The Marlin 39 Club - Page 7

Frandy · April 8, 2007, 02:14 PM

I'm in. A year ago March I picked up this used but never shot 1897 Cowboy.
Made in 2000.

Brassman · April 8, 2007, 05:23 PM

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful rifle Frandy!

Arcli9ht · April 8, 2007, 10:26 PM

I'm in :-p

Rescued it from almost certain death in the hands of NYC's Finest.

Brassman · April 8, 2007, 11:06 PM

Good to have you Arc. Nice shootin'! How far was your target? If that's more than 25 yds, a lot of folks have their hats off to you. Especially if that was just off the rack ammo, not match stuff.

johncolo · April 8, 2007, 11:11 PM

I have a old 39a I think its the model that was given to me by my pops its going on 52 years now still going strong and shoots just as good today as it did 50 years ago good shooting there arc If thats 25 yard or so I can do just about that well out to 50 yards with brass sights no need for a scope

dfariswheel · April 8, 2007, 11:47 PM

I finally got the restoration done of the 1950 Marlin 39-A rifle.
The wood was a badly flaking varnish over the original oil finish with the usual dents and dings, most of the blue was either gone or turned brown, someone years ago had done a "trigger job" and ruined the hammer and trigger, the butt plate was a mis-fitted replacement, and all the screws were badly "dinked up".

Surprisingly for an old rifle that had been through several peoples hands in that family, there was very little pitting or corrosion, and amazingly, the bore and chamber's original Ballard rifling is absolutely mint.

I refinished the wood with Minwax Antique Oil finish as I described in an older post:

http://www.coltforum.com/forums/showflat...=true#Post40913

I either repaired or replaced the screws, replaced the ruined hammer and trigger with new parts and did a trigger job, replaced the original front sight with a new ramp and a hand built blade sight, replaced the open rear with a Williams receiver sight, re-fitted the butt plate, and had it re-blued.

The rifle was sold to me by a friend who just wanted someone to have it who really wanted it and could restore it.
Prices:
The rifle itself from a friend: $50.00
New sights: $65.00
Replacement parts from Jack First: $56.98
Blue job by Mahovski's Metalife: $79.00
Total: $245.98

Nematocyst · April 9, 2007, 12:12 AM

Quote:

rifle from a friend: $50.00
New sights: $65.00
Replacement parts from Jack First: $56.98
Blue job by Mahovski's Metalife: $79.00
Total: $245.98

Restored 39A: priceless.

Wow. Looks like I got back at a good time.

Dang fine looking rifle, Dfaris.

Likewise, Frandy.

Good shooting, Arc.

Welcome Johncolo. What's your secret for good groups at 50 with irons?

Nem (who just survived a week from hell)

johncolo · April 9, 2007, 12:18 AM

nice work there wheel How thats a nice rear site where did you happen to pick it up at ive been thinking of getting something like that or the old sharps sites with the big slide in back for my 336 thanks for the welcome nem

dfariswheel · April 9, 2007, 02:04 AM

The rear sight is a Williams 5D receiver sight.
It has adjustments that are made by loosening screws and moving the sight.

Williams also make a target version as the "Foolproof".
It has very fine "click" adjustments.

The 5D is about $35.00 from Brownell's, with the Foolproof costing $67.00.
I debated spending the extra money for the Foolproof, which I had on a 1980's Marlin 39-A, but practically, once you get a .22 sighted in, you seldom change the sights.

jkingrph · April 9, 2007, 09:31 AM

In reference to Shrinkmd's post of 2 April. You can dry fire the 39 easily. On older models, simpely remove firing pin. On newer models with cross bolt, engage safety and hammer does not strike firing pinl.

Last week took my wife to range with me. She shot the 1897 cowboy with tang sights and liked it. I have had gun setting in safe 3 or 4 years unfired and for the life of me do not know why we have not taken it out sooner. These are fun guns. I guess my interest in the last few years in old Swiss rifles and single shots has trumped everything else. The old 39a Dad got for me roughly 55 years ago sports a lyman receiver sight, and I'm sorry to say I have not shot it in years. The wife wants to get a concealed handgun permit here in Texas, so I'm starting her with a S&W mod 41 and will progress to a Browning Hi-Power. I shall probably take some of the little 22's out and reaquaint myself with them.

