Win 94 Turning Barrel

[oldmax]

Looking down the barrel from the rear ( shooting the gun )
The front sight is turned to the right.

True Or False

This indicates the Barrel is screwed on to far, The fix would be to remove the barrel
and install a shim between the barrel and the frame.

Open for suggestions; I want to now my options before taking it to a Gun Smith...
To many tell me: drop it off, I'll fix it... But don't tell me how. ( makes me nervous )...

[J Miller]

False, it indicates the barrel is not screwed in far enough. The barrel has right hand threads, it screws into the front of the receiver clockwise, and it torqued up tight before the sight was indexed at TDC.

It could also be that the front sight was attached tilted - or - the front sight dovetail was misindexed.

Check the rear sight dovetail, is it square with the receiver? If it is the barrel is in properly, but the front sight is misindexed.

The easy way to do this is to turn the rifle around and study the sights from the muzzle end.
Gun unloaded of course.

Joe

[Tycer]

I've got one with a improperly indexed front dovetail. I drifted the front sight to the left and moved my rear sight to the right. Shoots where it should.

[mescalero1]

Tycer,
Does it look odd?

[Tycer]

I have not thought about it since I did it, so I guess not. If you look at the gun from any angle except the sight-line it is invisible. If you're looking down the sight-line, you're either shooting at something or being shot at. Either way, whether or not the sights are centered over the bore is not even a thought.... If one of your buddies notices and remarks on it, tell him it's to correct your laaaaazy eye

[oldmax]

Thanks all, Front sight is soldered/welded on , No Dovetail,
Rear sight is canted same amount as front sight.
SO: Barrel needs to be tightened.....

Is there a wrench for the barrel ????

[J Miller]

Is there a wrench for the barrel ????

Yes there is sort of. You'll need a barrel clamp and a big solid vise or work bench, then you'll need a receiver wrench to keep from bending that up.

You'd be better off finding a gunsmith to do it. It may require having some metal taken off the shoulder to allow the barrel to index properly.

Joe

[oldmax]

J Miller, Thanks,,,, Happened to talk to 2 gunsmiths, each had a different assessment...

1 thought that the amount of twist that it is out , could be just tightened....

My experience in Florida: on most everything Mechanical,
They are all experts, until they do the job, Results are usually BAD...

Anyway,The gun is going Hunting this year the way it is, Maybe I'll pursue it some more
after November.

[BenT]

If you index it in you are tightening your headspace. Open your action and and look if the barrel is screwed in flush with the receiver. A straight edge helps. I use a small metal ruler. If there is a little gap . You can probablly index your barrel without anything taken off the shoulder, and just file the extractor groove wider. If it is flush then its usually headspaced correctly. So if you index in too much , then metal has to be taken of the end of the barrel to make headspace. But your not talking about indexing it much. I would unscrew the barrel to break it free and then see if you can screw it in until you get the sights where you want them and then see how your barrel is flush with your receiver. I spent about $15 making a action wrench and barrel vise.

It is not uncommon on Marlins to see the sights installed off center.

[J Miller]

oldmax,

I've been fighting with crooked sights on one type of gun or another for most of my shooting life.
I despise sights that tilt.

However the last GOOD gunsmith I've dealt with was in Phoenix 28 years ago. I've not found one single gunsmith that's worth a pound of Unique here in central IL.
Not sure why, but that's seems to be the way of it.

Joe

[meanc]

One more problem to deal with when turning/tightening the barrel is the alignment of the extractor cutout on the barrel.

And as someone else stated the headspace becomes an issue as well.

If'n it were mine, I'd leave it be and get some glass mounted.

[oldmax]

Picture: Extractor seems to be just clearing the grove. ( maybe that's why I have weak case
extraction) In picture the extractor mark is just barely visible where grove tappers off.

The Rim space ( 45 Colt ) has about .005 space on closing the bolt:
IE .007 feeler will still allow bolt to close ( but tight ) .005 still closes but snug.
Would this be considered head space?
My guess, turning the barrel about 5-10 degrees should not be a problem...

And, No Glass, Just can't do it, not on a 16" Trapper....

[BenT]

I don't see a problem with turning it in a little more. Get your self the tools and do it your self. Prop the gun upright and start putting some type of penetrating oil to soak down into the threads. Your gun isn't that old , so I don't think your going to have a problem backing out the barrel a little before turning it in. Use masking tape for marking a line on the receiver and on the barrel so when turning you know where you have to stop for alignment.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Picture: Extractor seems to be just clearing the grove. ( maybe that's why I have weak case
extraction) In picture the extractor mark is just barely visible where grove tappers off.

The Rim space ( 45 Colt ) has about .005 space on closing the bolt:
IE .007 feeler will still allow bolt to close ( but tight ) .005 still closes but snug.
Would this be considered head space?
My guess, turning the barrel about 5-10 degrees should not be a problem...

And, No Glass, Just can't do it, not on a 16" Trapper....

Max,
No more than what you will need to square the sights (probably less and 5 degrees I think) the headspace shouldn't be a problem. I like Ben's idea of taking the barrel off first than try to tighten it square. Clean both threads really well first.
As for tools, I'm betting you will need a real barrel vice with blocks and rosin and something for a receiver wrench to get this thing broke loose. It has been my experience that when you find one like this from the factory it's because they tightened it as tight as they could get it trying to square it up but just left it there rather than take the barrel back off and set the shoulder back to correct the problem. You may find that you will need to do that in order to get it to square. Ideally, it would be done in a lathe but if you are careful you can do it by hand filing with a safe side flat bastard or mill file.