The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

A friend of mine brought me a JC Higgins Ranger 103-13 aka a Marlin Model 81 that will not feed correctly. I have figured out that the firing pin is broken which is the cause of the feed problem. It wont extract out of the way of the incoming cartridge. I also think that the cartridge guide spring is missing, but I am not sure of how to replace this part. Does anyone here have a working example that they can take photos of so I can compare a working example to what I have here?

No, I don't have that one.

I searched rimfire central and found a pic of what I was looking for, but I have no idea as to how to replace the cartridge guide spring. It fits between the barrel and the receiver. I don't see how to replace it without removing the barrel from the receiver. That's not gonna happen.

millman wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:42 pm I searched rimfire central and found a pic of what I was looking for, but I have no idea as to how to replace the cartridge guide spring. It fits between the barrel and the receiver. I don't see how to replace it without removing the barrel from the receiver. That's not gonna happen.

According to this post....

Yes, you will have to remove the barrel to replace the guide spring. The barrel is retained by a cross-pin through the receiver. This is a tapered pin and should be drifted out from the left side of the receiver to the right. If the barrel is tight in the receiver after the cross pin is removed, set the barrel in a padded vise and drift the receiver off to the rear using a nylon, or brass drift punch....

https://www.marlinowners.com/forum/rimf ... opics/5030

And Numrich has them listed at $8.25

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/402880B

Thanks for the link. I was afraid that that was what was needed.

millman wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:16 pm Thanks for the link. I was afraid that that was what was needed.

Sorry for the bad news.......Hell turn it into a "Oh shit it's too damn cold outside and I'm bored" Winter project.

Buy two of them or don't try my shortcut. Broke one wife said order two next time.i used a short piece of brass bar and a 16oz hammer. That old carbon build up is tough.
+dhic aka Cliff.

One of my customers just brought me a Marlin model 60, hands it to me and asks me to fix and make better, turns out the assembly screws are wrong, missing, buggered up. If it wasn't an old customer who has given me good deals in the past the guy would be out the door followed by the abused rifle. Everyone thinks I have endless time, and being the " gun guy" I would just love to drop everything and fix the crap that worked fine until they fucked it up. Twice this year I have had heaps of old firearms, mostly commercial sporters and shotguns, dumped on me with a request I get rid of them for them. That's code for buy my guns for cash right now, fuck that, I have enough of my own shit to deal with, I did sell off a few of them for them. My thank you for that is the promise of more crap for me to sell, I guess a hamburger and fries is too much to expect. Again, old customers or I would not even consider getting involved. Emphasis on the " old" part, complete with the excuse that they don't know how to use the internets, something I suspect is bullshit in both cases. The minute I catch either one whipping out a smartphone the remaining guns will become suppository's. I would wall hanger that .22 before I messed with pulling a barrel, I can see how easily that could turn into a disaster. Very few .22's are worth the trouble, not all of Marlins .22 designs were worthy of greatness.

Junk Yard Dog wrote: ↑Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:22 pm One of my customers just brought me a Marlin model 60, hands it to me and asks me to fix and make better, turns out the assembly screws are wrong, missing, buggered up. If it wasn't an old customer who has given me good deals in the past the guy would be out the door followed by the abused rifle. Everyone thinks I have endless time, and being the " gun guy" I would just love to drop everything and fix the crap that worked fine until they fucked it up. Twice this year I have had heaps of old firearms, mostly commercial sporters and shotguns, dumped on me with a request I get rid of them for them. That's code for buy my guns for cash right now, fuck that, I have enough of my own shit to deal with, I did sell off a few of them for them. My thank you for that is the promise of more crap for me to sell, I guess a hamburger and fries is too much to expect. Again, old customers or I would not even consider getting involved. Emphasis on the " old" part, complete with the excuse that they don't know how to use the internets, something I suspect is bullshit in both cases. The minute I catch either one whipping out a smartphone the remaining guns will become suppository's. I would wall hanger that .22 before I messed with pulling a barrel, I can see how easily that could turn into a disaster. Very few .22's are worth the trouble, not all of Marlins .22 designs were worthy of greatness.

