The Marlin 39 Club

[AStone]

Mo, beautiful rifle, great stories.

I miss my 39 (not to mention the 336).

But we got more snow.

Still looks pretty much like this,
with more on the way Monday.

 

[JustsayMo]

Mark, I think you're in uncharted waters. If it works and proves durable you may have found yourself a niche in the 39 after market parts industry.
Mo

 

[Fast Frank]

Mo, I've said it before but it's still obvious:

You are having more fun than I am!

I wish there was some steel shooting going on near here. It sure looks like a blast.

About the stainless steel firing pin- cool idea, but why?

Generally, creating a new part for something is done to improve some weakness or improve performance.

As far as I know, the model 39's firing pin is hardly ever mentioned because it just sits there happily doing it's job.

Have you figured out a way to improve it?

 

[JustsayMo]

Frank,
I know Texas is all BIG and everything but if'n you ever get out my way you have an open invite to join in on the fun. I'll pay your entry, supply you with the appropriate Marlin and ammo. All you gotta do is show up and have fun.

If it happens to be Grouse season ... oh man, you might end up defecting from Texas... We could probably use a few more Texans around here and a few less of the entitlist mentality types. Maybe we could work out a trade.

 

[Dainbramage]

Stainless firing pin

Thanks, for the replies gentlemen.

I seen a video awhile back that featured a smithy taking down and reassembling a 39. In the video he mentioned that the firing pin is a weak point in the firearm. Personally, I have had no trouble with mine, however, I thought that if it is a soar spot I could maybe do something about it before it leaves me throwing rocks at critters cause the pin broke.

What do ya'll think, is it a real problem or am I miss informed?

I really do not want to go through all the hassle of reverse engineering, researching materials, manufacturing and testing if in fact its not an issue.

Regards,

Mark

 

[ColoDave]

Hi guys -- The newest member here. I have an older model 39 with a 4 digit serial number and will appreciate being able to banter with you guys. I've read all 135 pages of posts and now couldn't help myself any longer. I got my marlin from an old hunting buddy's wife after he past away. I hunted with him for over 40 years and have shot much game with this little sweetheart for many years. My buddy died in his nineties and tells the story of how he purchased the gun from a guy in the Pennsylvania coal-mines many many moons ago for $5.... I can hear some guys catching their breath all the way out here in Colorado. Well I'll not bore you guys any longer. Hope to be typing much more as the days progress.

 

[JustsayMo]

Colo Dave, WELCOME and please share more of your stories with us.

 

[ColoDave]

Hi Mo
I actually found this forum while researching take-down of this beauty, as I pretty much know that it's never had a real good cleaning. I also shudder to think how many bricks of stingers have been ingested by this gun. Now I find out that just one could have broken the bolt. I looked and the 39 does have the star on the tang and also the S prior to the serial number, no HS anywhere so I'll consider myself lucky to have such a tack driver still intact. Lucky me. I'll share many stories and pictures as soon as I figure out how to post pictures. As I was reading through the posts I've printed about 2" of sheets with what I felt was pertinent info, and bookmarked like number. Thanks for the "Welcome"

 

[AStone]

Welcome in, ColoDave.

To post pics, if they are already on line somewhere,
just click the little icon in the edit window that looks like this:

, and add a URL.

If you need to upload, when you are entering a new post, click on "Go Advanced".
Then, scroll down to "Manage Attachments". It's pretty straightforward from there.

 

[JustsayMo]

Nem,
You sound so far away now. We need to figure out a way to get you AND your 39 in the woods at the same time.

Mo

 

[AStone]

Mo, yeah, I'm pretty far away from the west coast and my 39 (and 336).

I've come into a bit of cash, so planning to have the 39 shipped.
I'm actually contemplating selling my 336 to get one of the new 336BL.
But that's a topic for a different thread.

 

[teetertotter]

My 39a will be put away as new CZ 452 American, Left Handed, is being ordered today which is still in stock. The scoped 39a has served me well in competition for the past couple years as my first firearm. I expect in 2 weeks, it will be the last time using, then into storage for my youngest granddaughter. She is 9 and has a 6.5-20X40 scoped pink youth Savage and extremely good off sandbags at 40 and 60 meters. This summer, I plan to move her up to 77 and 100 meters off sandbags. She is very petite at 55 lbs and will be sometime before I can have her shoot the 39a. She loves the plinking aspect. I took her indoor, last October, a couple times on paper and does not like. I'm pretty proud of her and is a joy to see a smile on her face when she knocks over the chickens and pigs!

 

[king fisher]

39m gun case

Cannot find a nice soft sided case for a 39M. I thought with the popularity of 39a & 39M's that you could find one. Looking to carry my 39M, broken down in a rectangular case that doesn't look like a rifle case so as not to attract attention. Any suggestions?

 

[vaupet]

shotguns are often carried broken down, so maybe a shotgun case can be addapted.

