The 1985, pre safety, 39A lives again

Last year, my trusty 39A decided she was tired of all the attention other guns were getting and concluded the best way to ensure some love and attention over the winter months was to break.  As I covered in an earlier post. the lifter has a rather magical spring loaded pin in it that lost its "capture washer".

Plenty of research and posts on the Marlin Owners Forum yielded the start truth, my era 39A had no parts available.  Plenty of folks purchased what was said to be the solution but it did not function correctly.  Because this gun was in the midst of the re-design for the cross bolt safety, it has a unique collection of parts.

Captured! Click on image for full view.

This weekend the 39A traveled up to Rumney for a second attempt to fashion a repair.  The first trip, the little pellet tin with the small parts got left behind in Hopkinton and there was nothing to do.  The second time, I opened the tin which I use to hold all things small and easily lost.  John surveyed the collection of screws, 39A parts, Lyman 17A globe inserts etc.  As we attempted to measure just what diameter we needed, John suggested just using the center of a globe insert.  After playing with 2.6, 2.8 and 3.0, it was concluded the 2.8 would be sacrificed to act as a washer.  What you see to the right is the inner ring cut out of the outer ring and then pressed over the pin.  Then some rather crude peening of what remains of the pin began.

Not pretty but she functions well.  Sometimes ugly works.  Amazing how much more a digital photo can show you, even after using magnification to see what we were doing.  Someday I hope to find a 1985 39A and see what an original looks like.

I also learned a few things while trying to repair my bent magazine tube.  We have all had the magazine tube follower fly closed and the small pin ding the outer tube.  I found a 23/64 drill bit and a brass drift allowed me to get things back to normal.  Then, I had the bright idea to clean inner magazine tube.  DUMB IDEA!  A little gummy oil actually prevents the follower from falling too quickly.  Now mine falls down with the slightest bit of gravity risking another bent outer tube..  Tip of the month, don't clean it unless it really needs it.