After finding this thread earlier this month I never realized that there was so much interest in these little guns, but can understand why. They are quality and full sized

Seven High · April 9, 2007, 09:43 AM

Does anyone own and have photos of a Marlin 39TDS?

SwampWolf · April 9, 2007, 05:01 PM

I agree with dfariswheel's rationale for choosing a 5D over a Foolproof Williams aperture sight when it comes to sighting a .22. Sure, everything else being equal, I'd always opt for the Foolproof. But at less than half the price, the 5D makes more sense when you probably aren't going to change the settings of the sight anyhow and, because the rimfire ammunition is so relatively cheap and the recoil so mild, there is no real penalty in having a cruder (less precise) sight adjustment when you do.

All of my centerfire lever-action rifles wear a Foolproof peep, including a Winchester 94 carbine and an 1886 "Lightweight" (I confess to having one lever-a Savage 99 in .358 Win. cal. , that wears a 1.5X5x scope), in addition to an older (greater drop on the stock) Remington 760 pump. But my 39 sports a 5D and I've never missed the micrometer adjustments on it.

Nematocyst · April 9, 2007, 05:59 PM

Oh, man, it's good to be back...

Quote:

In reference to Shrinkmd's post of 2 April. You can dry fire the 39 easily. On older models, simpely remove firing pin. On newer models with cross bolt, engage safety and hammer does not strike firing pinl.

JKing, that's great news. Not sure why I didn't think about that.

Mine's new, so has the CB safety.
(So there IS at least one benefit to having one of those, despite their draw backs...

)

So, just to double check: there's no potential damage to hammer from doing this, even a lot?

That is, I wonder if anyone would make the argument that the hammer hitting the cross bolt could eventually cause it to weaken or something.

Not saying it will, just double checking that it won't.

Opinions?

Nem

tubeshooter · April 9, 2007, 08:29 PM

My opinion is that I still wouldn't dry fire, safety or not.

[EDIT: Thanks for the pic of the 5D also - gives me visual evidence I'm in the right ballpark with my elevation setting.]

skeeter1 · April 9, 2007, 08:34 PM

My older 39D has the easy-to-remove firing pin, so no dry firing worries there. My much newer 1894 has the cross-bolt safety, and though I haven't dry-fired it a lot, so far no problems.

Brassman · April 9, 2007, 11:09 PM

Mechanically, there's no way the hammer could contact the firing pin with the safety on, on a new 39A. Just make sure the safety button is pushed all the way to the right. No red showing on the left.

Shrinkmd · April 9, 2007, 11:39 PM

While I'm debating peep tang vs receiver, any thoughts on replacing the front sight with something a little more modern, light gathering fiber optic? I know that mixing a peep tang with a fiber optic front sight is like putting a cell phone antennae on a horses saddle, but it would make iron sights a bit more useful, no?

What type would it take? Dovetail, or ramp? I'm browsing the Midwayusa catalog and getting a little bleary eyed, so many choices!

dfariswheel · April 9, 2007, 11:43 PM

Depends on what type of base you have on your rifle.

Most newer rifles have a ramp base. In that case, all you'd need is a front sight blade with the standard dovetail.

Measure the existing sight blade from the bottom of the actual sight blade's dovetail to the top of the blade to determine the height to order.

tubeshooter · April 10, 2007, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Mechanically, there's no way the hammer could contact the firing pin with the safety on, on a new 39A. Just make sure the safety button is pushed all the way to the right. No red showing on the left.

I am glad to know this, even though I don't really plan on making a habit of putting it into action. I appreciate the info.

BTW, there have been some beautiful pics posted. Very nice.

Nematocyst · April 11, 2007, 03:16 AM

Quote:

My opinion is that I still wouldn't dry fire, safety or not.

