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Disassembling -reassembling the old style Marlin tube magazines

20K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  shovelhead96 
#1 ·
Someone recently asked about the availability of a tutorial on the old style Marlin tube magazines like are found on the Models 18, 20, 29, 38, etc. I have a Model 20 that the dovetailed base for the magazine attachment screw was loose in the barrel dovetail. I also have a spare Model 38 magazine assembly that was salvaged from a parts gun and in need of disassembling and a good cleaning. So I thought I would put together a few pics of the procedure I use when disassembling and reassembling these types of magazines.

Here is my little Model 20...


Here is the outer magazine slid forward and locked into place...the screw that attaches the magazine assembly to the barrel is also visible.


Back the attachment screw out...raise the magazine assembly away from the barrel as you do so...keep the head of the screw slightly exposed above the outer magazine tube. This will keep everything locked into place.


Here is the magazine assembly removed from the gun. The attachment screw is keeping things from flying apart.


While I'm here, I'll show you how I tightened the dovetailed base in the dovetail...I used a center punch to dimple the metal next to the dovetail and tighten things up. Magazine assembly will hide this when reinstalled. Other methods will work also.


Here is the old magazine assembly from the model 38...longer than the 20 but otherwise the same.


I use a punch to push the screw out...the punch takes the place of the screw and holds things together. I can then pull the punch back enough to clear the outer tube and allow the inner tube and attached inner latch plug to be lowered all the way back down.


We can now drive out the pin that holds the magazine latch assembly in place. Once the pin is out, the latch assembly can be removed. Note before removing which side the latch is on in relation to the outer magazine tube.


Magazine latch removed, latch plug, and spring..



Magazine assembly disassembled..


Note that the magazine plug or follower has an "ear" that fits in the small groove in the inner magazine tube.


Also note that the outer magazine tube has a tab that will catch behind the ramped notch cut in the inner magazine tube. This is what locks the outer tube into place when it is drawn out to insert cartridges. If your outer magazine tube will not stay locked in place, you can take a file and carefully file the notch...careful...the tube is thin here. If your outer tube tab is broken, you have a problem.


Note that when the inner tube is inserted into the outer tube that there is an impressed tab in the outer tube that slides in the groove cut in the inner tube.


Note that the spring loaded latch mechanism has a hole that must be aligned with the hole in the outer magazine plug when reinstalling both into end of the outer magazine tube.


When ready to begin reassembly, insert the magazine follower into the inner tube as shown...be sure to align "ear" with slot.


With the follower pushed a short distance into the inner tube, slide the inner tube into the outer tube from latch end...be sure to align slot in inner tube with tab in outer tube. Push inner tube in until the end sticks out as shown below:
 
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#3 ·
Thanks Steve....I'm sure some improvements can be made to my explanations. But I accomplished a couple of things I needed to do in the process. That spare magazine came from an old rusted model 38 - it needed some serious cleaning and oiling. And I didn't realize there was a twenty pic limit on a post so had to delete some pics there towards the end. :D

I got to thinking about the different lengths of magazines offered by Marlin back then and wondered if anyone had tried shortening a longer tube to a shorter tube length.
 
#6 ·
I also would like to see a Marlin slide action forum....I never am certain where to post or look for information on the Marlin pump guns....they seem to get lost among the other guns.

Besides, if we can have 4,367 1/2 Ruger sections....Just kidding about the Rugers.:hide:
 
#8 ·
And now...for the rest of the story...

Someone dropped a hint that what was needed to get a Slide-action sub-forum was a really detailed cleaning/repair pictoral.
There were already a few good threads, but nothing that really had a great hook...
Unfortunately I couldn't provide it with my antique netbook sincemy desktop went down...this thing barely posts some days...
getting pics posted is like getting Congress to do something usefull...(doesn't happen often...LOL)

Fortunately we have some great members here @RFC who do have the know-how & ability to post up some awesome pics!!

Thanks to Pump .22s excellent work, the Mods finally locked in the final needed Marlin forum :bthumb:
 
#9 · (Edited)
I would also like to add my thanks and appreciation. While I understand the associated problems with adding new forums, I also understand the benefits. At any rate, I am grateful that we finally got the forum. The old slide action Marlins are historically significant in the American firearms story, and are a solid and worthy addition.

Luckily, things just sort of fell into place for me in taking the pics and editing it into something that is hopefully useful to others - after Big Shrek planted the idea in my head. I was glad to be able to contribute what I could, but other folks deserve more credit.

But if I had had any idea it was going to be made into a sticky, I would have done a better job! :D
 
#11 ·
Hmmmm.....if I had had the foresight......

