I done the sil's rifle I bedded the front of the fore-arm first so I could shim everything into the center of the stock.
then once I got that solid and straight I bedded the back half of the barrel channel and the recoil lug.
The thickness varies some because I removed wood. The forearm was pretty snug on the barrel and I needed room for the silicone to go.
I think the walking was largely due to the very tight fit of the forearm cap. The barrel channel in it wasn't centered so it put pressure on one side or the barrel more than the other.
I wonder how they get these rifles together at the factory. I mean that cap was tight!
I think the walking was largely due to the very tight fit of the forearm cap. The barrel channel in it wasn't centered so it put pressure on one side or the barrel more than the other.
I wonder how they get these rifles together at the factory. I mean that cap was tight!
F
freebullet
Guest
Indeed bfh is most useful in aid of production.
Once you get to 800-1000 your not really removing metal, more like a pre polish smoothing. 800 grit is the point I've noticed things start getting real slick. With a quick dremel buff they get really slick. I'm sure at 400 it's much better than it was based on my marlin. It was pretty crunchy when I got it, and still needs help.
The silicone trick is interesting. Hadn't thought much about it yet.
A 1 hole 1 shot group is ok by me. I've been known to put the inline back in the case when the first shot hits a quarter at 200 still. Why dirty it up anymore if it shoots like that.
Once you get to 800-1000 your not really removing metal, more like a pre polish smoothing. 800 grit is the point I've noticed things start getting real slick. With a quick dremel buff they get really slick. I'm sure at 400 it's much better than it was based on my marlin. It was pretty crunchy when I got it, and still needs help.
The silicone trick is interesting. Hadn't thought much about it yet.
A 1 hole 1 shot group is ok by me. I've been known to put the inline back in the case when the first shot hits a quarter at 200 still. Why dirty it up anymore if it shoots like that.
Ian
Notorious member
Each bench has 3 hammers. Small, much bigger, huge.
.
I think the barrel installation station has the same three sizes of pipe wrenches. You can sure tell by the barrel clocking which days "Tiny" was hung over and which days he'd had a fight with his ol' lady.
Anybody have trouble with the nickle plating flaking off their bolt?
Ian
Notorious member
My 1966 336 Texan has an in-the-white bolt, same as my 1954 336 Perch Belly .35 Remington. I got a 2001 JM from Josh a few years ago and it's a beautiful little carbine, but like he warned me the action was stiff as a...umm, well it wasn't good. I slicked it up no problem but the biggest issue was the bolt sloughing off big hard flakes of some sort of plating they put on there. I'm guessing it was nickel/boron or some such, but it didn't stick and the flakes bound up the bolt pretty badly. I feathered the edges where it was peeling and got most of the loose stuff off, and polished the big burrs out of the bolt bore so it didn't get worse, but the bolt looks like it has the mange. I would have just bead-blasted that coating off of there but it was several thousandths thick and I didn't want to lose the nice rattle-free fit by getting rid of the coating. Not sure when they started that plated bolt nonsense.
Must be a 336, the 1894 has a blued bolt. I never really paid attention to the bolt on my 336 or 1895 or the 444 for that matter.
Easy to slick up up much of the action. The bolt nose is usually a big issue as is the slot the extractor rides in.
Easy to slick up up much of the action. The bolt nose is usually a big issue as is the slot the extractor rides in.
Ian
Notorious member
Yep, the extractor slot needs to be re-angled at the front and have all the chatter marks worked out with a diamond file and polished with sandpaper. Same for the underside where it rides the hammer, and putting a larger radius on the hammer nose helps take pressure off the bolt raceways too.
I just slicked up the extractor groove and polished the sides of the extractor. A good bit of oil there and I call it good.
I also smooth the nose of the carrier where it contacts the rounds in the magazine.
It is amazing how little must be removed to make a big difference. If I can get the action to cycle with not real hitches I call it good. Shooting will take care of the rest. My 1894 CB in 45 Colt is smooth as silk. Roughly 3-5000 rounds does that.
I also smooth the nose of the carrier where it contacts the rounds in the magazine.
It is amazing how little must be removed to make a big difference. If I can get the action to cycle with not real hitches I call it good. Shooting will take care of the rest. My 1894 CB in 45 Colt is smooth as silk. Roughly 3-5000 rounds does that.
Ian
Notorious member
My quick and dirty method on a newish Marlin rifle is take it apart, clean it, cold blue the contact surfaces if they've worn any (except the carrier and bolt, I use sharpie on those), then put it together dry and rack the action sharply at least 200 times. Then, take it apart and polish the shiny areas.
fiver
Well-Known Member
if they didn't cost a months pay I could see them needing a little polishing or something.
it's just getting to the point that we are the fit and finish corner or the quality control center for many of the [formerly] respected gun makers.
it really tears at my heart and soul to see so much of this happening.
I do remember when it was a thing to upgrade the guns they sold over the counter, it wasn't that they didn't work well it was just little accuracy improvements like bedding, or lightening a trigger from 4 to 3 lbs type stuff.
now you gotta strip them down and do the internal finish work or buy a new stock [or if it's a Remington re-barrel it] as part of the purchase agreement.
I see 75 year old war-time production rifles with better fit/polish to them than much of the stuff off the assembly line now days.
it's just getting to the point that we are the fit and finish corner or the quality control center for many of the [formerly] respected gun makers.
it really tears at my heart and soul to see so much of this happening.
I do remember when it was a thing to upgrade the guns they sold over the counter, it wasn't that they didn't work well it was just little accuracy improvements like bedding, or lightening a trigger from 4 to 3 lbs type stuff.
now you gotta strip them down and do the internal finish work or buy a new stock [or if it's a Remington re-barrel it] as part of the purchase agreement.
I see 75 year old war-time production rifles with better fit/polish to them than much of the stuff off the assembly line now days.
Ian
Notorious member
So very very true. I've been accused of "having to $^#& with everything" when it comes to my guns, but it seems that almost everything I've bought that was made in the past 50 years has needed work in order to be functional. As much as it pains me to say it, I have yet to see a Glock or S&W M&P handgun that didn't come out of the box ready to go to work. Sure, a little tuning or some aftermarket parts can make them a little better, but that is optional. Why can't they ALL be that way? It bugs me that a new-production rifle has to be torn down, have the grit and metal chips washed out, and put back together with threadlocker, grease, and oil and have the bore brushed and polished before the first shot.
The worst I've seen in recent years is Marlin bores. Without a bore scope I would have never known. Shine a light in the chamber and peer down the bore from the muzzle and it looks pretty good. Slide a bore scope down the bore and what it is exceeds shocking, it actually looks like it was hacked out with a hammer and chisel. I sent one back to Marlin for a new barrel on my dime and the one I got back was even worse. Was going to buy a new Marlin 45-70 and took the bore scope to the stores with me, went to three stores and looked at several. I didn't/wouldn't buy any of them.