Home Forums Lever Action Central Rimfire Levers 39a loading problem

I finally got to the range to sight in my 39a. It's a mountie model I picked up in somewhat rough shape with a bit of rust here and there, gunked up action and turns out the firing pin was broken. I cleaned the bore, and the action as well as possible and last trip to the range the feeding was inconsitant as well as firing. I further cleaned the action and stoned the firing pin a bit to allow it to protrude further.

Well, the upside is I got to shoot the gun with a scope and even with a poor rest and bulk ammo the 25 yd groups were around 1/2" for 10 shots. But, I still need to work the firing pin as most often pulling the trigger after loading a fresh round results in a click, and you have to cock the gun again to get it to fire.

The other bugger is sometimes when loading a fresh round the bulet pops up high and the nose of the bullet isn't feeding into the chamber. I don't think anything is gunked up anymore, but something is certainly amiss regarding pointing bullets in the right direction.

You might want to take a look at a little part Marlin calls a �cartridge guide spring.� It is a little flat spring, mounted on the top interior of the receiver just aft of the chamber. It provides the cartridge with a little nose down push as it enters the chamber. They can become worn or break. They are held in place by a screw through the top of the receiver called the �cartridge guide spring screw.�
The guide spring is available from Brownell�s. The part no. is 550-302-294WB, Cartridge Guide Spring
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=0/sid=283/schematicsdetail/39A

Is your 39a one of the crossbolt safety models? If so, good luck. Mine went to the gunsmith, no help-- down the road.

Tom,

Thanks, I have a feeling that part is missing or broken as it seems there should be something there to guide the bullet into the chamber, and no such beast exists.

lr, no it's an old pre crossbolt gun. It looks like the previous owner didn't take paticularly good care of it, but nothing that some elbow grease, replacement parts and cold blue can't cure, as well as some acraglass for cracks in the stock.

I got my 39A new in 1963. It has had so many rounds through it that I finally had to replace the barrel. I also had to replace the cartridge guide spring. While I was at it I replaced a few of the screws I buggered up when I was a teenager. I refinished the stock and took out the white spacers back in the �60s. Now it looks and shoots like new.

A couple of questions:

lastround, what problem with your 39A did you attribute to it's being a crossbolt model? QC issues with the latest Remington production, or is there a functional problem related to the rebounding hammer and crossbolt design?

Tom, what was involved in replacing the barrel? was it a DIY project or did you have a gunsmith or the factory do it?

Paul

I sent back my 39A to be rebarreled before the consolidation and move by Marlin. Lucky for me. It works find. Accuracy is back where it was. It now matches the '69 vintage Mountie that doesn't seem to have too many rounds through it.

are you sure you have the correct headspace? I would also replace all the springs, since they could have gotten weaker over the years. Goodluck!

Headspace could always be an issue with older guns, but what do springs have to do with that? The locking surfaces of the lever and bolt don�t appear to me to have any reliance on springs.

How did it turn out? Were we able to help at all?

Tom,

Well I finally placed an order to brownells a few weeks back, and installed the missing guide spring. I also took a few more passes with the file on the firing pin to increase the protrusion. I've been on a handgun / bullet casting kick lately so haven't had a chance to take the 39a back to the range. I'm sure the feeding problem will be gone now that there is something to guide rounds into the chamber.

I�m glad things are working out. The 39As are great guns and deserve to be shot. That said, I haven�t taken mine out to the range lately either.

Paul, sorry to be so long in replying. I guess I just lost this thread.

I'm not sure what the problem was with the 39a. It had exactly the same problems that 458 Lott described. Exactly! The gunsmith told me he has had problems with a lot of the newer crossbolt safety models. He replaced the firing pin and the guide spring. It
solved the firing problem mostly ( still a failure ever so often, maybe the ammo ) but still jammed about once every ten or so lever strokes.

I owned a 1954 Mountie until I gave it to my son. It probably had/has been fired 10,000 or so rounds. The only problem there has ever been was a broken firing pin cause by dry firing when I was about 12 yrs. old