Quote:

I don't really plan on making a habit of putting it into action.

Tube, would you mind telling us why you object to that mode for dry fire?

I'm not being critical. Such a thing is a personal decision, and if it's just gut level,
that's fine and just as valid as some rational argument for doing it.

I'm just trying to evaluate the option and considering all angles.

Nem

yodar · April 11, 2007, 05:25 AM

Nematocyst

The reason why I never dry fire a .22 is that the firearm is targeted to crush the rim of the cartridge to ignite the primer. the absence of the rim means that force hits the receiver unbuffered by any brass rim.

yodar

tubeshooter · April 11, 2007, 08:18 AM

Nem:

Just a personal preference thing, I guess. Even though it may be mechanically safe and sound, I don't take it as a license to do it.

I can practice sight picture without dry firing
Waited too long/rifle is too nice for that IMO
Good way to get a ND/AD
Might be some unknown, unforseen impact on the gun

I have witnessed the result of a .22 that had dry-fire-itis. I don't want to do that to any of my guns. But like I said, it's nice to know that it should be alright "on paper".

Brassman · April 11, 2007, 09:54 AM

Even though it's not going to hurt anything to dry-fire the 39A with the safety on, I still don't do it. I don't dry fire anything except my double action revolvers for which I'm smoothing out the triggers. I dry-fire them all the time shooting the heads off of people on TV. Over the last 2 years or so I bet I have dry-fired my 642 and Ruger GP over 100,000 times and the triggers are still getting better. It's just a poor man's trigger job.

Nematocyst · April 11, 2007, 05:04 PM

Thanks for your thoughts on dry-firing, folks.

All good food for thought.

I'll confess, I'm reluctant to do it with my 39A, too.

I like to dry fire my revolvers to smooth actions and triggers, and I'm even OK with doing it with my 336, but in this case, I think I'll just get my smith to do an action and trigger job on the 39, and be safe with it.

I'm learning a LOT here. Thanks to all for participating. Looking forward to MUCH more to come ...

Nem

tubeshooter · April 11, 2007, 05:25 PM

Yeah, I'm in the Brassman camp. I'll dry fire my DA centerfire wheelguns, but that actually has the whole "poor man's trigger job" reasoning behind it.

Past that, I don't dry fire at all.

April 8, 2007, 02:14 PM	#151
Frandy Member Join Date: January 6, 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,354	I'm in. A year ago March I picked up this used but never shot 1897 Cowboy. Made in 2000. __________________ He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. - M.L. King

April 8, 2007, 11:06 PM	#154
Brassman Member Join Date: March 21, 2006 Location: Gastonia, NC Posts: 278	Good to have you Arc. Nice shootin'! How far was your target? If that's more than 25 yds, a lot of folks have their hats off to you. Especially if that was just off the rack ammo, not match stuff. Last edited by Brassman; April 8, 2007 at 11:07 PM. Reason: addition

April 9, 2007, 11:39 PM	#167
Shrinkmd Member Join Date: July 1, 2005 Location: NJ Posts: 955	Front sight replacement? While I'm debating peep tang vs receiver, any thoughts on replacing the front sight with something a little more modern, light gathering fiber optic? I know that mixing a peep tang with a fiber optic front sight is like putting a cell phone antennae on a horses saddle, but it would make iron sights a bit more useful, no? What type would it take? Dovetail, or ramp? I'm browsing the Midwayusa catalog and getting a little bleary eyed, so many choices!

April 11, 2007, 05:25 AM	#171
yodar Member Join Date: January 1, 2003 Location: FL. Posts: 160	re: dry firing Nematocyst The reason why I never dry fire a .22 is that the firearm is targeted to crush the rim of the cartridge to ignite the primer. the absence of the rim means that force hits the receiver unbuffered by any brass rim. yodar __________________ Words MEAN things

April 11, 2007, 08:18 AM	#172
tubeshooter Member Join Date: August 15, 2006 Posts: 752	Nem: Just a personal preference thing, I guess. Even though it may be mechanically safe and sound, I don't take it as a license to do it. I can practice sight picture without dry firing Waited too long/rifle is too nice for that IMO Good way to get a ND/AD Might be some unknown, unforseen impact on the gun I have witnessed the result of a .22 that had dry-fire-itis. I don't want to do that to any of my guns. But like I said, it's nice to know that it should be alright "on paper".

