Put a new hammer in my Marlin 1889

[Dave Markowitz]

Back in November 2020 I bought this Marlin Model 1889 chambered for .38 WCF (.38-40). The rifle shoots well but as received the hammer's half cock notch was broken. This was obviously no bueno for taking it afield.



The 1889 was replaced by the Model 1894 but leftover parts were used to assemble 1889s up until about 1905. Naturally, replacement parts aren't exactly common.

My initial plan was to find a gunsmith to TIG up the hammer and recut the notches but that never happened. Last weekend on a lark I did an online search for "Marlin 1889 hammer" and found an original at Old Arms of Idaho. I decided to take a chance and I'm glad I did. The new-to-me hammer arrived today. It's in much better shape than the one that my rifle came with.

Note that it has a roller bearing for the flat mainspring.



The notches look good.



This afternoon I swapped it into the gun and it now passes push-off testing at half and full cock.

I may take it into the woods this fall after deer if I can find a good spot where the shots won't be more than 60 yards or so. However, I'll probably have to temporarily put better sights on the rifle because I won't be able to see the existing sights in anything other than broad daylight.

 

[dh1633pm]

Good work.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Glad you found one!

I have a first year 1889 in .32-20, very smooth gun and one of my favorite plinkers.



I'm sure I'll end up with another in a heftier chambering, probably. 44-40

 

[Scout21]

Glad you found one!

I have a first year 1889 in .32-20, very smooth gun and one of my favorite plinkers.

View attachment 1089157

I'm sure I'll end up with another in a heftier chambering, probably. 44-40

Nice can, I've always considered threading my Marlin 336. Was yours threaded before you received it? I sort of wish mine came that way so that I wouldn't have to stress about "molesting" it.

 

[Pat Riot]

Isn’t it great when you’re able to fix a classic rifle like that? Good job. Glad you were able to repair it.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Nice can, I've always considered threading my Marlin 336. Was yours threaded before you received it? I sort of wish mine came that way so that I wouldn't have to stress about "molesting" it.

No, I thread them.

Often I do internal threads with an adapter to preserve original features and appearance on lever actions, especially vintage and antique rifles

No relocating sights & barrel bands, no cutting mag tubes, and with the adapter removed for display, can't tell unless you look close at the muzzle from the front.

 

[Scout21]

No, I thread them.

Often I do internal threads with an adapter to preserve original features and appearance on lever actions, especially vintage and antique rifles

No relocating sights & barrel bands, no cutting mag tubes, and with the adapter removed for display, can't tell unless you look close at the muzzle from the front.

View attachment 1089211

View attachment 1089212

I forgot that internal threading was a thing, looks much better than external. May look into having mine done. Does the threading affect accuracy when shooting without the adapter due to the altered crown?

 

[MachIVshooter]

I forgot that internal threading was a thing, looks much better than external. May look into having mine done. Does the threading affect accuracy when shooting without the adapter due to the altered crown?

I don't recommend shooting without the adapter, will fill the internal threads with carbon.

We don't notice a change in accuracy with the internal threads, but bear in mind this is not something we do with precision rifles. Pistol rounds and the relatively sedate cartidges used in lever actions we do this with aren't those known for printing itty bitty groups at long range, and the weapons are typically equipped with iron sights, unmagnified red dot sights or occasionally low powered optics.

I have a vintage 4x on this 1903 mfr Marlin 1894 .25-20with internal threads, it groups the same as it did before, which is around 2 MOA @ 100

 

[Y-T71]

Great looking riffl.
Glad you were able to get it up and running again!

I'm seriously "anti-deserve" (to the point where people have cut me off as friends/family, but that rifle deserved to be brought back.
Kudos

 

[MacAR]

Glad you found one!

I have a first year 1889 in .32-20, very smooth gun and one of my favorite plinkers.

View attachment 1089157

I'm sure I'll end up with another in a heftier chambering, probably. 44-40

Nice little rifle.. I've always wanted a 32-20 for some reason. Not hardly stout enough for deer hunting but I believe it'd make an excellent "there's a varmint in the garden/orchard/chicken coop" gun.

That's also a nice, original looking H you've got there. Looks like Charlynn power steering on it? Spent a lot of hours on one as a kid, and now have a 300 which is just a souped up H deluxe.

Mac

 

[MachIVshooter]

Nice little rifle.. I've always wanted a 32-20 for some reason. Not hardly stout enough for deer hunting but I believe it'd make an excellent "there's a varmint in the garden/orchard/chicken coop" gun.

That's also a nice, original looking H you've got there. Looks like Charlynn power steering on it? Spent a lot of hours on one as a kid, and now have a 300 which is just a souped up H deluxe.

Mac

.32-20 is a lot of fun, and very quiet suppressed with 115 gr subsonic loads. Almost .22 LR quiet, but with triple the bullet weight. I also have a 27s .32-20 that I threaded. Still on the prowl for a Remington model 25 so chambered, though I have a couple of those in .25-20, which is equally fun.





As for the H, that one belongs to a friend, been storing it for him since he moved to FL in 2020. I don't know much about it. I did have a wide front '41 H with a loader, but it was not a good dirt work or snow machine, so I sold it and later picked up a Hough H30 wheel loader. At 13k pounds and 4WD, it's a lot more useful for moving earth, ripping out fence posts and trees, plowing snow, etc. Incidentally, the H30 has an IH gas motor in it, so loose ties to Farmall. Lol. I'll probably still wind up with a nice H or M at some point, even though I don't have much use for it.

 

[MacAR]

Remington model 25

I saw one of those at the local gun show this past Saturday. Had to pass on it, sadly, as it was in poor shape and marked $1100 FIRM. I let a nice one in 25-20 get away a couple months ago, it was clean and only $750. The idea of threading one intrigues me, but I really don't want the hassle of the tax stamp.

I'll probably still wind up with a nice H or M at some point, even though I don't have much use for it.

I have 3 old Farmalls: a 1951 Cub, the 55 300 I mentioned earlier, and a '59 340 Utility. Being partial to the old stuff, I've used them on my farm to make hay and grow a substantial garden and feed corn patch for the past several years. Growing up, we had a Super M and an H that I was usually relegated to using since Dad wanted to use the SM with it's power steering.

Mac