Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin 336 Lever Actions Marlin half-cock safety doesn't work

Guys, Just purchased a Marlin 375S 375 Win. Blue is at 95% and wood isn't to bad, except, Somebody put 2 one dollars coins into the stock eagle out.

Somebody must have played with the half-cock safety part of this rifle. It does have the transfer bar. If the bar is in fire position and you use the half-cock and pull the trigger, it will engage the hammer. The same if the bar is on safety. It will engage the trigger when pulled. I will send this one back to Marlin for repair. I have pictures if someone wants to post them of the coin in the stock.

Ken

First I assume you're using the term transfer bar in reference to the safety. The safety is a hammer block,not a transfer bar and it does not stop the hammer or trigger from functioning, it only prevents the hammer from contacting the firing pin. With the safety button in the safe position you can still cock the hammer and pull the trigger and the hammer will fall but it hits the hammer block and all you'll hear is "click", followed by swearing as the deer runs off.

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1894CL is correct. Also, the models with crossbolt safety do not have a half cock.

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I understand the function of the new cross-bolt safety. If pushed in the safe position, it will go click when trigger is pulled. All marlins still have a half cock safety even with the new cross-bolt. If you have 1, try it. I've got a 308 MX, 336ER 356 Win, 375S 375 Win and 336W 30-30 all with cross-bolt safeties. Slide cross-bolt safety to fire position, pull hammer to half cock position, pull the trigger. The hammer shouldn't fall. I have an early 336 35 Rem. Pre cross-bolt safety. Cock the hammer half way and pull trigger. Hammer doesn't fall. Something is broken on the 375 as to when the hammer is at half cock, pull the trigger and hammer drops on cartridge. Not a very safe feeling. It will go back to Marlin for repair.

Ken

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We may both be in error.

I checked some of my Marlins and discovered that they do have a half cock position. UNLESS it is a newer gun with a rebounding hammer. Rebounding hammer - no half cock, no rebounding hammer has half cock.

Maybe some one can set us straight on this, I have only two guns with rebounding hammer and two others without rebounding hammer and cross bolt safety. Not a very representitave sample.

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Rebounding hammer, whats a rebounding hammer?

The rebounding hammer is a new term I've not heard about nor have any knowledge of. I was only taught in my younger days with my first Marlin 30-30 that when a round is chambered, you hold the hammer, pull the trigger and slowly let the hammer down until it is at half cock. When you hunt, the hammer isn't all the way back in the ready fire position or have the hammer all the way down with the firing pin resting on the primer. As a young hunter, my father had me practice pulling the trigger and letting the hammer down ever so slowly on an empty chamber.

When I tested my other new model Marlins with the hammer block to see if they still functioned like a half cock, they did. All except the 375S. That was the reason for this post. Maybe a good question for our gunsmith forum.

Ken

I don't own any leverguns with the lawyer safties on them , and probably never will , lot's of the older rifles out there in any calliber I may ever want.
I was taught that for setting the hammer at safe (half cock ) to go past the stop , even all the way down to the fireing pin , and then pull the hammer back to the half cock position. The theory was that the stop would set down in it's notch better being pulled back than going forward. Something about the shape of the notch.

Phil

I JB welded the hammer block back on my 1895ss, nothing like having 2 safties to mess with.

"...the hammer will fall but it hits the hammer block and all you'll hear is "click", followed by swearing as the deer runs off."

Been there done that with a borrowed 356. Nothing more aggravating than reverting to old habits (my Marlin 35 has no crossbolt safety) in the heat of battle.

I've read that a rubber o-ring (plumbing section hardware store) will stop that slide bar from moveing to the "click , Son of A ...." setting. That eliminates the "Rendered permanatly inopperable" hassel if the rare something really bad ever happens with the rifle.

Phil

From Marlin's website re: 336

"your rifle has a two piece firing pin and trigger block, both of which prevent firing until the lever is completely closed. It is also equipped with two manual safety devices, a hammer block safety and a half cock safety notch, which, when used properly,
provide an added degree of safety."

And...

Exposed hammer lever actions have, for
over a century, relied on manipulation of
the hammer for both manual cocking of
the rifle as well as the traditional Half Cock
safety position. Your rifle has these traditional
hammer positions as well as the
added benefit of a hammer block safety
button. Use the following hammer positions
in conjunction with the hammer block
safety for the safest possible operation.

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The rebounding hammer is found on the Marlin lever action rimfire rifles, and not on the Marlin centerfire rifles. The Marlin owners forum has cleared that up for me. Sorry if I mislead someone. It was found on all the later Winchester lever rifles.

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If your half cock is not engaging, likely it is burred and can be fixed by simply grinding the burr off. Most half cock notches are very thin on Marlins and as such whenever I get a new or old Marlin I widen this notch by grinding it down. Reason, I had one fail because of that burring, it was on a 1949 336 I bought 4yrs ago. One other thing while I'm on the subject of half cock. If you have a pre 64 Winchester squeeze your trigger fairly hard while on half cock and see if the hammer falls. Few do, but some do.

Yep....that rubber "o" ring thing works great!