Mr Smith and other lever such experts:
I am picking up a Marlin 336, 18.5 barrel, blue with brown laminate wood. Just a regular base gun. I have a shit load of guns, AR’s, 1911’s…this is my first Lever (well 2nd - Henry 22LR).
What would you suggest I upgrade. Action job, trigger…
For example, my 308 Bolt gun, first thing I got a Timney trigger, then bedded it…
What processes or work do you recommend? Have anyone in Phx you recommend? I could ship to you. Any help appreciated.
Receiver sights.
If you already haven’t found out, the sights suck. Maybe some XS ghost ring sights and scout rail if you have plans for optics.
If you’ve got big mitts or wear gloves, a large lever would be good.
Wild West Guns and Grizzly Custom do exceptional lever gun work.
It has the big loop. Only smith in AZ that I found is Nelson Ford.
Any links to rear sight suggestions?
I will run only irons, no glass on this big boy.
Go to the marlinowners forums and check out Skinner Sights. Nice stuff for a good price.
Lots of folks swear by the Wild West Guns Happy Trigger kit.
Do a search here for Mr. Smith…his posts have a ton of pics with Marlins he customizes…true artwork.
Marlins don’t need much.
I’d upgrade to peep sights and a better front blade right away. Then I’d shoot it or dry fire several hundred times before paying for a trigger job–the factory trigger may smooth up nicely. I might add a recoil pad if I felt the LOP wasn’t right. And I’d definitely de-horn the inside of the loading gate opening and the loading gate cover to save a little wear and tear on my fingers and on brass. You should be good other than that.
For rear sights, it’s hard to beat http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/sights/66-receiver-peep.php They’re rugged as hell: check out any decent pawnshop and you’ll see dozens of old guns wearing these sights in good working order. They’re survivors.
Inside of 200m, a modern lever gun will shoot about 2 MOA with good ammo. Don’t expect match accuracy and you won’t be disappointed. Just enjoy it for what it is–a 19th century assault rifle.
Okie John
Got my Marlin 336 , big loop , laminated wood. Pretty nice. Shot a couple boxes of ammo. One hornandy and one cheap federal.
Just took in today to get an action job and trigger job. Also, a fiber optic front sight. My 50 yr old eyes struggle a bit.
#1) Whats the best peep sight? Whats the sight I see with side rails that is a ghost ring on all the custom guns?
#2) do any of you guys put a better recoil pad on your Marlin. Mine is hard as a rock! If you added a recoil pad, would you cut stock down so it didnt add length?
Thanks
I gotta tag this one. I haven’t had a lever gun in over 10 years, but really want another one.
I’ve got Williams Foolproof receiver sights on my Marlins. Skinner makes nice units, though I haven’t tried any of them, yet. www.skinnersights.com
I prefer the Lyman sight I mentioned above. I’ve used XS Sights http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=sights&cID=Sights&pID=sights&sID=rifle but found that the aperture is subject to being crushed or snapped off with rough handling.
I’ve killed a couple of deer with a Brockman rear sight http://www.brockmansrifles.com/sight_options.asp I’ll check tonight and see if I have an old one in my gear if you want it.
The rear sight from
http://www.wildwestguns.com/accessories.html is highly regarded, but I’ve never used one.
Okie John
Most any of the sights listed above are a huge improvement and the only upgrade I’d suggest.
1 - Brockman sights front and rear. If you can break these I’ll find you a polar bear to wrestle.
2 - Butt pad - Brownell’s has a light grayish one that is 1 3/8 thick, which you’ll want cut from the stock to maintain present length
3 - DRC Firearms & Outdoors - Big loop lever in stainless or blue for pistol or straight grip. This is NOT the overgrown underthought that John Wayne used and that Brownell’s sells. John was a big man 6’3" and hands to match so that lever was useful and practical for him but DRC has figured out what works for most of us.
4 - Trigger job - 4 3/4 pounds. Specify that exactly. The reason is that anything less than that is NOT SAFE and you may experience something that will make you very unhappy and perhaps scare the hell out of you.
5 - Ammunition - Look at Buffalo Bore and Grizzly. They make some stuff that’ll wake you right up. But your rifle must be a Marlin of late model-after 1995. They are very specific about this. You put it in an old gun and you’ll end up with a pile of parts and quite possibly parts missing from you too. No BS. They warn you in bold red letters.
6 - Why not a scope? I put a 1.5-5x illuminated crosshair Leupold on mine. Used LaRue Tactical rings and quick release base. It’s probably more power than I really need but then it helps extend the rainbow trajectory too. Plenty of pros an cons to that. Scope eye is the worst. Don’t got one and don’t need one either.
You’re gonna like it. Have fun.
You may want to save this link for future reference if your lever starts doing the dreaded Marlin Jam.
http://marauder.homestead.com/files/marlin94fix.html
There is so much to do if you want.
Just a little
THAT is how it ought to look. The only things stopping me are: 1-fear of my wife; 2-common sense not to arouse a Mamba (her); and lackaloot. But by and by. slowly and surely I’ll get it where I want. By the way, is the .45-70 buttstock thick enough to take a large mercury recoil reducer and still withstand the Grizzly and Buffalo Bore rounds? I had a .458 Win at one time but there’s nothing here in Iowa or until the Rockies grizzly area that needs that, unless you count an enraged Holstein bull.
That is beautiful!!!
I stuck a 1-3x compact Weaver on my 16" 336. Shown on the bottom.
The top gun is a 1894 with a fixed 2x weaver.
Both are nicely proportional for the rifles. A leather ammo butt cuff from Milt Sparks is pretty practical as well. The scopes may look odd on the leverguns but they help quite a bit for more precise shooting.
Thank you
As a long time lever gun shooter, the best thing I ever did was leave it in the safe and shoot a decent bolt gun or an AR.
I have a Marlin with the XS sights and they suck horribly to put it nicely. Aperture is waaay too big and easy to knock off.
I’d just call it a 50-75 yard gun and not do anything to it.