April 8, 2007, 05:23 PM	#152
Brassman Member Join Date: March 21, 2006 Location: Gastonia, NC Posts: 278	Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful rifle Frandy!

April 8, 2007, 10:26 PM	#153
Arcli9ht Registration in progress Join Date: February 8, 2003 Posts: 257	I'm in :-p Rescued it from almost certain death in the hands of NYC's Finest.

April 8, 2007, 11:11 PM	#155
johncolo member Join Date: April 6, 2007 Posts: 43	I have a old 39a I think its the model that was given to me by my pops its going on 52 years now still going strong and shoots just as good today as it did 50 years ago good shooting there arc If thats 25 yard or so I can do just about that well out to 50 yards with brass sights no need for a scope

April 8, 2007, 11:47 PM	#156
dfariswheel Member Join Date: December 26, 2002 Posts: 5,735	I finally got the restoration done of the 1950 Marlin 39-A rifle. The wood was a badly flaking varnish over the original oil finish with the usual dents and dings, most of the blue was either gone or turned brown, someone years ago had done a "trigger job" and ruined the hammer and trigger, the butt plate was a mis-fitted replacement, and all the screws were badly "dinked up". Surprisingly for an old rifle that had been through several peoples hands in that family, there was very little pitting or corrosion, and amazingly, the bore and chamber's original Ballard rifling is absolutely mint. I refinished the wood with Minwax Antique Oil finish as I described in an older post: http://www.coltforum.com/forums/showflat...=true#Post40913 I either repaired or replaced the screws, replaced the ruined hammer and trigger with new parts and did a trigger job, replaced the original front sight with a new ramp and a hand built blade sight, replaced the open rear with a Williams receiver sight, re-fitted the butt plate, and had it re-blued. The rifle was sold to me by a friend who just wanted someone to have it who really wanted it and could restore it. Prices: The rifle itself from a friend: $50.00 New sights: $65.00 Replacement parts from Jack First: $56.98 Blue job by Mahovski's Metalife: $79.00 Total: $245.98

April 9, 2007, 12:18 AM	#158
johncolo member Join Date: April 6, 2007 Posts: 43	nice work there wheel How thats a nice rear site where did you happen to pick it up at ive been thinking of getting something like that or the old sharps sites with the big slide in back for my 336 thanks for the welcome nem

April 9, 2007, 02:04 AM	#159
dfariswheel Member Join Date: December 26, 2002 Posts: 5,735	The rear sight is a Williams 5D receiver sight. It has adjustments that are made by loosening screws and moving the sight. Williams also make a target version as the "Foolproof". It has very fine "click" adjustments. The 5D is about $35.00 from Brownell's, with the Foolproof costing $67.00. I debated spending the extra money for the Foolproof, which I had on a 1980's Marlin 39-A, but practically, once you get a .22 sighted in, you seldom change the sights.

April 9, 2007, 09:31 AM	#160
jkingrph Member Join Date: June 30, 2005 Location: E. Texas Posts: 1,034	In reference to Shrinkmd's post of 2 April. You can dry fire the 39 easily. On older models, simpely remove firing pin. On newer models with cross bolt, engage safety and hammer does not strike firing pinl. Last week took my wife to range with me. She shot the 1897 cowboy with tang sights and liked it. I have had gun setting in safe 3 or 4 years unfired and for the life of me do not know why we have not taken it out sooner. These are fun guns. I guess my interest in the last few years in old Swiss rifles and single shots has trumped everything else. The old 39a Dad got for me roughly 55 years ago sports a lyman receiver sight, and I'm sorry to say I have not shot it in years. The wife wants to get a concealed handgun permit here in Texas, so I'm starting her with a S&W mod 41 and will progress to a Browning Hi-Power. I shall probably take some of the little 22's out and reaquaint myself with them. After finding this thread earlier this month I never realized that there was so much interest in these little guns, but can understand why. They are quality and full sized

April 9, 2007, 09:43 AM	#161
Seven High Member Join Date: December 7, 2004 Posts: 618	Does anyone own and have photos of a Marlin 39TDS?

