One Project Done

[Griff]

A Marlin 1894 in 44Mag, converted from round barrel carbine to octagon rifle...
Before:


After:

It came to me with the octagon barrel on it... but some really poor fitting wood. The owner wanted the forend slimmed down to look like a Winchester or like the earliest 1894 Marlins. The wood doesn't match well... but close as this amateur could get.

[Dusty Texian]

Looks good Griff! I like the thin fore end better. Should be a handy little rifle in 44M.,,,,DT

[BrentD]

That looks very good to me. The slimmer fore ends are really a lot nicer to hold, shoot, and look at, in my opinion.

[bdhold]

on many old Winchesters, the wood doesn't match, anyway.
Good work.

[Pete44ru]

The wood doesn't match well... but close as this amateur could get.

It looks good, from where I'm sittin', Griff....................


.

[Sixgun]

Looks like one of the older (better.....user friendly) Marlins from the seventies.

Curious....why did you change the barrel?---------6

[Rube Burrows]

I think it looks pretty good.

The wood on my converted Winchester 94 is what has held me up on my build. Have all the parts but im not good at the wood working and the stocks were so hard to find that I don't want to mess them up.

I think you did a good job and made that thing look way better and should be a good shooter.

[TedH]

I like it!

[Griff]

Good show Sixgun, it's a '78 Marlin; the guy that owns it had a round barrel (barrel band carbine) and wanted an octagon barrel. He found one at Numrich (supposedly off a "Zane Grey Commemorative"), and swapped them out. Then he decided he wanted the curved buttplate & slimmer forend. Since he knew I was doing the same to mine... And some of the inletting had been buggered up... So, this is how it ended up. I went thru 5 forends before sending the last one out to a gentleman to do the inletting and slimming down... THAT job is beyond my skill set. That particular forend is longer than anything anyone makes for the 1894. It's actually a 336 forend, and not walnut like the stock. Unable to locate an octagon forend of the correct length (or longer), the new one had to be modified.


There's the two projects side by side. The difference in forend length is quite noticeable. I still have some final sanding to do on mine near the buttlplate.... Finally got the buttplate fitted, (sent to the same specialist as did his forend)! No, he didn't show me his trick to doin' 'em! But, I'll do the final overall shaping on the sides of the stock. Then, I think I'll put a finish on the wood while the metal is being CCH'd.I will say this... I like sanding on wood with bare metal vs. one with a finish already on the metal... nerve-wrecking!

[ollogger]

Real good job!!! doing that is a patients learning experience
I got a blank for a 721 300 H&H bout 25 years ago, it took all winter to do it, when I was done I was mad at myself for buying a low grade stick of wood, I put all that time in it & still had poor wood
but it still looks better than the factory stock




ollogger

[Ysabel Kid]

Looks like a winner to me!

[Sixgun]

Griff,
I really like the looks of the longer forend.....gives it more of a "short rifle" look.

Inletting is something that needs plenty of practice and patience. Those are two atributes I was left out in the cold with.---------------6

[Griff]

Griff,
I really like the looks of the longer forend.....gives it more of a "short rifle" look.
Inletting is something that needs plenty of practice and patience. Those are two atributes I was left out in the cold with.---------------

You and me both, Bro.

The rifle on the bottom is my project, and has a 3" shorter barrel (17" vs 20"). and a 1" shorter forend. So it really is a "short rifle", but, proportionally, they don't look all that different when viewed separately.

[M. M. Wright]

I like it. When does it get the tang site?

[Griff]

I like it. When does it get the tang site?

I don't own it... so I don't know if it will... it being set up for "Wild Bunch" matches and all... Might even see a cowboy match or two! I told the owner a year ago to start collecting his 44 Spl & 44 Mag brass! Hope he listened, otherwise he'll have the rifle and have to BUY ammo!!!