 

[Johnnyb8612]

Mark, judging by the sad and lonely 39M with half a firing pin sitting in the corner of my man-cave, the pin can, in fact, be a problem,*sniff, sniff* although I'm sure I'm the exception. I'm still trying to figure out why it broke in the first place (it was the first and only problem with this gun). If you ever come up with a succesful recipe for a homemade firing pin...would you let me know? =)

Jonathan

 

[king fisher]

22 39M mutton case

I have been looking for a rifle case for my Marlin 39M. Lotsa canvas and cordura out there but have started seeing cases called "leg of mutton" for takedown shot guns as a possible option. These look like a better form of protection, they seem to be around used for reasonable prices (ebay) AND it looks like they might be available in the smaller size that might better fit my short 39M without it sliding around inside. I like the leather idea too. Has anyone used this type of case for his 39M? good idea?

 

[Irish Bird Dog]

M39 lever lockup.....

Referred here by my friend CB900F, I am Irish Bird Dog and new to M39 firearms.....

I found a "bargain" last Sun at local gun show....M39 Article II....took it home and cleaned up inside and out....then went out to fire for function......
Well, the Marlin *may not be any kind of bargain*.......took nearly 3 hours
to shoot 29 rds today. I can load and fire my flintlock faster...

Here is my best explanation of what I think is happening to lock up the lever in the open position AFTER firing.....works fine when not firing..any help appreciated....

.....the carrier piece has a part in it (carrier spring??) that the lever arm
rides over and pushes on it like a cam....lever arm has notch partway thru
the body and when it rides over this part the notch rides over the "bump"
then pushes the part down with the second half of the lever arm......you
must know what I am trying to say....anyway this piece hangs up at
random...1 shot, or sometimes multiple shots then won't let the lever arm come back to close the bolt.

You are left with lever @ full stroke, hammer & bolt back and locked up.
Only way to clear the "jam" is to break it down with take down screw backed out, to get the parts apart then reassemble and try
again. I finally figured that out.....the "bump" on the carrier part (carrier spring???) is an odd shaped piece and it had a few "marks" on the upper, front edge maybe caused by the lever arm....anyway I took a HARD Arkansas stone and touched it a few times to smooth out those tiny marks.....plus the lever arm too..polished, not cut, the metal....looked like maybe 4 .

The last time I got off 5 consecutive shots (then mag was M-T) and the lever
tried to hang up twice but I was able to push it thru this time. I hope I
am onto whatever caused the problem. tried again and only got off 2 rounds before it "hung up" ie lever full throw open and stuck.... It will
cycle endlessly when trying it without firing the gun.....only hangs up when
shooting.

If I can figure out how I will post pics of parts if anyone thinks it may help in the diagnosis.

This is my First M39.....I have a M1936 & M93 in 30-30 as my other Marlins.
Thanks for "listening".

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

Regarding Irish Bird Dog, or IBD: "Watch him folks, 'cause he's a thoroughly dangerous man." "Well, you may not know it, but this man's a spy
He's an undercover agent for the FBI"!

All apologies to Charlie Daniels, but don't never say I didn't warn y'all.

Snrk! 900F

 

[Irish Bird Dog]

M39 lock up pics

pictures for post #3362 above for M39 action lock up problem

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DSCF3138.JPG (104.3 KB)

 

[AStone]

"Well, you may not know it, but this man's a spy
He's an undercover agent for the FBI"!

Why do I suspect you guys know each other?

 

[dewalt-2]

That rifle needs a good cleaning to start. Then a polish to all the mating surfaces. Looks a little rough to me. I'll take CB900F's advice and stop here.

 

[JustsayMo]

By chance is more than one round feeding onto the carrier?

 

[dfariswheel]

I think you're looking in the wrong place.

If I'm reading you right, you have the lever all the way open, the action jams, and you can't close the bolt.
This is actually a mis-feed of the cartridge not an action jam.

What's usually happening is that a cartridge is feeding onto the cartridge lifter properly, but when the bolt starts to push it into the chamber, the bullet catches on the chamber mouth and jams the action open.

First, check to insure the upper receiver cartridge guide spring is in place.
This is a flat spring in the "roof" of the receiver.
In this exploded view, it's part number 27. Make sure it's there and not upside down.
It's not unusual for people to start fitting a scope and think the screw is a scope mount screw. Either they don't notice the guide spring and it falls out, or they get it back in upside down.

http://www.stevespages.com/ipb-marlin-39a.html

If your version has a cartridge guide on the right receiver section, part number 41, make sure it's clean and has proper spring tension.

Next, give the entire action a very thorough cleaning and fresh lube.
Last...... the classic....Try a different brand of ammo. Some bullets just don't feed well and get hung up easily. Try a better brand of ammo.

 

[Hud]

Other than what Mo & dfariswheel are eluding to, the only thing I can think of is that the carrier is rising too far & the "nub" on the spring is above the slot in the lever, locking the lever. That shouldn't happen tho, since the screw indicated by the yellow arrow is there to prevent that.
That screw is missing on mine & has never presented a problem.

 

[AStone]

The Marlin 39 Club. Solving problems the old-fashioned way: One at a time.