The Marlin Jam

[Dave P]

I think we have a contender for the world's longest sentence!!

[SMiller]

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I called Marlin, they didn't seem to care. Told them of the problem, they said they were aware of the problem, asked them if it would be fixed in the new batch being made now and she stated that nothing was changed. She said it was just every once in a while that Marlin has one sent back. Sure is sad all those lever guns being made everyday and there is this small simple problem that they refuse to fix, sure makes me mad!

[3StrikesNC]

I wonder why they don't just harden the carrier. If they did, I would think the groove would not develop, nad the "jam" would go away.

[rocinante]

I have an 1894 in 357/38 caliber. Like someone else said if you treat it gentle it won't eject which makes sense because you want to snap out that spent cartridge and boogie then next round into the bore. Also I am a lefty and I noticed I tend to lean it to the left which doesn't help. Once I got the hang of it no problemo even with the 38 special. I LIKE IT. Feels good and almost no recoil. Great target gun.

[rem870hunter]

the marlins my grandfather,father and i hunted with haven't had a jam. marlin model 336CS in .35 rem. all 3 bought back in the late 70's. mine seemed to be the fussy one with only wanting factory loaded ammo. it won't shoot reloads. even from that rifle. my dad and grandads will shoot reloads from each others and mine. i think all 3 have no more than 200 shots through each of them. so maybe the jam if it happens will be later in the future. i am hoping it never happens now that i have heard of it.

[3StrikesNC]

Yeah, I have six others that have never jammed. I also have a .35 made in 1964. It shoots anything,.... including several of my deer. It's one of those with the gold color trigger, I just wish it had a pistol grip stock.

BTW, I reload my own.

The "jam" is apparently prevalent with straight wall pistol cases, which includes my 1894 in .357 mag.

[Alaska444]

I have a .444 Marlin that I love dearly, but it is an unrequited love with 3 jams in only 50 rounds or less. My local gunsmith has attempted to fix the Marlin jam twice and it looked like we had it solved until I shot it a week ago. 5 rounds were fine, but the 6th jammed as a single feed. I am sending it back to the factory.

I had added 1.5 pounds of lead to the stock to get it up to a 9 pound total weight and its recoil is only that of 20 ga at most. It is a very accurate gun and getting older, it is a great bear protection for the type of recoil I wish to handle at this time. I will relate how the factory send goes. By the sounds of it, Marlin is very responsive. Since this is the perfect caliber and easy to shoot, I am hoping that they will fix the gun this time. Simply replacing the carriage has not solved the dreaded marlin jam in this gun.

[dogngun]

which is no longer in business. It is one of only 2 Model 39's I have heard of with this problem, and I believe it was a broken part that the seller was trying to pass off....

I have owned other Marlins going back to the 1950's with NO problems at all, and they are the best choice in a lever gun, IMO.
I have had them in .30-30, .35, and .45-70.

mark

[mapsjanhere]

I'm in the "soft handling jam" camp, it takes a bit of experience to find the optimum between sure function and slinging your used brass three stations over.

[overland]

I have four and three have been flawless for more than 20 years. However a new 1895 did jam. After about five rounds it would not eject the spent new factory casing. Eventually after working the lever it did. Then about three rounds later it completely jammed after firing the round. The lever was stuck open and the stock separated from the receiver. I sent it back to Marlin and it was returned to me in two weeks - fixed perfectly plus they replaced the stocks with a much nicer grade of walnut. No complaints. Great customer service and I will keep buying Marlins.

[jmortimer]

The problem is when they "jam" they really jam and the gun is "done for" without some serious attention. Yes on a per gun basis it is not a great problem for most but when it happens to you , you are done for the day and until the problem is fixed a few weeks later. It is easy to find complaints of Marlin's jamming but there are a whole lot less than threads about the Marlin than the current production 870 Express. One of a few reasons I like the Henry Rifles over Marlins.

[Alaska444]

I called Marlin today and they will pay to transport my Marlin .444 to the factory for a full evaluation of my gun that has jammed 3 times in 4 shooting sessions. I am thankful that Marlin has this warranty and they didn't have any qualms about evaluating this gun despite the fact that the local gun shop where I have bought several guns thought it looks like it is working fine now after cycling 4 rounds through it. Would you trust your life to this gun with only the assurance of 4 rounds and a large grizzly before you? I will update on how Marlin looks into this dissappointing problem in a gun I really enjoy.

[HappyMarlinGuyNow]

Wow I was bumbed out. First day at range 46 rounds used, she jammed. Lucky me i carry a letherman. I took it apart to remove last bullet from mag so I could transport it home legally. Once home I reassembled it. Thought maybe I caused jam when cocking it the range master said empty guns and move away. I did not cleanly cock it and it jammed.
Forward 60 days. 6/16/20011 gun 2 months 1 day old. Have not shot it again yet. Well my brother in law came over and wanted to see it so while cleanly working the lever action to unload her. once again she jammed. That blows ha? Next day called gun shop in Vacaville Cali big one. no help was told by owner i should contact Marlin " we just sell them we don't warranty them". "or I can bring it in and they will see if they can get it back to Marlin. told around 3 week turn around. Looked at Marlins site and found gun dealer that warranties for Marlin in Sac... Cali 2 week or so turn around.
Well my nephew is in law inforcement, he told me to try to lube it and asked did I read my hand book, yes I did.
Not wanting to part with her by mail or any way. I lubed her up and while lubing and wiping I found 1 screw slightly loose. The lubing smoothed her out but she still dropped a bullet ( left in mag ). Then I tighted the screw and what a difference. The bullets pop back out of the mag and cleanly loads her. I am a mechanic of many years. I feel that was the problem and will test her soon. Note when she Jammed the bullet stayed in the mag, did not come out on the carrier!
If you have this problem put a screw driver on the screws first before you send it back. Make sure the screw driver fits the screws so you don't damage them.
Thank you to those of you who talked about the carrier on the forums I read before I worked on my own. You gave me more direction.

