# Questions on cutting a marlin 336 barrel



## olchevy

OK well I recently, today, bought a well used 1968 marlin 336 in 30-30, it has some surface rust but functions fine and shot 6 rounds through no problems, got her for 150 even....anyways I had been looking around a while for an older/cheaper one to work on, make my on lil project rifle....

My question is....
I have seen others on here cut the barrel down to around the 16'' mark I think the originall marlin ones like it were called the spikehorn?

Anyways is their any special tools I need? How to go about re installing the front sight, more drill and tap?

I have done many a shotgun barrels but never a rifle.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


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## fishtail

I've not looked but aren't the sights dovetailed?
People will tell you, "cutting the barrel square is absolutely necessary to prevent key holeing (bullet tumble)" because of gases escaping around the base of the bullet unevenly. Use a round rotary type rasp of about 1/2" diameter to bevel the inside of the barrel. A good one will run you around $50 but will last a lifetime.  
Other thoughts:
The 336's are balanced real good in the barrel length they are already (at least the 30/30).
Cutting the barrel may also prompt the magazine tube being shortened (less ammo).


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## olchevy

yeah I know, I really am debatting on cutting it or not, I just want to do something to it to make it "Mine" all of my guns have something a lil different to them if  not a lot that I did and this one will be no different,I just dont want it to become a pretty gun cause this is going to become my "Rough use" gun.

But on the front sight it is both, its base is bolted down by two screws then it has a very small dovetail on top.

I have the gun now completley dissasmbled because no matter what I do it needs to get the rust off and some coating back on it.

remember this one was made back in 1968, not a new one by any means, no saftey except half cock.

on the whole balance part thats why I am asking to people who have already done it, because it is going to be for me, no kids, Im going to keep the full length stock and all to..


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## baldfish

You could get a lot of info on marlinowners .com the have a large reference section in the forum . ON that board all you got to do is ask the question


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## seaweaver

Dig around in here under my handle.
I think it was called  "CS cut down" 
I have done a few. the front sight is drill and tap....but there are many guys who have used JB weld....really.
It's not a spike horn till you cut down the stock. The SH is the designation for the youth model.
My last cut down I left the stock full length for my use and may cut it in the fall if i put it on the market as fellas are always looking for a Christmas present..

I cut all mine w/ an air cut off. I roll tape for my line...then roll the barrel during the cut, then clean w/ an RO sander and 120g, I use a stone for cutting the crown. The last one I cut, I cut my inlaws contender barrel at the same time and it shoots great.

Note: cut the receiver end of the tube for simplification on that.


cw


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## seaweaver

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=328408&highlight=


http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=158841&highlight=

Note: the hardest thing is resizing the barrel band. I remove a good bit of metal by using a dowel wrapped in sand paper chucked in a drill press. This take forever....I mean it.
The barrel drop is a useful tool also.  
Next time I will distemper the band (it's not hard now) even more and resize and replace the band bolt w/ something off the shelf as the distance in the "pinch" increases and the old bolt will not reach. The barrel drop should pass thru the pinch by the time it is done. I do NOT like my band tight as it tends to dampen the harmonics and thus the accuracy.

cw


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## olchevy

thank you to all, still debating on if its really woth it. I probably will still do it, just want to get everything in order first. I found one site that said to install the front sights where you want them before you cut the barrel to be sure its perfectly even.....so we will find out...


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## fishtail

Check around and see if nickle plating is still done anywhere!! 
Tell me you have seen a nickle 336??


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## olchevy

fishtail said:


> Check around and see if nickle plating is still done anywhere!!
> Tell me you have seen a nickle 336??



Yeah! actually I had just now got done polishing the reciever and barrel for a re-blue, but It looks so good shiny!!!!! I wonder how much that would cost though to do action barrel and lever???


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## NOYDB

Don't forget screw heads, pins ends, bands, sights, possibly trigger and hammer. Or the two tone look might be interesting. Synthetic stock?


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## seaweaver

You can pre index the barrel for the location.
I was going to use the square of the receiver to index mine.
You can also bore sight the location by removing the bolt and sighting a distant vertical line to center the bore...mark the top of the barrel.
W/ the dovetailed rear sight there is more than enough adj. to tune.

The whole process doesn't take long at all(3hr, 4 w/ the front sight). I love the cut down length and took the boys hoggin last Sunday.
Marlin will reblue to factory spec.(fantastic and generally will do more to the gun on their own) for $130.
They go far beyond what is asked when they get a gun in for service.
I gave them a dog (iron only) and it came back w/ wood, new screws,forearm band,  hammer, gold trigger, and sight hood and a mirror blue for $130.
I'll bet they would retouch your crown w/o asking.


