Marlin 1894C feeding problem

DrSpaceJam

DrSpaceJam

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Hi everyone.

Having some problems with my Marlin 1894C. I just want to know if it's something I'm doing, or if it's a problem with the gun. I'm a new shooter so I'd like to defer to some people with experience before jumping to judgment on this.

Anyway, the exact gun is an 1894CS in .357/.38 Spl. It's brand new, out-of-the-box, and I've taken it to the range twice. It has issues with feeding ammunition when I cycle the action pushing the lever. When I work the lever, the round feeding into the chamber gets stuck on... something. I don't know what, I can't see into the gun very well. The round is generally gummed up at the bottom where it feeds, instead of at the top near the bolt/chamber. The lever also completely seizes and won't move.

Sorry this description kind of sucks--I tried to take pictures but couldn't get a good one with the lighting at the range.

The only way I can fix it is by unscrewing the lever and taking it out, releasing the bolt and having all my round come out of the tube. Then I slide everything back together.

I generally assume with these things, I'm the one doing something wrong. I have no experience with levers. I also thought it might be my ammo. I measured my rounds and everything fits the specifications outlined in the Marlin manual; additionally, it feeds one specific brand of .38 Spl better than everything else I put through it, including .357s. It also fares better with less rounds in the tube--it jams far less often with two or three shots inside, but then who wants to shoot two or three times with a lever? :(

Do I need to crank the lever harder, slower, or something? Is there a specific type of ammo I could try? Maybe I need to check or adjust something inside the gun? I've checked online and there's a 'Marlin jam' that's well known, but seems to develop over time with extensive use. I've fired less than 100 rounds out of this thing now.

Any advice is appreciated. I like this gun a LOT when it's functioning and want to keep it instead of sending it away for warranty so, as weird as it sounds, I'm really hoping I'm the problem here.
 
I have the marlin 1894 in 44 mag. The only problem that I encountered was with semi-wadcutters they seem to "catch" on the way into the chamber. I have never had one jamb up like your describing. The only thing I can think is there is a burr on the feed ramp or the lifter that is causing you grief. Have you owned this since new? Have you taken it apart and thoroughly cleaned everything? The next time you have it apart, run your finger/fingernail along the feed ramp and lifter pieces to check for burrs and machining marks and maybe polish them with a felt wheel and polishing compound.
 
Could you be more specific about the ammo? You say one kind of .38 feeds well (all of the time?). Is it Round Nose? Also, for your .357 ammunition, again, what kind of bullets. While overall length is important, the nose profile can also make a difference.
If it is the 'marlin jam', then it will be acting up with all kinds of ammunition.
When you say that it jams up, is it only the cartridge being fed in the chamber, or does one of the cartridges come out of the magazine and jam up underneath.
If, as I understand from your description, the cartridge seems to jam in the chamber as you are trying to feed it in (you are talking about factory ammunition right now, aren't you), then it could be that you are not cycling the action hard enough. Try working it hard and fast and see if it cures the problem.
If you are using reloads, then it is most likley the nose profile of the bullet you are using.
 
BHein said:
I have the marlin 1894 in 44 mag. The only problem that I encountered was with semi-wadcutters they seem to "catch" on the way into the chamber. I have never had one jamb up like your describing. The only thing I can think is there is a burr on the feed ramp or the lifter that is causing you grief. Have you owned this since new? Have you taken it apart and thoroughly cleaned everything? The next time you have it apart, run your finger/fingernail along the feed ramp and lifter pieces to check for burrs and machining marks and maybe polish them with a felt wheel and polishing compound.
Click to expand...

The rifle is brand new. When I purchased it I took it apart and cleaned it up, though I wasn't looking for anything specific on it at the time. I'll take another look tomorrow morning, break it down, and see if I can find anything funny.

Al-Sway said:
Could you be more specific about the ammo? You say one kind of .38 feeds well (all of the time?). Is it Round Nose? Also, for your .357 ammunition, again, what kind of bullets. While overall length is important, the nose profile can also make a difference.
If it is the 'marlin jam', then it will be acting up with all kinds of ammunition.
When you say that it jams up, is it only the cartridge being fed in the chamber, or does one of the cartridges come out of the magazine and jam up underneath.
If, as I understand from your description, the cartridge seems to jam in the chamber as you are trying to feed it in (you are talking about factory ammunition right now, aren't you), then it could be that you are not cycling the action hard enough. Try working it hard and fast and see if it cures the problem.
If you are using reloads, then it is most likley the nose profile of the bullet you are using.
Click to expand...

The round that jams is usually inside the area with the feed ramp. Sometimes it's a bit loose, other times it's wedged in there tight. Because of the way the action is built I can't see much else beyond that so sorry if these details are unhelpful.

Well, of the types of ammunition I've used it in, it feeds American Eagle .38 Spl round-nosed the best, though there is still the occasional jam. It jams up with practically every every other shot when using the Wolf reloaded TMJ bullets I've tried in them. Everything else lies in-between (I've used a few types of .38). The only .357 load I've used is American Eagle JSPs and they jam pretty frequently as well.

On Thursday I'll go back to the range and put a few more types of factory rounds through it so see if anything changes, and also try running the lever a bit harder/faster.

Thanks for the advice!
 
My experience with mine is spot on with comments the others have made. I loaded round nose in a 357 casing and found that they was causing some problems with feeding periodically. I then loaded with a flat nose. No problem.

The same held true with a few 38 loads. Again, the seating depth was a critical point in that too shallow, they seemed to have problems, but with the flat nose, again...no issue, regardless of the seating depth.
 
Thanks everyone. I scoped it out inside and didn't see any obvious machining issues or burrs, so I am sending it off for warranty tomorrow. While it's kind of infuriating to have to do this with a brand new gun, and I'm anxious it will still have issues when it's returned, all I can do now is hope for the best.

On the ammo issue, it seems people have an easier time with flat noses, which makes sense, but the ammo my gun feeds best is round nose. Bizarre.

Thanks again for the help. This will certainly be my last Marlin.
 
I have purchased two Marlins in the past year, a 308MX, and an 1894 in 357mag. The 308MX was a pre Remington gun, but the 1894 is current production. Both feed just fine, and both offer accuracy as good or better than I expected for lever actions. I have been feeding the 1894, PMC 38 Special +P 125gr hollowpoints, and I have fired 100 rounds without any issues. I have also fired 50 rounds of Remington 125gr HP loads also with no feeding issues. The 38 Specials are slightly more accurate in my rifle.
 
Accuracy,for a lever action depends on the lever and who is pulling the pin.
Click to expand...

It does, to an extent, but I didn't expect a lever action carbine chambered in 357mag, to be as accurate as my bolt actions chambered in higher velocity rifle cartridges. It did about as well as expected, with 50 yard groups averaging under 2" for five shots with a fixed 4x scope, and factory loads. The 308MX averages 1" for three shot groups at 100 yards with my handloads, which is better than I expected, but it still won't shoot with my bolt actions.
 
I have a 357 1894 c, I took the gun apart it was horrible machining, spent 8 hours filing sharp edges and removing burs. Entirely different after cleaning it up, much easier to work the lever
 
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