That extra magazine tube assembly that I mention in the first post of this thread came from an old gun that my wife found standing in the corner of a room in an old house that my wife was salvaging some antique furniture from....by arrangement with the owner of course. As the barrel was ruined and the breech bolt was missing, I completely disassembled the gun...including the receiver so as to salvage the individual parts. Would have been a good time to do a pictorial on that too. :rolleyes:

As it turned out, it wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated.
 
#12 · (Edited)
As some of you may have noticed, I had to abbreviate this thread due to the fact that I could only post so many pics at the time. Therefore, I had to abbreviate things and did not get to include pics of certain steps involving reassembly. It has been on my mind for a few years to come back to see if I could attach the extra pics. Today, I got a PM asking for those extra pics....so here goes. Again, bear in mind that I am now operating with a fuzzy defective memory. Here are a few more pics that may prove helpful along with some possibly defective information. Unfortunately, five years have elapsed, and though I still have the extra pics I planned to use at the time, my memories of the fine details have eroded. I have been in the process of downsizing my rim fire collection for a year or so, and unfortunately, my Model 38 Marlins fell victim to that downsizing....so I no longer have access to them. I do still have the old magazine assembly and a Model 20. Here are some of those pics with a few comments drawn from my memory. These mostly involve reassembly of the tube assemble before reinstalling on the gun:

I think I used the punch to compress the spring.


Once I had it compressed enough, I used a small C-clamp and a piece of properly sized and shaped wood to clamp things into place:


In this pic I use a screw (I think from the rear part of a Redfield or Leupold twist out base) placed in the hole where the latch plug fits in the tube with the compressed spring. I used this to manipulate the assembled plug/spring/inner tube assembly


In this picture, the latch is maneuvered into place ready for the retaining pin in the outer tube:


Here, things are assembled ready to insert the magazine tube screw that holds the completed magazine assembly to the barrel:


Using the large screw still inserted through the latch plug hole, the outer tube is slide out over the inner tube to near it's full extension until the screw in the latch plug aligns with the hole in the outer magazine tube though which the screw for fastening the magazine assembly to the barrel goes. At that point, use the fastener screw to push big screw - used for manipulating things - out. Push until the head of the original attaching screw is just above the outer tube and the big screw used for manipulating things is pushed out. This gets rid of the other screw used only for assembling and positions the attachment screw ready for installing the magazine assembly to the barrel.
 
#13 ·
Dear Pump.22's:

I have just partly refinished my father's Marlin 38 Take-down. I did some checkering in the pistol grip, and cleaned and lubed everything. The octagonal barrel had some rust on it due to bad storage by by brother...so the reason for this message is to ask if you still have the magazine for this rifle?

The magazine I have is in pretty good shape less the follower and spring. The detent in the outer tube is mucked up a bit, but I think I can do something with it. Maybe.

If you still have the full magazine, I would love to purchase it from you if you are willing to part with it.

Thanks so much!

ddgaff
 
#16 ·
Okay I am missing step 0. :)

I have a Number 20.

When I fully extend the outer tube and back out the now exposed screw (and even remove it entirely), the magazine assembly does not detach from the barrel. It's also not obvious to me how it should detach at the receiver end either?
 
#18 ·
There has been a lot of water under the bridge since I posted all this information. Unfortunately, it is no longer fresh on my mind. But give me a few days, and I will try to find time to take a look at my marlin Model 20 to refresh my memory. I had a spare complete magazine tube assembly at one point that I could also reference, but someone needing a complete assembly purchased that from me. I will look to see what I can see to refresh my memory, but I am understandably reluctant to dissamble the assembly on my Model 20.

Give me few days.

James
 
#19 ·
Unfortunately, it is no longer fresh on my mind.... I will look to see what I can see to refresh my memory, but I am understandably reluctant to dissamble the assembly on my Model 20.
Now this I can fully relate to! :)

I didn't mean to be pushy, I'm just super curious how to remove this darn thing so I can follow the rest of your awesome instructions. No hurry at all honestly, and thank you for the detailed information you have already provided.
 
#20 ·
I just pulled one from a project No 18 that needs it off to put on a forearm. When the screw is removed you just pull the front of the magazine away from the barrel so it comes off the boss on the magazine tube stud and then it pulls out of the receiver. They don't stick into the receiver very far. Don't take the screw all the way out, it will hold the magazine parts in place until it's removed and then you can put a pin in from the other side so things don't fly apart as you release the spring tension.
 
#21 ·
When the screw is removed you just pull the front of the magazine away from the barrel so it comes off the boss on the magazine tube stud and then it pulls out of the receiver.
Perfect! Armed with what was supposed to happen, I felt more brave to gently lever between the barrel and the magazine near the screw with a screwdriver, and then pull in the direction you described. It was very tight, but after levering just a tiny bit it broke loose and came off as described. I think it just needs a super solid cleaning to behave like it should have all along.
 
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