Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin Talk Trigger job on Marlin Guide Gun?

The trigger on my Marlin Guide Gun is very crisp, but much too heavy. Have any of you fellows lightened the pull on your Marlins?

280_ACKLEY

I just lightened the trigger on my new 1894CCL. I removed the hammer and CAREFULLY stoned the contact surfaces - I didn't stone the trigger/sear. Then I pried up on the trigger return spring to lighten it - it's tricky. If you pry too much, you have to remove the spring, bend it back and start over.

People will advise you not to, but I clipped about 1 turn off the hammer spring. Again, if you remove too much, it won't have sufficient power to ignite primers, so less is better here. I put a wild west trigger and spring on my 1894CP, and while I was happy with them, the above procedure yielded roughly the same net results. I had to put both plastic shims on the lighter Wild West spring to get consistent primer ignition.

If you decide to try this yourself, proceed cautiously with a cut-and-try approach. I must have put it back together 20 times to be sure I didn't do something I would have to order new parts to correct. SW

Thanks a bunch! My backyard gunsmith buddy and I took my rifle apart last night, stoned the hammer a tad and buffed with emery cloth. Very easy, and instead of reassmbling each time, just put a rubber band around the hammer and lever (to act as a spring) and polished ever so lightly until the trigger pull no longer lifted the hammer a hair before firing (had to very slightly change the angle with a small diamond file in order to accomplish this). Then took 1 coil off of the spring on the sander, and Voila, a super crisp, 3lb trigger. Undoubtedly the best trigger I've felt on a lever in a long time. All in all, took less than 20 minutes (and the local gunsmith was going to charge me $70 to do the job <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />) Thanks again,

280_ACKLEY

Yeah, the gunsmith charges 70 bucks, and the wild west package is nearly 100. I'm glad it worked for you! SW

I though Marlin was lightening up the triggers at the factory now free of charge if you send your gun back. I thought I saw that on the Marlin web site.

That really surprises me, coming from a company that puts a half cock, cross bolt saftey, and 7lb trigger on a factory gun, and then include a security bracket and padlock <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />. On a serious note, by the time I ship from Canada and to the factory ..... I may be an old man before I get to use my 45-70 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />. I had a Rem 700 replacement stock (warranty) that Remington sent me, and it sat for 6 mo at the border, what a drag. I vowed to never send another firearm related part across the line from Canada. Seems that things are a little better now though, that was a few years back.

280_ACKLEY

Wow, what a PITA. Dont they have a service center in Canada ? I'd pay to get it done as well if I had to go through all of that. I think they started doing it after fielding so many complaints. I bought one of the very first guide guns about five years ago. It was a total POS. The trigger pull was about 10# and I couldn't find any one to work on it due to the liability. Glad to see their are a few places like Wild West Guns doing trigger jobs now. That should make the gun a easier to shoot and get decent groups.

I got my Marlin 39a honed to 3# for $40. If you're as tool-challenged as I am, that's a bargain.

I must be one of the lucky ones scaled my trigger on my new 1895 45-70 in at just over 4lbs and is nice and crisp. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />