Marlin jammed open

[Marlinshooter]

Hi All--

I admit to not doing a search on this, since I am at work and in kind of a hurry.  So if there's another thread somewhere on it, feel free to smack me one upside the head and send me there :lol:

I was at the range yesterday trying out different brands of ammo for my Marlin 336.  It was built in the 80's.  I was shooting slowly, marking the shots on a piece of paper after I looked through the spotting scope.  Rifle was functioning fine, as it always has.

I went to chamber another round, and the lever jammed in the open position.  I pushed a little and it closed maybe half a stroke.  I opened it again, tried to close it once more; again it moved only about 1/3 of a stroke toward closing.

I stopped messing with it and took it into the gunshop.  The guy there, who's NOT a gunsmith, told me this happens to some Marlins when you don't work the lever fast enough.  This is a new one on me. It's still jammed open.

Has anyone heard of this, and is there any easy way to release the jam and make sure it won't happen again?  This is my only deer rifle and I'd hate to have it happen in the woods.  Is it something that just happens to these guns, or are some parts worn or broken?

Any advice much appreciated!

Thanks,

Marlinshooter

[Lee D.]

I see one of these happen every year at my sight in day.  I don't rember exactly how to get them unstuck but it is just matter of pushing and pulling on some of the visible (through the ejectin port)components.  Every one I've seen was caused by working the action too slowly and also tilting the gun at the same time.  Lever action rifles (and pumps) are meant to be cycled smartly.  You don't have to ratchet them as fast as you can, but they should be cycled quicly even when target shooting.

[jhm]

Marlinshooter:  Check the small screw directly behind the loading gate I have seen them come loose and then they will jam also.    JIM

[BIGDODGE]

Marlin  shooter,
                        I used to have the same problem with my 336. My problem was that another round would try to enter the action from the magazine tube. When i would cycle the action closed the carrier would get stuck on it and lock it up tight. The only way to unjam it was to get something like a pencil and use the eraser side to push the round back up into the tube. Anyway i found a website that went into complete detail about it with pics and i repaired it per their instructions. Never had one problem with it since. No matter if i cycle it fast or slow. You can find the link to that webpage by going to leverguns.com.
   Good luck, BIGDODGE.    P R of C
         Here is a link directly to it.                                                http://marauder13.homestead.com/files/Marlin94Fix.html

[44 Man]

Exactly.  Your "rocker" didn't.  This part holds the next shell into the magazine tube until the carrier gets back down.  This usually won't show up when the action is cycled "briskly" but sometimes when worked slowly it doesn't snap to keep the next shell in the magizine tube.  Then the shell backs out a little then the carrier binds up on the rim trying to get back down.  As the man said, get something to push the next shell back into the magazine tube to free up your action.  Sometimes things are just a little tight and this will work out with a hundred quick stroaks on the lever (empty gun).  If not, go the the website.   44Man