Parts flying off a Marlin Lever-Action?

[priv8ter]

Went to the range today to finally try a new gun I got for Christmas. The front sight on the rifle is this little blade with a bead, covered by a roof looking thing.

Now, according to the good folks at Marlin, this is a 'ramp front sight with brass bead and Wide-Scan(TRADEMARK) Hood.

I have no real problem with the blade and bead(except old eyes) but after 15 rounds of .357, the 'Wide-Scan(TRADEMARK) Hood, flies off the end of the barrel.

It doesn't seem to effect the function of the gun. Now I have a 'ramp front sight with brass bead and Mother Nature's(My TRADEMARK) Hood. But...if stuff is flying off the outside of the gun...just what is going on inside my new gun?

Is this the kind of thing I should call the good folks at Marlin about, or just live with Mother Nature's(TRADEMARK) Hood?

greg

 

[brass shower]

I've never had one of those fall off on mine, but I took it off after a month or two. I dont like 'em, they just look strange. If you want one I'll gladly send it to you for shipping cost.

 

[JohnBT]

Actually, I was always told the hood was only to protect the sight until you got to where you were going to hunt.

Of course, it still shouldn't fall off. You could wrap it in tape or cloth and give it a gentle squeeze with vise or pliers to tighten up the fit.

John

 

[Z_Infidel]

I wouldn't be too concerned. The Marlin guns are built well -- my 1894C has been rock solid. Keep the piece off or if you like it then contact Marlin for a replacement part.

 

[Brian Williams]

I concur with JohnBT, give the hood a little squeeze. IIRC there are some slots in the ramp that the hood slide into. Make sure they are clean and free of burrs.
I have an 1894C Marlin in 357 and it is my favorite rifle. I would not worry about little parts falling off of your Marlin, they have been around for over 100 years and if the design was crappy it would have been dropped a long time ago.
Look here for some great info about Marlin's including the"Dreaded Marlin Jam"......
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/Marlin_Information.htm

 

[RustyHammer]

Loctite

http://www.standardequipmentco.com/loc_sale/loc_ad.htm

 

[twowheel]

I've only got 3 of these Marlin lever guns; 38-55, 44 mag, and 450 Marlin. On all of them the sight hood is very tight. It's a real pain to put them back on, and could never shoot loose. The groove in the sight base where the hood slides into should have a bump in it. If you look at the sight hood is should not be completely flat at the ends that slide into the rifle, but have a concave portion in the middle of each side where they slide in the groove. If yours have the proper shape, it's only a matter if squeezing the hood. BUT, if your hood goes on easy, I'd check to see if it were properly installed. Remember what I said, these things fit very tightly and if only one side of the hood is in the groove it will be loose.

BTW, I generally take the hood off when shooting; it blocks too much light. It might be a good idea to keep the hood on for hunting in rocky or mountainous terrain. I wouldn't worry about a hoodless front sight in the woods.

Big Kahuna

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there

 

[twowheel]

Whoops, I forgot to mention other parts coming off a Marlin. There are so few parts to the gun you won't loose much. I keep tightning the screws that hold stuff; there are a couple of screws used to block threaded holes. Don't tighten these, just keep looking to see that they are still there and blocking but not interferring with proper action. (The screws on the top of the receiver for mounting a sight base can be screwed in far enough to interfere with the bolt on one of my guns.

I feed the 450 Marlin with loads that will get the shooters attention, and never am concerned about loosing any pieces. The screws might shoot loose after a while, so I always check them. I also do not use locktite and I don't put a lot of force on the screws; others may choose to to otherwise. Frankly, I really like my Marlins. All shoot extremely accurately, are slick as grease and are a snap to take down for detailed cleaning. Being able to mount a scope on top is a definite plus.

Big Kahuna

 

[MashBill]

Sorry you are having trouble. The front sight hood should not come off. As others have posted, it needs to fit into the ramp groove. Could it have been put on backwards? The left side side of the ramp has a deeper groove to accept the "bump" in the hood.

I just put 100 rounds through my 1895 (.45-70) last weekend and the only thing that came loose was my fillings

 

[Kentucky Rifle]

Well, I just went and looked at my 1894C...

I can move that hood slightly, but I don't think it'll ever "recoil off". I also didn't know that the hood was just there to protect the sight blade 'till you got to the woods. I think I'll keep the hood on. I think it's a big reason I can shoot my Marlin without my glasses.
(Lately, for some reason, I've begun to think of my glasses as a pain in the neck. I have to keep them on ALL the time if I want to read, tell time, field strip a gun, etc... PITA!)

KR

 

[MeekandMild]

When my 336 got to be about 30 years old I had to take it apart and put loctite on some of the screws. Thirty years between tuneups is pretty good.

 

[priv8ter]

Thanks!

Thanks for all the replies. I'm really not all that concerned. As some of you have pointed out, the hood tends to block some of the light, and I found the front bead easier to pick up without the hood installed. Chances are, I will live with it off, while I start looking for a fiber-optic front bead...I think that would be the best in low light conditions.