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## olchevy

thats great and all but I wonder if they do that for everyone or if that was normall? I think Im just going to go and cut the barrel now and stop thinking about it and just do it.


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## olchevy

Well barrel is cut, the tube is cut, and the barrel rings are fitted man does it look AWESOME!!!!! I cut the tube shorter than the barrel by about 1-1/2'' to give it a more factory look instead of flush with the now 16'' barrel, the crowning was a piece of cake with a cone shaped bit and the regular SB pads for the high speed and then some hand work with 400 grit paper...I will post some pics later after I get off work. probably round midnight or later...... man Im glad I did this!!! I decided since I got a high polish on it and going to leave it, with its little pitted spots here and there give it a little more character and shows the age, it is over 41 years old. Plus if I was to get it looking perfect It would no longer be my rough use rifle!


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## cmshoot

I've done several Marlins and Winchesters over the years. Loads of fun and they look sharp when you're done.  Let's see some pics of yours.

Here's one of my favorites that I did:  http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=240863&highlight=winchester


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## seaweaver

olchevy said:


> thats great and all but I wonder if they do that for everyone or if that was normall? I think Im just going to go and cut the barrel now and stop thinking about it and just do it.




...it could be just me...as they have gone far and beyond on all that I have sent in!
Get the pics up!
cw


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## olchevy

well I aint gona lie to you, pics will be up tommorow, I am to tired tonight long night at work and many disgruntled customers whom i had to smooth over,plus I want to get it all put back together and all.plus im gona go ahead and polish up the lever too...
Pics tommorow!

Just to give you an idea of what i started with, even though this isnt my gun it was basically the same looks, rust on it except for where wood or the bands where


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## seaweaver

Polish the bolt and sliding surfaces while you have it apart.
There is a profile on MO somewhere of a hammer roll over which removes a chunk of metal and resistance during the cycling. I ground the last one down in place watching and marking the bolt strike and grinding...then polishing. Use a non permanent marker or chalk on the hammer to leave an indicator.
I'm going to do this to all of my Marlins at some point. The improvement to cycling is dramatic.
cw


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## olchevy

okay first here is the pic of the now 16'' barreled rifle, and no thats not tape on the end of the stock its a leather buttpad thats like glued on the stock, it works really good to I cant even feal the kick....





Now here is my serious dilema, upon trying to reinstall the front sight, I used a drill bit with a drill stop on it(spring type), only problem is the drill stop did not stop the drill bit, now I have two holes in my barrel

Is there any way to fix this???????Please help someone?

Okay, Idea add two or three more holes to make it a ported barrel, then mount the front sight behind the holes,does that sound plausible? I wanted my gun to be different anyways so why not make it ported....I think I just turned lemon into lemonade!!! will this work though I know some of there big bore 1895 series are ported so why not a 336.....


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## Browtine

Looks pretty good. I'd love to get my 1895M .450 cut down.


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## olchevy

Browtine said:


> Looks pretty good. I'd love to get my 1895M .450 cut down.



I wouldnt want to know how that would kick, if it were to be cut down....


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## hawgrider1200

why not just thread the holes full length, use screws that fill up the holes, and use red locktite on the screws?


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## olchevy

hawgrider1200 said:


> why not just thread the holes full length, use screws that fill up the holes, and use red locktite on the screws?



Your brilliant! i dont know though, I kinda like the whole idea of it being ported now that I have screwed it up already, thanks though that will deffinitley work if I decide not to do the portting thing, Im leaving tommorow to go up north to see my sis(her first baby) , so I will be away from my precious guns for a whole week, and knives too!!! cant bring them on the flight.....


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## seaweaver

hawgrider1200 said:


> why not just thread the holes full length, use screws that fill up the holes, and use red locktite on the screws?


x2! no big deal.
You may need to fire 50 rds or so before it cleans any hanging edges and starts to group well.

I would not port. I have a GG that is and I don't notice it when making a kill shot, but the guys under the tin roof at the range do not like it. Granted, it is night and day in Cal. but noise is noise. I spent too many years in front of a drum kit...
I like the shortened tube. How many can it hold?
Mine will take 5 in the tube at 16.25.

How do you plan on keeping it bright?
And...see how nice the slender forearm looks compared to what they are doing now? (spank me...like a winnie). I shaved down my last one. I pulled out my 36 and it has what the cat. describes as a "beavertail". It is not too pretty, but darn if it doesn't feel pretty good.
cw


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## olchevy

seaweaver said:


> x2! no big deal.
> I like the shortened tube. How many can it hold?
> 
> How do you plan on keeping it bright?
> 
> And...see how nice the slender forearm looks compared to what they are doing now?
> cw



It can hold 4 in the tube, probably will hold five if I cut the spring a little more cause now the spring is overly powerfull and I can get over 3/4 of the fifth shell in there. shoots great, the most i have ever had to shot in a row was two and got both deer!

