Federal Range & Field ammo ?

[newbie1234]

So, moving away from debate tactics, I shoot automatch exclusively through my Marlin Model 60. When I first got my rifle it wouldn't cycle anything. After polishing the feed throat, feed ramp, and the entire bolt assembly it functions 100%. It only stops when it's too dirty to continue. Have you done any work on the various guns like that to see if it would help?

The rifle :
- Clean ? YES, field trip and clean after every range trip.
- Polished the feed ramp ? NO, will do it.
- Double check the spring for "penny & nickel trick" , NO, will do it.

[Vee3]

The rifle :
- Clean ? YES, field trip and clean after every range trip.
- Polished the feed ramp ? NO, will do it.
- Double check the spring for "penny & nickel trick" , NO, will do it.

I see from your original post that you have a 60SS. I have a 70PSS (same basic receiver as the 60SS) One thing that's different about the SS models compared to the blued ones is the thick clear coat they put on the receivers. Problem is, Marlin doesn't much worry about masking off the inside of the receiver, so overspray gets in there. My 70PSS would not even feed Mini-Mags well until I cleaned the coating out of the receiver (bolt was dragging). It's a tough coating, and takes some elbow grease to remove it. I used coarse Scotch-Brite.

The nickel/penny trick will often fix ejection issues, but that doesn't seem to be what you're experiencing. Something related though, is the possibility that the end of your lifter spring (other end of the spring that forms the ejector) is dragging on the inside of the R/H side plate that houses the firing group. It's a common problem in the 60s that causes feeding issues similar to what you're seeing in yours. I had to fix it on my 1984 60; the lifter would stick in the down position much of the time. Probably why the gun was near new condition when I bought it a few years ago.

To see if the above is your problem, remove the firing group and push on the lifter, watching the end of the lifter spring. Its end should not touch the plate. If it does, you can get in there and tweak it slightly away from the plate with needle-nose pliers.

I have four Marlin .22 auto variants, and all of them benefited from a simple "fluff & buff" of the receiver, bolt and a few other moving parts. All of them will now fire standard and high velocity ammo with no problems.

There's a ton of info on RFC in the Marlin auto section. Arrowdodger (penny/nickel trick inventor) posts there regularly and can usually diagnose a problem after guys answer a few questions about it.

[pennstater]

To go off topic for just a second: Vee3, that cat in your avatar looks pissed! LMAO.

[Vee3]

Yeah, she got out when she was about a year old. Some nice person figured she would look good covered in house paint; pic was taken right after the vet shaved all of her fur off.

12 years later she's none the worse for wear. And she never leaves the property. One of the few ways to train a cat I guess...