April 9, 2007, 05:01 PM	#162
SwampWolf Member Join Date: September 18, 2005 Location: North Central Ohio Posts: 3,123	I agree with dfariswheel's rationale for choosing a 5D over a Foolproof Williams aperture sight when it comes to sighting a .22. Sure, everything else being equal, I'd always opt for the Foolproof. But at less than half the price, the 5D makes more sense when you probably aren't going to change the settings of the sight anyhow and, because the rimfire ammunition is so relatively cheap and the recoil so mild, there is no real penalty in having a cruder (less precise) sight adjustment when you do. All of my centerfire lever-action rifles wear a Foolproof peep, including a Winchester 94 carbine and an 1886 "Lightweight" (I confess to having one lever-a Savage 99 in .358 Win. cal. , that wears a 1.5X5x scope), in addition to an older (greater drop on the stock) Remington 760 pump. But my 39 sports a 5D and I've never missed the micrometer adjustments on it.

April 9, 2007, 08:29 PM	#164
tubeshooter Member Join Date: August 15, 2006 Posts: 752	My opinion is that I still wouldn't dry fire, safety or not. [EDIT: Thanks for the pic of the 5D also - gives me visual evidence I'm in the right ballpark with my elevation setting.]

April 9, 2007, 08:34 PM	#165
skeeter1 Member Join Date: July 30, 2006 Location: Northest Ohio Posts: 385	My older 39D has the easy-to-remove firing pin, so no dry firing worries there. My much newer 1894 has the cross-bolt safety, and though I haven't dry-fired it a lot, so far no problems.

April 9, 2007, 11:09 PM	#166
Brassman Member Join Date: March 21, 2006 Location: Gastonia, NC Posts: 278	Mechanically, there's no way the hammer could contact the firing pin with the safety on, on a new 39A. Just make sure the safety button is pushed all the way to the right. No red showing on the left.

April 9, 2007, 11:43 PM	#168
dfariswheel Member Join Date: December 26, 2002 Posts: 5,735	Depends on what type of base you have on your rifle. Most newer rifles have a ramp base. In that case, all you'd need is a front sight blade with the standard dovetail. Measure the existing sight blade from the bottom of the actual sight blade's dovetail to the top of the blade to determine the height to order.

April 11, 2007, 09:54 AM	#173
Brassman Member Join Date: March 21, 2006 Location: Gastonia, NC Posts: 278	Even though it's not going to hurt anything to dry-fire the 39A with the safety on, I still don't do it. I don't dry fire anything except my double action revolvers for which I'm smoothing out the triggers. I dry-fire them all the time shooting the heads off of people on TV. Over the last 2 years or so I bet I have dry-fired my 642 and Ruger GP over 100,000 times and the triggers are still getting better. It's just a poor man's trigger job.

April 11, 2007, 05:04 PM	#174
Nematocyst Member Join Date: August 5, 2005 Location: 44°N x 69°W Posts: 11,607	Thanks for your thoughts on dry-firing, folks. All good food for thought. I'll confess, I'm reluctant to do it with my 39A, too. I like to dry fire my revolvers to smooth actions and triggers, and I'm even OK with doing it with my 336, but in this case, I think I'll just get my smith to do an action and trigger job on the 39, and be safe with it. I'm learning a LOT here. Thanks to all for participating. Looking forward to MUCH more to come ... Nem

April 11, 2007, 05:25 PM	#175
tubeshooter Member Join Date: August 15, 2006 Posts: 752	Yeah, I'm in the Brassman camp. I'll dry fire my DA centerfire wheelguns, but that actually has the whole "poor man's trigger job" reasoning behind it. Past that, I don't dry fire at all.