Probably will keep it bright, a Little Muractic acid willfinish off what rust I can not get too! and if not I might just bead blast it to give it a flat silver look.

Yeah I like the older slender forearms a lot better...my father has a newer one only three years old, and the slender forearm just feels a lot better in the hand to me, and looks better too!


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## redneckcamo

*94 30-30 trapper !!*

... here is a pic of my winchester m94 30-30 cut down too a trapper length barrel of 16.25''.....which now make her a 6 shooter !
I recrowned the barrel with a new 7/16 drill bit and then took masking tape an made a blade front site an trimmed it down till she was dead on at 50yds.....I then got the correct height site from midway usa ....it came with the bit ,tap,screw and dovetail site setup....I super glued the site too the barrel and the screw in the tapped hole an pulled the whole thing down snug an then later tapped the dovetail in place !!

I am gonna disasemble an polish her up this summer and refinish the wood as the whole rifle was spraypainted satin black when I got her in a pawn shop for $75 dollars a few years back ...... since cuttin her down last year I have taken 1 deer with this sweet lil trailgun !!
I hope too find me a rifleman hoop too put on her too be complete !!


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## Browtine

redneckcamo said:


> ... here is a pic of my winchester m94 30-30 cut down too a trapper length barrel of 16.25''.....which now make her a 6 shooter !
> I recrowned the barrel with a new 7/16 drill bit and then took masking tape an made a blade front site an trimmed it down till she was dead on at 50yds.....I then got the correct height site from midway usa ....it came with the bit ,tap,screw and dovetail site setup....I super glued the site too the barrel and the screw in the tapped hole an pulled the whole thing down snug an then later tapped the dovetail in place !!
> 
> I am gonna disasemble an polish her up this summer and refinish the wood as the whole rifle was spraypainted satin black when I got her in a pawn shop for $75 dollars a few years back ...... since cuttin her down last year I have taken 1 deer with this sweet lil trailgun !!
> I hope too find me a rifleman hoop too put on her too be complete !!



Cool iron!


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## olchevy

man Your winnie is awesome, thats what I anted to get but they were either to expensive or could not be found....NICE!

16'' barrel and it holds 6? is that including one in the barrel?


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## cmshoot

Here's 2 Winchester 94's that I cut down.  The hard-chromed one belongs to a buddy of mine, the octagon-barrelled one is mine.

Also, here's a pic of a Marlin .444 that I cut down.  I also changed this from a curved grip to a straight grip.


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## seaweaver

That oct.winnie needs a square marlin lever!
cw


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## olchevy

*Hey we will just turn this into a place to put pics of Modified Lever Guns!*


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## Speakeasy

What a great thread. 
I'm itching to get my '73 model 336 back from Marlin. Quote today for the re-blue was $125, and I hear they do pretty work. 
BUT, they've had the gun for 6 1/2 weeks, started on it today, and tell me to expect 60-90 days 'til I get it back.
They must be really backed up, up there.. -s


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## seaweaver

Go fish, clean the gutters, plant some shrubs....You work yourself silly so you will not go nuts waiting...and nut crazy when it shows up!
cw


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## olchevy

For those of you asking, this is the look I am going for a marlin 336DT 16'' barrel limited edition run........
I would love to get it fixed up in the front like this one with no barrel band, it just looks clean...IMO
















Purty aint she!
But she has a price too ......    :'( So that is why I make my own version of it!!!   

"Marlin 336SDT 30-30 Limited Edition, 16in lever action. New
[1-1271xqx] 

 $733.53"


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## ogre

This has been the best thread i have read!
The guns look great and may have spurred me to do something new.all links were great and i'm thinking really hard about a new project


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## olchevy

seaweaver said:


> How do you plan on keeping it bright?
> cw



Well once it is polished down to a point to where it feels super slick, the pores have been closed for the most part, therefore rust takes longer to try and grab at it. And with just a light coat of rem oil, after I am done handeling,shooting,hunting with it, rust is of little concern.
Now im not the kind that just throws it in a corner or in a safe and leaves it for extended periods of time, I will actually clean my guns after just sitting for a period of time, not even being fired since the last cleaning.

Keeping a gun in good working order is the same thing as taking care of a car, Even though your car ran perfect last time if you were to just let it sit there for a year or so untouched, you would more than likely run into problems, when you went back to use it next time, same thing for guns!

Both are nothing more than metal machines, although glorious ones...lol


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## seaweaver

16 inches
http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?p=3628069#post3628069


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## olchevy

Just thought I would bring this thread back to life!

