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This is a copy of a post from Beartooth Bullets Shooters Forum. I've been reading a number of these lately and my question is has the quality gone down because of their announced move or just because the experienced gunsmiths have all retired? I guess that this sort of calls into question the whole "Marlins are quality heirloom' rifles line.
New 39Aes are mostly garbage?
I bought a new Marlin 39A and out of the box it failed to fire and failed to extract and eject when I did manage to get it to shoot. It would miss fire 95% of the time. WHen I cocked the hammer and struck the round for the second time the weapon would USUALY fire, but then I had to get out a small implement and laboursely dig out the spent brass from the chamber as it would not extract. I paid over 500 bucks for this peace of ****. Its the worst firearm I have ever had the displeasure to own. I had to grind down the lower strut of the rebounding hammer strut so it would shoot. I then had to replace the firing pin and finally the extractor in order for the rifle to extract and eject. I live in Canada so sending the rifle back to Marlin for repair is a non starter. I wrote to Marlin with my tale of woe and I got back a standard form letter. Not a happy camper. Avoid Marlin products like the plague unless you can hold the rifle in your hands and carefully inspect it before you buy it, even then there is no guarantee that it will shoot when you pull the trigger.
Cheers & Tighter Groups: Eaglesnester
Steve Retired and Living the Good Life No Matter Where You Go, There You Are
The quality went to manure when the Winchester factory closed.
Mines 4 years old. It has a stock with a split in it and the extractor needed to be replaced within a couple of months of purchase. I understand from one of my local gunsmiths that they have also had a lot returned with rebound spring problems, and various other faults. Its so bad over here that every time a customer comes in and says "I've got a problem with my 39A" the smith just bags it up and sends it back to the distributor instead of fixing it.
I understand Marlin gives a very good after sales service to you blokes.
Unfortunately over here we get the "over the ocean warranty", which basically says:
Its over there,
and we don't care.
My .357 1894 has its faults too, I've slugged and measured the barrel and found that its tighter at the chamber than the muzzle by a couple of thou so its no wonder it won't shoot cast bullets worth a squat.
These days if anybody asks my opinion or recommendation on lever guns I tell them to get something other than Marlin, or to get a pre 2006 used Marlin.
Its a shame really, they used to have a fantastic reputation years ago.
Bob
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You have got to love democracy-
It lets you choose who your dictator is going to be.
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They just don't make 'em like they used to.....
Other than my 2000 mfd. mod. 1897 Cowboy, all my Marlins were made before 1980.
I have a 1957 vintage 39-A Mountie that has had countless rnds. thru it and it is the slickest action you've ever felt on any gun, period. In all these years it has never failed me even once!
As for my 1897 CB, it's a gem....now. When I first got it the action was pretty rough, and the trigger...well, the trigger wasn't exactly what you'd call nice and crisp; I had to work on it. But at least it cycled and functioned perfectly.
I have 3 older 39A's (2 made in the 50's, 1 in the 60's). They ar slickest and most accurate 22's I have ever shot. Like others have said, they don't make them like they use to.
Howdy,
I got a new one a few months ago. It shoots and acts just fine, but when I take it apart it looks like a bucket of razor blades inside. Looks like they forgot to deburr the inside parts..
I disabled the rebounding hammer and had to trim about .010 off the backside of the firing pin.. I'm happy with it now..
Paul
"Pain plants the flag of reality in the
fortress of a rebel soul"
pshort wrote:
I disabled the rebounding hammer and had to trim about .010 off the backside of the firing pin.. I'm happy with it now..
Paul
I have done that to 4 of them now, makes them into perfectly servicable rifles. Still, for about 100-150 bucks less, you can get a really nice pre-1988 model off GB or at your local gun pusher, so why buy a new one? My 1967 model was very used when I got it and I have put at LEAST 20,000 rounds thru it, likely many more, has never stuttered, shoots as well as you would want for a lever gun.
I got mine in 2005, it shot to the right and was crooked at the joint of barrel and receiver. Sent it back, they fixed it, it shoots pretty well now.
However I still have frequent jamming problems, and have changed the extractor a few times, which doesn't help. I think the chamber may be too tight and the blown-out brass sometimes sticks. I don't seem to have any problem with sub-sonic ammo, but the 1200 fps and up can give me fits.
I like the rifle but am thinking of replacing it with a Henry. However, I'm reminded of the statistic that most people quit when they're 90% of the way to their goal. If the goal here is a well-broken in quality rifle, I don't want to quit too soon. Those old ones have thousands of rounds through them and maybe that's the difference.
