Marlin rifle one piece firing pin breakage

[Pecos Clyde]

Heyya Ya'll

In February just before winter range I had a one piece firing pin installed in my then new .45 Marlin cowboy limited.

I have fired about 2000 rounds thru this rifle since then. Additionally I have dry fired it probably 300 times. Today, first stage of the match I realized the firing pin had broken.

Is this breaking pre-mature, or are these firing pins prone to break after this many rounds?

I am going to replace it with another one piece, and get a spare as well to carry, maybe I will even buy a new stock two piece to have as a spare. But I can't get one until Monday so tommorows match is kaput as well.

Are the Marlin two piece firing pins for the 357 cal rifle interchangeable with the .45?

[howdy doody]

You didn't keep your two piece then? Yup, I do believe a c model set of pins would work for you. You still should use the flat spring with them too.

I am curious as to whether this is the titanium Longhunter on or a steel one like from Cowboys and Indians. I think I heard there was a problem with the titanium ones breaking and now the problem is corrected. Maybe you can get a refund.

Do you think this mod is worthwhile? Before we heard of these one piece pins the customizing boys would radius the ends of the two piece pins to make the contact area smaller and polish them up all the way. They also would polish the bolt suface too and bend the tang on the left side ejector.
Along of course with a ruger blackhawk hammer spring and polished strut.

What do you think your firing pin was steel or titanium?

[Pecos Clyde]

Heyya Howdy

No, I did not keep the two piece.  Looking back I was so excited about bein at winter range, and having the firing pin installed I didn't even think of askin for it when I picked up the rifle.  I guess that sounds kinda foolish on my part but I suppose I get that way sometimes  :?  

By the way, Long Hunter, after having read my post,  has  emailed me privately.  He determined that the firing pin that was put in the rifle was supplied by him to Larry Crowand that it was titanium.

Long Hunter was insistent in his e-mail to me regarding mailing me a new firing pin, at no charge.  What a true example of the "cowboy way".  Previously I had been impressed with Long Hunters work on marlins, as well as his shooting and firearms instruction abilities.  I have an even higher regard for him now.  

This kind of "doin the right thing" is what I appreciate most with the folks I have met and the friends I have made in CAS/SASS.

[howdy doody]

I just knew who ever made/installed the pin would do right by you. The thing is i seem to remember there was a problem at the start with some of the titanium ones and it was corrected. Maybe they were so hard they were brittle or something. All is well that ends well.
 :-)

[Cheyenne Ranger]

Pecos,
Did you notice any difference when you had the one-piece put in?  Was it easier to cock?  Thinking about it for my Marlin
CR

[howdy doody]

I put the one piece steel one in mine. It's the one Cowboys and Indian store sells. I used just the one roll pin to hold it in. I didn't use the hammer spring that was in the kit, because I already had a Marlin Magic spring in it. I did however use the lever catch spring that came with the one piece kit and it works fine. I have the bolt polished someon my rifle and I am thinking about radiusing the hammer too. My rifle cocks pretty smooth, but not as smooth as a lot of these 66 and 73s that I just happen to cycle now and then. I like my Marlin just fine, but it isn't the only rifle that will do the trick.   :-)

[Pecos Clyde]

Heyya Cheyenne

         Yes I did notice a difference when the new pin was installed.  With the stock pin there seemed to be a pronounced two stage feel to the levering. I guess what I mean is that at two places in the levering sequence there was more resistence than during the rest of the levering process.

        With he new firing pin in place these resistence spots were noticeably reduced.  The levering felt more smooth, and it did not take as much effort to lever the action.  This translated to lower rifle stage times because the front sight remained more steady due to the easier, non-gorilla strength/energy needed to work the lever.

        The more dramatic improvement in the action was when Long Hunter installed the spring kit in this rifle at EOT.  THAT WAS AMAZING!  Ten times more smooth, and less effort yet again to throw the lever.   The kit consists of a lighter hammer spring and the tiny spring in the lever that insures the bolt is fully locked up/in battery before the trigger can be pulled. I would recommend both modifications be done at the same time.  That way you only have to get used to a different feel to you rifle once.  (and by the way, I did get the stock springs back...learned that lesson from the firing pin episode).

        I was told about the spring kit by Boots Robb, a Utah SASS shooter.  I couldn't be happier that I followed his advice.  If you do these mods you will be impressed with your "new rifle".

[DB Leath]

Howdy all,

I am still waiting on my fp from Long Hunter...I hope he doesnt have to devert mine for Pecos... :wink:   I did however take and cut down that small spring in the lever and that made a huge difference.  I also reshaped the hammer so that once it was fully cocked the hammer spring wasnt compressed anymore.  That really helps.  I will polish up the bolt and put the kit in when it gets here.
Db

[howdy doody]

  I also reshaped the hammer so that once it was fully cocked the hammer spring wasnt compressed anymore.  That really helps.  Db

I do not understand what you are saying here. If the hammer spring is uncompressed how can it have any power to move off the sear and travel on to hit the pin? Could you please go into some detail on this? Thanks.

