Am I missing parts? Marlin 1897

[BerdanSS]

I picked up this rifle at a swap meet for $250.00 It all seems to function just fine un-loaded. Action is as smooth as can be expected for a 110+ year old .22
The lever has about a 1/4" of up and down slop or so when closed. The action itself is tight, it's a take down model and the stock/barrel halves fit together like new. Wood is pretty nice and crack free. The bore is a little dark but the rifling is crisp and sharp.

Here's the thing. It wont cycle ammunition. Any kind. 50 year old flat points, LRN , .22 longs, LR or shorts. HPs, plated, flat points RN semi wad cutter.....nothing.

.22LR loads from the magazine fine to the chamber, but will not eject (not unfired at least). It rips the bullet right out of the casing. longs are about the same. The 22 shorts it does fin with as long as there aren't more than 3 in the magazine tube. If there are, when you open the lever all of them shoot right past the cartridge cut off into the action jamming it.

So....first thing to eliminate, does anyone more experienced than me with these see anything missing, broken or out of place?

[g.willikers]

It sounds like it's more of a chamber dimension problem, than a missing parts problem.
The extractor and associated parts are sure working.
Have you investigated the chamber and barrel where the rifling begins?

[BerdanSS]

Not as of yet.

Is it possible that these rifles were not designed to eject live rounds? it's almost as if the length allowed for ejection is only intended for spent casings to exit. It chambers the live rounds just fine, but will not eject a live .22 long or long rifle without mangling the bullet.


The live .22 shorts eject just fine. But with those the problem of over feeding comes up when levering a round into the chamber. A problem that doesn't happen with longs or LRs.

I must admit I'm stumped

What do I need to check for in the chamber area that would cause/add to this problem. I't quite easy to see/ inspect with the rifle in half, I just don't know quite what I should be looking for.

[big al hunter]

I would clean the action and oil it. Search for worn rounded edges at the shell stop and extractor. Shoot it and see what happens. If it is pushing the bullets out of the shell with the extractor, it is still strong. I am not familiar with that model, what does the stamp say it is chambered for? Can you post a picture of the mangled bullet?

I would think it should extract loaded rounds without damage, unless it is chambered for shorts.

[Hawg]

Chambered for shorts or possibly has had a lot of shorts fired through it and has a carbon ring in the chamber. It really sounds like its chambered for shorts.

[PetahW]

.

The chamber most likely has a hrad carbon ring in it, right aabout where the mouth of a chambered .22 Short case mount would lie, and in need of a fierce brass-brush scrubbing, it the chamber walls aren'y pitted too deeply from firing corrosive Short ammo, in the day.

Likewise, the inside of the magazine tube most likely has a gunk build up from bullet lube, etc - because the earlier owner(s) likely habitually loaded only a few cartridges, instead of filling the magazine - and needs to be disassembles & scrubbed out.


.

[BerdanSS]

PetahW

Lol you are right about the magazine tube sir....I did that very thing half loading it this afternoon First time I've loaded more than 5 rounds. the last 3 popped out of the magazine and while levering them up to be chambered, I noticed them seemed to be coated in what looked like lithium grease So a stout mag tube scrubbing is in order.

Hawg

The only thing is with the shorts is, while they load and eject (still live) just fine. If I put more than three in the magazine, they all shoot out past the cartridge stop and jam up the action like you wouldn't believe when the lever is opened. The LRs seem to chamber fine, they just wont eject unfired without twisting the bullet.

I've had several conversations with both of you gentlemen on several topics. And I have determined both of you, have more knowledge and experience with these things in your pinky finger nails than I have in my entire body I will run through all suggestions and report back with results. thanks all for help thus far

[4V50 Gary]

The carrier is supposed to serve as your shell stop. When the carrier is in the lowered position, it should accept only one cartridge at a time.

I need to see a parts diagram to see if there are shell stops like in a shotgun. I don't think there are though.

[BerdanSS]

Gary

I have a parts diagram, I will post a picture when I get home. Along with some updates and new information, I got to actually shoot the rifle finally this afternoon.

[BerdanSS]

Well by looking at pictures of other rifles and the parts list on Numrichs. I am missing to parts. The finger lever spring and the finger lever spring screw.

as seen here at the bottom from of this receiver half.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...7/IMG_1951.jpg

[BerdanSS]

Okay, I did everything suggested. I gave the rifle another through cleaning, good chamber scrubbing and determined the chamber does appear to be LR or at least Long length. Also, the rifle does have a spring loaded "shell stop" of sorts mounted in the receiver, directly in front of the magazine tube.


Well I got to actually fire the rifle yesterday.
Here's what happened with standard velocity LRs-CCI LRN match.

I loaded 10 up, it chambered and fired each one. (did have a couple hang ups feeding up the ramp to the chamber once or twice) It ejected every single spent LR casing smoothly. And while off a little to the left. shot nice silver dollar sized groups at 25 yards.

Next with shorts.-Remington "golden bullet" plated RN.
Once again if more than 3 were loaded in the magazine, more than one cartridge will exit the magazine past the stop and jam up the action when the lever is opened. With 3 or less, or dropping them in one at a time through the ejection port; the rifle loads, fires and ejects them beautifully.

The rifle still will not eject live LRs. They bind and the bullet gets mangled trying. But it will feed, load and then eject the spent casings all day long. One problem with all rounds fired, 90% of the time I had to recock the hammer and give the cartridges a second strike to get them to fire.