I wanna see some more modified levers! Picks Please!


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## spilltheblood

Im gonna buy me another lever gun and cut it down. I cant help it now that ive seen it.


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## Cknerr

okay,
Here is a 30-30 I am making with about 3 inches off the barrel. Client is "shall we say vertically challenged" -tired of sticking the muzzle into the dirt!

This is in progress - magazine tube still needs a little more trimmed off. Going to loose the front barrel band.  The wood needs a few more layers and the metal is getting polished. I slow rust so the metal really needs to be polished and smooth.







These are the parts as of this evening. Still working on getting the rust pits out of the lever, actually the whole thing was not kept up very well ...gonna drive me to strong drink. There is over 25 hours of work just in cleaning up the metal to this point, lot more to go (sigh)






Chris


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## Cknerr

does a high wall count as a lever action?






How about a restored winny 1892 in 25-20





and how is the lever assembly on this action (an old Burnside):





Might see if I have a few more laying around.
Chris


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## olchevy

Cknerr said:


> does a high wall count as a lever action?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Might see if I have a few more laying around.
> Chris




Sure does! Just any older metal and wood.


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## olchevy

Cknerr said:


> okay,
> Here is a 30-30 I am making with about 3 inches off the barrel. Client is "shall we say vertically challenged" -tired of sticking the muzzle into the dirt!
> 
> This is in progress - magazine tube still needs a little more trimmed off. Going to loose the front barrel band.  The wood needs a few more layers and the metal is getting polished. I slow rust so the metal really needs to be polished and smooth.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Chris



that wood stock is perfect looking! I love the grain!

On my 336 that I cut down and polished a couple post up. Got further polished to where it almost looks chrome, I even left it outside for a week straight in pretty high humidity....No rust...the metal is not sealed at all its just polished to a point where it closes the pores of the metal..

The whole reason I bought my cheap 336 was for a project rifle so if I screw up I'm not losing a lot of money.

So far so good though! 


Keep them pics coming!


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## seaweaver

Cknerr, are you making those stocks?

I only have one Bishop stock and like it. When one rolls around, Im going tho grab that 2nd variation .444 w/ the high stock and square lever.
336 ADL 3030


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## olchevy

Speakeasy said:


> What a great thread.
> I'm itching to get my '73 model 336 back from Marlin. Quote today for the re-blue was $125, and I hear they do pretty work.
> BUT, they've had the gun for 6 1/2 weeks, started on it today, and tell me to expect 60-90 days 'til I get it back.
> They must be really backed up, up there.. -s



Just going to say I called them today and and they said said they got so backed up on bluing the rifles that they had completley stoped accecpting anymore till they get control of it agian, I was told to call back next feburary and hopefully they will be able to take more agian.


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## seaweaver

I have heard they have stopped altogether!
Check their website which used to list prices...gone and a short notice of "no mo"

I say..Thanks Remington!

The blue they did last year on a .35 I got from Milkman is better than any new gun sitting on the shelf. Like a pool of tar it is so deep and dark.

cw


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## Cknerr

Seaweaver, that is some pretty wood you have there! Nice rifle. Yes, I make my living hand carving stocks and restoring antique firearms. Not a bad gig....

This is a link to a thread on the early work on the Marlin: http://www.woodworkersguildofga.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1239854926/   it is all hand carved.

@oldchevy, the Marlin metal started out that way on this project. it needed the 1st 3 inches removed. The previous guy had this sitting in his safe for many years and never looked at it. The rust is/was pretty bad.

Next Marlin is a 22lr stocked in California Myrtle. Because of the wood's color, bluing is a bit garish. Plan on slow rusting it brown. Add a tang peep site. Oughta be interesting. Since this is mine, Lord knows when it will get done.

Thanks,
Chris


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## olchevy

Cknerr said:


> Seaweaver, that is some pretty wood you have there! Nice rifle. Yes, I make my living hand carving stocks and restoring antique firearms. Not a bad gig....
> 
> This is a link to a thread on the early work on the Marlin: http://www.woodworkersguildofga.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1239854926/   it is all hand carved.
> 
> @oldchevy, the Marlin metal started out that way on this project. it needed the 1st 3 inches removed. The previous guy had this sitting in his safe for many years and never looked at it. The rust is/was pretty bad.
> 
> Next Marlin is a 22lr stocked in California Myrtle. Because of the wood's color, bluing is a bit garish. Plan on slow rusting it brown. Add a tang peep site. Oughta be interesting. Since this is mine, Lord knows when it will get done.
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris



I have to ask do you use templates for mesurements or do you just know how to eyeball it now?

And also how do you slow rust the metal and what does the end result look like?


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