[George Hill]

I get a new gun... even if it's one I've never seen before... I have to take it apart. In this case, it is a Marlin 336CS .30-30. I've played with the 1894's in .44 Magnum, which is my most successful deer harvesting rifle... this one was a little different.
So I brought it home... let it stand for about an hour... and then I just couldn't stand it anymore. I had to see the insides. Next thing you know I got the front sight off, the forearm wood off the feed tube off... the bolt out the shoulder stock off... and amidst all this my wife comes by and says "I thought you said you never had one of those before?"
"Yup."
"So how do you know how to take it apart?"
"I don't."
"Your kinda scary sometimes."
"Yup."
After it was apart, I inspected everything... gently lubed everything... and once satisfied that there was no hidden mischief of corrosion or errosion, I put it back together.
"How do you know it works now?" The Mrs Asked.
Function check... even jacked some empty brass through the action (Father in Laws that reload are awesome).

Butter.

Well... as buttery as a stock Marlin gets to be.

Beautiful. I appreciate that Marlin didn't redesign these things to make manufaturing easier and cheaper and call it New and Improved. These guns are put togther in a fairly "pain in the arse" manner. Luckily you really don't have to take them down all the way to the little bits very often.

Are there others like me here on this kinda thing? Just have to break a new gun down to look at the guts?

[KaceCoyote]

Even if it isnt mine. :) How far did you take it down, just the field strip?

[4v50 Gary]

I've taken apart both Marlins & Winchester lever actions w/out any parts diagrams. Someone, I get them together & they still work. The latter (that they still work despite my meddling) is a real mystery to me.

[Beetle Bailey]

Well, it may be partly due to the fact that all my rifles are milsurps and cosmoline is an issue, but I generally like to take them down and clean'em up nice and fresh before I shoot them. I just feel like I am more familiar with the gun that way. :D

[Risasi]

In fact I'm so bad, I'll dryfire, and field strip them in the local gunshops and pawn shops. You want to see some consternation on a face...although this has been embarrasing before. Ever take a Browning BDM apart thinking it was a Hi Power? I was so pissed at myself I ended up buying the gun just to shut the clerk up.

But it sure clears out the shyster gun yokels from people who understand serious gun guys. I get pretty pissed if they at least won't let me check the action is functioning. Make me think they have something to hide.

[Preacherman]

Ever take a Browning BDM apart thinking it was a Hi Power? I was so pissed at myself I ended up buying the gun just to shut the clerk up.
BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Sorry, Risasi, I wasn't trying to be rude - just had this wonderful mental picture of you paying up in total disgust! Good story - I haven't done anything quite like that... but I have disassembled a gun in a gun shop, and been unable to put it back together again, and had to ask the clerk for help! Embarrassing, that... http://www.stopstart.freeserve.co.uk/smilie/embarassed.gif

[George Hill]

Does a Marlin field strip include removing the firing pin?
:confused:

[tc300mag1]

yep ive done it to all but one a big bore 94 in 375 winchester only one out of all my guns ive never really stripped down ooo and my HK usp but that thing is a bugger to put back together if you do my buddy did and i decided i wont :)

[Brian Williams]

Yep; Do it with lawn mower, bicycles,
small cars I just field strip.
Most anything that is put together I at least field strip.

[The Kidd]

I don't really feel like it is MY gun until I've stripped it, cleaned it, fired it, and cleaned it again, you know? It is sort of a ritual. And it does help to get to know your new friend.

[P95Carry]

Way, way back ... I had to do a full strip with a new gun pretty much as a ''must''. Mainly a process of familiarization, general inspection to see that all was well .. removal of excessive lube (and crud if present) .... that way things start with a ''clean slate'' .. you know where you are.

Nowadays ... still do a strip but usually just a field strip ... including if possible (without too much fine dismantling) the trigger group too. Still a need to inspect and feel confident in all mechanics.

I will say tho and suggest .... biggest life saver to me a coupla times or so was the ''catcher tent''!!! I made a real simple coat hanger wire type frame over which I draped a sheet ... brought into play when easing springs out of position. When the occasional and inevitable ''ping'' occurs, the miscreant spring at least is arrested and falls close to where the work is .... rather than the other side of the room!!:D

[GigaBuist]

I'm not up there with some of you guys, but out of the 11 guns I own 11 of them have been field stripped before being shot. It's just the way Iwas taught I guess.

When I took my Saiga .410 apart at the gunshow before buying it I had "trouble" getting it back together. The dust-cover release has an extra tab on it and I didn't want to damage the thing, so, like an idiot I asked the guy behind the counter if there's a trick to it. He didn't know so he brought it to the "main guy" who informed him it just had to be hit pretty hard. Simple enough, just didn't want to damage the thing before I paid for it.

"Hey, is there a trick to get this cover back on? Oh, and don't worry -- I will be buying it!"

Fun gun... can't beleive it only cost $200 :)

[Dionysusigma]

I do it so that if something goes wrong before I have to take it apart and clean it, I can confidently say "That ain't right." Did it with my Marlin, my AK, the Mosin (God rest its soul), and the Mossberg. The Winchester, though, I haven't as there are NO instructions anywhere on how to do this. I don't plan on firing that one anyway. :uhoh:

[gunslinger308]

I take down every gun I can! Mine, my parents, friends, any guns that I have access to. I realy like to see how each gun works. Whether its a $50 .22 single shot, SKS, Saiga, or a $800 Beretta Urika shotgun I GOTTA SEE THE GUTS!!!
I have not had any guns that I couldn't get back together, either. The tricky ones...
mossberg pump
Browning pump 22-had about 50 pieces
lever actions- not alot of room in those recievers
AK style rifles-fcg springs

I did learn not to tear into my air tools until they break down( they run way better when they are tight and adjusted from the manufacturer!!) I'M GLAD GUNS ARE MEANT TO BE TORN DOWN!!!!

[yesterdaysyouth]

if i can't seperate the wood from the steel, then i ain't happy....

just remember that a bigger hammer is always the answer..:uhoh:

[Hawk]

I didn't know what intimidation was until I got the grips off my first P7, I just buttoned it up again and went out to get a burger. :o

[Bwana John]

Im so bad I do it with other peoples new guns without even realizing it. Most of the time I get them back together ok, but there was this Colt Police Positive in .22WRF that I took apart when I was 13 that will never be the same, but hey single action still worked.

[Risasi]

Wow, talk about resurrecting a dead thread...

Ditto to Gigabuist. I bought a Saiga 12 several years back and did the same thing. I finally got it back together again in the gunshop. But I already made up my mind to buy it. Glad I did. I haven't looked at another semi shotgun again. Now if I would just quit procrastinating and buy the goodies at saiga12.com...

[trapperjohn]

I wish that was all I did! I'm not happy till I cut, grind, hammer, bend, finish, bed, or whatever on my guns. My wife has finally gotten used to seeing me with a new gun in one hand and a hammer, dremmel tool, file or whatever in the other.

[fistful]

I think it's a guy thing. We like toys. We have to play with them and strip them down - and that goes for any type of plaything we can get our hands on. I'll stop, as I'm beginning to blush, but seriously, I can't even hold an ink pen for too long before I start taking it apart.