So if I bring you a few double bacon cheeseburgers, a large order of fries and a large milkshake or your drink of choice, can I go shopping in your stash of milsurp stuff? Notice i said milsurp stuff not just milsurp weapons.

ffuries wrote: ↑Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:05 pm

Junk Yard Dog wrote: ↑Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:22 pm One of my customers just brought me a Marlin model 60, hands it to me and asks me to fix and make better, turns out the assembly screws are wrong, missing, buggered up. If it wasn't an old customer who has given me good deals in the past the guy would be out the door followed by the abused rifle. Everyone thinks I have endless time, and being the " gun guy" I would just love to drop everything and fix the crap that worked fine until they fucked it up. Twice this year I have had heaps of old firearms, mostly commercial sporters and shotguns, dumped on me with a request I get rid of them for them. That's code for buy my guns for cash right now, fuck that, I have enough of my own shit to deal with, I did sell off a few of them for them. My thank you for that is the promise of more crap for me to sell, I guess a hamburger and fries is too much to expect. Again, old customers or I would not even consider getting involved. Emphasis on the " old" part, complete with the excuse that they don't know how to use the internets, something I suspect is bullshit in both cases. The minute I catch either one whipping out a smartphone the remaining guns will become suppository's. I would wall hanger that .22 before I messed with pulling a barrel, I can see how easily that could turn into a disaster. Very few .22's are worth the trouble, not all of Marlins .22 designs were worthy of greatness.

So if I bring you a few double bacon cheeseburgers, a large order of fries and a large milkshake or your drink of choice, can I go shopping in your stash of milsurp stuff? Notice i said milsurp stuff not just milsurp weapons.

No, but I would consider selling a gun for you, work should be paid for. If you want to shop in my milsurp stuff you will need a big bag of cash, Grants and Benjamin's, a lot of them, everything has it's not for sale price.

I'm not pulling the barrel. A new firing pin and spring would make the bolt work, and you can push down on the nose of the cartridge as it moves forward with your thumb, replicating the guide spring. I'm waiting for the owner to let me know what they want to do. Right now it resting safely here and is not eating anything.

I wouldn't pull it either. I am familiar with that kind of deal, bring it to the repair shop for an oil change, but bring it to me if the engine needs to come out. Who needs the aggravation, doubly so if it's not your rifle.

A lot of times you can get a decent WORKING second hand rifle for what it will cost you in time, parts and special tools to fix a older broken firearm. Then you have to worry about what's going to go up on it next.

I forgot about this thread. I did not pull the barrel and replace the cartridge guide. I fixed the bolt and showed the old guy who it was for how to gude the round into the chamber with his thumb. Last I heard he was capping starlings out of his wife''s bird feeder with it.

Oddly, a boy at work brought in a Marlin 25 with the same issue. I told him what was involved, but he ordered the parts and is gonna fix it. I'll let you all know how much of a pita it is to fix. I get to watch on this deal.

Junk Yard Dog wrote: ↑Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:22 pm One of my customers just brought me a Marlin model 60, hands it to me and asks me to fix and make better, turns out the assembly screws are wrong, missing, buggered up. If it wasn't an old customer who has given me good deals in the past the guy would be out the door followed by the abused rifle. Everyone thinks I have endless time, and being the " gun guy" I would just love to drop everything and fix the crap that worked fine until they fucked it up. Twice this year I have had heaps of old firearms, mostly commercial sporters and shotguns, dumped on me with a request I get rid of them for them. That's code for buy my guns for cash right now, fuck that, I have enough of my own shit to deal with, I did sell off a few of them for them. My thank you for that is the promise of more crap for me to sell, I guess a hamburger and fries is too much to expect. Again, old customers or I would not even consider getting involved. Emphasis on the " old" part, complete with the excuse that they don't know how to use the internets, something I suspect is bullshit in both cases. The minute I catch either one whipping out a smartphone the remaining guns will become suppository's. I would wall hanger that .22 before I messed with pulling a barrel, I can see how easily that could turn into a disaster. Very few .22's are worth the trouble, not all of Marlins .22 designs were worthy of greatness.

i have a model 60 , its a PITA to to work on , but mine has been so reliable over the years ive had to do very little to it
so are you a gunsmith only or are you a FFL too and sell ?
i often wondered if consignments were worth the hassle for shops , i would think that thats taking potential sales of your wares away from you for a nominal consignment fee

millman wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2020 5:03 pm I forgot about this thread. I did not pull the barrel and replace the cartridge guide. I fixed the bolt and showed the old guy who it was for how to gude the round into the chamber with his thumb. Last I heard he was capping starlings out of his wife''s bird feeder with it.

Oddly, a boy at work brought in a Marlin 25 with the same issue. I told him what was involved, but he ordered the parts and is gonna fix it. I'll let you all know how much of a pita it is to fix. I get to watch on this deal.

i wouldnt have any issue with trying to fix it , you have nothing to lose and a functioning rifle to gain

hoopharted wrote: ↑Thu Dec 17, 2020 3:46 am

Junk Yard Dog wrote: ↑Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:22 pm One of my customers just brought me a Marlin model 60, hands it to me and asks me to fix and make better, turns out the assembly screws are wrong, missing, buggered up. If it wasn't an old customer who has given me good deals in the past the guy would be out the door followed by the abused rifle. Everyone thinks I have endless time, and being the " gun guy" I would just love to drop everything and fix the crap that worked fine until they fucked it up. Twice this year I have had heaps of old firearms, mostly commercial sporters and shotguns, dumped on me with a request I get rid of them for them. That's code for buy my guns for cash right now, fuck that, I have enough of my own shit to deal with, I did sell off a few of them for them. My thank you for that is the promise of more crap for me to sell, I guess a hamburger and fries is too much to expect. Again, old customers or I would not even consider getting involved. Emphasis on the " old" part, complete with the excuse that they don't know how to use the internets, something I suspect is bullshit in both cases. The minute I catch either one whipping out a smartphone the remaining guns will become suppository's. I would wall hanger that .22 before I messed with pulling a barrel, I can see how easily that could turn into a disaster. Very few .22's are worth the trouble, not all of Marlins .22 designs were worthy of greatness.

i have a model 60 , its a PITA to to work on , but mine has been so reliable over the years ive had to do very little to it
so are you a gunsmith only or are you a FFL too and sell ?
i often wondered if consignments were worth the hassle for shops , i would think that thats taking potential sales of your wares away from you for a nominal consignment fee

I am not a gunsmith or an FFL, I let the C&R expire in 2009 after I had what I wanted and prices were spiking. I am in the scrap business, antique cars and Victrola Phonograph repair, and of course I am a martial arms collector for a long time. I just know a lot of gun guys like me so finding homes for stray old guns is not always a problem. I found homes for most of them here on the board. The guy with the .22 figured if I could rebuild an engine, or make a 100 year old record player work again then I can fix guns also. I can fix some of the more simple things with guns, broken firing pins, basic part swap stuff, but that's it. The guy in question was friends with The Old Man for many years, and one of our oldest living customers so I did what I could. I don't do consignments on anything unless I am trying to help people I have known for a long time. In the old days I would have just bought it all and kept it, but because of decades of doing that I already have pretty much anything I wanted, too much. I cherry picked a few things, unissued Venezuelan Mauser, that Ruger .22 bolt rifle, and an unfired since the factory in 1974 Marlin 336 in .35 rem. That should be it, I have no more friends who will have small collections of firearms to unload. I don't mind helping out, but with the packing and shipping, it's a lot of work. Unlike some antique from 1870 I was restricted to selling these to FFL holders only as they were old but still modern, and none sold local, another pain in the ass. That and I don't like selling guns to the public, the public are homicidally inclined, and batshit crazy. Everything I sold went to people here I have had dealings with for a long time, certified non nutjob. Despite the fact that I had many of everything I sold the temptation to hoard was still there. I sold a Savage No4 Enfield and a US M1903, I have multiples of both, but still... I fought the urge, I didn't fondle them, didn't take them apart, no range testing, barely even wiped the dust off them, into the shipping box they went as is. I even sold a Browning A5 Belgian made light 20 that had been a safe queen for 50 years. I don't shoot clays or bird hunt, yet I still thought hard about keeping it. Out the door it went to someone who will use it.

The 60 was a Marlin success story, countless numbers were sold, probably the most popular Marlin in history, and an overall good rifle if taken care of. There was also a Glenfield equivalent, I had to fix one of them years back for a friend who is still shooting it. The 60 I fixed has been murdering squirrels out of the guys apple tree ever since. They aren't that difficult to do basic repairs on, and parts are easy to find, but then I have had one for over 40 years, and had it apart hundreds of times for cleaning, it's never broken on me, not even a firing pin.