[Diamond LawDawg]

Bought two Marlin 45LC (1894 Cowboy model) for SASS competition,one developed the JAM...took two gunsmith "fixes" (welding on material to the carrier ramp)..500 rds later NADA problem....

[totaldla]

Originally Posted by HappyMarlinGuyNow

Wow I was bumbed out. First day at range 46 rounds used, she jammed. Lucky me i carry a letherman. I took it apart to remove last bullet from mag so I could transport it home legally. Once home I reassembled it. Thought maybe I caused jam when cocking it the range master said empty guns and move away. I did not cleanly cock it and it jammed.
Forward 60 days. 6/16/20011 gun 2 months 1 day old. Have not shot it again yet. Well my brother in law came over and wanted to see it so while cleanly working the lever action to unload her. once again she jammed. That blows ha? Next day called gun shop in Vacaville Cali big one. no help was told by owner i should contact Marlin " we just sell them we don't warranty them". "or I can bring it in and they will see if they can get it back to Marlin. told around 3 week turn around. Looked at Marlins site and found gun dealer that warranties for Marlin in Sac... Cali 2 week or so turn around.
Well my nephew is in law inforcement, he told me to try to lube it and asked did I read my hand book, yes I did.
Not wanting to part with her by mail or any way. I lubed her up and while lubing and wiping I found 1 screw slightly loose. The lubing smoothed her out but she still dropped a bullet ( left in mag ). Then I tighted the screw and what a difference. The bullets pop back out of the mag and cleanly loads her. I am a mechanic of many years. I feel that was the problem and will test her soon. Note when she Jammed the bullet stayed in the mag, did not come out on the carrier!
If you have this problem put a screw driver on the screws first before you send it back. Make sure the screw driver fits the screws so you don't damage them.
Thank you to those of you who talked about the carrier on the forums I read before I worked on my own. You gave me more direction.

Thanks for a common sense, useful post.

There is such a thing as a Marlin Jam. And 99.99% of guys will never see it. I've put about 2500 rounds through my guide gun and have never had a jam - ever. Little over a thousand rounds through my 336 with nary a hickup - ever.

My guide gun is stainless and it will shoot the screws loose. The loading gate screw can mess things up if it comes loose - but be careful tightening as it is tiny. I've since used Loc-Tite Blue on everything except the lever bolt.

You can get a jam with ammo that is too long - something to remember with handloads. Not usually a problem with the 336, but with the 45-70, you can't go much past a 2.6" COL.

If you go to a M94 then you are doing a stupid. The 336 is a better design.

[bullethole1]

I own several marlins and had them for over 15 years and I never had one jam on me and they are super accurate! Now I know of the "Ruger Jam" now their 22's are pathetic! :barf::barf::barf:

[Raymond3]

I just purchased two Marlin 1894s, one in 44 mag, and the other 357. Both jam requently, the 44 almost every time with 44 specials. The main problem is that during cycling, the rim of the next round comes out of the magazine enough to totally freeze the lifter from moving, and since the rim gets stuck outside the magazine, it is a very tough jam to fix.

This appears to be a classic "Marlin Jam" situtation. Any suggestions of a specialist that can really permanatly fix this problem? Any ratings on Wild West Guns, first in Alaska, and now in Vegas too?

Thanks for your help.

[603Country]

I had a 336, as did Dad and my brother, and we never had any jams at all. These were rifles made in the mid 60's. I do however manage to jam my 39A from time to time. If I tilt the rifle on its left side and work the lever, it's likely to jam. If I hold the rifle with no tilt (or very little tilt), it never jams.

[Raymond3]

so many people have said that their Marlins have never jammed. And, I am happy for them. BUT, the two I bought this week one built 1981 in 357 and the other form 1998 in 44 mag jam several times each magazine, regardless of ammo. The fix is for the "Marlin Jam" that I have found is just too complex. Does anyone have a repair location in Northern California where I can take them? Thanks in advance.

[Barber2678]

Raymond, send them to Wild West Guns in Las Vegas. Jerimy and staff will get them running.

[4V50 Gary]

Bob Dunlap of Pacific International Service is the warranty station for Marlin.

BTW, never heard of the Marlin Jam. Unlike shotguns, Marlin doesn't have two shell stops. There is a tab on the bottom of the carrier that, when the carrier is in the up position, serves to prevent the next shell from popping out of the magazine tube. When the carrier is loaded, the nose of the bullet is supposed to retain the next shell in the tube. Hence shell length is critical in any Marlin lever action. If the shell length is too short or the bullet gets driven into the case from the recoil, it is possible to have the "Marlin Jam" as described in the link.

[Erno86]

A black powder shooter gave me his father's Marlin 39 Centennial 22 lever action last month; since I guess he figured I gave him a good deal on an extra Ruger Old Army pistol that I had.

So far...in about 1,500 rounds fired downrange, I've jammed it twice, which might be due to my lackluster lever action skills: The lever being stuck/frozen in the far outward position, and a live 22lr round stuck in the receiver. The problem is that you can't see the live 22 round that is stuck in the receiver, when you look into the narrowly gapped ejection port.

I had to fish for the live round {through the open ejection port} with a small jewelers screwdriver/short end of a small allen wrench --- wiggle one of them around in the receiver --- till the live round slowly pops up into the ejection port.