Brand new Marlin 1894 (44 Mag) won't feed

S

Smaug

New member
Some of you may remember my poll and thread about getting this gun. I was pretty excited. But that has changed to disappointment now.

At first, when my rounds wouldn't feed, I gave Remington/Marlin the benefit of the doubt, and assumed it was the loads. Maybe they were too long, or not crimped enough.

Just now, I checked them. Four boxes: One box of Hornady JHP 240 gr @ 1.607", one box of Remington JHP 240 gr. @ 1.606", and two of 185 gr. RNFP hard cast at 1.557". The crimps were minimal, so I tighted up a few from each box. No dice. They would not feed AT ALL.

Plus, it seems like the back edge of the chamber is too sharp, because it gouged up my brass without even forcing it.

It comes down to the fact that the rumors are true. Remington apparently doesn't bother to QC Marlin rifles coming off the line.

Based on this experience, I will never buy a new Remington or Marlin rifle again. A company that can't even be bothered to make sure their guns feed before shipping them off is not worth my time or money.

I'm going to bring this back to the shop tomorrow night and drop it off for them to fix or send back to Marlin/Remington.
 
Best to take it back if you can. Never had the problem myself , but I think there is a stiky concerning this over on Marlinowners.com.
QC seems to be going to hell everywhere lately , had to put a BarSto barrel in a new HiPower that wouldn't group as well as my .38 snub( Browning said it met their "standards" ). Bought myself a new Ruger MkIII for Christmas and it won't group with anything.
 
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Thanks w748

Here's the sticky he was talking about, in case anyone else needs the info.

On one hand, it seems like I can probably fix it myself. If I do that, I'll have probably saved some time and gas.

But if I don't send it back and make Remington/Marlin fix it, they either won't know or won't care that there's a problem.

Tough call.
 
Marlin quality

Has taken a nose dive since reminggton bought em out about 5 years ago...I too bought a 1894 44 mag that would'nt feed unless I double clutched the lever....sent it back...they fixed it and gave it a trigger job.....THIS GUN SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT THE FACTORY!!!!!! I just bought a 1895 GBL that has the most hideous action and trigger.......It was bought NIB oner the net from a reputable retailer.......this gun was test fired at the factory so much that the bolt had powder burned into the rail carriers!...I soaked them and used a bronze brush to clean it.....the action screws on one side of the flats were not tapped correctly and the screw hedas are not flush withe the "flats"......THIS GUN SHOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT THE FACTORY....It too was sent back just yesterday for repairs.........Quality control seems to be non existent....I have 14....yes 14 marlins....some over 110 years old...Beware marlins made in the past 5 years.....test them out.....look for machining/assembly defects......I have always been bullish on my 336's and 1895's......1" groups open sited at 100 yards regularly.......embarressed many a scope shooter at the range......that was then but this is Marlins new reality....caveat emptor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:barf:
 
Denis: I'm not sure, but judging by the problems, I'd guess new factory.

churchillman: I sent an email to Remington yesterday telling them that this gun should not have left the factory. Here's the text of the email I sent:

Smaug said:
The other day, I bought a Marlin 1894 in 44 Magnum, S/N 91040567. I had always wanted a lever action, and I thought it would be a good compliment to my Ruger Redhawk, also in 44 Magnum.

The first thing I noticed that the fit of the stock to the receiver isn't very good. Not at all like a Marlin from the 70s.

Finally, I took the gun home and found that it would not chamber a round. I'm a reloader, so I carefully checked my ammo. The overall length is within spec, (less than 1.610") and the crimps were tight enough that it wasn't hanging up there. Diameter was fine too.

It seems like the breech face is too sharp, because it is gouging up the brass when it tries to chamber.

This is something that should have been caught before it left the factory, and it is very disappointing.

I'm writing to you, because I know Remington bought Marlin. The rumors on the gun forums are that QC has gone downhill since that happened, and now I can confirm this to be true.

Tomorrow night, I have to drive the hour back to the gun shop with gas costing over $4 a gallon and lose my evening doing it. They (GAT Guns in Dundee, IL) say they have a gunsmith on staff, and will try to fix it before sending it back to you.

I've also heard that when guns get sent back to you, they are gone for months before they come back. That too, is very disappointing to hear. I didn't even get to fire the damned thing, and now it will likely be out of my hands for weeks and weeks while something gets fixed that should not have been wrong to begin with.

This is the kind of thing that reeks of cost-cutting, and it hurts your business. Loosen up the company purse strings and make sure the job gets done right, or your company reputation will go down the toilet quickly.
Click to expand...
 
This is the kind of thing that reeks of cost-cutting, and it hurts your business. Loosen up the company purse strings and make sure the job gets done right, or your company reputation will go down the toilet quickly.
Click to expand...

i'd say their reputation has already gone down the toilet. I think to truly get their attention someone would have to launch some sorta mass boycott of their product until they get their sh*t together.
 
