The Camp Club

[johndoe1027]

Well, I finally found one. I present to you my new (to me) Marlin Camp 45. Well start things out with a little softcore Camp porno.

I haven't made it to the range with it yet since I just got it last night. Today I tore it down and replaced the recoil buffer. The one that was in it looks to be in good shape and possibly replaced already (it was white and I think the OEM was black) but I replaced it anyway. Tomorrow we'll see how it runs!

First impressions are great. I love the ergonomics of this gun. It fits me very well. I'm surprised at the lack of enthusiasm for these long guns. I have shot a Camp 9 and it was a hoot. If I am reasonably accurate with it I'm thinking about making a 3-gun style rifle out of it with three sight systems available at all times.

I'm excited. The 7 rounder that came with it puts me up to...
five 7 round mags, eight 8 round mags, and four 10 round mags.

Will work for 1911 mags.

Post up some modded out (or not) Camp guns. Also tips and tricks specific to these guns would be great as well.

 

[BillinNH]

Well, I really do like these things. Here's my Camp 45 on top and Camp 9 on bottom. 2 1/2 power scope for the 45, 4 for the nine.

Get some new buffers and stronger springs from Wolff to make your gun last longer.

Bill

 

[DMK]

Nice looking carbine. I always liked the way my camp 9 handled. It was only cleaning the thing that turned me off to it.

replaced the recoil buffer....(it was white and I think the OEM was black)

The one in mine was white. I know it was OEM because I bought it new.

Definitely good PM to change that regularly.

 

[johndoe1027]

Billin, I have a Wolff 21 lb on the way. I'm going to shoot a few rounds through it with the weak spring so I can feel the difference between the two. It should be significant. I'm going to try my 3-9x on the 45 as well as a red dot, just to see what works. I might end up putting both on it once I get another stock to play with (read: drill holes in).

DMK, thanks. I haven't had to clean it yet but it was super easy to disassemble. I've heard complaints about the field stripping but I though it was quite easy. Maybe it gets dirtier than I am thinking...

 

[Titan6]

Strangely I bought a Hi Point 9mm Carbine Yesterday. I took it to the range and it performed as expected: 3'' groups at 50 yards 5'' groups at 100 yards. 100% hits on 6'' steel targets off hand at 25 yards. No jams, FTF, FTE in 150 rounds. Barrel cool to the touch after firing.

Not near as pretty as that Marlin. Ugly as roadkill I say. That Marlin is a work of art compared to what I think of as the ''SKS of the pistol caliber carbine world''. I told the guys at the range ''no laughing'' before I took it out of the box. Other than some .22s it is the cheapest gun I own but it sure shoots well.

Good luck with the Marlin and let us know how it shoots. I bet you get better accuracy.

 

[DMK]

I bet you get better accuracy.

Camp Carbines are accurate.

But yes, JohnDoe, they can get dirty. Gunscrubber is your friend (or brake parts cleaner, which is just as good but much cheaper).

 

[BillinNH]

<Billin, I have a Wolff 21 lb on the way. I'm going to shoot a few rounds through it with the weak spring so I can feel the difference between the two. It should be significant.>

The recoil will be softer, the gun will be harder to cock and the gun will last longer.

<I'm going to try my 3-9x on the 45 as well as a red dot, just to see what works. I might end up putting both on it once I get another stock to play with (read: drill holes in).>

The 3-9 will be fine but I bet you leave it at 3x all the time. If you like red dots you will probably be very happy with one on your camp 45. As for stocks, Choate has some side folding pistol grip stocks that fit the camp carbines. They look very austere and some people find them a little top heavy with a scope on it but they work very well and are tacticool.

Also, try some of the 15 round 1911 magazines. I have two and they work great on my camp. Nice to have the larger mag. But they are definitely long. I tried one in my 1911 and people died laughing just looking at it.

Bill

 

[johndoe1027]

Titan, congrats on the carbine. I would have a Hi Point right now if they made one that chambered 45acp out of a 1911 mag.

DMK, I love gunscrubber but I might try out some brake cleaner soon enough. I hear there are 2 kinds, one being like gunscrubber and one being different. I'll have to look into that more.

Billin, I'm going to start with a red dot and see how accurate I can get with it out to 100 yards or so. The scope probably won't be necessary given the relatively short effective range of the 45. You're right, it would stay on 3x if I do go with the scope. I have to get me some 15 round magazines. Going to post a WTB add now.

Next up, testing it out tonight and swapping the 11 lb OEM spring with the 21 lb that came in this morning. Then off to the smith for a trigger job and taking out the mag disconnect safety. It's cool since my buddy recently got a Camp 9 and he wants to do the same things to his so the smith will really know what he's doing with them once he gets these 2 done (assuming he's never done custom work on a Camp before). I'll probably try out one of those Choate folding stocks to further fit this carbine into the "Bug out" niche.

ETA, Bill don't think I won't use the 15 round mags in my 3" 1911 for practice. I just thought the 10 round mags looked goofy in it.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Marlin Camp 45 Tips

I posted the following on my blog.

