Lever Guns

[OlongJohnson]

I am local to RPP. Nice guys, I've been to the shop and chatted with both of the main guys. Have some of their products for my 1894. I'm convinced their medium loop lever is Goldilocks.

Based on my engineering experience, I would not make a part that is fundamentally a spring out of 7075-T6 aluminum. Apparently, the wheels haven't come off that product line for them, but I would not use that particular item in my own gun.

There is a lot of tuning that can be done to the stock loading gate. Smoothing sharp edges (and of the receiver port) to begin with. Thinning the already-thin axis of the bendy part of the loading gate will reduce its stiffness without altering the fundamental material. If you go this route, think "leaf spring" not "square bar." Avoid putting any transverse scratches in the part, as they will be crack initiation sites. Distribute the bending along as much of the length as you can - you don't want to concentrate it in one spot.

[Bigghoss]

I'm sorry, I was imprecise and unclear.

After taking a Darryl Bolke's class a couple times, I can keep an 870 fed fairly efficiently. I've had no problem keeping up with the pace of the class, including Rolling Thunder.

It's been a couple years since I've dusted the ol' 336 off, but I remember it taking me several seconds of deliberate fiddling around with each individual round. There's no way it's happening under any pressure.

ETA: I ran across the Ranger Point Precision Flyweight Loading Gate which peaked my interest. Loading the my lever gun doesn't look anything like how he did it in his video. Quality product? Useful? Hardware solution to a software problem?

I posted a link to a playlist a page or two ago about upgrades to a marlin 1894 and one of them was the Ranger Point loading gate. I haven't tried one myself but the couple videos I saw said it made loading much easier.

[Malamute]

I'm sorry, I was imprecise and unclear.

After taking a Darryl Bolke's class a couple times, I can keep an 870 fed fairly efficiently. I've had no problem keeping up with the pace of the class, including Rolling Thunder.

It's been a couple years since I've dusted the ol' 336 off, but I remember it taking me several seconds of deliberate fiddling around with each individual round. There's no way it's happening under any pressure.

ETA: I ran across the Ranger Point Precision Flyweight Loading Gate which peaked my interest. Loading the my lever gun doesn't look anything like how he did it in his video. Quality product? Useful? Hardware solution to a software problem?

It may be something about ypur individual gun thats hanging up or slowing your loading. I dont have a 336 handy to mess with, but removing the gate and stoning all the moving surfaces where it interacts with the receiver and the back face where it touches already loaded rounds may help. The older Winchester 94s Ive had loaded super slick. Many complained that they couldnt top off the magazine, and resorted to partially loading each round so the gate didnt close between shells until done. Its a stop gap and unnecessary if the gun functions correctly. Ive stoned several later 94 Winchester gates to slick up operation, it helps quite a bit.

If you take it out, pay attention to the back face, the front most edge, on Winchesters, and I believe the Marlins, its the surface that cams the previous loaded round forward slightly to allow the gate to open. Thats one of the offending parts to stone on the Winchesters.

Ill see if i can find pics after i walk the dog.

Edit: Found the one I was thinking of. It should give an idea of what to slick up. I dont know if it will help your gun, but it doesnt sound like its operating quite right, it shouldnt take much work to feed shells into the port. As others said, deburring all the sharp edges may help also. Just be sure to get the screw started straight in the threads. it sits cockeyed due to the spring action so be sure it threads in by hand without hindrance before putting any torque on it.

[fatdog]

The gate on my Marlin 1895 (mfg. 2017) was quite simply too stiff and way over sprung for its function. So after I had polished and eliminated the edges of the gate, I dremeled the sides of the spring by increments until it was of tolerable resistance. I am sure I will get kiltindastreetz and all that for it, but it is appropriately easy to load now. I had to do the same operation on my Rossi '92 several years ago.

[OlongJohnson]

I dremeled the sides of the spring by increments until it was of tolerable resistance.

What I was trying to say above was, "dremel" or whatever it is you do to the thickness, not the sides.

[fatdog]

Yes, thickness adjustments in the thin dimension from grinding the big flat sides are a no-go for me.

Thinning the width by gently attacking both of the thin edges has not broken one for me yet. In the Stevesgunz video he shows you how, but I cannot find one on youtube that illustrates it.

[whomever]

I've done the OlongJohnson thinning procedure, plus carefully deburring the gate and the loading port.

I had one Marlin that was easy to load, and one that was hard. The thin section of the spring was a lot thinner on the easy-to-load one, so I made the other loading gate match the first one. I use a very fine file and then carefully polish out any transverse marks with scotchbrite.

At least when I did this it was a cheap part to replace if I messed it up, and it's just a plinker for me so I wasn't worried about it breaking at a bad time. I just didn't want to have to fight every round in, plus if you get the geometry right on the front end of the gate you can unload through the loading port, which I prefer to jacking live rounds through the action.

[Robinson]

Are there any tricks to keeping the 336 fed? Modifications that make it easier?

I find it very challenging to load rounds through to loading gate with ANY degree of speed.

I had a 336 tuned up by Mic McPherson years ago and it made all the difference in how the action and loading gate operated. Unfortunately Mic is no longer taking work, but there are probably other gunsmiths who specialize in tuning lever guns -- maybe search one of them out?

[OlongJohnson]

I had a 336 tuned up by Mic McPherson years ago and it made all the difference in how the action and loading gate operated. Unfortunately Mic is no longer taking work, but there are probably other gunsmiths who specialize in tuning lever guns -- maybe search one of them out?

This reminded me I needed (past tense, now, thanks to @RevolverRob's used-book search engine post) to buy McPherson's book. Went baller and got color edition.

[beenalongtime]

This reminded me I needed (past tense, now, thanks to @RevolverRob's used-book search engine post) to buy McPherson's book. Went baller and got color edition.

What search engine, or where is the post (not having luck finding it)?
Thanks