Author Topic: Marlin 39s/1897s: Plug the extra holes?  (Read 350 times)

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Offline Big Paulie

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Marlin 39s/1897s: Plug the extra holes?
« on: March 15, 2006, 03:14:19 PM »
Dear Guys,

  I really like the look of the cowboy versions of the Marlin 39 and 1897 Lever actions, in .22 rimfire.   But I HATE the two new holes in the left side of the receivers, one near the bottom so you can look in and see the "red plastic" follower to make sure the gun is empty, and one near the top, which I assume is to let you look into the closed receiver to see if a shell is in the chamber.   As a result of these "holes" , the receiver looks like a piece of swiss cheese.  (Not to mention the fact that looking through a hole at a piece of red plastic is not my idea of a cowboy rifle.)

  So, is it possible or feasible to simply thread these two existing holes with a tap, and fill them with filler-plug screws to close them up???   Is this a crazy idea, or is this something that is commonly done.

   (I know that on the Marlin 336, with the cross bolt safety button, it has become common for people to remove the button, thread the hole, and fill it with a filler screw, so that it has a genuine cowboy look.)

Thanks for your advice.

Big Paulie