Finished the action job on my Marlin 1894cs .357

[4given]

Well, I am done with the action job. I disassembled and everything polished that needs polished. I noticed the bottom of the carrier has the dreaded Marlin Jam "notch" worn into it and some other fairly significant wear. See picture:

https://i.imgur.com/eaGrJDi.jpg

I figured while it is out I would file it down enough to JB weld in a piece of high carbon steel Jigsaw blade like this fella did:


www.marlinowners.com/forum/jams-all-kinds/24519-different-way-fix-marlin-jam.html

Finished the carrier mod last night. Turned out decent I think for the first one I have done.

https://i.imgur.com/7Eqr1SY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MxtH7Gh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wdhDyB5.jpg

I installed all the new parts (one piece firing pin and spring kit) and the Happy Trigger and took it out to the range this morning. It worked great! Cycled .357 and .38 special ammo without a hitch. Action works a lot smoother and the Happy Trigger is just awesome! It breaks crisp and clean with ZERO creep. I don’t have a trigger gauge but it is a lot lighter than before. 3-4 lb is my guess.

I sighted it in with the new Skinner Express peep sight. So far I don’t have to file the front sight at all shooting at 25 & 50 yards. Not sure how much elevation adjustment there is. We will see next time I take it out and shoot it at 100 yards.
So far I am super happy with the all the mods! This will be a fun rifle!

https://i.imgur.com/n1NEuB6.jpg

[4given]

Well it turns out I used the wrong type of jig saw blade. The one I used was made from High Carbon steel. It is not tough enough. After reassembling the rifle I cycled the action a couple of hundred times or so and then took it to the range and ran 40 or 50 rounds though it. I brought it home removed the carrier and found the "Marlin Jam" notch and funny wear pattern was already starting to form. See picture:

https://i.imgur.com/gTj9nSv.jpg

I did a little research and found out you want a jig saw blade that is made from High Speed Steel NOT High Carbon Steel. High Speed Steel is "tool steel" which is a lot harder and abrasion resistant and etc.

I ordered some from Amazon. They will be here tomorrow. I'll just file it down, JB weld the new HSS piece into place and try that. I'll let you know how it works this time

[OlongJohnson]

If I end up going down this road, I will likely send the carrier off to these guys https://pullmanarms.com/gun_smithing_services/ and get the surface hard faced with welding. Will cost a bit more, of course.

[4given]

If I end up going down this road, I will likely send the carrier off to these guys https://pullmanarms.com/gun_smithing_services/ and get the surface hard faced with welding. Will cost a bit more, of course.

This isn't really y that hard to do and I am told that there are a lot of Cowboy action shooters who have done this and have thousands of rounds through thier rifles with this mod in place.

However, if it does not work for me this time I will have it professionally done.

[4given]

Update and progress report:

Last night, before replacing the carbon steel patch I put on my carrier with a high speed steel patch, I took a file to the "snail cam" on the lever and carefully radiused the sharp edge a little, then polished it with a felt wheel and Flitz metal polish with my Dremel tool. Don't know if it's enough or not. Looks about like the picture in the Marauder instructions I suppose.

http://marauder.homestead.com/files/marlin94fix.html

After filing the snail cam I put the rifle back together and cycled dummy 38 special and .357 rounds through it and it worked just fine. I then disassembled the rifle, measured the thickness of my new high speed steel jigsaw blade, and filed that exact amount from the old repair. I cut and fitted a piece of the new high speed steel and JB welded into place leaving it to cure.

I'll most likely put it all back together tonight and see how it works!

[4given]

Update for those interested:

I finished the the carrier repair by rounding the sharp edges and giving the new patch a nice polish. The new high speed steel is harder and takes a polish a lot nicer that the high carbon steel I used previously. I polished the sides of the hammer and the hammer strut. I sanded and polished the groove in the bolt that the ejector rides in some more. I did not radius the hammer face as I don't have a belt sander. I might have to have someone do that for me. Don't know who yet. I did polish the radius again for good measure. I put it all together and it works great so far. It cycled .38 special and .357 just fine.

Not totally happy with the lighter hammer spring that came with the one piece firing pin I bought. I had to use the washer that came with it so the slot in the hammer would clear the upper portion of the hammer strut when cocked. I think this made the spring a little more stiff. It is lighter than the factory spring for sure, but I would like there to be less resistance cycling the action when the gun is up to my shoulder if possible. Not a big deal but why not do it if I can do it and still get reliable primer strikes and ignition. There is still some resistance at the end of the cycle when closing the action. Not bad but could be better. I'll bet both of these things would improve with radiusing the hammer like W.R.Buchanan suggested. In the mean time I thing I'll look at some other hammer springs. Paco Kelly adjustable springs perhaps?

Anyway here are some pictures of the new repair on the carrier and a couple of close ups of the snail cam after I filed and polished it. I don't know if it is enough or not. I did not want to over do it. Any comments would be appreciated!

https://i.imgur.com/CiXTy9O.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/BebQBWH.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jDrQw5d.jpg

[4given]

I mean a Palo Verde adjustable hammer spring kit.

[Crazy Dane]

Keep up the good work. I'm paying attention because I'm well on my way to getting a 1894 in .44mag. I'm exploring the option to rechamber for the .44 Special. My research is leading me to just tune it for the Specials.

[4given]

Keep up the good work. I'm paying attention because I'm well on my way to getting a 1894 in .44mag. I'm exploring the option to rechamber for the .44 Special. My research is leading me to just tune it for the Specials.

This 1894 Marlin is marked “for .357 Mag and .38 Special” on the barrel. It seems to cycle both pretty well so far. I’ll bet if you found a 44 mag rifle marked the same you wouldn’t have much trouble. Also, I had a Rossi 93 44 mag that handled 44 specials flawlessly

[Lester Polfus]

Keep up the good work. I'm paying attention because I'm well on my way to getting a 1894 in .44mag. I'm exploring the option to rechamber for the .44 Special. My research is leading me to just tune it for the Specials.

