yes GDV3, they do . and as you discovered the loading gate spring is a often time culprit. go to marlinowners.com and find the thread on slicking up the action, well worth the effort, plus it is fun

the consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded. Robert E Lee
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~