Calling all Marlin Lever action Doctors!

[TrenchMud]

I have a question for any of you Marlin Lever Gun GURU's.. My brother has an 1895 marlin in 45-70.
Has been functioning perfectly until about a month ago. Now the lever will not go fully forward thus The bolt stops
about a half or three quarters if an inch from being fully rearward. I have fully disassembled the action and there are no broken parts ? The carrier rocker and part of the lever are polished like a mirror from wear though. What part would be the most likely
culprit? I know Winchesters inside and out but the marlin is a totally different animal ! This is my brothers most prized firearm and I would like to get it going for him again as soon as possible.

[gunnut69]

If this occurs with ammo in the magazine it's the common 'marlin jam'. Caused by the lifter cam having a notch peened into it by the lever cam edge. This aloows the lifter to drop a bit too low and a shell from the magazine protrudes just enough to catch on the  lifter face. If it does this without ammo in the rifle there is another problem but still likely it's a lifter generated balk.

[Modoc ED]

If this occurs with ammo in the magazine it's the common 'marlin jam'. Caused by the lifter cam having a notch peened into it by the lever cam edge. This aloows the lifter to drop a bit too low and a shell from the magazine protrudes just enough to catch on the  lifter face. If it does this without ammo in the rifle there is another problem but still likely it's a lifter generated balk.

gunnut69 -

Ok, I'll bite.  What's the cure?  Would you simply replace the lifter cam or file or beat the notch out of the lifter cam?  Is the lever cam edge affected.  Will the replaced lifter cams continue to have a notch peened in them or is there a permanent fix for the problem.  Seems this is something Marlin should have picked up on.  Has Marlin offered a hardened lifter cam or if not, what is their fix? 

I've been thinking of getting a Marlin 1895 in .45-70 and am curious as to how they will perform.  Don't want to get one though if the problem described by TrenchMud is a common one.   

[gunnut69]

They all seem to have the problem to one degree or another. I'm fighting with a 444 now that has the problem. The normal response is to replece the lifter and that will most assuredly work, but of course the process will just begin all over again. The fix is to slightly radius the lever cam edge and either bend the lifter to compensate or build up the magazine end of the lifter to compensate for the slight lowering of the lifter face by the cam.

[wiktor]

I thought the Marlin Jam only ocurred with the 1894?

[gunnut69]

The issue that causes the 'Marlin jam' is a timing issue with the carrier, so almost any of the marlins can be affected. I've a 444 doing it now. The 1894's are not any more prone than the others but they get used a lot in the 'cowboy Action Shooting' game and thus a lot more rounds expended... To check the problem, remove the lever screw and the lever. The cam surface on the bottom of the carrier will have a fairly obvious line 'peened' across it by the nose of the lever cam.. The 336's with this problem are usually pretty old before it developes and most of the time a new carrier is installed.. I've even installed a couple myself. I don't like bending the carrier as a fix.. but have found that welding a bead on the carrier face (top) with a MIG and dressing down to a few thousandths higher works well and I've and excellant welder available..