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After I got my
Bronco I decided that I needed an appropriate “Truck Gun” for it. The
search began immediately and I even considered a number of suggestions.
The rifle that I
finally selected was a .30-30 caliber Marlin 336CS. This was close to
the gun I wanted initially, the 336Y which has a 16 inch barrel.
Unfortunately it also has a shorter stock, so it wasn’t really able to
tuck in behind it. The 336 is a classic. 20 inch barrel,
buck horn rear sight and a hooded bead front sight. Holds 6
rounds of good old full power Thuddy Thuddy. But that will change when
I get the barrel chopped.
This rifle is a good shooter, and
gives outstanding practical accuracy. This selection has
proven to be a valid one. Time to really make this rifle my own.
 Phase
One of my rifle project is completed.
The rifle looks very cool. The reason that I refinished the wood was
that there was some damage to it. Marlin puts a great finish on the
wood, a very handsome and tough one at that. I had to use 60 grit
paper to just get it off. The wood underneath is just gorgeous. They
do a very good job at selecting the wood to make the stocks out of. I
decided to have a little fun with this rifle and to do it a little
differently. I have painted stocks in the past and the results are
never satisfactory to me after the rifle was put into the field. Paint
can flake and peel. I wanted to refinish my rifle with a very tough
finish that is going to last in the field. I had my local ACE joint
mix me up a custom colored wood stain. Multiple coats of this stain
applied under multiple coats of a clear polyurethane. The stocks are
done and the rifle cleaned, lubed, reassembled and tested for
function. Looks awesome. I shall take some photos shortly. One thing
I noticed about the rifle was that I finished the wood a little too
good. The rifle was too slick. So the forearm wood piece received a
quick shot of the polyurethane to wet it, a sprinkle of sand to give a
bit of grit, and another shot of the poly to seal it. The result is a
nice nonskid texture that you can hold on to. I was going to do the
same to buttstock, but decided that wasn’t needed. When I lever the
rifle my hand slides across some of the wood and there is little
griping there to bother with, so I left it smooth. All the gripping is
done up front anyway.
UPDATE:
A local gunsmith was able to do some
very fine work for me. Chopped the barrel down and did an 11
degree target grown. 1 piece firing pin, action job, and a
trigger job. The gun handles super fast and slick now, super
smooth. The trigger pull is light and crisp. About 2
pounds with no creep, stacking or grit. Almost too light.
But combined with the target crown, Marlins natural high level of
accuracy... this thing is a bloody tack driver now.
Here you can see the crown. This is a work of art. Polished
smooth as glass, this thing can put the 170 jacketed softpoints
right where I want them.
Shortening the barrel means I loose 1 round of mag capacity. But
that isn't much of an issue for a weapon of this sort. I still
have a 5+1 capacity which will do nicely. This is a full power
rifle after all and not just a Poodle Shooter which needs 30 rounds
to get the job done. You can see the shorter length makes for
a very comfortable and fast handling weapon. A weapon like
this will do just fine in a home defense situation. Getting it
into and out of the Bronco is no longer a problem at all. If you
look closely you can see the barrel band was moved back quite a bit
and the front edge of the sight is just almost flush with the
muzzle, giving the end kind of a snub nosed look.
Did I mention the trigger pull? Yeah, it's light. And it
feels even lighter thanks to the 1 piece firing pin. The
trigger breaks at a thought. It's a huge difference. But
the bigger difference came with the action job. With the
action slicked up, the bolt opens and the lever cycles it so fast
and easy that it took me by surprise.
Overall the work combined to make this one hell of a fine lever gun.
My first two shots with it after I got it back were taken free
standing, aiming at a lichen covered boulder about 100 yards away.
I aimed for the first shot, and as quickly as I could jacked the
lever and fired a second shot. Lightning fast, and the second
round impacted within 4 inches. For a fast pair with a lever
like this... yeah, I'll take that. I'll have to benchrest this
rifle to check out her handwriting.
THE BLACK
MARLIN
Nothing is
more wickedly fun then taking over a century of lever action rifle
tradition, and having your way with it. The Green Marlin, you guys
remember that... is now officially “The Black Marlin”.
The
butt-cuff was made for us as a prototype by Glenn of
The Pickle. The
leather was padded underneath as an afterthought with a mouse pad.
The result is something that actually works very well. The pouch on
the side holds six rounds of my favorite .30-30 ammunition. The
pouch is secured with a heavy duty snap.
Everything
done, the gun was easy to shoot and very accurate. Even at long
range, the Marlin is extremely accurate. The gun was small and
compact, but heavy. Heavier that it should have been. A lot heavier.
The problem is the wood stock. Marlin uses some seriously dense
walnut in their stocks.
RamLine
had a Marlin option and I took it.
I'm very
happy with the results. The Black Marlin is light and handy and easy
to shoot. My eyes have aged unfortunately and need a bit of help. I
mounted a regular rifle scope to it and I was amazed at the long
range accuracy. This thing is the Black Death to rabbits and other
desert creatures... All the way out to 150, I had no problem popping
bunnies. And a critter that sized getting hit with a .30-30
Winchester slug looks like road kill... think of it like a red water
filled, fur wrapped milk jug. The only problem with the full sized
scope was that it looked retarded. The scope proved the accuracy,
and the concept that I can shoot better with better sights.
I looked
at a number of red dot type sights and I decided to try a unit from
TruGlo. TruGlo makes sights for hunters. They are simple, rugged,
and they work. And for a 75 bucks, it is a great deal. But then I
had to see if it was accurate enough. Bore sighted it up, zeroed it,
and I found I had only 5 rounds left. I found 5 rabbits... and
killed 5 rabbits at about 60 yards. Not as long range as before, but
I'm calling it accurate enough. Had I used a sight with
magnification I could have probably have spotted rabbits further
out.
This
package is complete.
The Black
Marlin is now my CAR-Thirty. Cowboy Assault Rifle. The short length
allows for fast handling in tight situations, and the big diameter
red dot sight allows for fast target acquisition and accurate
engagement. And I'm hitting with enough power to drop an elk inside
100 yards. I'm very pleased with the project results, and the gun is
now in my “KEEPER” collection.
If you
have the chance to pick up a cheap lever action... get it. The total
costs are not all that cheap, but neither are they very expensive.
Just make
Costs:
Marlin
336CS = 200
Gunsmithing and misc parts = 175
Ramline
Stocks = 45
Red Dot
Sight = 75
Sling = 16
Completed
Package = 511
Happy &
Contented Ogre = Priceless.
Instead of
shooting things that explode and bleed, I need to print it on paper.
When I do, I'll post the results below. I need to just build a
compact collapsible target stand to hang targets on. Anyways, that's
another project for another day.
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ogre at madogre dot com via PayPal to support MadOgre.com, or God will kill a kitten.
Copyright G H Hill 1999-2012
Graphic Artwork by
Martin White
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