Picked it up tonight. A sound Marlin 336, 1985 mfg by the SN and after initial inspection and test fire, a good bore and plenty accurate. Will give it a good scrubbing inside but it looks like nothing more than lite speckels, clean sharpe microgroove rifleing all the way thru the bore. Everything works as required. It is a Safety version and that works too, fortunatly or unfortunatly depending on your bent concerning safety devices on lever actions....I don't care to much, I can simply leave it in the off position and use the half notch as intended, plus, keep my finger off the trigger till its ready.
A rather nice piece of walnut under the old finish. The grip cap is boogered and the white spacer is missing, but the Marauder conversion, if dooable, requires removing this portion of the stock anyway so no loss. Blueing on the rifle is about 70% but no pitting, just carry wear. Scope mount plug screws are missing,,,I think I have some 8x40s around here so no biggie. As in other Marlin projects I've done, this one starts out about 7.25 to 7.5 lbs in factory trim. I'll be keeping the wood stocks so it won't be a svelt 5.75 lbs when finished but lighter and quicker anyway. Oh yeah, caliber is the venerable 30-30.
In addition to blueing wear, a SSN is carved into the left receiver side. Fortunatly it's not deep and can be drawfiled out for the reblue. Reblue will be my standard Slow Rust blue. Stock finish will be hand rubbed TruOil. The Forend will be shortened by 3/4" similar to the Marauders of 1963 and 1964. However, I'll probably leave the actual area between receiver and band the length it is now and simply shorten the toung of wood that protrudes past the barrel band. Magazine tube will be about 1/4" shorter than the trimmed barrel and the barrel/tube band opened to move back accordingly. Barrel trim will be a bit longer than 16.25" so, that in addition to the incorrect SN and the presence of the safety should keep this one from being passed off as a true Collectors item.
Conversion will involve inspection and use/reuse of all the original parts, except for perhaps the front sight. Havn't decided on that yet - a fire sight may find its way into a newly cut dovetail. But, the trigger plate will need to be thinned to straight grip configuration, no worries, the SN is on the upper tang. And, the lever loop will have to be forged to straight grip configuration. It is quite likely the forgeing can be done cold, not much movement is required to go from straight to curved or curved to straight.
- - - Updated - - -
Barrel length on this 336 CS is 20". Marauder length was 16 1/4". We'll finish just under 17". First step then is to remove 3 1/4" from the rear of the magazine tube and front of the barrel.
Mag tube is easy, measure mark and tubeing cutter on the rear of the mag tube preserving the front barrel band notch and the magazine cap.
The barrel is marked 3 1/4" from the muzzle, clamp the rifle down and smoothly cut off the excess length.
Not the straghtest cut but then we'll make it dead square with the bore later.
Gently roughing in the muzzle with 80 grit and a light touch using the v blocks and rotating the assembly...just enought to remove all the saw marks evenly. If you can't touch the muzzle for 10 seconds its too hot. Dad did fine, plenty of breaks, a light kiss on the wheel and no discoloration of the metal so no worries.
A rather nice piece of walnut under the old finish. The grip cap is boogered and the white spacer is missing, but the Marauder conversion, if dooable, requires removing this portion of the stock anyway so no loss. Blueing on the rifle is about 70% but no pitting, just carry wear. Scope mount plug screws are missing,,,I think I have some 8x40s around here so no biggie. As in other Marlin projects I've done, this one starts out about 7.25 to 7.5 lbs in factory trim. I'll be keeping the wood stocks so it won't be a svelt 5.75 lbs when finished but lighter and quicker anyway. Oh yeah, caliber is the venerable 30-30.
In addition to blueing wear, a SSN is carved into the left receiver side. Fortunatly it's not deep and can be drawfiled out for the reblue. Reblue will be my standard Slow Rust blue. Stock finish will be hand rubbed TruOil. The Forend will be shortened by 3/4" similar to the Marauders of 1963 and 1964. However, I'll probably leave the actual area between receiver and band the length it is now and simply shorten the toung of wood that protrudes past the barrel band. Magazine tube will be about 1/4" shorter than the trimmed barrel and the barrel/tube band opened to move back accordingly. Barrel trim will be a bit longer than 16.25" so, that in addition to the incorrect SN and the presence of the safety should keep this one from being passed off as a true Collectors item.
Conversion will involve inspection and use/reuse of all the original parts, except for perhaps the front sight. Havn't decided on that yet - a fire sight may find its way into a newly cut dovetail. But, the trigger plate will need to be thinned to straight grip configuration, no worries, the SN is on the upper tang. And, the lever loop will have to be forged to straight grip configuration. It is quite likely the forgeing can be done cold, not much movement is required to go from straight to curved or curved to straight.
- - - Updated - - -
Barrel length on this 336 CS is 20". Marauder length was 16 1/4". We'll finish just under 17". First step then is to remove 3 1/4" from the rear of the magazine tube and front of the barrel.
Mag tube is easy, measure mark and tubeing cutter on the rear of the mag tube preserving the front barrel band notch and the magazine cap.
The barrel is marked 3 1/4" from the muzzle, clamp the rifle down and smoothly cut off the excess length.
Not the straghtest cut but then we'll make it dead square with the bore later.
Gently roughing in the muzzle with 80 grit and a light touch using the v blocks and rotating the assembly...just enought to remove all the saw marks evenly. If you can't touch the muzzle for 10 seconds its too hot. Dad did fine, plenty of breaks, a light kiss on the wheel and no discoloration of the metal so no worries.