Marlin 1894 cheaping out on screws? The Remlins still exists!

Trinimon

Trinimon

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I got me a nice Skinner peep sight and matching front sight post for my Marlin 1894.

I installed the rear sight last week so I decided to do the front sight post yesterday.

I mounted the barrel in the vise and tapped the front sight post off fairly easily.

After some light filing of the Skinner front sight dovetail, I sized it down to fit and proceeded to tap the sight post in. Two mild taps later, the whole front sight ramp popped clean off the barrel and my jaw hit the floor in disbelief. After a quick look, I could have sworn I'd sheared the screws right off. There was only a thread or two showing through the front sight ramp. First thing that comes to mind was "this just got expensive" as I'm thinking about gunsmithing fees and what my options are... shot of single malt scotch or the vodka to calm my nerves.

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I decided I'd clean up the threaded holes on the barrel. I used a dental pick to remove the slivers of stripped threads from the screws. On one hole, I noticed the hole was much deeper than it should had there been part of the sheared screw in it. A few mins later and I end up removing a wad of red locktite from both screw holes.

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Turns out I lucked out and there was no broken screws. How can this be?! I looked up the replacement screws on Brownells website and they mention the length of the screws being 0.200" with the threaded stem being 0.115". The factory screws from my front sight ramp were 0.164" long. They were being held in place by a thread and a hair more! WTF!
 
Looks like someone mixed up the screws at the plant.... let us know what Marlin has to say and more importantly, will do about it.
 
Rascal said:
3 threads is plenty to hold on a front sight.

Should have removed the sight to install your new part
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Even if you counted the first thread where the bolt is tapered there aren't 3?
Looks like barely one thread to me based on the picture.

I do agree that the base needs to be well supported when drifting sights, but I've never removed a base.
 
I'm a third party owner of the rifle. I haven't contacted Marlin 'cause I don't think I can claim warranty since I was altering their product and the unit was fine as it was from the factory.

One of the screws is covered by the front sight post so the ramp needs to be mounted in order to install the new one.

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If I had 3 threads of the screw holding it down, that would be two more than was was currently there. :)

Humm, Kamlooky you might be onto something there. I'll try and make up a jig to support the front sight ramp so I'm not putting pressure on the screws.
 
Is it possible a previous owner did this ?

I have never seen red loc tite from the factory.
The red requires heat for removing as apposed to the blue which does not.

The screws are either 6-48 or 8-40 , I'd not be hammering on either for any reason.
A sight pusher would have made this mess a non issue.
Right tool for the jod goes along way
 
It didn't look like the front sight was tampered with as I didn't notice any tool marks on the screw heads etc.

Yeah, the screws are 6-48 and thinking back now, trying to tap the sight post in when those tiny screws are what's keeping the ramp in place might not have been the smartest of ideas. I guess I should count my lucky stars that with some dumb luck, I got away with a slap to the wrist. :p
 
You want cheap screws? The butt plate and trigger guard of Baikal shotguns are affixed with drywall and cut down drywall screws respectively ;)
 
So today I got my reduced hammer springs from Brownells so I figured I'd do a full strip again and take pics of what I did and update my other thread in the Gunsmithing section.

I figured I'd do the extractor spring tension tweak while I'm at it. Removed the extractor from the bolt and big surprise (shouldn't really be a surprise I guess), the extractor spring is mangled by where it attaches to the extractor. When I tried to remove some tension on the spring, it just broke right off. It looked like whoever was installing the spring in the extractor misaligned it and ended up crumpling the spring in the notch. It was being held in place by a miracle.

I've managed to do a bandage repair job on it but it will fail again. I guess it's a good thing I caught this problem before I placed another order with Brownells in the AM. Frack me...

Here's the temp repair pic. I cleaned it up a little better after. I guess I could have trimmed the damaged end cleanly and added a tiny L hook on it like the factory ones. I figured it's enough to let me cycle dummy rounds for now until the new one comes in.
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Can-down said:
Is this a new gun?
Are you ordering a sight pusher? :)
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I'm the third owner but it looked like the rifle wasn't shot a whole lot, if it was, it sure was handled carefully and well cleaned. All these issues wouldn't have been noticed until someone started tinkering in detail.

Yeah, I tried two of the sight pushers I have and couldn't make 'em work with this ramp. I ended up ordering the Williams sight pusher from Brownells this AM. Figured I'd need it to sight in the rifle and will also be useful with a couple other firearms. I learned my lesson trying to drift a sight held in by tiny screws. lol

mbogo3 said:
Next Marlin will be moved to China to the Norinco plant.Harold
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LOL, they'd probably do a better job for less. :p
 
I would for sure send some photos to Marlin and express your gratitude for such
fine quality werkmunchit.

No wonder the old true Marlins are getting more s'pensiff as time goes on................huh?
 
Trinimon said:
lol, I'll be sure to send them a scathing email. :)
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Why the flaming scathing email before asking if they would even assist?
I'll admit I have not read every single post following post 1, but I did read enough of your previous thread and progress report with pictures to suggest maybe asking for some assistance might be warranted before the scathing email.
Not to mention the heading in this thread.
Just my rational thinking or maybe lack there of...
Tight Ramp Screws,
Rob
 
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