The Marlin 39 Club

[oldfella]

Very nice collection - which one of the two 39A do you like best? I acquired two 39A in as many months, a standard 24" Golden, and a Mountie, have not yet fired either and am itching to do so as soon as the weather permits it. Both are in very good to excellent condition, I will keep the one that feels better and gives me the best performance.

Pete

 

[TxCatalystMan]

Nickel 39A

I own a nickel plated 39-A that was given to me by a friend a few years back. I took it out shooting this past weekend and was really surprised at it's accuracy. I used to have it hanging on the wall in my home office for decoration, now it will join me each time to the deer/squirrel camp. Can anyone tell me about this particular model. It has a gold trigger, gold hammer, gold forend piece and I believe a rear peep sight. not sure if that's what it's called.

 

[passinthru]

The mountie was missing the front sight, I put a set of glow sights from a contender classic on it. It is more fun to shoot at moving targets.
Both shoot about the same, as far as I can tell with open sights.
The 39A is more accurate on a still target(Williams peep),but I need good light to use it. Old eyes. Like the way they look without a scope.

 

[Mal H]

A reminder to everyone about the 39 Club shooting match (sticky thread at the top of this forum). Get your targets in before the deadline! I would hate to have all the good work by Mo and John go to waste.

This is one of the better target sets I've seen in the matches - a real challenge in the later stages.

 

[oldfella]

Maybe next time for me Mal - This oldfella and his old bones still cannot get out... I need better, warmer weather/temps.

Pete

 

[seuss]

Just came across the 39 club. I love my nickel 39D. Its a gun I always find the time to pick up and shoot. Im glad a lot of other people feel the same way.

 

[oldfella]

Welcome to the Club, Seuss - I am new here also.

Pete

 

[kps1991]

39a Trigger/Rebounding hammer

Hi. I'm taking my new 39a to a gunsmith for a trigger job. The trigger pull is currently about 7 lbs. Is there a general weight that is considered optimal to get it down to? I use the gun for hunting.

I was also considering having an alteration done to eliminate the rebounding hammer which I really don't like. Is this something that's easily doable ? If the rebounding action is eliminated will there still be the ability to have the hammer in the half-cocked position? I'd be interested in hearing any thoughts on doing this. Thank you. Kevin

 

[CB900F]

Kps;

For general use, I like a 3 lb. trigger. Those who shoot just paper usually like a much lighter trigger, but that can be a hazard in the field. I don't have an answer for you about the rebounding trigger question, sorry.

900F

 

[woodsdog]

KPS 1991 -

There is a post in this thread that explains how to take care of the rebounding hammer issue if it bothers you.

Sorry I don't have a link on it for you, but if you do a search, you should be able to find it easy enough.

IIRC, it's a fairly easy fix that should not require the services of a gunsmith.

 

[nc35hunter]

Gentlemen, I am pretty new to THR and just joined the club. I originally set out to get a used bolt, but the more I read about 39's, I knew I had to have one.

Found a R-serial number model 39A (1957-8 from what I gather) in great condition at a pawn shop. Price was probably a little high, but as soon as I shouldered it and worked the action, I was done for. I have bought a lot of guns but have never been as giddy walking out of a gun shop as I was/am today.

A question for the club - the hammer spur on this gun has "JM" engraved in white lettering on the top - is that standard? Doesn't bother me, but just wanted to know.

 

[bsaride]

Well, you should be thanking John Marlin for that rifle,
those are his initials.

 

[nc35hunter]

Makes sense. Thought that might be it.

FWIW I like the hammer spur design on this one much better than on the 336C I bought new last year, much wider and flatter.

I look forward to learning more about this gun from the contributors to this thread. Reckon I'll start with the first of many questions I have about it:

I have heard and read that a 39A in good shape will comfortably digest just about any .22 ammo out there. I plan to shoot lots of different kinds through it to see which it likes best. Picked up a couple boxes of CCI Velocitor and Stinger on sale, and I see that these are self-proclaimed "hypervelocity" rounds. Safe to shoot them in an older 39A like this?

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Got mine in and it looks great, but I need help right off the bat. Already have two problems.

The rifle came disassembled. The manual says to make sure both halves of the receiver are mated completely before screwing in the screw. I can not get them flush though. No matter how much I try, there's maybe 1/64th or so of a protrusion. What am I supposed to do, pound on it with a rubber mallet or what? When I tighten the screw, sure enough, the action binds some and its very stiff.

Secondly, the firing pin is just loosey-goosey in the channel. If I were shooting the sky, such that gravity is holding the pin out, then I'm sure it would fire; otherwise it won't, if the pin is all the way in upon firing. Is this a function of improper assembly or am I missing a spring? Should the firing pin be forward or to the rear when assembling, or does it matter; thanks!

 

[dfariswheel]

To assemble, open the lever about 1/2" and make sure the bolt is pushed all the way closed.
You may need to move the lever open and closed a little to get things to mesh.
USE NO FORCE.

To fully seat the receiver halves, tighten the screw.
I recommend NOT using a screwdriver, since even a gunsmith's driver bit seems to chew up the slot.
I made a "wrench" from a piece of 1/8" brass plate that tightly fits the slot.
I bent it in an "L" shape and rounded the end to match the bottom of the thumb screw slot.
No need to really tighten it down TOO tight.
If the receiver halves still won't mate, something is wrong.

When disassembling the rifle, open the lever 1/2" and FULLY cock the hammer.
If the hammer doesn't clear the receiver, the receiver and bolt will get chewed up.
Half cock often isn't enough, so fully cock.

The Marlin firing pin IS loose and is intended to be so.
Some are loose enough that the pin will freely move. Some are a little tighter than others.
When the action is opened, a lug on the firing pin pulls it back into the bolt.

