Another Marlin 27 .25-20 Restoration Project

wachtelhund1 · May 29, 2015, 10:04 AM

Two years ago, I restored a Marlin 27-S .25-20 pump that was really in rough shape and none functional. I got it done and its a blast to shoot, cheap to reload, especially with cast bullets. With the .22 shortage the last several years, I've fired around 2,000 rounds out of this Marlin pump.

Anyways, I'm doing it again. Three weeks ago I purchased a Marlin 27 rusted barrel and left side receiver off GunBroker for $49.00, with shipping cost me $74.00. That was it. I had some parts left over from my last restoration, but I immediately started looking for needed parts from EBay, Numrich Gun Corp., and Macon Gun stocks. Mind you parts are difficult to find. The magazine tube is almost impossible to find, but I lucked out and got one for $99.00. To my surprise Macon Gun Stock had the butt stock and slide forend in stock. They arrive in two days, way oversize, but at least I had work to work with. So here are some pics of what I had to work with.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps5joaorsp.jpg

wachtelhund1 · May 29, 2015, 10:28 AM

I had an extra bolt with extractor and cartridge lifter. I ordered what screws were available from Numrich Gun Corp and a right side receiver(used), magazine spring and safety button. I lucked out and got 1892 Marlin hammer and trigger springs off EBay, also a 27 hammer and trigger and operating slide. Numerich had the right side lever, but no screws for it. I ordered two of the side levers and will try and make the screw, that will be difficult. My gunsmith gave me an old steel butt plate from a 1892 Marlin which I cut off the top heel, the 27's didn't have the upper heel. I ground and fit it to the new butt stock, which was a 1/4" over size.

Oh, this is my Marlin 27-S from my previous restoration. I rust blued it, had the barrel re-lined and shortened to 19".

The new stocks arrived a week before the barrel did.

Here is the butt plated formed from a 1892 butt plate. The 1892 had an extended top which I cut off. It was also quite thick, so I ground it down to a similar thickness as the crescent butt plate on my 27-S.

The butt plate had a slightly different crescent shape than the new stock. So I had to re-shape the stock a little for the plate to fit. Several hours, a disk grinder, several files and rasps; and I had cut up a 1892 butt plate and had it 95% fitted it to the butt stock. But I still had to remove a lot of wood from the stock.

wachtelhund1 · May 29, 2015, 10:36 AM

While waiting for the barrel to arrive, I started working on the butt stock. I had a left receiver side form my first Marlin 27-S, it was to pitted to use. But it allowed me to mount the butt stock to it and start remove 1/4" of wood from entire butt stock with belt sander, rasp and file. Then inlet for the receiver.

wachtelhund1 · May 29, 2015, 10:45 AM

Last Friday, I picked up my Marlin 27 barrel and left receiver form my gun shop. I was quite please, as it was very rusted but looked to have little pitting. I bought it home and gave it and the magazine outer tube two treatments of navel jelly to remove surface rust. Then put the barrel in a tub of Arm & Hammer wash soda and connected a battery charger to it. Let it cook over night. To my surprise it cleaned up really well. The barrel was in really great shape. I have not sanded any part of it. About six or seven places with very small pitting, sanding with 400 grit paper will take care of them. The next day, the magazine tube went in the tub for most of the day as well as the right receiver side from Numrich, it was a used part. Then both were treated several coats of navel jelly. On Sunday, the butt stock was stained and seal. Monday, I worked on the slide forend. I had to removed a 1/4" from the diameter of the slide forend to get it to reasonably match my other 27-S.

skizzums · May 29, 2015, 10:47 AM

We can't see your threads unless we are members. I would like to see your restoration though.

wachtelhund1 · May 29, 2015, 10:52 AM

Didn't know that, I'll re-post the pictures.

Dixie Gunsmithing · May 29, 2015, 11:47 AM

If you wouldn't mind, try using Flickr to store the photos, and use the bulletin board code (BB code) it gives for each photo.

https://www.flickr.com/

Photobucket doesn't act right with some browsers, or I'd recommend it.

wachtelhund1 · May 29, 2015, 11:49 AM

Well I got my Marlin 27 together and actually fired several rounds through it on Monday. A lot of these old guns were hand fitted when made. It took quite a bit honing to get the bolt lock to engage correctly. It was too long. I honed it on a diamond stone, a few strokes at a time until it engaged properly. Also the front slide forend took several hours taking it down to reasonable size and inletting it for the magazine and slide bar. As it came from Macon Gun stocks it wouldn't fit over the the mag tube. Then I had to fit the firing pin to the bolt and inlet the butt stock for the hammer spring. The magazine came with out spring, so I installed one ordered from Numrich, what a PIA. These old Marlin tube magazines are two tubes and PIA to get them together. As it turned out the mag spring was too long a the follower did not clear the loading window. I had to shorten the spring about about 7 inches. I also had to fit the hammer spring as I used one from a 1892 marlin. Also made brass escutcheons out of lamp nuts for the forend screws and epoxy them in. Epoxied the inside of the forend to bed the operating slide bar.

