WHY IZZIT? Marlin sharpens their loading gates . . .

[Noah Zark]

. . . or so it seems.

The scalloped forward edge of the loading gates on most of my newer Marlins could probably be used to cut twine or cord. My right thumb pleads to stay home when I load up Marlin levers to take to the range. Yesterday was no exception, and my thumb suffered a pretty good laceration about 7mm long. Not quite deep enough to bleed, but I could have donated a skin graft with the flap that needed trimmed off. In former times I have drawn blood, and that resulted in a polishing job on the Marlin gates to just "break" the sharp edges. Makes all the difference in the world.

Rant off.

Noah

[Ysabel Kid]

Noah, I haven't experienced this myself, as my Marlins are at least 25 years old!

[AJMD429]

Noah, I haven't experienced this myself, as my Marlins are at least 25 years old!

You win the award for the coolest smileys...

[Wind]

Hey there Noah Zark - I know the syndrome!! I get a "Marlin nail" on my right thumb. Whittles half the nail away in the loading process. Now and then I have to take the magazine tube cap off and blow the chips out. It's a mid-90's .357 Cowboy. I've eased the edge some on the rear of the receiver and try not to completely insert every cartridge with my thumb. By pushing them in with the next cartridge I can almost get through a weekend of shooting before it shaves off enough to start bleeding!! By the way you, can shorten the magazine spring alittle and maybe increase the tube capacity and relieve some spring tension in the early loading process. I always order up a replacement part (spring) and put the original away, and modify the replacement. Watch yer top knot. Wind

[Leverdude]

The inside edge needs to be beveled to function & sometimes its ground until it meets the scalloped part on the outside. I dont shove them all the way in anyway but have got nipped before.
I'm bothered more by the inner edge of the loading port itself scarring up brass.

[Noah Zark]

. . . I'm bothered more by the inner edge of the loading port itself scarring up brass.

+1

The inner edge of the port on a couple of my rifles was actually sharper than the loading gate. The edges of the ports on those guns did damage to both thumb and brass.

Noah

[TomD]

That's why I like Stainless guns, if something like that offends me I can just smooth it out with some emery and stones, and don't have to worry about refinishing the whole thing, or will cold blue hold up or blend in. I like blued guns a lot, but this is one of the reasons mine tend to be stainless. I guess with stainless guns, another thing I don't have to worry about is affecting the collector value.

[Blaine]

I stick a crock stick in there just like I'm loading and that takes the edge off both offending pieces at one time

[Leverdude]

Whats a crock stick?

[Sixgun]

Noah,
Ah come on, your a MARINE A cut like that should only begin to increase the endorphins that you guys like.

A Marine/Gunny buddy of mine punches himself in the face while we are camping and says, "Oooooo, I like that"! He may be a little nuts, but sure is a great guy to have at your back. When we are together, I can insult anyone I like and have no worry at retribution.

At matches, I can laugh at people who miss the 50 yard chickens and can even say, "hey, where did you get that rifle, out of the trash?" or Who taught you to shoot, Sara Brady?". One time another shooter shot a 14 on big bore silhouette, and I told him he had the intelligence of a stalk of celery.

The guy punched me out as Gunny took the day off from shooting ---naaaa---its all a joke but Gunny is real and he's my buddy----------Sixgun

[Mike Rintoul]

I mentioned this a few months ago in a different post. The machining and set-up with the new method that leaves the sharp edge saves them from $.17 -$.31 cents depending on the model (times the number of each model per year and it adds up to quite a bit). Some of my 41 Mag and 44 Mag heavies have trouble loading thanks to this. Ridiculous! You can fix it with a needle file in about 6 minutes.

[Blaine]

Whats a crock stick?

Those round, white ceramic rods you sharpen you knives on. I've got some pieces from broken rods that I chuck up and use for several different jobs. The little needle file Mike talked about would be ok, as well, as long as you don't get too carried away with it and leave a groove.

[KirkD]

I had two new Marlins made around 1990. Both of them had sharp loading gates. They need to put some effort into deburring.

[AJMD429]

That's why I like Stainless guns, if something like that offends me I can just smooth it out with some emery and stones, and don't have to worry about refinishing the whole thing, or will cold blue hold up or blend in. I like blued guns a lot, but this is one of the reasons mine tend to be stainless. I guess with stainless guns, another thing I don't have to worry about is affecting the collector value.

Yep - stainless isn't 'traditional' but it sure is practical. Only problem is if hunting it is shiny, but you can dull it or camoflauge it.

[adirondakjack]

Crikey, as they say across the big puddle, does yer momma cut yer meatloaf for ya too? (Insert whitty smiley of choice here)

Get ya a piece of 220 paper, a pencil (wood thing used to mark paper before the invention of keyboards) wrap paper around said wood thing, and go to work on it. yer only gonna "de-blue" the very edge, which will happen after some use anyway..... Any of mine I can stick my little finger in the gate (have done so to re-position stubborn rounds) and not git cut, but I know how to de-horn stuff.....

