More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

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JimT
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More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by JimT »

Spent some time at the 50 yard range with the Marlin this morning. I fired several different loads and had a nice time. Some of the little things that I noticed the first time out I had worked on and the gun worked just fine.

The ejection initially was very weak. I called it "Limp Dick" ejection. The empty would roll out of the port and across the back of my right hand as it fell to the ground. After talking to Mic McPherson and looking things over I decided to remove metal from the ejector, allowing it to travel further as it flipped the empty out. I also increased spring tension by trial and error until it was ejecting like I wanted it to.
M336ejector2.jpg
I also polished the "ramp" on the bolt where there is a small "bump" that cocks the hammer. I did not remove any metal from the "bump" .. I just polished the leade into it. And I "broke" the corner on the bolt that initially contacts the hammer when you start to open the lever. I polished this also and it sure made it smoother opening.
M336bolt.JPG
On the range my loads were mainly with the Speer 170 gr. bullet. These are the best groups I shot.
IMG_1361.JPG
IMG_1362.JPG
I had a few 150 gr. SilverTips and shot those up.
IMG_1363.JPG
Last I tried the .311" diameter AK47 JSP loaded over 8 gr. of Unique. What a fun load! It hit low but was consistent. Breaking clay pigeons at 50 yards with this load is no challenge.
IMG_1364.JPG
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OldWin
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by OldWin »

Nice!
I have an old first year 336 that I made into a trapper many years ago. I did many of your same tricks smoothing it up. It runs super smooth and is a great shooter just like yours.
For the last few years I have been using 34gr. of W748 behind a 170gr. Hornady.
Shot a nice 216lb. 8pt with it last year.
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"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
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Grizz
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by Grizz »

Man! that's good shooting. You have younger eyesight than I .

I did a lot of that polishing on my guide gun. It is very slick. I bet you could make it group, too.

The bump you mentioned appears to reset the trigger as the bolt is closed, and I always wondered if this is coincidental or was that engineered into the action? Any thoughts on that?
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JimT
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by JimT »

Grizz wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:33 pm The bump you mentioned appears to reset the trigger as the bolt is closed, and I always wondered if this is coincidental or was that engineered into the action? Any thoughts on that?
When everything is working properly the hammer is fully cocked and the trigger sear set in the full cock notch when the bolt is all the way to the rear. Thus there would be no need for a reset. Without actually seeing the rifle I am not sure what you are seeing. If it's working fine, don't fix it!
Alphawolf45
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by Alphawolf45 »

Nice groups JimT . The rifle was rusty everywhere on the outside .What was it like inside the bore?
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JimT
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by JimT »

Alphawolf45 wrote: Thu Jul 30, 2020 7:56 am Nice groups JimT . The rifle was rusty everywhere on the outside .What was it like inside the bore?
All the rust was exterior only. The bore was clean .. bright. There was no rust on the inside of the receiver or the tangs. The rifle is actually quite new. I think the gentleman who owned it bought it about 5 or 6 years ago. I am not sure he ever fired it.
stretch
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by stretch »

Nice groups! :-)

You've got quite a good rifle there now, Jim.

-Stretch
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marlinman93
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by marlinman93 »

Grizz wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:33 pm The bump you mentioned appears to reset the trigger as the bolt is closed, and I always wondered if this is coincidental or was that engineered into the action? Any thoughts on that?
On the earlier Marlin 1893, '93, and 1936, 36, the square bolts did have two bumps on the bottom side of the breech bolt to ensure the hammer was fully cocked. The 2nd "bump" was halfway down the bottom of the breech bolt, so only bumped the hammer at full opening of the lever. I've never been sure why it was incorporated into the design as partially opening the lever always cocked the hammer just fine? But I never removed them either, as I saw no harm in leaving it as designed.

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Grizz
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by Grizz »

THANKS for that. on the guide gun, the one bump resets the hammer on closing. maybe accidental or incidental. I just smoothed it and polished. Hope to someday find my processing photos. took some weeks of disassembling, blue fitting, reassembling, etc. to overcome the HORRIBLE factory output. And I picked the best of 10 brand new guide guns in Juneau. decades ago now . . . time's flying :lol:
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by piller »

The extractor groove in my stainless guide gun was horrible when I got it. It looked like the lathe used to cut the groove was missing a couple of teeth on the cutting head. Not sure if the terms are correct. It was rough and bumpy in that channel. I took and used some automotive sandpaper on a popsicle stick long edge to smooth the sharp high points which were catching and breaking the ejector. I then polished it with a Dremel and a felt wheel with some jewelers rouge. A Bomb Proof brand one piece extractor and it works like a champ.
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Grizz
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Re: More Range Time with the Marlin Project Rifle

Post by Grizz »

good move... the bit chattering on the inside of my guidegun receiver is horrific. I left what I could so I can claim that MY guide gun was made in Pakistan with a little old man with one sharp file...

there was a bit of steel, a chip i think, lodged under the lower receiver, the trigger guard part, I forget the official nombre, and they sanded the joint flush between the two parts such that, when I cleaned up the mating surfaces the upper stood proud around a thirty-second of an inch full length both sides. i filed it down to flush, sanded, polished, and reassembled it. i didn't even charge myself for my special detail service! so if soros and googlos wants to destroy the brand, that will just put that many more AR15s in the hands of the deprived shooters.. that's what happened when I couldn't get any more barrels for my single shot H&Rs...
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