In the past I've written about my Marlin Camp 45. This a very fun, reliable, and accurate little rifle. Although Marlin discontinued them around 2000 or 2001, they remain popular and prices have gone up quite a bit in the past few years. If you see a Camp 45 in good condition for under $500 get it. Aside from being popular as the host for a suppressor, I suspect that when Kim du Toit wrote about his a few years ago he caused a surge in demand.

Ever since I first wrote about my Camp 45 I've occasionally received requests for guidance on them. Here are some tips to keep them running well:

1. Before you even shoot it, replace the wimpy 11# factory recoil spring with a 21# Wolff. The 11# spring is OK for the Camp 9, but the Camp 45 is grossly undersprung from the factory. If I got a Camp 9 I'd put a 16# Wolff in it. (Actually, I'd originally put a 16# in it, but then shot GeekWithA45's Camp 45, which sold me on the 21# spring. It functions well with the heavy spring, the recoil is almost zero, and as a lefty I no longer get stuff in my face shooting out the ejection port.) Caveat: With the 21# spring the action is very stiff, so if you have weak hands you may be better off with the 16# spring.

2. Ensure that the screws holding the action in the stock are tight. A loose fit, plus the OEM spring, are probably the reasons that the Camp 45 has the reputation for cracking stocks.

3. As you may know they use M1911 magazines. However, you must use mags which have a squared cutout on the top rear. Those with a semicircular cut will not seat all the way in the mag well. Chip McCormick Shooting Stars and Power Mags work well in my Camp 45.

4. The Camp 45 has a buffer in the back of the receiver which keeps the steel bolt from smacking the aluminum receiver. With a lot of shooting they can wear out, although this is less of a problem if you install a heavier recoil spring per #1, above. Pick up a spare from Marlin or Blackjack Buffers.

5. The trigger housing, which holds most of the guts of the gun, is made of plastic. It's not some fancy modern polymer so keep solvents away from it. I use nothing stronger than FP-10. Ballistol, Break Free CLP or automatic transmission fluid should also be fine. I've read from people who've learned the hard way that Gun Scrubber (AKA non-chlorinated brake cleaner) will melt it into a pile of black goo, so keep it far away.

6. Camp 45s have Marlin's Microgroove rifling, which has the reputation of shooting lead bullets poorly. I've shot only jacketed bullets in mine, so I can't speak from experience. However, it's something to be aware of before you loading up a pile of .45 ACP with lead bullets. Try a box or two of lead loads before stocking up.

Oh yeah, mine ain't for sale.

Here's a picture. Since I took this picture, I've added a Bushnell Trophy red dot sight. It uses the same scope base as a Marlin 336.

 

[johndoe1027]

Cool, thanks for posting Dave.
I forgot about the micro groove barrel not liking lead. I plan to test that out today. Is the problem just poor accuracy or something worse? I've been loading nothing but lead but I plan to change over to copper plated Ranier's once these lead rounds all go down the range. Maybe the Ranier will work better in the Camp.
I have to be able to load inexpensive rounds (one loading) that work well in all my 45's (3" 1911, 5" 1911, and the Camp). That's the idea after all. They all eat the same food and they all eat it off the same plate. I love that.

Oh, and my Camp appears to be unfired! I'll have to change that.

 

[johndoe1027]

Well I was wrong, my Camp did have about 500 rounds through it with almost no wear (spoke with the seller again).
I put about 75 rounds through it on Thursday. Good stuff. The 21 lb spring didn't make as much difference in felt recoil as I thought it would. I have to get this trigger lightened. Anyone had a trigger job done on a Camp gun? I know a very very good smith in town but I'm sure he's never done one before. Most of my inaccuracy was from waiting on the trigger to break.

Here's one of my better 10 round groups from the bench at 25 yards in a very dark indoor range. My eyes were having trouble focusing on much of anything.

 

[philbo]

Wow, a new club. I bought a camp 9 the first year it was released and recently learned the hard way that you have to replace the buffer pad at least once every decade! :banghead:

My camp set in the safe for the last several years being overlooked when I took a trip out to the range. Kept the gun clean and oiled, but hadn't changed the buffer pad in 10 years. Everything was working fine until about the third clip when the gun went thump and jammed. Took it apart at the range and began pulling bits of buffer pad out of the receiver. My fault, knew better, but still kicking myself for not replacing it before going to the range. While I was cleaning the remains of the pad out, out popped two metal pieces that I later identified as the hammer strut and the hammer strut bridge, both broken... no big deal I thought, go home and order the replacement on Brownells along with a couple of new buffer pads. Looked up the parts and discovered (drum roll please!) that they had been discontinued and were longer available!

Great, now I have a Marlin Camp 9 paper weight. Checked everywhere, found replacement pads but couldn't get the parts I needed to make the rifle function. Nobody had them. Then last week I checked back with Numrich gun parts and discovered that they have found somebody making replacement parts for the camp rifles! Just finished learning what it's like to disassemble the Camp and put it back to together. Seems to be working like a champ again thanks to finding the right parts.

Lesson learned: Check the buffer pad and replace at the first signs of cracking. If you don't, serious breakage can occur turning this rifle into junk.

