Marlin 39A questions. .

T

Truckeic

New member
OK I have a buddy's 39A that is missing the bolt. I have found someone with a bolt. This rifle is 1965 model. So how hard is will it be to fit the bolt and set headspace on this rifle?
I am bidding on a 1952 model which also needs a bolt .. so guess answer to first question would answer this one too.. how hard to fit bolt and headspace.

Also wanted you guys opinion...
Both of these have some surface rust on barrel .. stocks are not perfect . But bores look good.
So with that would it be best to leave as is or restore?

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Google search turned this up: Headspace on a 22 is the gap from the bolt face to the back of the chamber where the cartridge rim rests. The acceptable range of this gap is .042" to .049". Ammunition rim thickness varies from .037" to .044". if the gap is too excessive the case may not be supported and could possibly bulge or rupture. What can also happen is the firing pin may not be able to reach the case or hit it hard enough for reliable ignition if the headspace is excessive. If the headspace is too tight it may compress the rim enough to ignite the cartridge.

[​IMG]
 
The real important question here is how do folks lose the bolts?
It's easy to see how a small part could go missing, but the bolt?
Curious minds want to know.
 
I knew an old timer back in Wisconsin who used to pull the bolts out of his rifles supposedly to thwart thieves. When he got into his late 80's he forgot where he hid them. He hid each of them in a different place. However....nobody Stole his guns...LOL.
 
I'm pretty sure every Marlin lever gun I've ever worked on had the rifle's serial number scribed on the bolt. This implies that bolts had to be hand fitted, either for operation or headspace or both.

Now the bulk of my observations have been 94s, 95s and 336s, so I can't be sure that the same was true of the couple (at most) of 39As I've looked at over the years.
 
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