new levergun project needs member input

kaschi · Post by **kaschi** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:37 pm

Hello there all. I'm gonna' pick your brains a little this snowy Friday night in PA with a new project I want to do. It will be on a brand new Marlin Model 1894 and the caliber will be 25-20 or 32-20(the rifle is already in 32-20 so the action requires no work.

Here's what the finished product should look like:
1) 24" round or half round/half octagon barrel with full magazine tube
2) blade front sight and a "v" rear sight
3) slim forearm(not one of those clubs that come on Marlin's now)
4) stock will have crescent buttplate

OK, now to the brain picking part. What are some good sources for stocks, buttplates, barrels and sights? I will be selling the wood, barrel and magazine tube presently on the rifle but only after it's sure that I can obtain the parts needed for the project.

Thanks and hope to see some replies!

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:54 pm

Sounds like a real good project. I hope you post lots of photo's when it's done!

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:33 pm

You might find some parts @ Numrich. Another source would be Chas Jones, (part of Precision Gun Works). With the fire @ Precision Gun Works, you may have to look elsewhere for stocks and forends, but as their website sez, call or look for availability. Another source to check would be Gun Stocks, Inc. For truly beautiful wood and a custom stock, you might check w/Wenig Custom Stocks.

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:48 pm

You can get a stock & unfinished buttplate from Treebone carving.
The forends easy, just whittle one down.
The barrels not so easy unless Marlins made a 24" barrel in either calibre recently & I doubt it. Numrich has the 32 calibre barrels for a 1894CL but thats what you already have.
The threads are the same so you might look for a 24 or 26" barrel of any calibre & have it lined & contoured to your liking. See if you can find a 24" 357 barrel
I believe the tubes on the modern ones are the same as a 357. Brownells sells them long I think.

Lotta work but you'll have a nice gun.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:12 pm

I'd look to Brownells for a barrel. They did carry already contoured lever action replacement barrels, which would save some dollars in gunsmithing. Another source would be Green Mountain.
I'd recommend the same as Ken for stocks, Treebone Carving. (and buttplate)
The sights can be purchased from Jeff's Outfitters. Jeff is tops, and his sights are nice for reasonable prices.
I think Wisners or Brownells sell the long tube needed for a full length change, plus you'll need the tube hanger. Your old end plug will work fine.

kaschi · Post by **kaschi** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:35 pm

Thank you everyone!!! I'll inquire with all those companies you posted. My original plan a while back was to re-do a Browning 53, but with Browning 92
parts(the ones you really need for a project) impossible to find, the Marlin 1894 was the next logical choice.
P.S. And yes, when it's done there will be pictures!

Nate Kiowa Jones · Post by **Nate Kiowa Jones** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:54 pm

Your project sounds something like this one. This one was a standard 1894 CB in 45lc with the crecent cut in and the forewood slimmed then finsh upgraded with Tru-oil.

Another option would be to buy the 1894 CB in 357m and then reline/retime for 32-20. That's sorta what I did with the is 357m rossi.
It's now 32-20.

kaschi · Post by **kaschi** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:30 am

Wow, that Marlin looks outstanding! I figured that slimming down the forearm wouldn't be a problem. The stock is what I was worried about but by the looks of yours, it seems that's not a big deal either. How does it size up for length when you shoulder it? I mean, is it a short fit? In your picture, it looks good but sometimes that can be optically deceiving.
Last question: Where did you get the buttplate?
Thanks! Kaschi

gary rice · Post by **gary rice** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:03 am

kaschi wrote:Wow, that Marlin looks outstanding! I figured that slimming down the forearm wouldn't be a problem. The stock is what I was worried about but by the looks of yours, it seems that's not a big deal either. How does it size up for length when you shoulder it? I mean, is it a short fit? In your picture, it looks good but sometimes that can be optically deceiving.
Last question: Where did you get the buttplate?
Thanks! Kaschi

i had planned on carving my 1895 buttstock to the cresent design and i discovered my length of pull would have been shortened enough to be not comfortable. so instead i bought a buttstock from precision and the cresent plate, it worked out alot better for me i believe. im not very good with wood but i took my time and made it work. leverdude offered some very good advice on the inletting and i'll be darned i got it finished.

kaschi · Post by **kaschi** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:28 pm

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of hearing. And yours was an 1895 stock which I'm sure is longer than one on a 1894. If a 95 comes up short, there's a really good chance that the 94's going to be really noticeably shorter. I fell that if I have to buy a buttstock, then I'll have to buy a forearm from the same piece of wood to get a good color match. Nothing uglier and more distracting than different colors in wood on one gun.

Nate Kiowa Jones · Post by **Nate Kiowa Jones** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:56 pm

kaschi wrote:Yeah, that's what I was afraid of hearing. And yours was an 1895 stock which I'm sure is longer than one on a 1894. If a 95 comes up short, there's a really good chance that the 94's going to be really noticeably shorter. I fell that if I have to buy a buttstock, then I'll have to buy a forearm from the same piece of wood to get a good color match. Nothing uglier and more distracting than different colors in wood on one gun.

If you plan to use the carbine stock then add the cresent it will be short. If you start with the CB it will have the longer rifle stock but with the shotgun style plate. That is what the one pictured started as.