Anybody have recommendations for gunsmiths willing to work on lever actions? I've got a crazy idea for a short barreled 336, and I'd like to do it right the first time: get a cheap donor rifle and do a trigger job, action truing, possible re-barrel, etc. I've heard of Wild West Guns, but anyone have any others?
Gunsmithing Good smith for Marlin 336 project?
- Thread starter Honky
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Oh, and just as a general question, does anyone here have custom leverguns? I see all kinds of custom handguns and bolt actions, but no lever actions. Tried looking over at MarlinOwners, but the members there didn't seem to have the affinity for customization that the population of this site does. 
Contact Wild Call Customs or BlackOps Precision. About a year ago they were offering custom jobs on Marlin 336 rifles and even though I don't see the photos on the website anymore I'm sure they can hook you up.
Have you used any of these guys, or is this just the product if a google search? I'm more looking for first-hand opinions. And I'm a little wary of Grizzly Customs, after what Mike at BlackOps Precision has said about 'em.
Back when I was beating on guns for a living, and principally building custom 1911 pistols, I used to offer what I called a "PPC."
The "Politically Correct Carbine" was a good option after CA made it challenging to keep our ARs FNCs Galils, etc. I would do them on either Marlins or Winchesters, and the work was pretty simple.
*Cut barrel and shorten mag tube for minimum legal OAL.
*Mount Ashley ghost ring sights, often with a custom milled heavy duty ramped front sight soldered to the barrel.
*Open the lever just a bit for glove use.
*Modify the stock to stow five or six reserve rounds in the butt.
*Mount a thin rifle pad and round the heel of the butt for quick mounting.
*Refinish if desired, usually parkerizing.
Personally, I think custom barrels and truing would be folly. It's a short range rifle and cartridge, but it does work very well for the intended role.
I have photos, but nothing digital. You can easily imagine the resulting package. Good luck with your project!
Cheers... Jim
The "Politically Correct Carbine" was a good option after CA made it challenging to keep our ARs FNCs Galils, etc. I would do them on either Marlins or Winchesters, and the work was pretty simple.
*Cut barrel and shorten mag tube for minimum legal OAL.
*Mount Ashley ghost ring sights, often with a custom milled heavy duty ramped front sight soldered to the barrel.
*Open the lever just a bit for glove use.
*Modify the stock to stow five or six reserve rounds in the butt.
*Mount a thin rifle pad and round the heel of the butt for quick mounting.
*Refinish if desired, usually parkerizing.
Personally, I think custom barrels and truing would be folly. It's a short range rifle and cartridge, but it does work very well for the intended role.
I have photos, but nothing digital. You can easily imagine the resulting package. Good luck with your project!
Cheers... Jim
That's about what the idea is: fill the same role that people use their .300 Blackout ARs for. I just have a soft spot in my heart for lever actions ever since my grandfather let me play with his old Winchester 94AE, and everybody I know has an AR. I wanted something a little different.
One of my main goals was to use the XS picatinny rail and mount a 1-4x scope of some kind.
My main goal of "action truing" would be to smoothen-up the action a little bit, more that try to make it a 1/2 moa gun (although I'd like to wring all the accuracy out of it I can, I know that probably isn't going to happen). Maybe "polishing" the action would be a better way to put it.
I used Clements years ago, and have used WWG parts. For the others, I've simply seen their work posted elsewhere on the 'net.
Depending upon exactly what you want, there might be a model out there already that would suit your tastes reasonably well as a starting point. For example, Davidsons has done special runs of Trapper models in the past.
Installing an aftermarket trigger, large lever loop, extractor, mag follower, buttstock, forend, etc is actually relatively easy. And I think there are online guides or DVD's that cover polishing the internals to smoothen the action. The Marlin design isn't overly complicated.
In other words, a DIY project might be within reach if you have the inclination.
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My good friend (and business partner) has done about a dozen for me, friends and family members. He uses XS ghost ring sites, cuts the barrels to 16-1/8", shortens the mag tube, dovetails for the front site and stones the triggers. They are VERY handy rifles. I would agree with the post above that the truing and rebarrel isn't necessary as I have NEVER seen one that shot over 1-1/4". He usually looks for the Ballard cut barrels but he has done a couple from the 70's that also shoot great.
