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="" />