"I'll tell you what living is. You get up when you feel like it. You fry yourself some eggs. You see what kind of a day it is."
Bigahh wrote:You guys are scaring me! I have been thinking of a new 338 MX
Don't be. I've had over 30 made in the mid/late '90's to now that I've not had one single problem with.
2x22
"Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction." - Thomas Jefferson
The rebounding hammer actions as used in the Winchester and Marlin lever guns is a bad design from the standpoint of manufacturing. For it to work properly it must be fitted and polished for smoothness and proper functioning by the hands of a human. There are too many variables to be able to just pick the parts out of bin and stick them together and expect it to work. Yet that is exactly what they do.
There is really no cure for this other than just don't buy the new 39As. Buy an older used one, then write Marlins management a letter telling them why you did not buy a new one.
Since Winchester introduced their rebounding hammers on the 94 center fires back in 82 I've purchased only one. That was a first year 94AE Trapper in .45 Colt. Had it not been chambered in my favorite handgun cartridge I would not have bought it. I've not purchased a new .22 RF lever action rifle since 1977 and should I do so in the future, I will not buy one with a rebounding hammer action.
I made my choice as a consumer, I will not spend any more of my money on junk. And I consider rebounding hammer actions junk. That one Win 94AE taught me that.
Joe
***Be sneaky, get closer, bust the cap on him when you can put the ball where it counts .***
El Chivo wrote:
However I still have frequent jamming problems, and have changed the extractor a few times, which doesn't help. I think the chamber may be too tight and the blown-out brass sometimes sticks. I don't seem to have any problem with sub-sonic ammo, but the 1200 fps and up can give me fits.
That's been my experience exactly, but I haven't changed out the extractor yet. I always have to run a rood through to get it back into action, and when I forget a range rod it is very frustrating. It's accurate, no problems there, at least. Mine was bought in about 2006.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
It sure is heartbreaking to follow these Marlin 39AS horror stories all over the internet. Marlin sure stepped in it when it created this monstrosity. What were they thinking?
Kinda reminds me of a Minnesota-Swede blonde girlfriend I had when I was a young man. Her luminous golden blonde hair was 100% natural.
One day I came home from work and almost fainted. She had dyed her gorgeous hair a mousey brown, "just for a change".
Why couldn't she leave perfection alone? Millions of mousey brown women spend billions of dollars to have the kind of hair God gave her!
Why couldn't Marlin also leave perfection alone?
I bought my 39A in 1978 and have fired countless rounds, everything from Stingers to CB Shorts through it and never had a malfunction of any kind.
Sometimes I think the inmates are running the asylum!
Buy a Henry, mine was $239 brand new and has shot at least 1,000 rounds thru it with zero problems. And it is accurate, even with my old eyes and iron sights I hit every squirrel I aim at at 40-50 yds. The action is slick and I end up shooting it more than any firearm I own just because it is so much fun. God Bless!
Member : NRA
Oklahoma Rifle Assoc.
NPPAS
TRUISM: if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. So, my advice is: Buy more guns!
My 338 Xlr shoots fine. my 45-70 Xlr went 5 into 1 1/4"@100 (iron sights) right out of the box with WW300grHP. However, that said, my 39A is a early 70's vintage with at least 10K thru it without a problem (I may have cleaned it 3 or 4 times in that 10k+ rounds). Best group was with WWSx ammo, cover it with a dime and no holes showing, shot at a little over 125yds. Picked up an AA code (1965) one about a month ago as a twin, it shoots too, but not quite as well as my 70's gun.
The meek shall inherit the earth, but I reserve the mineral rights!
All the knowledge in the world, is of no use to fools! (Eagles-long road out of Eden)
I have a older 39 made in the mid 70's and just love the gun! if I had a dollar for every gopher it has shot I would never work a day in my life. But I was looking at some new Marlins the 45/70 guide gun in SS the action was rougher than my Rossi was,note I said was but for a gun that cost's twice as much it should be ready to go out of the box?
My big bro sent a Marlin 60 back to the factory in the early 90s to have some work done on it,he bought it new in 68 you cant do that anymore if you live here without tons of paper work. But it came back with a new mag and worked great just like a new rifle it must have 10s of thousands round through it.
It's getting to the point I won't buy a American made gun anymore all my new bolts will be Tika's and the customer service is great.
I was really scared to buy a Rossi with no customer service up here and not being able to get parts should I need them but with Political stuff and such it does not make any diff any more . I can get more after market stuff for a Marlin though.
New 39Aes are mostly garbage?
