First Time Shooting 1894 Marlin

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Thursday, I picked my new, 40 year old 1894 Marlin .357 from my local FFL.
Yesterday, I broke it down cleaned it, and reassembled it.
Today I took it to the range and...
...
...
It JAMMED!
No matter how many different rounds I tried it wouldn't load any cartridge into the breech.

The RSO came over and we looked at it together....then I saw...
I had assembled it wrong, installing the ejector and its spring incorrectly and it was in the way of the breech. The RSO had a full-size Leatherman (I just had my cricket) so I removed the lever screw, the lever, and the bolt. I reinstalled the ejector, and put it back together...and started shooting!!! (but was I really, really embarrassed! :oops: )

Wow! This is easily THE most fun gun I've ever shot! I enjoy my two PCCs, but this was just more fun, and far more fun than hand guns! I shot .38 special FMJ, .357 Magnum FMJ, and at least one lead ball round. Occasionally, the action was tight on .38 but smoother on .357. As I shot more and more it got smoother and smoother and downright buttery.

Here are 9 rounds, a full load, from 25 yards, the maximum at this range, using the iron sights and my aging, myopic, astigmatic eyes! The target is 12"x12" from edge to edge.

Marlin25Yards8-18-18.jpg
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: First Time Shooting 1894 Marlin

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You know, I have to say, my lever gun is the most fun to shoot of all my guns. At one time Bud's had an automated metal plate range. I programmed the 5 plates to pop up at random. It was just like sitting on the seat of the old west stage coach shooting the stage robbers.
All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty.-Henry Clay
Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms.—Aristotle

Re: First Time Shooting 1894 Marlin

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Marlene wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 4:51 pm Awesome!

Also, I cringe at the thought of using leatherman screwdrivers on a gun. Get yourself a nice set of gunsmith's screwdrivers.
I cringe with you! It was a tight enough fit to not mar up the screw and it was what was available--and I was very careful. The Leatherman was either a Wave or a similar heavy-duty one with lots of different size screw blades.. I have all sized and types of screwdrivers around the house, but the key is, of course, how well it fits the slot. My insulated electronics screwdrivers are very nice, with hollow-ground, rather than flat-ground blades. I believe gunsmith's drivers are hollow-ground as well.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: First Time Shooting 1894 Marlin

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Congrats! Betcha felt like a complete newb when the RO pointed out your error upon reassembly. But good that you were able to ID and rectify the problem easily to get some good range time in w the new carbine.

Shoots good! (And you're not a bad shot yourself.)
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: First Time Shooting 1894 Marlin

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Bisbee wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 6:46 pm Congrats! Betcha felt like a complete newb when the RO pointed out your error upon reassembly. But good that you were able to ID and rectify the problem easily to get some good range time in w the new carbine.

Shoots good! (And you're not a bad shot yourself.)
:surrender: I AM a complete newb re: Lever-action guns! He didn't even actually point it out--we looked together. But BOY! I still felt dumb! :see_stars:

But I felt a lot better having identified AND fixed the problem! :clap: I won't make that mistake again.

But my dumbest move? Not running snap caps through it after I re-assembled it! :w00t:

But it was definitely much more fun to shoot than any of my other 5 guns, which surprised me. I brought the Ruger revolver (to make it a "cowboy day") and shot it a bit. Naturally, interchanging .357 and .38 a couple of rounds wouldn't go all the way is as residue built up. I shot OK with it at 10 yards, finally being able to continuously make head shots on the target at that distance, even shooting DA.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: First Time Shooting 1894 Marlin

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Eris wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 9:36 pm Woo hoo! You make me want to get one of those.
Go for it! Just don't put the extractor spring in wrong...and don't slide the bolt all the way in till the handle's in place... :ohmg:
(IOW, learn from my dumb mistakes!!! :see_stars: )
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: First Time Shooting 1894 Marlin

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There's always more to learn, and that keeps things fun. Don't quit.

If Marlene got a dollar for every time she correctly suggested getting a set of gun smith screwdrivers, she'd have a matching set of Ivers-Johnsons with consecutive serial numbers.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: First Time Shooting 1894 Marlin

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senorgrand wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:15 pm
YankeeTarheel wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 2:18 pm Just received a Weaver set of gunsmithing screwdriver tips with a handle. Supposed to be a good, inexpensive set.
That's what I have. I keep them with the gun stuff so they don't get used for home projects.
Right next to the cleaning fluid and gun oil!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

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