I Know what you mean. The other day I was at a store..checked out
a marlin lever in 45-70. The bolt was rubbing on inside and you could see
where it was chewed up on top of bolt. When you levered the gun..you could feel the rub. I could see where they tried to polish it but didnt solve anything.
I've had marlins since the 60's and this makes me ill.
 
.300 Weatherby Mag: I bought a lifetime warranty with the gun. The gun shop will have their smith try to fix it. If he can't they will send it back to the factory. If he can't fix it, I think I will have another gunsmith work on it, rather than let it get sent back to the hacks who made it poorly to begin with.

yournodaisy: Now, I can really appreciate what you mean. If I ever get the itch for another Marlin, I'll hold out for a nice vintage one. Just like S&W revolvers and classical music, the best ones are old. You know what makes me ill? The salesman recommended a Puma, and I turned it down in favor of the American gun. He claimed he could hit an 8" pie tin all day long at 200 yds. with the stock buckhorn sights. I doubt it, but I think he was just trying to say he likes it a lot.

gaseousclay: Well, I'm one more person who is going to be badmouthing them when someone comes along and posts: "Thinking about a Marlin levergun, what do you think?" and I'll say: "I think you should not even consider one made after about 2005, and here's why...."

DPris: It's already in the trunk of my car, ready to go back to the shop tomorrow. I'm pretty sure it is a newer one, as this is a high volume gun shop I bought it from.
 
It would be very helpful, really, to nail this factory thing down.

QC was dropping for at least the last year at the old plant, the new plant should be up & running by now.

QC issues from the old factory should not, in theory, be transfering over to the new one.

Machinery was old & worn, which accounted for some of the work that was coming out of Connecticut.
There are rumors (which I emphasize are ONLY RUMORS) that some workers made....a little less than their best efforts toward the end after the plant closing was announced.

Determining whether yours is a new gun from the new plant in New York would help in advancing the possibility of start-up issues with new equipment and new workers.

There's a reason why I've been asking.
Denis
 
Don't blame the guys in QC, blame the managers in high places that think the machinists etc can control quality and eliminate the need for a final inspection. I've worked in manufacturing on the floor up to engineering and that's the new "trend". There probably ARE no inspectors anymore at these places. My company tried it and it was a disaster. They're back to having an inspection department again. Glad I'm retired. These young, hot shot, college educated idiots think they've got all the answers. They also need to update equipment. If an operator has to run old, junk machinery he can't hold the tolerances he is supposed to. Another management cost saving move. Good example of that is the new Winchesters made in a modern plant. They are truly well made rifles. Rant over.

:D
 
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I visit 4-5 other boards inhabited by folks who shoot lever and single actions almost exclusively. These aren't cowboy action shooters, but rather seasoned gun cranks who load 'em heavy and head to the woods. They are serious about proficiency and they shoot a lot.

Judging from their collective observations and some of the photos they've posted, the 'QC Fail' at Marlin has been going on at least a couple of years. I hope Denis is right and the new machinery helps to result in a better product. Ruger's approach to that problem sure breathed new life into the Mini 14.
 
I think Warbirdlover over is onto something, and denis too.

The same kind of thing is going on at my workplace too. Management makes decisions that only help their own salaries. Then, when things start to fall apart, they leave a big mess and jump ship. They refuse to hire enough people to do the job right, and just push those remaining harder and harder. Something's got to give.

Rifleman, that is about the single most ignorant comment I've read on this forum. Do you honestly think Marlin has been in business for 100+ years because they couldn't build a rifle that functions? I will grant you that they won't last much longer at the rate they're going now...
 
gaseousclay: Well, I'm one more person who is going to be badmouthing them when someone comes along and posts: "Thinking about a Marlin levergun, what do you think?" and I'll say: "I think you should not even consider one made after about 2005, and here's why...."
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I hear you. I really wanted to buy a Marlin 336 but am now having second thoughts because of the many negative comments i've read about Marlin here and on a few other forums. i'm sure there are plenty of satisfied Marlin owners out there but I don't like buying product that has potential risk. I should be able to go to a gun shop and buy a firearm without doubting it's reliability. i'm not saying I'll never buy Marlin, I just won't buy the current production Marlins
 
I must have been lucky, I bought a brand new 1895 cowboy in 45-70. The only problem I had was the extractor was too tight and it made it feel like it was jamming or the bore was too small. I bent out the extractor a bit and it is a TON better. And quite accurate I might add.
 
I have posted in this section and in Retail Deals and feedback with regards for Marlin's QC which IMO is non existent. My issue is with a 795 22lr. Since their buy out by Remington and then by the conglomerate Freedom Group all is going to hell in a hand basket. Just my opinion now.
 
I had a Marlin 94 back in the mid 80's which choked regularly on then-available Federal factory loads and wouldn't shoot for beans with any of them. Soured me on the model pretty bad.

To their credit, I owned and traded an old 336T that I would happily give new price, to get back. It printed several little 2 1/2" 3 shot groups at 200 yards with WW 150 factory loads, and it ran slick as a whistle with everything I fed it.
 
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