Got a "new" Marlin .45 Camp Carbine today...

[meef]

Sometimes you win one.....

I just happened to walk into my favorite gunshop for the first time in about a month.

There just happened to be a Marlin .45 Camp Carbine on the rack. It was unfired and even had the original box and all to go with it.

It seems that somebody bought it to prepare for Y2K, and when the S didn't HTF, just put it in a closet.

Fast forward six years to this week.

The Marlin came out of the closet and got traded in on a pistol of some sort at the shop. On the rack it went, and along came I. I looked at it, fondled it, was amazed that it was even there, placed it back on the rack, gritted my teeth, left the shop and drove home.

Got home and in the front door, kicked myself in the keister for leaving that carbine there for somebody else, got back in the car and broke a couple of speed laws getting back to the shop - then bought the damn thing...

Seemed like $350 for a new .45 Camp Carbine was a pretty fair deal.

Any and all suggestions by knowledgable Camp Carbine aficionados will be gratefully listened to and considered.

Other than sell it to you for what I paid for it, of course.

 

[Starter52]

meef, you totally STOLE that gun.

I bet you could get twice that price today on gunbroker.com. Any NIB .45 camp carbine is $600-$650 around here, IF you can find one.

 

[rbernie]

Congrats!

I found the brother to that one about six months ago - same condition, for $325. It showed upon the rack the day that I decided to show my wife my favorite gun shop. (She's not an anti-, but she'd rather I spent my money on college funds and such for the kids..) She looks at me, sees the drool, and tell me, 'Why not buy it?'. WAAHHOOOO!!

Get the Wolff 22lb recoil spring in it before putting too many rounds thru it (lest you crack the stock) and then just have fun. Just remember to get the feedramp UNDER the barrel when you put it back together - you'll see what I mean when you break it down for cleaning...

 

[meef]

rbernie -

Thanks for the tip about the Wolff spring. I'd heard that the spring should be changed, just didn't know what to.

Also, regarding cleaning: the guys at the shop said DO NOT use GunScrubber on it. Claimed it melts the plastic and your nice Camp Carbine becomes pretty much useless.

Good to know.....

 

[Gunstore Commando]

Anyone know why Marlin stopped making these? Or why they don't start again?

 

[grimjaw]

Seemed like $350 for a new .45 Camp Carbine was a pretty fair deal.

THIEF! THIEF! SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE!

Congrats. You have the rifle that everyone wishes they still made.

jmm

 

[Dave Markowitz]

STOP THIEF!!!! Nice catch!

Definitely get the the 22# Wolf spring. The OEM 11# spring is WAY too light, contributes to the cracked stock problems and lets the buffer get beat up. The 22# spring slows down the action and absorbs a lot more energy, and as a side benefit eliminates the problems of gunk coming out of the ejection port and getting in the face of left handed shooters.

Get a spare buffer here.

Also make sure that before you shoot it, the screws holding the gun to the stock are snug. Loose action screws contribute to cracked stocks with this gun.

As you probably know, it takes 1911 mags. Some 1911 mags have a squarish cutout at the top rear, while with others the cutout is rounded. You want the mags with the square cutout. The rounded ones will not fully seat in my Camp 45. Chip McCormick mags work good in mine.

A red dot sight is a good match for the Marlins. The Camp Carbines use the same scope bases as the Marlin 336 lever guns.

Choate makes a folding stock for the Camp Carbines if you want to make it more compact for storage.

Have fun, these are really fun guns.

 

[KriegHund]

Seemed like $350 for a new .45 Camp Carbine was a pretty fair deal.

Nice!

A carbine is on the list (High point or CX4) of my many guns to get...

 

[rbernie]

Recent Marlin Camp-45 thread o' goodness...

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=188179

 

[nipprdog]

Anyone know why Marlin stopped making these? Or why they don't start again?

PC reasons. Marlin felt that they didn't fit into thier 'sporting arms'.