Work remaining; clean, prep, sand and rust blue the gun. Oil finish the stocks. Make a thumb lever stud and screw, I have a temporary one. Find a rear sight.

Actually it came together pretty quick, one week from receiving the barrel and I was shooting it. I could have started the bluing and stock finishing, but I have had too much fun shooting it. I have a rifle range in my yard and a 7" flywheel hanging on chains. I've been banging it at 50 yards. I mounted a Skinner Express peep sight on it and an original front sight and have fired about a 100 rounds through it. 90 grain cast bullets over 11 grains of H4198.

wachtelhund1 · May 29, 2015, 12:01 PM

I need to stop shooting this gun and finish the stocks soon. The wood is getting dark from the oil in my hands. Also rough up the metal with 360 grit sand paper and start rust bluing.

wachtelhund1 · May 31, 2015, 04:47 PM

My restoration project is progressing well. The metal work has had three applications of rust bluing and boiling, about five more applications should do it. The stocks have been stained, sealed and two coats of stock oil applied. They look very good, considering I took them down with a rasp and file.

wachtelhund1 · June 5, 2015, 12:04 AM

My restoration project is completed except for the rear leaf sight and original thumb lever.

Now I can go back to shooting it. Loaded 50 rounds of .25-20 tonight.

littlephil · June 5, 2015, 11:52 AM

Wow, looks great! I'd love to find an old single shot rifle real cheap to do something like this with. Though I'm sure mine wouldn't look near as good yours. I'd love to have something to shoot in place of 22s. You can finally find em around here, but they ain't real cheap anymore. Keep up the good work!

wachtelhund1 · June 5, 2015, 12:09 PM

Just fired 50 rounds through this Marlin 27. I was hitting a 7" flywheel pretty much center at fifty yards with thru glow 3/32 front bead and Skinner Express peep sight. Load was 89 grain hard cast with GC over 10.8 grains of H4198. Cost to load per round - about .07 to .08 cents per round. Barrel is a little pitted but a lot of rifling left.

Clark · June 5, 2015, 06:10 PM

Over the last 2 years I have got (3) 92 Winchester 25-20s:
1900 with a ~ 1920 rebarrel too little headspace and sloppy firing pin, but accurate
1907 with a ~ 1920 rebarrel too much headspace
1910 with original pitted out barrel and just the right headspace

I made some dies and necked down 32-20 brass.

May 29, 2015, 10:04 AM	#1
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	Another Marlin 27 .25-20 Restoration Project Two years ago, I restored a Marlin 27-S .25-20 pump that was really in rough shape and none functional. I got it done and its a blast to shoot, cheap to reload, especially with cast bullets. With the .22 shortage the last several years, I've fired around 2,000 rounds out of this Marlin pump. Anyways, I'm doing it again. Three weeks ago I purchased a Marlin 27 rusted barrel and left side receiver off GunBroker for $49.00, with shipping cost me $74.00. That was it. I had some parts left over from my last restoration, but I immediately started looking for needed parts from EBay, Numrich Gun Corp., and Macon Gun stocks. Mind you parts are difficult to find. The magazine tube is almost impossible to find, but I lucked out and got one for $99.00. To my surprise Macon Gun Stock had the butt stock and slide forend in stock. They arrive in two days, way oversize, but at least I had work to work with. So here are some pics of what I had to work with. http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps5joaorsp.jpg Last edited by wachtelhund1; May 29, 2015 at 11:06 AM.

May 29, 2015, 10:28 AM	#2
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	I had an extra bolt with extractor and cartridge lifter. I ordered what screws were available from Numrich Gun Corp and a right side receiver(used), magazine spring and safety button. I lucked out and got 1892 Marlin hammer and trigger springs off EBay, also a 27 hammer and trigger and operating slide. Numerich had the right side lever, but no screws for it. I ordered two of the side levers and will try and make the screw, that will be difficult. My gunsmith gave me an old steel butt plate from a 1892 Marlin which I cut off the top heel, the 27's didn't have the upper heel. I ground and fit it to the new butt stock, which was a 1/4" over size. Oh, this is my Marlin 27-S from my previous restoration. I rust blued it, had the barrel re-lined and shortened to 19". The new stocks arrived a week before the barrel did. Here is the butt plated formed from a 1892 butt plate. The 1892 had an extended top which I cut off. It was also quite thick, so I ground it down to a similar thickness as the crescent butt plate on my 27-S. The butt plate had a slightly different crescent shape than the new stock. So I had to re-shape the stock a little for the plate to fit. Several hours, a disk grinder, several files and rasps; and I had cut up a 1892 butt plate and had it 95% fitted it to the butt stock. But I still had to remove a lot of wood from the stock. Last edited by wachtelhund1; May 29, 2015 at 11:17 AM.

May 29, 2015, 10:36 AM	#3
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	While waiting for the barrel to arrive, I started working on the butt stock. I had a left receiver side form my first Marlin 27-S, it was to pitted to use. But it allowed me to mount the butt stock to it and start remove 1/4" of wood from entire butt stock with belt sander, rasp and file. Then inlet for the receiver. Last edited by wachtelhund1; May 29, 2015 at 11:23 AM.