[Noah Zark]

Crikey, as they say across the big puddle, does yer momma cut yer meatloaf for ya too?

No, I use my USMC Ka-Bar to cut my meat loaf . . .

At 83, my mother just makes sure that I wear my rubbers . . .

Noah

[Steelbanger]

Uh-oh! I can see a new roll mark coming to Marlin receivers similar to the warnings on hair dryers about not using while in the bathtub. How about this - "Caution, sharp edges inside may cause lacerations to digits inserted in loading gate."

Growing older I can only hope they use a large type style easily read by seniors.

[Blaine]

Quite a few cutting remarks, Men, and one or two loaded questions....

[O.S.O.K.]

Crikey, as they say across the big puddle, does yer momma cut yer meatloaf for ya too?

No, I use my USMC Ka-Bar to cut my meat loaf . . .

At 83, my mother just makes sure that I wear my rubbers . . .

Noah

Geeze Noah, I didn't think you were that old and you sure are active at that age needing rubbers...

[Griff]

You girls need to get over yourselves!

If you took offense at this post... GOOD, after my 12th full day without the calming effects of nicotine, somebody else needs to feel some discomfort!!!! Cuttin' my pinky on the edge of a Marlin loading gate would take my mind off the nicotine I'm NOT GETTING!!!!!!!

[J Miller]

Hey Griff, if you get to central IL and want to go burn some black stuff we might could arrange that. I know an outdoor range to shoot at. It's a bit of a drive, but doable.

The smell of charcoal and sulfur should help a bit.

Joe

[Blaine]

Hey Griff, if you get to central IL and want to go burn some black stuff we might could arrange that. I know an outdoor range to shoot at. It's a bit of a drive, but doable.

The smell of charcoal and sulfur should help a bit.

Joe

I can see Griff sucking the smoke out of a .54 Renegade......

[J Miller]

. . . or so it seems.

The scalloped forward edge of the loading gates on most of my newer Marlins could probably be used to cut twine or cord. My right thumb pleads to stay home when I load up Marlin levers to take to the range. Yesterday was no exception, and my thumb suffered a pretty good laceration about 7mm long. Not quite deep enough to bleed, but I could have donated a skin graft with the flap that needed trimmed off. In former times I have drawn blood, and that resulted in a polishing job on the Marlin gates to just "break" the sharp edges. Makes all the difference in the world.

Rant off.

Noah

I haven't had that problem with any of the Marlins I've owned. But when it does happen my cure would be a dowell rod of the correct diameter with some wet/dry sand paper wrapped around it. That should take care of any sharp edges pretty quick and painlessly.

Joe

[Blaine]

It don't hurt to work the loading gate a few hundred times or more with the eraser end of a pencil or other suitable tool......Loosens it up a bunch.

[Noah Zark]

Crikey, as they say across the big puddle, does yer momma cut yer meatloaf for ya too?

No, I use my USMC Ka-Bar to cut my meat loaf . . .

At 83, my mother just makes sure that I wear my rubbers . . .

Noah

Geeze Noah, I didn't think you were that old and you sure are active at that age needing rubbers...

OSOK needs to go back to English class and spend some time on modifying clauses . . .

For the record, I'm halfway to 110, and still wear my rubbers. I just don't buy them in boxes of 48 . . . that's like a 10 year supply.

Noah

[Leverdude]

Whats a crock stick?

Those round, white ceramic rods you sharpen you knives on. I've got some pieces from broken rods that I chuck up and use for several different jobs. The little needle file Mike talked about would be ok, as well, as long as you don't get too carried away with it and leave a groove.

Thanks, thats a good Idea!

Not sure about the rest of these guys, rubbers & rambo knives, meatloaf?

[Cliff]

The real reason Marlin sharpens their loading gates is the president of Marlin manufacturing was forced to hire his brother-in-law, to get him out of his house and get him a job other than flippin burgers. When he hired his BIL he made a point of telling him to look sharp and be sharp on his job of installing the loading gate on their leverguns. Well the brother-in-law took it the wrong way and thought it meant to make them sharp. Now the president is afraid to do anything to correct him or get rid of him, because he might move back into his house. AT least that is my theory..........

[awp101]

You girls need to get over yourselves!

If you took offense at this post... GOOD, after my 12th full day without the calming effects of nicotine, somebody else needs to feel some discomfort!!!! Cuttin' my pinky on the edge of a Marlin loading gate would take my mind off the nicotine I'm NOT GETTING!!!!!!!

One more reason I really don't want to quit smoking...

Hang tight Griff!