 

[TxCatalystMan]

Does anyone print or have a list of the 39A's serial numbers whereas one can determine when their gun was manufactured?

 

[dfariswheel]

Do a serial number search here:

http://armscollectors.com/sn/marlinlookup.php

For guns made after the 30's, use the second search field.

 

[CB900F]

TxCatalystMan;

You can also go to www.rimfirecentral.com, hit the Marlin forum & find a S/N to year chart there.

900F

 

[Leadhead]

Secondly, the firing pin is just loosey-goosey in the channel. If I were shooting the sky, such that gravity is holding the pin out, then I'm sure it would fire; otherwise it won't, if the pin is all the way in upon firing. Is this a function of improper assembly or am I missing a spring? Should the firing pin be forward or to the rear when assembling, or does it matter; thanks!

When there is a cartridge in the chamber the firing pin won't be flush with the receiver because it will be against the rim of the cartridge.

 

[vicdotcom]

I have heard and read that a 39A in good shape will comfortably digest just about any .22 ammo out there. I plan to shoot lots of different kinds through it to see which it likes best. Picked up a couple boxes of CCI Velocitor and Stinger on sale, and I see that these are self-proclaimed "hypervelocity" rounds. Safe to shoot them in an older 39A like this?

Hey NC35Hunter, I have shot velocitors out of my 39 for a little while now (over a year) and havent noticed any negative effects on accuracty or extraction. I dont know if it will harm the microgrove barreling in the long term though. But I enjoy shooting the rounds so I will continue to lol I havent tried the stingers though. The reason is that I was worried that the longer casing would cuase extraction problems?

Maybesomeone else can chime in and toss in their observations on it also.
Vic

 

[bbaker]

marlin 39a misfires

Thanks to Terry Syd and post #1791 I have corrected my problem with my nearly new marlin 39a, which has always misfired since I removed it from the box. I have been really frustrated with this rifle and the misfiring, no matter what type of ammo, and the Marlin engineering which is so poor that it requires the owner to modify their product just to get the rifle to perform properly.

I have been firing 22 rifles for over fifty years, brick after brick of all types of ammo, and never had a misfire with my Stevens Savage model 87 or my marlin model 60. Not until I purchased this rifle did I have problem after problem with ftf's.

Now I have corrected this problem by following Terry Syd's instructions on thread #1791. It was a very simple and fast procedure, and I began by just by filing off a small amount of the bottom of the Y, which is the part connected to the hammer spring and rebounds the hammer to a half cocked position after firing.

I was initially afraid to file off very much from the bottom y, and I would file off about 1/16th of an inch at a time, and reassembly the rifle for test firing.

After four attempts, I finally had to file off a total of about 1/4 of an inch from the bottom y, which meant the hammer barely rests on the firing pin after firing, instead of rebounding to a half cocked position.

IT WORKED! I have now fired several hundred rounds, with not a single misfire. The only precaution is the safety will not work unless the hammer is manually pulled back to the half cock postion, or another round is levered into the chamber, which automatically cocks the hammer and allows the safety to be engaged.


(INSTRUCTIONS: Look at your parts diagram. Carefully remove the buttstock, then push the hammer spring plate #38 to one side and remove the spring and the hammer rebound strut #35, which is shaped like a "y". Then file off a portion of the bottom part of the y. [This part of the "y" was facing down and toward the trigger, while in position in the rifle.] You can reassemble and test fire as I did, by filing off about 1/16th at a time, until your rifle does not misfire.)

A sincere thanks to Terry Syd and his advice. IF I HAD RETURNED IT TO MARLIN, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE ALTERED THIS PART.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL WITH THIS PROBLEM.
BBAKER

 

[TxCatalystMan]

thanks dfariswheel and CB900F for the serial number info. Well I found out I own a mint condition 1950 Nickel 39. Maybe it goes back on the wall, who knows...

 

[Pine Cone]

Maybe it goes back on the wall...

Didn't you mean to say back in the woods?

It might be a classic but that doesn't mean it wasn't born to hunt!

 

[Terry Syd]

Smoothing the action

BBaker, thanks for the compliment on my posting about the 'bounce back' mod.

The loose screws I had caused all sorts of jam problems, but they were fixed fairly easily. However, there is another issue you might want to check with your rifle.

When you work the lever, the flat top of the bolt slides against the flat inside of the reciever - that is, if it is FLAT - mine wasn't. The rivet to hold the firing pin in position was standing proud along with the spring for the extractor. Both of them were scraping the inside of the receiver causing excessive friction and gouging of the receiver.

I carefully used a jewler's file to smooth them down and then took a fine Arkansas hone stone to the top of the bolt. I then re-blued the bolt and put it back it and cycled the action some more. If there were any shiny spots on the top of the bolt, then a bit more work was called for.

Once the top of the bolt is flat, the action will work very well.

I have tried a heap of different types of ammunition through this rifle and I have now settled on CCI Mini Mags for supersonic and RWS Subsonics for my stealth hunting. These two rounds give me the most consistency for super and subsonic shooting. If anyone knows of brands that can out perform those two cartridges for consistency - please let me know.

 

[ShakyJake]

Model 39 sights for old eyes

Hi
Got to be one of the most enduring and educational threads on THR. I have been up and down the spectrum with sights for my 39A. With my essential tremors the higher the power the higher the problem. I thought that 2.5 would at least be acceptable, and it is good if I am stretching things to 50yds. The best and most consistent sights out to 25yds for me has been the Skinner Sight. I also use it on my Savage/Stevens model Favorite.
TaKe CaRe
Ted