The Marlin 39 Club

[tubeshooter]

^ yeah, what Mal H said.


I gave Marlin a chance to correct an issue with my own Model 39, turnaround was about a week and they did good. I would consider it if I were you. Can't be any worse that what you're dealing with now...

 

[AStone]

Mal, thanks for asking.

Check back at post 96 of this thread; that's where I first posted about the problem
starting down around the 6th paragraph of that post.

In the next couple of page (after post 96) Mo (JustSayMo) and others offered some advice about how to remedy it involving using a file to remove a sliver of metal off the pin to allow it to travel further, making a harder strike, but warned that I would need calipers to make sure I don't take off too much.

I just didn't trust myself to do that, and besides was thinking there could be something else wrong. I guess by now, if I'd screwed it up, I could have ordered a new firing pin, but I erred on the safe side.

As for this smith, he's literally the only game in my town. There are two others who do work part time, but the advice I got from multiple people was, don't go there.

The smith in question is semi-retired. He's in his late 70's if not early 80's. His shop is packed with firearms. One entire wall of a converted garage (on his house) is lined with weapons. Rumor is, once it gets fixed, it's fixed (translation: he does very high quality work), and his prices are astonishingly low. (I talked with him about cutting the barrel down on that same 39A; he'll do it, plus cut the magazine (and knows how since he's done it before), and recrown with what he calls a "better crown than Marlin put on it" for $100. That's substantially under what others estimated.)

Still, two months is too long for a minor problem.

I'm so poor right now, for the next two weeks, that I couldn't pay the bill if it was ready today anyway. (Low business at this time of year, rent is due, need new tires on the truck, etc).

But if it's not fixed soon, I'll go get it and do something different ... even if it's wrong.

Nem

 

[Mal H]

Ah! Thanks for pointing me at the right post. You had cleverly thrown me off the trail with this:

I reported this already over in the postcard match shoot thread, but I feel like whining, so I'll tell the story here also.

Are you absolutely positive it wasn't ammo related? Even the best .22 ammo can be damaged by shock, i.e., if a box of .22's fell on the floor, the FTF ratio can go way up because the primer compound can be cracked and voids can develop. It is not held securely in place as it is with centerfire primers. The shock to the ammo could have come before you even bought it.

If you got a FTF and yet there is a good indentation on the case head, I would suspect the ammo, not the rifle.

I would love to eyeball the firing pin and the suspect/failed ammo, but, that's obviously not going to happen.

Anyway, good luck with the fix whatever it turns out to be.

 

[edwardyoung]

WOOF

"I just bought a 39a, 1977 vintage in great shape. Took it to the range for the first time this am and was disappointed that it consistently jammed with the federal bulk hollow points from wal-mart. I hope it was just the ammo, I didn't have any with me to try. By the way, the Henry I also had with me handled the ammo flawlessly. Thoughts?"

Hey Woof,

If the cartridge is jamming as it enters the chamber, check the cartridge guide spring(part #16 on schematic in link). If the cartridges aren't feeding properly from the mag tube, check the cartridge cutoff(part #13). I've had to replace both before on 39's I've had for feeding problems.

http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=082Zz39A LATE MODEL

 

[AStone]

Thanks for your input, Mal.

Here's my take on it.

Are you absolutely positive it wasn't ammo related?

As a science guy with an MS in probability theory, I know that we can't be absolutely positive about anything. All we can do is look at the data and make probability statements.

My FTF with that gun involved two different ammo makers: American Eagle and CCI. To my knowledge, neither box had been dropped. (What a coincidence if both had before they got to me.)

That led me to the conclusion that it wasn't ammo related. I admit I could have tested more ammo.

If you got a FTF and yet there is a good indentation on the case head, I would suspect the ammo, not the rifle.

Like I said in that post 96, at least one of the cases had a noticeably light strike on it. Not all did, but that one that was so noticeable led me to the hypothesis that it's a light striking firing pin.

Mind you, also, this happened at the range twice. The first time was with American Eagle. Second time, I purposely carried CCI minimags as a test case.

Still, if I do take it back from the smith before it's worked on, I'll take it to the range again with three brand new boxes from all different makers to test it.

Nem

 

[Fast Frank]

Nem, I've read through all this about your rifle, and I can't seem to get a feel for how many misfires you had.

Is this 1 dud per outing, or 10 duds per magfull, or what?

Just how many duds total have you had?

Normaly, when I go to the range, I'll shoot somewhere between one and three hundred rounds through my .22s.

Let's say 200 rounds for a "Grab a number out of the air" average.

I get at LEAST one "Dud" (Or FTF if you prefer) pretty much every time.

Sometimes, I'll have four or five. In my eyes, two out of two hundred (One percent) is normal for .22 rimfire.

I shuck the dud out and don't even look at it- and keep on shooting.

I have three .22s, and shoot a variety of rounds out of them (They all have their favorites). I normaly stock about five different rimfire rounds to feed them.

Duds are threre pretty much regardles of the gun or the bullet.

So how many duds are you getting?

