Target Sports

GALLERY RIFLE: MARLIN LEVER ACTION PART ONE

Created on 27th May 2009

A basic tune-up by GWYN ROBERTS

IN TODAY'S Gallery Rifle events, which have taken the place of our once pistol-based Police Pistol, Service Pistol, 1500 and action-style events, Marlin lever action rifles have proved the most popular choice among competitors in the centrefire section. That's not to say that they are the only lever rifles used; they are not, with both Winchester and Rossi being among the popular alternative choices. However, I personally use Marlins and have recently picked up another in .44 Magnum. So I thought I'd give it a once-over check and take the opportunity to ‘slick up' the action - largely a matter of fine finishing and polishing of rubbing surfaces - before next season starts, these being things I have already done to my existing competition Marlins.

Caution: before working on any firearm, do make sure that both the action and magazine tube is clear, and that all live ammunition is locked away securely in a cabinet. As the rifle had already belonged to someone else it was a lot easier to see which areas would need work on, as small wear marks and burrs were visible on the individual components inside the frame.

The first thing to do is to strip down the action to its basic parts. Most owners will probably know this already, but for those that have not tackled it so far, I'll go through the basics. It's not difficult and in fact, if you wish to keep your gun in first-class order by cleaning it properly, this should be carried out regularly - certainly before and after any major match. Remember that as we use these rifles for target shooting they get a great deal more use than most lever actions were originally designed for, and although built to withstand rigorous use they will get detritus in the form of burnt and unburnt powder residues, along with fine lead and maybe brass shavings from cases, plus the oils or greases used to lubricate the action. If not cleaned out regularly this can lead to malfunctions and excess wear. Therefore, all users of such rifles should become familiar with the basic stripping procedure. Then not only can they keep it clean, they can also diagnose and fix basic problems that may occasionally arise.

In fact, even barrel cleaning is much better done from the breech end, so a rod can be pushed through, or a cord pulled through, from the breech end. This protects the rifling in the muzzle area, which can be damaged if you clean from the muzzle. NB: competition shooters using lead bullets mostly prefer to clean the chamber only, not the barrel, as cleaning the bore can cause accuracy to temporarily deteriorate.

Knowing how to do this is a good idea all round, so here are the basic steps. No doubt you may find other ways, but this one works and minimises any risk to your person or the rifle. As always, take your time and work with care, seeking advice if unsure. Once learned you will be able to strip your action down and have it cleaned and reassembled in less than 30 minutes.

Reassembly is simply the reverse of stripping. Beyond
ensuring the trigger is held lightly against spring pressure when inserting the trigger plate retaining screw so that the screw goes behind the trigger, not in front, there are no tricky bits.

Basic strip

Start by opening the action roughly halfway and remove the lever retaining screw. This allows the lever to come away downwards. Then the bolt can be slid from the rear of the action and the ejector (in the left side receiver wall) lifted out. Remove the stock screw in the rear tang and slide the stock away from the action. Then lower the hammer by first depressing the trigger safety block, keeping the hammer under control with the thumb, and then depressing the trigger, which allows the hammer to be lowered against the frame.

Next remove the hammer spring by pushing against the spring slightly to reduce pressure on the retaining plate. Then slide the hammer spring plate to the left, when a slight rotation will bring it free (take care to control the spring, which is now free), and remove it. Next unscrew the hammer pivot screw. The hammer can now be rotated forwards and lifted up through its slot in the receiver. Then remove the screw located in the left side of the action that retains the trigger guard plate, then the similar (but slightly longer) screw in the forward part of this plate, situated just forward of the small aperture where the carrier leg forward lug mates with the plate. The trigger guard plate can now be lifted from the rear, away from the lower receiver tang. The locking bolt is now able to slide from the bottom of the action.

Carefully removing the small carrier screw from the right receiver sidewall allows the carrier to slip out from the bottom of the action. For cleaning there is no particular need to remove the loading gate but, if you wish to work on it, or clean behind it, a single screw is removed to release it. The action is now stripped as far as necessary for thorough cleaning and inspection, or for ‘tuning'.

NB: do be sure to use screwdrivers that fit the screw heads perfectly. If you don't have a set of gunsmiths' turnscrews then be prepared to select some standard screwdrivers that are a little too thick, and stone them down to achieve a good fit in the screw heads. This avoids marring the finish, as happens when a poorly-fitting blade slips out of the screw's slot. It can also be jolly painful if you get in its way!

A decent gun mat like those from GMK, BWM and elsewhere are ideal for working on, as they keep the gun and components safe and avoid marking the kitchen table!

Having carefully stripped down the rifle the first thing I did was reduce the spring pressure on the loading gate, to make reloading easier. I achieved this by bending in the loading gate slightly, which reduced the pressure applied by the strip steel spring that holds the gate against the receiver wall. This can also be done with the unit removed but will require doing very cautiously, refitting to check when the desired spring tension is achieved. Don't overdo it though, as the spring could break and, being part of the gate itself, is expensive to replace!

With the loading gate ‘plate' removed, I then smoothed over the edges at its front edge, also gently filing the inside edge of the oval hole in the receiver. Smoothing these areas will greatly reduce the chances of any finger slicing in the future. Make sure that you apply some Blue Loctite to this screw when refitting, as loading gates are very prone to coming undone and jamming up the rifle during the cycling action.

Next I used a small wet stone and rubber sanding block to clear up small burrs that I found on the inside walls and top strap of the frame, while some fine wet and dry abrasive paper wrapped around a lollipop stick was ideal for getting into the narrow slot along which the bolt travels. Remember that you should simply remove burrs or high points to reduce any friction between two parts, then finish off with simple polishing. Removing too much metal or excessive polishing will increase the material contact area, resulting in increased friction, so be careful!

The next part I looked at was the ejector. A bit of time spent on this will produce a noticeable reduction in the manipulation force required to operate the lever. Placing a small screwdriver midway between the two parts, I then bent the thin spring inwards slightly to reduce the spring pressure. Next the edges and small burrs were smoothed over on the part that slides inside the recess of the bolt. Finally, I finished it off on a polishing wheel for a smooth, burr-free finish. Although it was polished, I didn't alter the height or angle of the small lug on top, which contacts the rim of the cartridge, as this would cause jamming or cycling problems. Care should be taken to apply a small bend on the spring to start with and then check the ejection/functioning using dummy rounds (clearly marked and with no primers in). The empty cases only eject around 6"-8" out of the side of my rifle now, but it works every time and has no hang-ups at all. More tuning tips next month.