May 29, 2015, 10:45 AM	#4
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	Last Friday, I picked up my Marlin 27 barrel and left receiver form my gun shop. I was quite please, as it was very rusted but looked to have little pitting. I bought it home and gave it and the magazine outer tube two treatments of navel jelly to remove surface rust. Then put the barrel in a tub of Arm & Hammer wash soda and connected a battery charger to it. Let it cook over night. To my surprise it cleaned up really well. The barrel was in really great shape. I have not sanded any part of it. About six or seven places with very small pitting, sanding with 400 grit paper will take care of them. The next day, the magazine tube went in the tub for most of the day as well as the right receiver side from Numrich, it was a used part. Then both were treated several coats of navel jelly. On Sunday, the butt stock was stained and seal. Monday, I worked on the slide forend. I had to removed a 1/4" from the diameter of the slide forend to get it to reasonably match my other 27-S. Last edited by wachtelhund1; May 29, 2015 at 11:29 AM.

May 29, 2015, 10:47 AM	#5
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	We can't see your threads unless we are members. I would like to see your restoration though. __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

May 29, 2015, 10:52 AM	#6
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	Didn't know that, I'll re-post the pictures.

May 29, 2015, 11:47 AM	#7
Dixie Gunsmithing Moderator Emeritus Join Date: April 27, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923	If you wouldn't mind, try using Flickr to store the photos, and use the bulletin board code (BB code) it gives for each photo. https://www.flickr.com/ Photobucket doesn't act right with some browsers, or I'd recommend it.

May 29, 2015, 11:49 AM	#8
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	Well I got my Marlin 27 together and actually fired several rounds through it on Monday. A lot of these old guns were hand fitted when made. It took quite a bit honing to get the bolt lock to engage correctly. It was too long. I honed it on a diamond stone, a few strokes at a time until it engaged properly. Also the front slide forend took several hours taking it down to reasonable size and inletting it for the magazine and slide bar. As it came from Macon Gun stocks it wouldn't fit over the the mag tube. Then I had to fit the firing pin to the bolt and inlet the butt stock for the hammer spring. The magazine came with out spring, so I installed one ordered from Numrich, what a PIA. These old Marlin tube magazines are two tubes and PIA to get them together. As it turned out the mag spring was too long a the follower did not clear the loading window. I had to shorten the spring about about 7 inches. I also had to fit the hammer spring as I used one from a 1892 marlin. Also made brass escutcheons out of lamp nuts for the forend screws and epoxy them in. Epoxied the inside of the forend to bed the operating slide bar. Work remaining; clean, prep, sand and rust blue the gun. Oil finish the stocks. Make a thumb lever stud and screw, I have a temporary one. Find a rear sight. Actually it came together pretty quick, one week from receiving the barrel and I was shooting it. I could have started the bluing and stock finishing, but I have had too much fun shooting it. I have a rifle range in my yard and a 7" flywheel hanging on chains. I've been banging it at 50 yards. I mounted a Skinner Express peep sight on it and an original front sight and have fired about a 100 rounds through it. 90 grain cast bullets over 11 grains of H4198.

May 29, 2015, 12:01 PM	#9
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	I need to stop shooting this gun and finish the stocks soon. The wood is getting dark from the oil in my hands. Also rough up the metal with 360 grit sand paper and start rust bluing.

May 31, 2015, 04:47 PM	#10
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	Rust Bluing & Stock Finishing My restoration project is progressing well. The metal work has had three applications of rust bluing and boiling, about five more applications should do it. The stocks have been stained, sealed and two coats of stock oil applied. They look very good, considering I took them down with a rasp and file. Last edited by wachtelhund1; May 31, 2015 at 05:38 PM.

June 5, 2015, 12:04 AM	#11
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	Restored Marlin 27 .25-20 Pump My restoration project is completed except for the rear leaf sight and original thumb lever. Now I can go back to shooting it. Loaded 50 rounds of .25-20 tonight.

June 5, 2015, 11:52 AM	#12
littlephil Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2014 Location: Coshocton, Ohio Posts: 231	Wow, looks great! I'd love to find an old single shot rifle real cheap to do something like this with. Though I'm sure mine wouldn't look near as good yours. I'd love to have something to shoot in place of 22s. You can finally find em around here, but they ain't real cheap anymore. Keep up the good work!

June 5, 2015, 12:09 PM	#13
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 414	Just fired 50 rounds through this Marlin 27. I was hitting a 7" flywheel pretty much center at fifty yards with thru glow 3/32 front bead and Skinner Express peep sight. Load was 89 grain hard cast with GC over 10.8 grains of H4198. Cost to load per round - about .07 to .08 cents per round. Barrel is a little pitted but a lot of rifling left.

June 5, 2015, 06:10 PM	#14
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	nice project Over the last 2 years I have got (3) 92 Winchester 25-20s: 1900 with a ~ 1920 rebarrel too little headspace and sloppy firing pin, but accurate 1907 with a ~ 1920 rebarrel too much headspace 1910 with original pitted out barrel and just the right headspace I made some dies and necked down 32-20 brass. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?