 

[edwardyoung]

This might have been stated in a previous post, but if the takedown screw gets a little loose, you'll have frequent, light hammer strikes.

 

[woof]

edwardyoung wrote:

Hey Woof,

If the cartridge is jamming as it enters the chamber, check the cartridge guide spring(part #16 on schematic in link). If the cartridges aren't feeding properly from the mag tube, check the cartridge cutoff(part #13). I've had to replace both before on 39's I've had for feeding problems.

Mine were coming up behind the chamber at an angle so the point was sort of in the "corner" and wouldn't enter the chamber. Sometimes I could thwack the receiver with my palm and get it to feed, but mostly not. At first I thought it might be the hollow point catching on something but I know how many shoot all kinds of hollow points in 39s with no trouble. By the way, those that I fired ejected smoothly. Everything looks very clean so I'm now thinking something must be loose, or even broken.

 

[AStone]

So how many duds are you getting?

Frank, I don't have a strong recollection of exact numbers, but I'll say roughly 10-12 FTF in about 50 rnds, about equally split between AE and CCI.

I wish I'd had more time that day, but I was trying to sight in my 336 (unsuccessfully) and the range closed before I had too much time to shoot my 39.

 

[AStone]

if the takedown screw gets a little loose, you'll have frequent, light hammer strikes.

Interesting. No, I don't remember reading that before.

Hmmm. Could have been loose, but I doubt in this case it's the cause. I had cleaned the gun with take down before going to the range the second time to check the FTF. (After the first time, I thought it might have been due to needing to be cleaned. Indeed, I had left too much oil in it after the initial cleaning.)

But I suspect the screw was tight.

Still, something to be aware of.

 

[Fast Frank]

Well, ten "Duds" out of 50 shots would be enough to take the fun right out of it.

You mention that the rifle was over oiled.

The heel based bullet that .22s use isn't sealed very well at all.

Many years ago, I had some that I sprayed with some kind of WD40 or something...

It seems that a good penetrating oil will do just that- penetrate into the bullet. It kills them. Overnight I had about ninety percent duds.

Maybe this is a factor with yours?

Maybe a trip to the range is in order.

 

[RickF]

I'm very, very late joining this thread. I've owned a couple of recent production M39A's over the years, but I have wanted an early one, and the new ones never stayed. Well...in the past 24 hours I have found and bought a mint 1960 Golden 39A - Mountie. (And a first year production mint 9422 22LR - sorry).

I haven't had the opportunity to fire it yet, but what a little beauty! This rifle has been used very little, and is still stiff. But I can't wait to break it in!

 

[AStone]

Never too late to join the fun, Rick. Welcome in.

Pics are good when you get some

 

[Jaguar]

I'm very, very late joining this thread.

Don't feel bad, I was also.

Sounds like a very nice find indeed. Mint 1960 Mountie, I'm jealous.

While you're out seeing how it shoots, punch some holes in a 3x5 card and join our little informal Postcard Match. You can find the all the details in this thread.

 

[achildofthesky]

Ammo comparison with a M39 Mountie...

Howdy all, I posted my results today or 12 brands of 22 ammo in my M39 Mountie today for any one interested... A couple of surprises with various brands too. I have included a few pix of my Mountie.


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=302264


Be safe,

Patty

 

[JustsayMo]

Great report Patty!

I've had good luck with the Remington Sub-Sonic in a few of my rimfires. In rifles that shoot it well it shoots VERY well. The Aquila Sub Sonic shoots better in more of my rimfires but not quite as well.

Luckily the Federal Bulk ammo has shot pretty well in almost all of my rimfires. At $10 for 550, it's probably the best deal going. My 39A (24") can put them in a nickle at 50 yards. http://www.grovestreet.com/jsp/onepic.jsp?id=1114275.

Here is some Chronograph data I did using three different 39's and misc ammo.

The Marlins:
Marlin 39A- 24" Barrel
Marlin 39A Mountie- 20" Barrel
Marlin 39TDS- 16" Barrel

The Ammo:
Fedral 550 Bulk Pack ammo, 36 grains HP bullet, copper "plated"
39A : Average velocity 1263 fps (Highest was 1283, lowest was 1237)
Mountie Average 1254 fps (hi 1297, low 1230)
39TDS Average 1251 fps (high 1292, low 1216)

Notes: claimed velocity on box says 1280. This ammo shoots well in a wide variety of my rimfires, including autoloaders. The accuracy is very good in all of my Marlins.

Aguilla SE Subsonic 38grains lead hollow point
39A average 984 (high 1000, low 937.2)
Mountie average 994 (high 1023, low 984)
TDS average 1007 fps (high 1024, low 993)

Notes: This ammo has proven to be accurate in a wide variety of my rimfires. Only Match ammo has surpassed it in guns that shoot it well. It does NOT cycle any of my autoloaders. On most days this ammo will produce the best groups. Today it was true in my 39A and Mountie. Interestingly the 16" Barreled 39TDS produced the highest Velocity with this ammo.

