Crack in stock on new Marlin 1894 lever action rifle!!

[MCMXI]

This morning I was able to pick up the Marin 1894 Cowboy Limited that I'd ordered and my overall impression is that this is a great little (and practical) rifle. It has a very nice walnut stock but when I got it home, I noticed that the stock on the left side where it butts up against the receiver was flexing way too much. My first thought was that this was a crappy design and a weak connection so I decided to strip the rifle down to take a better look. Once I had removed the stock, I noticed a large crack inside the stock where it connects to the receiver.

It's just not worth sending the rifle back so I plan on using Titebond III wood glue to repair the crack. Anyway, a little frustrating on a new rifle. Also, this rifle is supposed to be brand new so I would have preferred it if the factory could have cleaned the bore after firing it. I'm assuming they're the ones that fired a few test rounds and left it for me to clean. Do all US firearm manufacturers test fire EVERY rifle, shotgun, pistol and revolver that they sell? If so, I guess that'd mean a lot of cleaning which would probably mean higher prices!

 

[chris in va]

Contact Marlin. You may not have to send it back.

 

[MCMXI]

Contact Marlin. You may not have to send it back.

I think I will since the problem is worse than I thought. There's an even bigger crack running back into the stock. It's a real pity ... this stock has a really nice grain to it.

 

[mainmech48]

Ditto call Marlin. While I'm not certain, it seems to me that with the current state of CNC manufacturing technology no skilled fitting work should be needed to swap a butt stock.

If how closely the wood of the butt and forearm match is an issue for you, you might even be able to negotiate a bit of lagniappe in the way of swapping all your wood for a hand-picked-for-color/figure replacement set under the circumstances if you're polite and affable.

 

[Shawnee]

+1 for "Mainmech48's" comments.

TightBond is great stuff and will glue a boat to the surface of the lake, but that isn't the place for it. There's a good chance the wood would later just crack again somewhere besides the repair.

 

[Reddbecca]

Repairing a split stock, just in case Marlin isn't of any help.

 

[viking499]

I had the same stock problem with my new 44 stainless Santa brought me last year. Never been fired. Called Marlin. They apologized and said they would take care of it. Had to send complete gun back in so they could inspect and fit the new wood. Was back home in under 2 weeks.

 

[ThomasT]

My 94 in 357 had the same thing. I called Marlin and they sent a new stock. The stock fit fine.

They use induction heat to final fit the stocks. I think they may get carried away on occasion.

 

[vicdotcom]

I think that stocks on marlin's is its only weak point. Its fine walnut but from what I noticed, the fits arent always the best. No other complains though on their rifles. Some of the best. I hope Remington's buyout doesnt impact that.

 

[jkingrph]

My ex brother in law had gotten several extremely high grade stocks for the Guide Gun, and some how managed to break one of the "tang sides" completely off. The wood was so highly figured that this was easy.

I proceded to order some high quality epoxy( West System) then made a jig , leather lined so I could clamp the stock with out marring it. Fitted a piece of pine the exact width of the tang to help align things then glued it up, When dry I drilled a couple of small holes through the tang cheeks, going ahead and doing both sides and epoxied in a couple of pieces of welding rod to reinforce the wild grain extending into this area. The break was so clean that it is hard to find the glue line now and I have a very high grade stock .

 

[CRITGIT]

Repairing a split stock, just in case Marlin isn't of any help.

Great post Reddbecca!

CRITGIT

 

[MCMXI]

Reddbecca, that's an excellent web site .. thanks for the link.

TightBond is great stuff and will glue a boat to the surface of the lake, but that isn't the place for it. There's a good chance the wood would later just crack again somewhere besides the repair.

Shawnee, wouldn't that be true of any repair then? Titebond is specifically formulated for wood and you'll be hard pressed to find a better glue. Its low viscosity allows it to creep into the finest cracks. I repaired both cracks last night and will put the stock back on today. I'll call Marlin to see if they'll send me a new stock though just in case this one decides to fall apart.

