Problems with a Marlin 30-30 Lever Action

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lipadj46

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Hello all I'm new here and have a query...

My dad just called me from the woods where he was deer hunting. He has a Marlin 30-30 lever action (sorry I'm not sure what the exact model is until he gets home and I can take a look, but its a modern rifle probably the most common one they sell) and is having intermittent ftf problems. Every time he has a deer in his sites he pulls the trigger and the hammer falls but no bang, re-cock pull the trigger nothing. Then he will mess around a bit more and then it will fire so it is not every time. We are in upstate NY so it is cold, below freezing. He uses decent ammo, new either Winchester or Hornady. He is a gifted hunter but not very mechanically gifted so I will have to fix it or a gunsmith.

I am familiar with an M1A and their common problems and I would know how to fix it if it were an M1A. I have no experience with a Marlin lever action 30-30 though. It sounds to me like a broken firing pin but I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience with the common Marlin problems. Also are they easy to field strip and fix like a military rifle? Or should I not bother and tell him to take it to a gunsmith? Thx in advance.
 
Sounds most like a firing pin problem to me.

To check, take the gun out and attempt to fire it, but only once. Wait a minute or so for a delayed fire, then eject the round and look at the primer, and more specifically the dent on it. It should be distinct and deep enough to fire the round. If it is not it is the firing pin.

You probably already knew that, but....

Next thing that could be a problem in Up State New York is the cold weather he may be in. This could cause the oil used to become heavy and slow down the action of the rifle. The chance of this is slim, but just the same a possibility. If it is the case, clean and reoil with very light oil.

Good Luck
 
The Marlins will break the firing pin if dry fired a bunch, as will the Winchester 94 rifles. Usually the tip breaks off and the gun don't fire anymore until a new pin is installed.

I've had experience with extreme cold rendering a rifle useless. Strip the rifle down and clean all the lube out of the mechanism. Maybe all thats really wrong.
 
I wonder if the safety was on, and when he "messes around" with it, he pushes it off.
 
Thanks for the replies, the more I read about the rifle, the more I think it is either a broken pin or freezing oil/moisture in the bolt innards. I doubt it is a due to him being confused with the safety as he is very familiar with the rifle and has taken a deer with it for the past few years. Either way I think I found out how to remove the bolt and firing pin and it looks pretty easy and I have the correct tools so I will check it out tonight. He is out hunting with his 12 Gauge now so hopefully he comes home with a deer this weekend.
 
sounds liek the safety or firing pin

it sounds like a simple thing with the safety to check before shooting but man i hvae dropped the hammer on more than 1 deer and atleast 2 bears with it on i just stopped using it and use the half cock
 
The bolt guts ended up just needing a good cleaning now the rifle operates like clockwork. Disassembling the bolt was not all that hard. I can add that to the list of rifles I can take apart and more importantly put back together. It is a Marlin 336W 30-30, thanks for all the help. Now I just need to convince my dad to keep his rifles cleaned properly and break them down completely at least once a year.
 
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