 

[BillinNH]

<Anyone know why Marlin stopped making these? Or why they don't start again?>

A couple of things: First, the Camp Carbines weren't built all that ruggedly. The wood furniture is easily scratched and the receivers and barrels can be damaged by rough treatment. Newer carbines such as the Ruger are much better in a rough and tumble environment. All the newer carbines make substantial use of polymers which adds to the durability, lightness, ease of maintenance and "business-like" appearence. The Camp Carbines are more Gentlemen's guns, IMO.

Secondly, I don't think Marlin was selling all that many of them and may have thought the production facilities could be put to better use.

The newer carbines (Kel-Tec, Hi-Point, Beretta, etc.) have re-established the market. But if Marlin re-enters it, I bet they go to a newer design.

Now don't get me wrong. I am very fond of my Camp Carbines and wouldn't part with them or make any nonreversible changes to them. But I keep them fairly pristine and shoot them less than my KT and HP.

Bill

 

[meef]

Thanks for the updates and info guys... as stated, all suggestions much appreciated.

I ordered the Wolff spring last night, will order the buffer today.

And here's another little goodie I ordered last night:

That's from Choate.

I'm going to take the original stock off and hide it away, keep it pristine and unscratched..

The Choate stock looks adequately rugged to take whatever it might encounter. I plan to use the Marlin as the bedside burglar-spray and a folding stock enhances this, in my opinion.

And yep, Dave.... I agree on the red dot sight. That's next on the list.

 

[Ad Astra]

You can return the cracked stock (should you have one) to Marlin with a polite letter, and they will mail you, 6-8 weeks later, a new stock.

I had the nerve <ahem> to request a nice feather stripe.

They did it.

Despite the poor engineering, many thanks, Marlin. Every time I clean it, I wonder what the engineer was thinking...

and yeah, you stole it. Nice.

 

[meef]

When you guys talk - I listen....

Just a follow-up on my intial posting.

Here's a couple of pics of my spiffy brand new Marlin Camp Carbine with its new outfitting.

Choate Folding Stock. Wolff 21# spring. Blackjack buffer. Chip McCormack Power 10 mag. Aimpoint wannabe red dot sight.

Did I forget anything...?

Oh yeah! I forgot to go shoot it!

Well, I actually didn't forget - I just haven't had the opportunity yet. Soon though......

Thanks once again for the input on tricking out my new goodie.

 

[Aneat]

Good thread guys; I found a Camp 45 today at the pawn shop. They were asking $239.00 but I got him down to $200.00. Its even got a scope on it

Cant wait to shoot it

Adam

 

[DMK]

Nice deals guys. The Camp carbine is a hoot to shoot. I had a 9mm that I got NIB for around $300 back around 2001. It was really accurate and completely reliable. Marlin makes a nice rifle.

 

[BBBBill]

I was actually looking for info on cracked Camp Carbine stocks when I found this thread. A friend has broken two on his 45. I will inform him of this thread and the fix. What about the 9mm version? Any problems there?
I can get the spring for him easily enough, but where does one find the buffer?

In his conversation with Marlin, he says they told him that they never actually manufactured these guns in house, but that they were built by a sub for them.

 

[meef]

I can get the spring for him easily enough, but where does one find the buffer?

Go to Dave Markowitz post #7 and click on the link he provided. Very useful.

 

[bluedsteelnwood]

Gun Shop and Gun Auction Sites

Often you can run across a rifle or pistol in a gun shop especially if it has been sitting around for a while. A national gun sale or auction sit will usually bring a higher price for many pieces. Got a new BRUNO ZKM 611 a beautiful semiauto 22 mag which has a forged milled receiver with beautiful wood and metal finish. It is also a break down. Paid $250 because no one had heard of it and it was sitting for some seven months or so on the rack.

 

[beerslurpy]

You rotton son of a bitches. 350 is like half off, 200 is stealing! I've been trying to find a camp carbine for weeks, let alone a bargain basement one. Nobody even has any here for sale.