They are FINE little rifles and PC for truck carry. He knows a guy that makes leather stock side saddles with the loop around the butt so they don't slip which is a nice feature. One word of caution, if yours is a straight grip, bed it. Almost all of the straight grip stocks crack due to how thin they are. We all shoot flex tips in them and they really are a true 200 yard rife.
I have 2 that he did, one that has a period 1-1/2 to 4 steel tube Weaver and the other a Fastfire. If you a a bit mechanical and want to try it yourself, it isn't out of reach. PTG makes the radius crowning tool and if you cut the mag tube from the back, you just have to put a small slot (think dremel if your good) in the barrel undeside for the front band screw. Stone the sear and trigger with a hard Arkansas stone, dont change the angles. The only thing you will need a G smith for is dovetailing the barrel for the site. OR if you put a fastfire or scope on it, the barrels look good with no sites! Shot mine for a year before I put it up on the mill and cut the dovetail for backups.
Hope this helps and it is a very cool project. PM me if you decide to do it yourself and need more info.
Trilogymac
Trilogymac
They are FINE little rifles and PC for truck carry. He knows a guy that makes leather stock side saddles with the loop around the butt so they don't slip which is a nice feature. One word of caution, if yours is a straight grip, bed it. Almost all of the straight grip stocks crack due to how thin they are. We all shoot flex tips in them and they really are a true 200 yard rife.
I have 2 that he did, one that has a period 1-1/2 to 4 steel tube Weaver and the other a Fastfire. If you a a bit mechanical and want to try it yourself, it isn't out of reach. PTG makes the radius crowning tool and if you cut the mag tube from the back, you just have to put a small slot (think dremel if your good) in the barrel undeside for the front band screw. Stone the sear and trigger with a hard Arkansas stone, dont change the angles. The only thing you will need a G smith for is dovetailing the barrel for the site. OR if you put a fastfire or scope on it, the barrels look good with no sites! Shot mine for a year before I put it up on the mill and cut the dovetail for backups.
Hope this helps and it is a very cool project. PM me if you decide to do it yourself and need more info.
Trilogymac
Trilogymac
Any reason to go for the ballard cut? Isn't it pretty hard to find non-micro-groove rifling barrels, anyway? Didn't they start that in the '50s?
This is the plan. Figure I'll never use the irons once I scope it, anyway.
I think the Ballard cut is more of an initial indicator of the old rifles for him. Some say they shoot better but we haven't seen it. The 70's guns have shot great as well. The only drawback to the old ones is that the action is not drilled and tapped for a scope base. The other thing is NO cross bolt safeties as it just ruins the nostalgia. I'll try to get a pic of mine this evening just to keep you pumped up
Fun guns for sure.
Trilogymac
Fun guns for sure.
Trilogymac
This is my 1895. I thought about a magazine extension, but haven't made it that far. The two most beneficial things that I have done is installed the Wild West guns trigger sear and smoothed up the action. JB bore paste worked great on the action. I also filed a bit of the hammer off and polished it. Marlins are very user friendly. This should save some cash on your overall build.
That's nice; real clean looking. So you just polished the action with JB and that smoothed up the action?
I think the Ballard cut is more of an initial indicator of the old rifles for him. Some say they shoot better but we haven't seen it. The 70's guns have shot great as well. The only drawback to the old ones is that the action is not drilled and tapped for a scope base. The other thing is NO cross bolt safeties as it just ruins the nostalgia. I'll try to get a pic of mine this evening just to keep you pumped up
Fun guns for sure.
Trilogymac
I see. How do you tell, looking at it from the outside? Is there an in-between that's drilled and tapped but without the safety? And yes, pics please!
Yes, it basically polishes all of the parts that are in contact with each other. Removing a small bit of material from the hammer decreases the amount of cocking over travel. If you get a well used rifle it may already be at that level of broken in.
Another thing that is worth mention is micro groove barrels sometimes have issues with shooting cast bullets. And I opted for no barrel porting (45/70) to prevent my ears from bleeding.
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