What Would You Do With This Marlin/Glenfield Model 60

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Put your personal stamp on sentimental arms. 1. Refinish the stock 2. clean up the finish, spot blue etc, 3. Pull off all the junk that don't work 4. Step into 21 Century and add a Bushell TR-25 compact Red Dot and enjoy the feeling of self satisfaction from saving a part of your youth and making it worthy again.
 
DMW1116 said:
Because the silhouette shooting I use it for requires iron sights. Either the Henry or Marlin will use iron sights for those shoots.

FWIW it’s an early 80s model with 22” barrel and 17 round tube.
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It technically isn't a model 60 but I have a Glenfield model 75C. It is basically a model 60 with a shorter barrel. I haven't noticed the front sight being canted but I had the same issue you do with the sight being loose in the dovetail.
I didn't want to spring for Tech Sights so I dug around & found that Numrich offered a replacement rear sight. I ordered it. It did fit the dovetail tighter & was much snugger against the top of the barrel. It however wasn't as long as the factory rear sight. To use it the elevator would have had to be turned backwards from how it was with the factory sight. I thought, "well, that's different." but didn't consider it a deal breaker. But then when I tried to install the elevator Numrich sent me for the rear sight in the rear sight they had supplied it would not fit. The slot was too narrow. Without even thinking about it I started working on making the slot wider. Then I came to my senses & said forget it. I just bowed the long part of the original rear sight a bit to make it have more contact with the barrel. It has worked the rear sight has been staying in place but I don't know how long it will work. I didn't send the other sight back to Numrich. Apparently their policy is not to accept returns if the part has been altered so I guess that is on me. I have not contacted them.
 
Electrod47 said:
Put your personal stamp on sentimental arms. 1. Refinish the stock 2. clean up the finish, spot blue etc, 3. Pull off all the junk that don't work 4. Step into 21 Century and add a Bushell TR-25 compact Red Dot and enjoy the feeling of self satisfaction from saving a part of your youth and making it worthy again.
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This was sort of the route I took with the Marlin-Glenfield M25 my dad gave me for my 16th birthday. I shortened and recrowned the barrel, added better open sights, a factory synthetic stock, and a Bushnell 1" rimfire scope in a unitized mount. I was less concerned with originality (it came with a plastic triggerguard and front sight) than with continued functionality.

Just took it at the range last month:

 
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My brother used to build guitars. I thought about having him refinish the stock like he did those guitar necks. Would that change the accuracy too possibly?
 
Bad receiver grooves show up frequently on 60s when Tech Sights are installed. The problem is one side groove is different than the other, one side is deeper, making it appear as though the rear T/S is 'off'. The age of your 60 should not be in the range of the dreaded 'canted' front sight production.
 
It’s like you know. I checked and the Tech Sight was canted a fair bit right, making the leftward move of the sight necessary. I had the sight as far back in the dovetail as I could get it. Moving it forward helped straighten it out but it was still noticeable. I also jacked up the front sight screw removing it, so I’ll need a new one if I want to put it back.

I removed the Tech Site and re-installed the factory rear sight. I also removed the mark-up I had done to turn the rear sight into a customized dove tail blank.

I was able to just push the factory sight back into the dovetail though it doesn’t rattle or anything. It will do for some test firing but I plan to simple the back with a punch to tighten up the fit when it comes time to permanently install it. I think some orange or green paint on the front sight would help me see it too. It’s a little worn and silverish so it’s hard to see against the white of my garage wall.

I think I’ll get some replacement parts and see how it goes. Buffers are apparently made of unobtainium. It definitely needs a new recoil spring and guide rod though.
 
I went ahead and ordered a new rear sight while getting the recoil spring and guide rod. I would have gotten a new front sight and screw too if there had been any available.
 
You said it was not treated real well in your youth. Clean the hell out of the barrel. Micro groove can be a real bear to get clean, lots of soaking with something just for lead, is going to help. My 357 lever marlin was the same way, micro groove is its own special thing, but once clean it should shoot better then you report.

I just did springs on one of my 60's at home....currently together waiting for two E-clips that went flying off into never never land....figures. It is not hard, but not real easy, take LOTS of photos you will refer to them putting it back together two weeks later like the idiot I am taking it apart before the parts are in hand. I think the spring kit I bought covered all springs but the mag tube follower. I think it was like $30, no biggie. I can't report on how it helped as...well those _________ eclips.
 
My parts came in yesterday but I haven’t scrubbed the bore or replaced the internal components. I tried putting on the new sight. It appears to need fitting. The dovetail on the sight has square corners. It might also be intended for the Remlin M60’s. I’ve not seen one of those before.
 
Remington1911 said:
You said it was not treated real well in your youth. Clean the hell out of the barrel. Micro groove can be a real bear to get clean, lots of soaking with something just for lead, is going to help. My 357 lever marlin was the same way, micro groove is its own special thing, but once clean it should shoot better then you report.

I just did springs on one of my 60's at home....currently together waiting for two E-clips that went flying off into never never land....figures. It is not hard, but not real easy, take LOTS of photos you will refer to them putting it back together two weeks later like the idiot I am taking it apart before the parts are in hand. I think the spring kit I bought covered all springs but the mag tube follower. I think it was like $30, no biggie. I can't report on how it helped as...well those _________ eclips.
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Those clips are probably next to my first AR build’s pivot pin retainer detent and spring.