[DB Leath]

Ok hopefully I can explain this without getting everyone lost.
I got to thinking about it when I was reading up on ways to make my Winchester 94 easier to work.
When ya lever back the bolt on a rifle it pushes the hammer back to engage the sear. Well the bolt moves alot farther than is necessary to accomplish this.  The rest of the movement is more or less waisted.  Next time ya get your gun and lever it back stop the second that the sear engages.  You will notice that the hammer spring keeps compressing even after the sear is engaged.  By reshaping the face of the hammer to the point that the bolt doesnt compress the hammer spring more than is necessary it makes it easier to lever back and cock the gun.  
If ya decide to take this on be very careful.. you are not changing the profile of the hammer just slicking it up and making it a little shorter.  I used a dremmel and just polished it down a little at a time until I was happy.

It works for me if ya have any more questions just holler.
Db

[howdy doody]

Thanks DB, I think I know now what you are saying and I will check that out on mine and maybe do the same thing.

Muchas Grasius Mi Amigo,

[DB Leath]

No problemo sir...
Hurray my pin showed up today...I put it in along with the spring..whooooweeeeebudeeeeeeeeeeeee....slick now....I could only get one roll pin in without grinding the fp to make it fit.

I hoped that I explained that one ok HD.  It sure helped mine.
DB

[howdy doody]

Yes, DB I know what to do now. I haven't been able to get to it just yet, but I will. I didn't put the second roll pin in mine. I would have to look, but I think the instructions might have said don't bother. I like the feel of mine too, but this Sunday I stovepiped two empties and I knew right then that I had bend my inside ejector spring too much and it was too weak. When I cleaned the rifle I pulled the bolt and bent the spring back out a tad. I always keep a spare one of those too. They do break and probably especially if some fool (me) is bending it all over the place.
I thank you for your help and I will get after it soon.

[Cheyenne Ranger]

Got to put my one-piece fp in today.  That, along with the small spring in the lever and the new hammer spring (main spring) does make a world of difference.  I had ordered the Marlin Magic mainspring, too, and turns out the mainspring that comes with the one-piece was lighter.

p.s. got mine from Evil Roy http://www.evilroyshootingschool.com/Products/gunparts/indexz_gunparts.html#M1894

I would just get the firing pin kit, $30.00

[howdy doody]

Just thought I would update a bit. I have shot my one piece pin in three matches so far. One was an annual with 12 stages. Everything is running fine, except the lever catch spring and I had to take my roll pin out and then stretch it out to make it strong enough to stay latched. I am still running with the one roll pin.

Kind of off topic, but any of you from other parts of the world seen marlins with the safety plunger disabled? I am not doing this and I can't see why anyone would take a chance of firing out of full battery either. The thing is, I have noticed at the unloading table a few with this mod done. The rifles belonged to a lot faster pards than I will ever be, but it just don't seem like the thing to do, is it?

[Cheyenne Ranger]

One of my club's pards has this done to his.  Says it reduces the force necessary to work the action.  I'm not good enough to try it.

[howdy doody]

Cheyenne Ranger, I think you should say you are too smart to do that. It worries me a bit that for that last little bit of smooth action, that a pard would take the plunger out. To me this means you can have a trigger pull about anywhere and not just when the bolt is closed. There is an envelope and it has to be pushed and I am no where fast enough to bother trying to either. I guess it narrows down to, that I like smooth and reliable over fast and scary. Old age does that to a guy  

[Pecos Clyde]

Heyya

              I won't do it.  Seems like somewheres about every 60 to 70th round I fire in a match I fail to close the lever all the way because I am trying to go fast.  I do not want my rifle to fire if it is not in full battery.  The possible catastrophy isn't worth the marginal gain for me.

             By the way, I put my new firing pin in, using the front roll pin only.  Shot it in an 8 stage match and a 10 stage match and it works great.  I also now have two spare one piece pins , plus the correct size punches to change it out if need be.  I acquired another ejector as well, just in case.

           I am reluctant to try the polishing on the hammer tho....DB, we have to go to a shoot together so You can show me zactly what you are talkin about with this mod....I will even bring my dremel tool!!

          Howdy, regarding the little spring that you had to stretch, had you replaced that spring with a lighter one, or had you cut off a coil of the stock spring?

[howdy doody]

Pecos Clyde,
I had replaced my lever catch spring with the one that came in my one piece firing pin kit from Cowboys and Indian store. They also provide a hammer spring too, but I just left my flat wound blue Marlin Magic spring in mine. I had put that in a while back.
I am pretty happy with my rifle now. Face it, it shoots better than me  :-D
Actually, I seldom miss rifle targets, since I have a lyman tang sight on it too. Misses are usually due to BP smoke heh, heh. I could be a lot faster though. What the heck, I'll never be a Lead Dispencer and CAS keeps me off the street.  :shock: