I'm sure this has been touched on but couldn't find it in my brief search on the forum. Basically, other than the standard cleaning protocol of the barrel, what kind of maintenance do you folks due to the internal components of the lever? Do you take apart the gun and clean it from time to time? I watched a guy do this on you tube and he made it look simple but I'm guessing it isn't. I have a model 1886 btw.
Bearcatboy
I do it after shooting 10 rounds or more. I find it fun to take it apart. Just remember where the screws goes. I take the lever, bolt out and clean as much as I can. If I shoot more, I go deeper in my cleaning. I feel like a pro and it make my day, alone in my basement, what more can you ask for?
Check youtube and you'll become an expert.
Have fun.
Check youtube and you'll become an expert.
Have fun.
Well to confess... I don't... but if my gun and I landed in the river. then yeah... I would open it up.
I have had my 30-30 in some heavy rain over the years... checked if several year back and she is good to go.
I have had my 30-30 in some heavy rain over the years... checked if several year back and she is good to go.
This is a good thread for what your thinking of.... I printed it and refer to it.... http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/how-disassemble-clean/20184-disassembly-assembly-1895-pics.html
These guys are correct in a way. If I buy a used Marlin I take it apart and clean it and make sure it is good to go. Not a hard thing to do and I enjoy doing it when I am in the mood to. You can bet most of these posters have done the same thing. I don't do it just because I shot some rounds through it though. I vote with them for general maintenance.
I didn't catch that where he listed it at the very end. I was thinking Marlin not Winchester not sure why other than maybe this place is called Marlinowners and he never said any different.
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The Winchester 1886 is a difficult rifle to disassemble and assemble again after cleaning. I would advise against disassembling the rifle unless you have more than average mechanical skills. A gunsmith friend get about one rifle a month in a box that the owner could not put back together.
Bore cleaning has been enough for my rifles, no need for disassembly.......the Marlins are a different story.
The Winchester 1886 is a difficult rifle to disassemble and assemble again after cleaning. I would advise against disassembling the rifle unless you have more than average mechanical skills. A gunsmith friend get about one rifle a month in a box that the owner could not put back together.
Bore cleaning has been enough for my rifles, no need for disassembly.......the Marlins are a different story.
How often do you tear down and rebuild your car engine?
Since the brass case is designed to expand and seal the chamber/breech from hot gasses what du you expect to clean?
Here is pics of my Marlin 94 in 44MAG and it is at least 2500-3000 shots since it was dismantled and cleaned.
A boresnake will do all the "cleaning" you'll need on a regular basis.
Just to show you it can be overdone heres a pic of my Winchester 94 from 1903.
See how elegantly Farmer John and his son Bubba J dismantled it with a canopener or similar dedicated object.
Thats the kind of "custom scrimshaw" i don't want on a fine rifle
Since the brass case is designed to expand and seal the chamber/breech from hot gasses what du you expect to clean?
Here is pics of my Marlin 94 in 44MAG and it is at least 2500-3000 shots since it was dismantled and cleaned.
A boresnake will do all the "cleaning" you'll need on a regular basis.
Just to show you it can be overdone heres a pic of my Winchester 94 from 1903.
See how elegantly Farmer John and his son Bubba J dismantled it with a canopener or similar dedicated object.
Thats the kind of "custom scrimshaw" i don't want on a fine rifle
Ah the 1886, several more internal parts than the Perfect Winchester 94 or the nearly serviceable Multiscratch-Bore from that other company ( 
) and a good bit more difficult to dis-re-assemble.
See that S shaped bar, center right? That connects the lever to the lifter it fits over/under and thru two parts simultaneously and is the reason this first reassembly took an extra hour to accomplish. I doubt it'll get disassembled often enough to learn to do it eyes closed and one hand behind my back....!
![Image]()
About halfway back together with this rather busy action design and finally, the S-bar linking the lifter to lever is in place, samwiched in there behind the lifter and locking lugs. Wonderfull action, durn complex....and the benefit of the complexity? Unlike Marlin and Win 94, the 1886 Win has large/deep dual vertical locking lugs and a massive bolt instead of a single angle faced locking bolt (ala Marlin) or the much smaller lugs and springier bolt of the 94.
![Image]()
) and a good bit more difficult to dis-re-assemble. See that S shaped bar, center right? That connects the lever to the lifter it fits over/under and thru two parts simultaneously and is the reason this first reassembly took an extra hour to accomplish. I doubt it'll get disassembled often enough to learn to do it eyes closed and one hand behind my back....!
About halfway back together with this rather busy action design and finally, the S-bar linking the lifter to lever is in place, samwiched in there behind the lifter and locking lugs. Wonderfull action, durn complex....and the benefit of the complexity? Unlike Marlin and Win 94, the 1886 Win has large/deep dual vertical locking lugs and a massive bolt instead of a single angle faced locking bolt (ala Marlin) or the much smaller lugs and springier bolt of the 94.
I completely disassemble and fully clean and fully oil & grease mine after some shooting......preferably immediately after (and if that's not possible within a day or four)
I prefer immediately after firing...especially if I'm going to put the rifle up for a few weeks months, or longer, as I don't get to fire it a whole lot.
Leaving a dirty rifle in storage for months at a time is not a great idea in my opinion. I like to know that when I have to grab it if/when SHTF, that it IS READY TO GO.
All my rifles and handguns are put up & clean as a whistle as I type this.
A set of bore brushes, jags, and cleaning patches , and/or a bore snake , along with a good bore cleaning fluid will all accomplish getting the bore clean. Spray cleaners work well on the parts and receiver. And a quality gun oil and some gun grease for lubing & metal protection and moving parts is a must.
I always try a magazine full of "dummy rounds" to be sure it is in perfect working condition, after cleaning & reassembly, to be sure it's RIGHT.
As for not damaging screw heads....a simple gunsmith screw driver and gunsmith screwdriver tips are pretty inexpensive.
I use a "Winchester Screwdriver Gun Smith Kit" I bought online for @ 12 bucks and then purchased two sets of the Brownells rifle model specific tips for those stubborn ones and to have spares. (Brownells sells rifle model specific screwdriver and gun screwdriver tip kits for very reasonable prices)...and the specific tips are made to perfectly fit the screw slot/s....so there's really no good excuse for messed up screwheads.
A decent gun vise is also a great thing to have and use.
To each his own............
I prefer immediately after firing...especially if I'm going to put the rifle up for a few weeks months, or longer, as I don't get to fire it a whole lot.
Leaving a dirty rifle in storage for months at a time is not a great idea in my opinion. I like to know that when I have to grab it if/when SHTF, that it IS READY TO GO.
All my rifles and handguns are put up & clean as a whistle as I type this.
A set of bore brushes, jags, and cleaning patches , and/or a bore snake , along with a good bore cleaning fluid will all accomplish getting the bore clean. Spray cleaners work well on the parts and receiver. And a quality gun oil and some gun grease for lubing & metal protection and moving parts is a must.
I always try a magazine full of "dummy rounds" to be sure it is in perfect working condition, after cleaning & reassembly, to be sure it's RIGHT.
As for not damaging screw heads....a simple gunsmith screw driver and gunsmith screwdriver tips are pretty inexpensive.
I use a "Winchester Screwdriver Gun Smith Kit" I bought online for @ 12 bucks and then purchased two sets of the Brownells rifle model specific tips for those stubborn ones and to have spares. (Brownells sells rifle model specific screwdriver and gun screwdriver tip kits for very reasonable prices)...and the specific tips are made to perfectly fit the screw slot/s....so there's really no good excuse for messed up screwheads.
A decent gun vise is also a great thing to have and use.
To each his own............
Just purchased a used 1895G and the dual firing pin does not seem to move well. I can't help noticing that not a single video or set of instructions (that I've seen) speaks to cleaning and lubing the dual firing pin. Curious if people ever do it and if there are any gotchas other than not losing parts?
you mean the 'two piece firing pin". There is a thread somewhere on here how to do it. It's inside the bolt.
With the 1886, as I have, your worries of function disorders are lower. Great choice in design.
If it ain't broke, no need to fiddle with it!
If you use cast bullets, a bronze wool wrap around a brush will lift all deposits quickly if needed. Otherwise, a cloth patch with Hoppe's #9 and a few passes will do. For long term storage, a last pass with a patch of Ballistol will protect long term.
If it ain't broke, no need to fiddle with it!
If you use cast bullets, a bronze wool wrap around a brush will lift all deposits quickly if needed. Otherwise, a cloth patch with Hoppe's #9 and a few passes will do. For long term storage, a last pass with a patch of Ballistol will protect long term.
Victor N TN,
YouTube fills the don't know or not sure gap. Your father was correct. However, with the knowledge share available for those that are willing to look for it today, those with sound mechanical skills and a few tools can find what they need to solve mechanical issues with confidence.
YouTube fills the don't know or not sure gap. Your father was correct. However, with the knowledge share available for those that are willing to look for it today, those with sound mechanical skills and a few tools can find what they need to solve mechanical issues with confidence.
A simple way to clean just about any firearm action for those who aren’t too handy is to rinse it out with brake cleaner (the dechlorinated kind).
Remove the butt stock and spray brake cleaner into the action of the firearm while working it and letting the drippings run into a pail.
When the drippings run clear replace the butt stock.
The firearms action will now be purged of dirt and lubricant.
The lubricant will need to be replaced.
Work a few drops of high quality lubricant (like remoil) through the action mechanism by cycling it.
This ‘rinse’ is for those who aren’t too handy (confident) with tools.
The marlin 336/1895 action is fairly simple.
The actions of other firearms (like the win 1886, browning blr) require a bit more skill and knowledge to strip & reassemble and this rinse is an alternative.
Remove the butt stock and spray brake cleaner into the action of the firearm while working it and letting the drippings run into a pail.
When the drippings run clear replace the butt stock.
The firearms action will now be purged of dirt and lubricant.
The lubricant will need to be replaced.
Work a few drops of high quality lubricant (like remoil) through the action mechanism by cycling it.
This ‘rinse’ is for those who aren’t too handy (confident) with tools.