Depending on how it shoots I may try a spring set too. I plan a 22 rifle only range trip with this M60, another I inherited from my maternal grandfather, and the Henry. We’ll see which one shoots better with the buckhorn factory sights. M60 #2 already has a Nikon Rimfire II already and is the only rifle I have to put three shots through one hole at 100 yards.
 
Remington1911 said:
You said it was not treated real well in your youth. Clean the hell out of the barrel. Micro groove can be a real bear to get clean, lots of soaking with something just for lead, is going to help. My 357 lever marlin was the same way, micro groove is its own special thing, but once clean it should shoot better then you report.

I just did springs on one of my 60's at home....currently together waiting for two E-clips that went flying off into never never land....figures. It is not hard, but not real easy, take LOTS of photos you will refer to them putting it back together two weeks later like the idiot I am taking it apart before the parts are in hand. I think the spring kit I bought covered all springs but the mag tube follower. I think it was like $30, no biggie. I can't report on how it helped as...well those _________ eclips.
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I plan to clean the barrel and install the new spring and guide rod tonight. I cleaned it well before putting it in the closet and haven’t shot it since spring. It’s probably worth a good scrub.

I don’t really know what my step brother did to it while it was at my dads. I know he shot it a lot and hunted rabbits and all manner of small game and rats. From looking down the barrel it’s pretty clean and not pitted.

If I’m honest with myself I’m not concerned if it really shoots that well or not. I like to tinker with it and I’ll probably get the spring kit and try it just for the sake of it. The other Marlin 60 is the shooter and I want to zero it to 200 yards and leave it. This one would then become the normal range 22 out to 50 or 100 yards.
 
Loose .22 rear sight.

Which way to drive dovetail rear sight?
The dovetail slot in the barrel is usually tapered for a friction fit to hold the rear sight dovetail.
The slot is wider on the right, narrower on the left. (looking from the receiver down the barrel to the muzzle)
Drive the sight IN from the right and OUT from the left.

When I find a dovetail sight is loose, it has probably been driven out from right to left, then driven back in from the left, spreading the dovetail slot.
I remove the sight, carefully peen the top edges of the slot, then reinstall the rear sight, right to left, and make final adjustments for windage (left-right alignment) at the range.

"... beaten up and treated pretty roughly..."

On a gunstock in that condition, I will clean up dirt, grime, grease and maybe try to steam out bad dents with an iron. I'm cheap. I will then take a tin of brown shoe polish, squirt a little lighter fluid in it, and use a tooth brush to scrub the stock. Let it dry, buff it off with a rag. That usually leaves a scarred but noble veteran look to an old farmer's kitchen gun. To me a gun with sentimental attachments should be clean and in good repair, but not refinished.
 
I would clean it well, put or leave whichever sights let you shoot it better, and my start buying a small collection of spare action parts from eBay while they're available.

The plastic bolt stop, the plastic lifter guide, and the springs deserve to have spares.
 
Is be shocked if anyone besides me drove out the sight and I did it from left to right. The first time I removed them I could just push them out with firm thumb pressure.

The stock is in surprisingly good shape. The receiver has what look like screw driver scratches around the ejection port. There is some pitting in the left side of the bolt but no other sign of rust. I linked the recoil spring and probably bent the guide rod but I don’t remember either. The buffer is in good shape so far.
 
I ended up shimming the original sight in place and giving the new sight to a gunsmith buddy in case he needs one later.

it took a little doing but I got the factory sights zeroed for windage. Today I was able to get a zero for elevation at 25 yards. The notches on the elevator change POI about 1.3” per notch at 25 yards.

After checking the open sights I added the 4x32 scope and zeroed for 50 yards. The last 5 shot group seems to dispute my earlier accuracy claims with the shots just over an inch at 50 yards. The trigger seems a source of difficulty, as it is quite heavy for such a rifle. After some practice today it became easier to get clean breaks and accuracy improved. If todays shooting with the scope is representative, it is equal to the Henry, at least with Aguila HV ammo. In all I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

Walking the open sights up
A4A19335-5FF6-485A-8AA8-280451A4001C.jpeg

Scope sighting
C33E901A-2462-46C2-91DF-BDD07F122550.jpeg
 
As much as I don’t want to put any more money in it, that trigger may have to go. I’ll keep shooting it and see if it’s worth it. Now that I have a scope on it, it seems to tighten up but I’ve been fooled before.

I actually got a little ahead of myself and meant to shoot the factory sights at 50 yards before the scope went on. That would have meant waiting for another cold call to move targets so I went ahead and mounted the scope rather than wait for the extra trip down range.
 
DMW1116 said:
As much as I don’t want to put any more money in it, that trigger may have to go. I’ll keep shooting it and see if it’s worth it. Now that I have a scope on it, it seems to tighten up but I’ve been fooled before.

I actually got a little ahead of myself and meant to shoot the factory sights at 50 yards before the scope went on. That would have meant waiting for another cold call to move targets so I went ahead and mounted the scope rather than wait for the extra trip down range.
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If its a gun your keeping, there's no such thing as "putting to much money in it" to make it shoot to your style. :cool:
 
Paul R Zartman said:
If its a gun your keeping, there's no such thing as "putting to much money in it" to make it shoot to your style. :cool:
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Amen brother!

I recall a story from a listserv group (remember those?) back in the 1990s where a guy bought a beater Lee Enfield just for the 5-round magazine and then eventually spent about 5x the purchase price on gunsmithing tools and parts to bring the rest of the rifle back to life.

Once started down this road, it becomes progressively harder not to buy that 'one more part'.
 
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