CCI CB Longs 29g RN lead
39A (it was hard to tell these even when off in this gun) 677 avg (681 high, 668 Low)
Mountie 675 avg (720 high, 636 low)
TDS 668 average (674 high, 652 low)

Notes: Only the TDS (1/2" @ 25 yards) and my Single Six shoot this what I would consider "well". The Mountie shoots it OK (~1" at 25 yards). Most of my rimfires do NOT shoot this well. It is very quiet in long barrels.

CCI Mini Mag 40g copper coated, solids
39A 1255 avg (1272 high, 1230 low)
Mountie 1225 avg (1243 High, 1191 low)
TDS 1221 avg (1244 high, 1202 low)

Notes: Of my three 39's the Mountie shoots this the best. It is a little less accurate than the Fedral Bulk at more than twice the cost so I rarely use it.

CCI Blazer, RN lead 40g (more than 20 years old, probably closer to thirty...)
39A 1230 avg (1242 high, 1214 low)
Mountie 1203 avg (1216 high, 1178 low)
TDS did not shot.
Notes: Shoots a little dirty. Mountie shoots these very well.

Other random notes:
-The Mountie is my least finnicky rimfire. It'll shoot almost anything well and usually pretty close to the same spot at 25 yards. Beyond that stuff seperates vertically.
-The TDS is the most finnicky of my 39's, but it will shoot the CB longs the best.
-Temperature was ~65* during the time I was shooting.
-Most were 10 shot strings though some were longer.
-Chronograph was 12 feet in front of the barrel

 

[achildofthesky]

Great companion info there...

JSM- great info to go with the ammo comparason. Thanks and well done!

Be safe

Patty

 

[snaffle]

On my gun I noticed that Marlin made a fairly poor attempt at gold inlay. Since the gun has a gold trigger I thought that I might improve the "Origional Golden-39A" stamp. I used a Forster gold inlay filling kit. $12 from Midway and 10 minutes time

 

[unlvbug]

what to look for when buying a used 39A?

Hello,

New member here. After reading this club thread for the past week, I have decided that I would like to join the ranks of Marlin 39A owners. However, I have a few questions. First, what are the mechanical things to look for when inspecting a used 39A?

Again, I look forward to owning the 39A, and I really appreciate all the info that has been a part of this club thread.

Regards,

Bill

P.S. If anyone is in Southern California and wants to sell a 39A let me know.

 

[Fast Frank]

What to look for when buying a used 39A?

I'll take a shot at answering that.

The 39A is a rifle built on an old design. Like most things designed in the 1800s, it is VERY sturdy and simple. It was meant to last a lifetime, and they do.

Buying a used one is not like buying a used car. The odds are good that a 50 year old 39 will work perfectly.

There are some small parts in the action that could break, but those are readily available and easily replaced.

The barrel and crown will be the thing that might affect the way it shoots.

The bad news here is that it takes an experienced eye to know the difference between a good barrel and one that's damaged.

The good news is that you are going to have to work at it to damage that barrel. Just shooting it won't hurt it.

You are taking a gamble on any gun you might buy anyway, so after all that it comes down to how the gun looks, and how it feels when you work the action.

An action that is tight, and does not show wear marks on the moving pieces is new.

An action that has wear marks, and works smoothly, is normal.

An action that is loose enough to rattle may have problems. It's been worked a million times. As mentioned above, the model 39 is a simple and durable design, so being shot a million times might not be enough to keep it from working.

The model 39 has always been on the expensive end of things, so many of the people that bought these took good care of them. That's a bonus for you when you are thinking about buying that rifle many years into it's life.

If you find a rifle with nice wood, and nice blue on the steel, the odds are good that it either works or is easily fixable.

The odds are also good that you can get your money back on it if it turns out you don't like it.

Dive in, Man! I seriously doubt that you will regret buying a model 39.

 

[JustsayMo]

Well said Fast Frank!

The most common regret of 39 owners is that they waited so long to acquire one...

 

[AStone]

<Echoing Mo> Great write up.

Had a few thoughts, but decided to wait for someone more knowledgeable about that issue.

Glad I did.

 

[unlvbug]

Guys,

Thanks for the advice and responses, they are much appreciated. I will start my search for my perfect 39A.

Best Regards,

Bill

 

[AStone]

Bug,

May I suggest ...

... a "perfect" 39 is any 39
that fits the criteria described in post 570.

 

[Fast Frank]

Going to the range today...

Normally, when I go I'll take my 39 or my 60 along with whatever else I decide I want to shoot.

Today, for the first time this summer, I won't be shooting any Marlins.

Nope... It's pistol day here in Houston.

One of my shooting buddies has been complaining that he is afraid he has forgotten how to shoot a pistol, and another has just bought a brand new 9MM to take the CHL class with.

Now, I'm pretty sure I remember where the bang switch is, but I'll readily admit that some practice is probably in order.

So I'll go open the safe, fondle some Marlins, and pull out my Ruger Mk3 22/45.

At least it's a rimfire.

It IS possible to have a fun day without any Marlins, isn't it?