They use induction heat to final fit the stocks. I think they may get carried away on occasion.

Ratshooter, so that's what the black, burnt looking ends are all about. That's good to know ... thanks!

Thanks to everyone for your comments. It seems that I'm not alone in this (based on at least three posts). I will add, the barrel on this rifle has more burrs in it than any barrel I've ever seen. I can hear/feel the cleaning patch catching on the burrs and when I look through the barrel it looks like it was tarred and feathered!! Hopefully the barrel will clean up after a few hundred rounds.

 

[MCMXI]

Reddbecca, come to think of it, the stock could look really nice with a couple of 3/16" brass pins in the grip area.

 

[vicdotcom]

Thanks to everyone for your comments. It seems that I'm not alone in this (based on at least three posts). I will add, the barrel on this rifle has more burrs in it than any barrel I've ever seen. I can hear/feel the cleaning patch catching on the burrs and when I look through the barrel it looks like it was tarred and feathered!! Hopefully the barrel will clean up after a few hundred rounds.

Wow it honestly sounds like the stock was only one condition issue in this rifle. I hope it cleans out nice for you and shoots well.

 

[aka108]

Send it back to Marlin. UPS returned to your door, no FFL to go thru or any of that. I sent a 917 back to them for a bolt and ejector problem. Rifle was back in my hands in less than 2 weeks.

 

[MCMXI]

Wow it honestly sounds like the stock was only one condition issue in this rifle. I hope it cleans out nice for you and shoots well.

Hmmm ... looks like I may have got one built on a Monday!! I've never owned a Marlin 1894 so I'm not sure what's "typical". Most folks seem to really like their Marlins and the cracked stock hasn't changed that. Even the barrel, if it cleans up then that's fine too.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Between the barrel and the stock, I'd send the whole thing to Marlin and have them final-finish everything! No excuse for that kind of thing!

That said, I have an 1894, and between family and friends I've shot and handled half a dozen other Marlins. None of them had any of the issues you describe. Everybody was/is perfectly happy with the fit, finish and performance of their rifles.

Actually, I think my 1894 (.44 Magnum BTW) would be the last rifle I'd let go of. It's reasonably accurate, but mostly lightweight and handy, while chambered in "enough cartridge" for 99% of needs I can foresee.

Get Marlin on the horn Monday and get them to sort it out. I wouldn't wait for the barrel to break-in on that rifle; it'll probably foul so badly it'll just frustrate you.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Too bad about your new rifle, hate to hear it. I think part of the issue is the shipping cartons they use. They aren't too impressive.

I ordered a 308 MX last year. When it came in, the sight hood was off and had gouged the reciever and stock. I refused it, they sent it back.

They should honor it to make it good though.

Perhaps they are used to it.

 

[ftierson]

As others have suggested, just call Marlin...

They have great customer service, and are likely just to send you a replacement buttstock...

Forrest

 

[MCMXI]

Well, I loaded up 50 rounds this morning and headed off to the range. First off, these rifles are wonderful to shoot which I'm sure many of you realize. I can see why folks become so attached to these little guys. I was shooting a 200 grain LRNFP bullet with 6.0 grains of Trail Boss powder and talk about ZERO recoil!! This thing really is a blast to shoot. I don't care for the sites and will change those ASAP. I had a hard time seeing the target at 50 yards since the front bead completely covered my 4" square. I was basically trying to aim at the center of the 8-1/2" by 11 paper. Anyway, after making a couple of adjustments to the sites I fired off twenty rounds.

I was reasonably happy with the results. I'm not sure of what to expect from the Marlin in terms of accuracy. It's a 20" barreled carbine so I'd expect it to be capable of breaking dinner plates at 100 yards but not much more. After today's session, I cleaned the barrel and there's definitely something odd going on. One of the lands just looks weird. I'll try to post a photo tonight. The stock repair went well and now it feels very rigid and flex free. I'll still contact Marlin this week to see if they'll send me a replacement.