At this point I am more familiar with the inner workings of the marlin than I ever wanted to be, and if someone out there need help, a picture of what a functioning trigger assembly looks like (I looked and couldn't find one) just ask.

Ac ouple of helpful links:

http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=082Zz9
http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/marlincamp9war.htm

 

[johndoe1027]

Philbo, thanks a lot for your post. Very good info to have. I've heard that the new buffers by Black Jack and others are made out of a better material, do you still have to replace them often? 10 years isn't often but every few hundred rounds is.

Talked to my smith today and he said that he wasn't scared of a trigger job on a camp and that he thinks he has done one before. Good news for me. Off to look for a folding stock.

another Camp site with some info

 

[Deer Hunter]

I want to see one of these things suped up to .45 super or .45 Roland performance.

 

[philbo]

I am now using the Black Jack buffer and the material appears to be significantly better, more flexible than the OEM nylon buffer used by Marlin. I believe the recoil is less with the black jack, but this is totally subjective. The site says it should be good for 5000 rounds.

http://www.blackjackbuffers.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=196

 

[johndoe1027]

Deer Hunter, send me a Camp and I'll gladly get it shooting 45 super for you.

If not, mine will continue it's life as a weak little 45acp.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I forgot about the micro groove barrel not liking lead. I plan to test that out today. Is the problem just poor accuracy or something worse?

Just poor accuracy AFAIK. But some Microgroove barrels handle lead bullets OK, so you need to try yours to be sure.

 

[.45&TKD]

I want to see one of these things suped up to .45 super or .45 Roland performance.

Yeah, isn't the .45 acp sort of wimpy for a "camp"ing rifle.
Certainly not good for bears.
Forgive my ignorance if I am missing something.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Depends on where you're camping, TKD. If you're in the middle of grizzly country and all you brought was a .45 auto carbine, then you deserve to be eaten. Then again, camping in the lower 48 in most places wouldn't require much firepower at all.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Yeah, isn't the .45 acp sort of wimpy for a "camp"ing rifle.
Certainly not good for bears.
Forgive my ignorance if I am missing something.

Pretty sure Marlin intended the Camp Carbines for defense against critters with only two legs.

 

[johndoe1027]

Well after some testing, sighting in and trying different loads I found a loading that works just fine in my 3" 1911, 5" 1911, and Camp 45. All 3 guns eat from all 15 of my mags just fine too. I don't have access to a chrono to determine velocities but I don't really care that much. As quick as I can hit small targets at 50 yards, I'm not worried about 2 legged critters. No one wants a 230 gr bullet coming at them no matter how slow it's going.

I tried a 3-9 scope on it and went with a cheap ol BSA red dot instead. I just don't need magnification at 75 yards or less. I love this configuration. Still need a folding stock, trigger job and a briefcase it will fit into then I'll be set. I might look into a enlarged mag release button too. I hate the stock one.

I actually ran my Camp in a IPSC carbine match last night. What a hoot! Almost no one knew what it was. Guys were picking up my brass and saying "I'll be darned, its a 45!".

Quick non-camp related question. I noticed how slow the 45 truly is when I was shooting at 50 yards. Does this mean the BG could hear the shot before it hits? That could make things more difficult to say the least. It wasn't a full second or anything but it was substantial.

 

[MaterDei]

philbo,

Thanks very much for the assistance. I've been looking for a hammer strut bridge for my camp 45 for months and found on at Numrich thanks to you. It's odd that they list the 'nickel hammer strut bridge' which they have in stock for the 9 but not for the 45. Since the part number for the original out of stock bridge is the same I'm hoping that the replacement part is the same as well.

 

[philbo]

philbo,

Thanks very much for the assistance. I've been looking for a hammer strut bridge for my camp 45 for months and found on at Numrich thanks to you. It's odd that they list the 'nickel hammer strut bridge' which they have in stock for the 9 but not for the 45. Since the part number for the original out of stock bridge is the same I'm hoping that the replacement part is the same as well.

It should be the same part. I've found the nickel part to be superior to the original so far. I plan to give it a true work out later this month (still loading ammo for the outing) Good luck

 

[thegreathoe]

woohoo a camp group!!!

hi there... i figured i'd have to become a member of the forum just cause theres a "group" for camp carbines so hi!

i've owned mine for a lil over a year now, and put somewhere round 2000 rounds through her myself... only used jacketed rounds so i cant say anyhting for the lead ball ammo... but the bore is still great!... got it a a local dealer for $250 used *didnt know wut they had at the time* since i've upgraded it with the 21lb gun spring, new buffer, red dot sight and sight rail, choate foldin stock, and a few extra mags.... including this monstrosity...

a 40 round drum

so here's a few pics...

now on my last outing, the front sight kinda flew off, and i was unable to recover teh screws for it.... which sux cause i love the open sights on this thing... anyone have a clue where i coudl get replacements? or shoudl i go teh whole lock tight route?

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Welcome to THR.

You should be able to get replacement screws from Marlin. Use Loctite on them when you reattach the front sight, and you'll probably never have to worry about them again.