marine 97-03
Member
What are your thoughts on this lil carbine ....how well are they made thinking about getting one.
marlin model 9 (camp 9)
- Thread starter marine 97-03
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
They're good guns but are somewhat limited in application.
Ranger30-06
Member
CraigC said it. They aren't made anymore, so parts are a little hard to find. I know some people love them, and some people couldn't get away from them fast enough. One of the biggest problem with them seems to be the recoil spring area having some issues if the spring gets too worn down. I see mags show up pretty frequently so it shouldn't be to hard to find a couple. I don't believe this gun is +P rated, so go find some normal 9mm ammo and go have some fun popping a couple cans around!
hogshead
Member
A niche gun waiting for a niche to fill. I don't like them much a lot of recoil for a little bang. Then there is that big magwell sticking down like a a trailer hitch on the back of a truck. But they do trade good.
They had stock cracking problems. Other than that, not too bad. Had an employee in Franklin, NC, who used one for black bear. I asked him if he thought he was a little undergunned and he said, "hell, I've got fifteen shots", or something like that.
Furncliff
Member
I bought Camp 9 through an on-line auction two months ago. It looked like it had very few rounds through it. It's short and handy and I like the way it comes up to my shoulder. Before I shot it I ordered a replacement spring and buffer, they are easy to find and inexpensive, it's really important to get these installed before you shoot it. If you are buying something you can handle, make sure there are no cracks in the stock. This is a sure sign that the bolt buffer has failed and the shooter continued to use the rifle. Aftermarket stocks are available, but there are other parts in the action that are probably damaged.
The problems I've had with it seem to be related to the rifle having sit for a long time, an over night soak in solvent has helped a lot. Because these are blow back designs the action gets filthy pretty fast. I'm under the impression that if these are put away dirty and allowed to sit they'll get pretty gummed up.
Mine will not function well on aluminum cases, but seems to feed the cheap steel Russian ammo o.k.. It still stove pipes now and then. The gun came with a factory magazine which has been fine and an after market Pro Mag which has not. I recently bought a 17 round Mec Gar magazine that has been flawless. All my feed issue have been mag related.
The factory trigger on these is by far the worst trigger of any fire arm I've ever used. I think it's completely unusable. I sent my trigger group to a fellow in Colorado Springs who made it acceptable. Cost was $50.
I'm still in the process of trying to sort out the accuracy of this rifle. I've had some bad luck with two scopes that I put on it to test it, and I've been trying different ammo makers and bullet types and weights to try to nail it down. The jury is still out.
I have a Hi Point 4595 also. They are ugly as sin, but very reliable. If you're after a range toy/shooter the 9mm Hi Point might be one to consider, especially since they are a bunch cheaper. I like the looks and the wood stock of the Camp 9 and sooner or later I'll get all the issues worked out, but I'd be tempted to trade the pair for an M1 Carbine
The problems I've had with it seem to be related to the rifle having sit for a long time, an over night soak in solvent has helped a lot. Because these are blow back designs the action gets filthy pretty fast. I'm under the impression that if these are put away dirty and allowed to sit they'll get pretty gummed up.
Mine will not function well on aluminum cases, but seems to feed the cheap steel Russian ammo o.k.. It still stove pipes now and then. The gun came with a factory magazine which has been fine and an after market Pro Mag which has not. I recently bought a 17 round Mec Gar magazine that has been flawless. All my feed issue have been mag related.
The factory trigger on these is by far the worst trigger of any fire arm I've ever used. I think it's completely unusable. I sent my trigger group to a fellow in Colorado Springs who made it acceptable. Cost was $50.
I'm still in the process of trying to sort out the accuracy of this rifle. I've had some bad luck with two scopes that I put on it to test it, and I've been trying different ammo makers and bullet types and weights to try to nail it down. The jury is still out.
I have a Hi Point 4595 also. They are ugly as sin, but very reliable. If you're after a range toy/shooter the 9mm Hi Point might be one to consider, especially since they are a bunch cheaper. I like the looks and the wood stock of the Camp 9 and sooner or later I'll get all the issues worked out, but I'd be tempted to trade the pair for an M1 Carbine
marine 97-03
Member
Maybe a ruger pc9 would be better?
highlander 5
Member
Some of the Camp 9s needed a little work on the feed ramp but after a couple of hundred rounds the ramp smoothed out nicely. IIRC th Marlin used S&W 59 series magazines.
MachIVshooter
Member
Neat little rifles, I picked one up in Dec. for $300 that was Unfired in the box, but had a small rust spot on the barrel. A little steel wool and Birchwood-Casey cold blue made it almost undetectable. Price might seem high, but I did the deal beacuse it came with 11 magazines from 12-20 round capacity, most of which work in my S&W 5906 (the 15, 17 and 20 rounders). The mags alone were easily worth $150.
I'm not big on pistol caliber carbines, but I really like my camp 9 and camp 45. They're nice looking rifles, fun to shoot.
It's not the springs, it's the buffer, and if it breaks apart, yes, they'll crack the stock. Just change it out when you buy the rifle and every so often down the road.
This I won't argue with. The stock trigger is about 12 pounds of crunchy badness. I haven't fixed either of mine to date, but it's on the list.
I'm not big on pistol caliber carbines, but I really like my camp 9 and camp 45. They're nice looking rifles, fun to shoot.
It's not the springs, it's the buffer, and if it breaks apart, yes, they'll crack the stock. Just change it out when you buy the rifle and every so often down the road.