Hey man. I've had the same experience, My 1894c runs .38 Specials quite well. It will even feed wadcutters OK, even though the manual says not to.

I under stand the caution at extrapolating that to the .44 Magnum version. The case length and overall loaded lengths of .357/.38 Special and .44 Magnum/Special are pretty close though.

I think it's good to research a "Plan B"but I'm guessing if you get one you can just stuff it full of Specials and got work.

[TCinVA]

The 1894 I bought in .44 magnum runs .44 special just fine after I fixed the broken carrier.

[4given]

So I went ahead and radiused my hammer on my Marlin 1894 .357 mag. Not having the recommended tools, I used my Dremil tool. I left the hammer on the rifle while shaping it, covering the opening behind the bolt with a rag to prevent shavings from falling in. Using a sanding drum bit I took a little bit off at a time. Each time I would cycle the action slowly and carefully observe how the little knob on the bottom of the bolt was interacting with the hammer. Once I got it “just right” I polished it with Flitz metal polio’s and a felt wheel. I came out better than I had hoped!

https://i.imgur.com/2XtT3iy.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/7dorCQA.jpg

I also chamfered the chamber mouth using this countersink I picked up at Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-Sp...CS72/205472330

https://i.imgur.com/bBuNidi.jpg
The only reasons I used this one was it was cheap, readily available locally and I could use a 1/4 socket and a ratchet extension. I turned it buy hand until I had the chamfer I wanted then polished with Flitz and a felt wheel. This was a 5 fluted counter sink. I think a 6 flute might work a little better with less chatter but it did the job. It now chambers all the bullet styles I have tried with no hangups.

[Lost River]

With the work you have done to it, it sounds like it is going to have a great action and be a very fun little all around gun. :D

[ScotchMan]

Are you guys doing this on new production Remington-Marlin 1894s, or the older ones that I am told are better-made?

[4given]

Are you guys doing this on new production Remington-Marlin 1894s, or the older ones that I am told are better-made?

Mine is a pre-Remington JM marked Marlin made in 1995. A lot of guys are making the same mods to the current Remington made 1894s except chamfering the chamber mouth. The new production comes with a nice tapered chamber mouth I am told.

[4given]

With the work you have done to it, it sounds like it is going to have a great action and be a very fun little all around gun. :D

It's a ton of fun and it has been fun working on it.

[ScotchMan]

Mine is a pre-Remington JM marked Marlin made in 1995. A lot of guys are making the same mods to the current Remington made 1894s except chamfering the chamber mouth. The new production comes with a nice tapered chamber mouth I am told.

Ok, I have a newer one and I have basically written it off as trade-in fodder for when I finally go out and get a Henry, but if I am jumping the gun on that assessment that would be interesting to know.

[4given]

Ok, I have a newer one and I have basically written it off as trade-in fodder for when I finally go out and get a Henry, but if I am jumping the gun on that assessment that would be interesting to know.

Lester Polfus has a newer one and he likes his a lot! I hear that the ones the have been making lately are decent quality. Anything wrong with yours?

[ScotchMan]

Lester Polfus has a newer one and he likes his a lot! I hear that the ones the have been making lately are decent quality. Anything wrong with yours?

Mine is at least 5 years old, but nothing is hugely wrong with it. The fit and finish isn't great, like the stock doesn't line up nicely with the receiver and things like that, but nothing that affects functionality. It is a more difficult to load, and has rough edges that get to your thumbs after a while, and the action isn't nearly as nice as a Henry, things like that. I have no idea if the pre-Remington Marlins are better, I have never seen one, just read Internet gospel on the topic.

[Lester Polfus]

Mine is at least 5 years old, but nothing is hugely wrong with it. The fit and finish isn't great, like the stock doesn't line up nicely with the receiver and things like that, but nothing that affects functionality. It is a more difficult to load, and has rough edges that get to your thumbs after a while, and the action isn't nearly as nice as a Henry, things like that. I have no idea if the pre-Remington Marlins are better, I have never seen one, just read Internet gospel on the topic.

My 2019 1894c is Ok on fit and finish and 100% on function. If I want an heirloom, I'll buy something else. Mine is a great tool.

If yours is hard to load, check the length of the recoil spring. Mine was way too long.

[whomever]

"Mine is at least 5 years old, but nothing is hugely wrong with it. The fit and finish isn't great, like the stock doesn't line up nicely with the receiver and things like that, but nothing that affects functionality. It is a more difficult to load, and has rough edges that get to your thumbs after a while, and the action isn't nearly as nice as a Henry, things like that. I have no idea if the pre-Remington Marlins are better, I have never seen one, just read Internet gospel on the topic."

My pre-remlin ones had sharp edges on the loading port etc, enough they would mark the brass and give little paper cuts on my thumb. Fixing that with 220 to 600 grit sandpaper is simple, foolproof, and tedious. With a dremel type thingy and fine rubber cratex points you can speed things up, and with a light touch still have a fairly low chance of upgefuchting things.

If you get the port and gate smooth enough, and have a gate with a spring section on the thinner part of the tolerance band, you'll be able to unload by pressing in the loading gate and having a cartridge pop back out the port into your hand, slick as can be (as opposed to cranking rounds through the action).

[Crazy Dane]

Mine is a pre-Remington JM marked Marlin made in 1995. A lot of guys are making the same mods to the current Remington made 1894s except chamfering the chamber mouth. The new production comes with a nice tapered chamber mouth I am told.


I can confirm this. I am updating my thread with my initial impressions. https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?42440-44-Special-Lever-Gun/page2