The marlin 336/1895 action is fairly simple.
The actions of other firearms (like the win 1886, browning blr) require a bit more skill and knowledge to strip & reassemble and this rinse is an alternative.
That trick with the needle nose to remove the extractor was worth the price of admission! Seriously, thank you for sharing that link. A piece of advice that should be in bold on that (closed) thread is that you really NEED a solid fixed vise. Got out my new Tipton Gun Vise. This is great for normal maintenance tasks, but was not up to locking in the bolt securely enough; the amount of force required is too great. Since it wasn't anchored to my workbench, I ended up hugging the vise with my left arm while I pushed off the extractor with my right. Bloody knuckles later, it was apart.
After cleaning everything with Q-tips and pipe cleaners, I then used Mothers Polish on the bolt exterior and dual firing pins. A Dremel made this easy. What was dirty and gritty is now shiny and slick. A bit of Ballistol has everything moving nicely. Could kick myself for not filming how to reassemble the bolt. The dual firing pin is an interesting design. Knowing that the dimple on the main firing pin must be down and is where the firing pin spring sits as both are carefully re-inserted required a bit of examination.
During rifle disassembly, what had me concerned was that the hammer spring came out really easily. It was almost like it was barely under tension. The spring retention bar is not obviously bent and the spring seems fine, but every YouTube I've seen has that spring under enough tension that it's hard to take out and put back together. The hammer does hit the firing pin, but I'm not clear it's with enough authority. I now need to get my rifle out to the range to see whether it fires consistently. If not, at least I know the culprit. Curious if others have experienced this?
After cleaning everything with Q-tips and pipe cleaners, I then used Mothers Polish on the bolt exterior and dual firing pins. A Dremel made this easy. What was dirty and gritty is now shiny and slick. A bit of Ballistol has everything moving nicely. Could kick myself for not filming how to reassemble the bolt. The dual firing pin is an interesting design. Knowing that the dimple on the main firing pin must be down and is where the firing pin spring sits as both are carefully re-inserted required a bit of examination.
During rifle disassembly, what had me concerned was that the hammer spring came out really easily. It was almost like it was barely under tension. The spring retention bar is not obviously bent and the spring seems fine, but every YouTube I've seen has that spring under enough tension that it's hard to take out and put back together. The hammer does hit the firing pin, but I'm not clear it's with enough authority. I now need to get my rifle out to the range to see whether it fires consistently. If not, at least I know the culprit. Curious if others have experienced this?
Screwing/bolting the Tipton Best Gun Vise to a large board with large amplifier rubber cushions helps expand it's use quite a bit IME. I applied 5 good coats of polyurethane to the wood on mine.
it hold the tipton gun vise pretty solidly for cleaning or working on rifles (or handguns). & is portable.
I used electrical conduit bracket (like used when mtg conduit to cinder block walls) on all four corner mtg screws and they serve as rifle cleaning rod holders.
I padded the "cleaning rod holder brackets" with adhesive backed velcro (fuzzy side) and mounted the McDonalds tray to the end of board via a bracket & bolt or two, then used velcro to affix the painter's roller tray (with plastic liners!) to the tray, in order catch the droppings.
There's "rubber feet" on each end of the three 2x4s that are countersunk screwed crossways to the main board. So no scratching whatever table you lay the rig on.
The large cookie bottle is for the muzzle of barrel to go in so the splatter doesn't go everywhere when the wet cleaning brush pops out the barrel.. Works pretty well........the blue plastic tray liners makes clean up after the work much easier and quicker too.
I used electrical conduit bracket (like used when mtg conduit to cinder block walls) on all four corner mtg screws and they serve as rifle cleaning rod holders.
I padded the "cleaning rod holder brackets" with adhesive backed velcro (fuzzy side) and mounted the McDonalds tray to the end of board via a bracket & bolt or two, then used velcro to affix the painter's roller tray (with plastic liners!) to the tray, in order catch the droppings.
There's "rubber feet" on each end of the three 2x4s that are countersunk screwed crossways to the main board. So no scratching whatever table you lay the rig on.
The large cookie bottle is for the muzzle of barrel to go in so the splatter doesn't go everywhere when the wet cleaning brush pops out the barrel.. Works pretty well........the blue plastic tray liners makes clean up after the work much easier and quicker too.
Thank you for those pics. Like you, I need to be able to move my vise out of the way easily, so like your design. It got me thinking.
I have the new Tipton Ultra Gun Vise, which has some improved features. Literally just realized that I got into a rut by thinking that I had to use the clamps, when all I needed was to be able to bridge both ends of the bolt solidly. The bottom of both clamps is rubber. Holding it in sideways, I just easily removed and re-attached the extractor. Live and learn.
I like the idea of using the cookie bottle.
I have the new Tipton Ultra Gun Vise, which has some improved features. Literally just realized that I got into a rut by thinking that I had to use the clamps, when all I needed was to be able to bridge both ends of the bolt solidly. The bottom of both clamps is rubber. Holding it in sideways, I just easily removed and re-attached the extractor. Live and learn.
I like the idea of using the cookie bottle.
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