This I won't argue with. The stock trigger is about 12 pounds of crunchy badness. I haven't fixed either of mine to date, but it's on the list.
dprice3844444
member
MachIVshooter
Member
I'm surprised that company is even still around, given ATF's current stance on converting pistols into rifles.
http://www.mechtechsys.com/faqs.php#a0 Top thing says its legal to convert back to pistol format. Just thought id post this for info purposes. I havent gotten to read the pdf they posted in their FAQs.
I think those are kinda neat systems tho.
I think those are kinda neat systems tho.
Owned the Camp 9. Ditto on the trigger. Had a competent smith try to work it over but he gave up on it. sold it...
Enter the Ruger PC9. Heavy for a carbine but accurate and reliable. Will put five Winchester Ranger Black Talon 147 hollow points in an eyeball at 50 yards...relatively quietly.
Great for HD and varmint control where I live.
With the right ammo, I can get ~1640 fps. That ain't bad. Way above 357 Sig performance (pistol) and the wife can shoot it just fine.
Still looking for one in 40.
M
Enter the Ruger PC9. Heavy for a carbine but accurate and reliable. Will put five Winchester Ranger Black Talon 147 hollow points in an eyeball at 50 yards...relatively quietly.
Great for HD and varmint control where I live.
With the right ammo, I can get ~1640 fps. That ain't bad. Way above 357 Sig performance (pistol) and the wife can shoot it just fine.
Still looking for one in 40.
M
MachIVshooter
Member
Thanks. I hadn't seen that ruling, it's relatively recent (July 2011). I had only seen a couple of the letters people had posted where ATF told them that, unless it was sold as a kit, once they turned it into a rifle, it could not be converted back to a handgun lawfully. Stupid, yes, but it was there in black and white.
they are a fun pistol caliber carbine, and pretty accurate maybe cause the micro groove rifling. since they stoped producing them since 1999 they are gettin to that point of being rare/collectible, judging by their current prices. i have tried the s&w 5906 mags on my camp and they work great. if you can get it at a cheap price, grab it (collector value). if your looking for an all around range/plinking/ 9mm carbine look elswhere maybe like the highpoint at a cheaper price.
I have the Camp 9 and the Camp 45. They are great little javelina guns. They were built to use popular (at the time) pistol mags. Magazines are available all over the place for the Smith and Wesson 9mm pistols and 1911 45's. Mine work great with the drum magazines that were made in both of these platforms. buffers do tend to get destroyed but that is what they were put in there for. check them when doing regular cleaning and change as needed. they are not that expensive and readily available from http://www.blackjackbuffers.com/ You can also get the recoil springs from them but I have never had to replace mine. I bought these new back in the 80's and have put a bunch of rounds through each of them.
Typical Marlin Model 60 trigger and all that goes with it. The bad parts are overtravel, gritty trigger, and the trigger housing is made of ABS plastic. Keep Acetone away from it (Ed's Red contains Acetone) or it will melt. If you take the trigger group apart, you need several slave pins and four hands to get it back together again (no joke).
They are like any other typical blowback designed 9 mm carbine and are sprung to work with standard velocity ammo. They tolerate some +p ammo but some varieties are pushing the limits. Do not feed them +P+ or you will create problems. The recoil buffer needs to be in good condition; the design relies on it. Stiffer recoil springs are a good idea for this weapon.
That said, they make fine 100 yard guns. They use common enough S&W mod. 59 mags. Using shotgun sighting, I can dance a quart Gatoraid bottle at 50 yards with mine at fast fire speeds on the iron sights.
They are like any other typical blowback designed 9 mm carbine and are sprung to work with standard velocity ammo. They tolerate some +p ammo but some varieties are pushing the limits. Do not feed them +P+ or you will create problems. The recoil buffer needs to be in good condition; the design relies on it. Stiffer recoil springs are a good idea for this weapon.
That said, they make fine 100 yard guns. They use common enough S&W mod. 59 mags. Using shotgun sighting, I can dance a quart Gatoraid bottle at 50 yards with mine at fast fire speeds on the iron sights.
I know guys that kill deer with the Camp 9 and Camp 45 every year. Shots are in wooded areas around 50-60 yards. They fall dead as dead can be.
Also my Model 60's trigger is anything but gritty, and breaks like a stem of glass. It just takes a little know how by searching rimfire central to get it in tip top shape.
Also my Model 60's trigger is anything but gritty, and breaks like a stem of glass. It just takes a little know how by searching rimfire central to get it in tip top shape.
Camp 9 owner here - a 5906 and the Camp 9 are a hard combo to beat for equipping the spouse. Interchangeable mags and 9mm out of a carbine is nothing to scoff at. Not a target trigger as every Einstein has mentioned but certainly works with near 100% reliability. I say near because some of my cast reloads haven't had quite enough oomph. Factory ammo has been 100%. When I used to take people gopher hunting, I'd hand my 10/22 over to them and use the Camp 9 myself. Does a number on the furry little beasts...
firesky101
Member
@MACHIVSHOOTER
If you ever want out of that marlin, bring it over to my state. You can more than double your money. Cheapest one I have seen in the last year was $699 and beat.
If you ever want out of that marlin, bring it over to my state. You can more than double your money. Cheapest one I have seen in the last year was $699 and beat.
jmorris
Member
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I have one I picked up many years ago (ser# under 600) new. Bullet setback from the steep feed ramp and aluminum cased ammo blew it up. New trigger group and stock and it's a good plinker but it's at the back of a safe somewhere now that I have a suppressed 9mm AR.
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