I Just Couldn't Leave It Behind...

[Joshua M. Smith]

For Christmas, I bought my mother a bow. It's something she'd done in high school and has been wanting to get back into.

I took her today to get arrows. Turns out they had to custom make them, so it was going to be a while.

Naturally, I gravitated toward the gun section.


I finally found one...

I had been looking for a Marlin Camp 45 for quite a while - ever since they stopped producing them.

This one was priced at $299. The owner had a deal with his wife that he'd set it out on the shelf, and if someone hadn't bought it in a few days, he'd keep it for himself.

He was a good sport about it though

I got it home and found it wouldn't feed. Opened it up, and whoever put it together last didn't know the ramp is spring-loaded and the bullet was hitting the bottom of the barrel - it was jammed against it pretty well.

I got it apart, took the burrs off the ramp caused by it hitting the barrel, and I haven't had one malfunction since.

I was surprised at the recoil from a .45acp rifle, but it's light and handy, and I suppose the blowback operation is what is jolting me (yes, the buffer is in place).

It's working fine with Hydra-Shoks, and it's kinda' cool to have a rifle that will take my pistol's magazines. Cool redundancy.

It also came with a 'scope base, but I really didn't see the point and took it off.

I do believe this one is a keeper!

Josh

 

[Quoheleth]

Congrats. You just made a lot of THR members envious, both at the find and the great price.

Q

 

[Jbabbler]

I love it when i find guns for sale that people believe to be defective. I have acquired several new guns that way. I bought a LNIB XD9 for $200 because it "wouldn't feed reliably". When I got it home I found that it had an XD40 magazine in it... 100% reliability for 3000 rounds since then for me.

That carbine of yours is a great find and I am quite jealous of it. I'm also quite sure that the owner thought it was broken when he sold it to you... thus the price. Jokes on him though. Enjoy!

 

[FuzzyBunny]

You might try a heavier spring for that recoil. I'm just assuming you order extra sets of springs for all the new firearms you buy. Get a regular replacement weight and one a little heavier when you order.

If your like me it is always a spring I don't have a backup for that gives way.

I wonder if those carbines and handle +P+ or even hotter loads?

 

[19-3Ben]

If the owner wanted to keep the gun he should have priced it $200 higher!

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

The manual (looked it up online) states no +P+, but +P seems to be OK.

I've ordered a 21lb recoil spring from Wolff (along with a spare 18.5lb spring for the 1911) and a replacement buffer (as well as a buffer for my SKS).

Should all arrive Mon or Tues when I'm off work again - the medical profession knows now hours, unfortunately.

I'll shoot it more extensively then, and I'll probably post a target. I don't expect stellar accuracy, but for the type of long arm it is, it should serve its purpose well.

Josh

 

[V.Oller]

Might think about putting a nice red dot on in like an Eotech or Aimpoint.

 

[rangerruck]

WOW!!!! a near perfect looking camp 45, not a 9. Never thought I'd live to see one in 45, and in such good condition. You sir , are superlucky; you should buy a lotto ticket right now, and I get dibs on 10% of your winnings.
and you got it for 300 bucks? that is totally sick, you should go back, and give that dude some more change back.... I tell you right now, I would not sell a 45 version especially in that condition, for less the 6 bills.

the thing about the recoil on these is; it is a straight back, and fast and sharp recoil. For some reason, on all Marlins' designs on semi's that fired a bit of a hot or stout round, this is what they did; plus the recoil goes really straight back- you proly have no muzzle rise at all, or barely any. Even the little 17mach 2 does this; so it is really something that , not only changing springs and buffers to help, but you will deff need to shoot it a bit, to get all the feeling remembered down into your memory. Plus any twist or torque if it does this as well, becuase it will never stop doing these things,
and you don't want it to be a surprise every time you shoot it, especially if using for a hunting rig.

 

[Avenger29]

I was about to say buy some heavier springs and a new recoil buffer, but you have that covered. Those are especially important for this rifle (and also for the 9mm version), with the standard springs, and especially a poor or non-existant buffer, they tend to crack important parts (like the stock, and possibly even the receiver, IIRC)

I'd stick with a diet of standard pressure loads and only occasionally shoot +P.

I had a 9mm Carbine, but sold it to a THR member. It shot well, but did not fit well into my set of firearms.

The feed ramp is something that a lot of people end up damaging during reassembly- it must be watched and properly positioned.