 

[chieftain]

Do all US firearm manufacturers test fire EVERY rifle, shotgun, pistol and revolver that they sell?

I hope so.

As to the 1894, mine is the most FUN rifle I have ever shot (Let us not talk about those with a fun switch). I also replaced my sights with a set of ghost ring sights from XS. Mine is the 16" with factory comp. This is a REALLY fun rifle.

Go figure.

Fred

 

[mainmech48]

Just a couple of suggestions for sights that've worked out very nicely for me.

I've replaced the front bead on all of my Marlin LAs (39M, 1895G, 336) with a Williams "Firesight" fiber optic bead. Not only has the change made it easier for my bifocal-clad eyes to focus on, but also faster to pick up, too, even though the bead is a good deal smaller.

I really like a receiver sight. IMO, putting a conventionally mounted scope or other optical device right at the natural balance point makes it clumsy to hand carry and screws up the sweet handling characteristics that I love so much. The speed and precision with which I can deliver my shots are both improved a great deal over what I can accomplish with other irons, and the way the factory opens are made means that I can get those benefits and still keep an "emergency" back-up set in-place and zeroed. This saved a semi-expensive hunting trip for me once.

Since your carbine is a newer model it probably doesn't have the two pre-D&T'ed holes in the left side of the receiver that mine do. Williams, XS, etc. have models which use the rear two scope mount holes on the top for receiver sights now. The major practical difference in one of those is that the front usually needs to be replaced with a taller one. Some brands include one as part of the package. Money well spent, IMO as you don't have to look up or calculate the proper height and order one separately plus the cost is usually a bit less than separate items. FWIW, the Williams package includes the FO bead, is a quick, easy DIY and is relatively inexpensive.

A nice extra for an FO front that's very useful is the modified hood for the front. It's opened up on top to let the light in and slips right on the factory ramp. Less than $10 from most sources.

I know that the prospect of having your new carbine unavailable for an indeterminant time isn't very attractive, but I'd have to agree that sending your carbine back to the factory for warranty work seems like the best course in light of the barrel situation.

When the only problem seemed to be the cracked wood I can see trying to avoid the hassle. Adding a rough bore to the list would make it sort of mandatory, IMO.

The barrel might slick-up with some shooting if the flaws are minor, but why gamble with something so vital to the performance? IMO, you should be able to work out a deal where Marlin picks up the tab for shipping both ways. IMO, their QC should've spotted the flaws and had them corrected before it ever left the plant.

 

[MCMXI]

mainmech48 and chieftain, thanks for the very informative posts and great suggestions. I tried to take some photos of the barrel this morning and this is what I managed to capture.

Muzzle end:

Muzzle end:

Breech end:

You can see the odd looking land. Whatever the problem is, it's on that one land all the way through the barrel. After shooting about 40 rounds yesterday and cleaning, and then cleaning again this morning, most of the barrel looks good. That one land is weird though. I'd appreciate any ideas on what the problem is. This is supposed to be a brand new rifle so it would only have been shot a couple of times. Hardly enough to cause lead fouling right?

 

[chieftain]

I would doubt lead fouling, unless the bore is so rough as to virtually shear the lead as the bullet passed.

Sounds extreme but possible. I haven't shot lead bullets since I stopped casting my own balls for my cap and ball revolver about 35 years ago.

I have purposely avoided that problem. Hopefully someone much more up to date.

But I think you should send the rifle back to Marlin.

What ever you decide, good luck.

Fred

 

[vicdotcom]

Personally, I would consider that a manufacturing defect. It should be covered under warrantee. If that land problem runs all the way down the barrel, it may have been a problem at the factory. And you did say that when you ran a patch down it, you could hear it catching the cotton.

I would return it and have them take care of it. Its a great shooter, but there is no reason you shouldnt have a better barrel. Those are great guns to shoot and you should be proud of it instead of having to worry about those things.

At least thats my input on it.