marlin 39a trigger

[timfinle]

First, let me apologize if this has been discussed before but I could not find a forum using the search.

Sunday I used my marlin 39a to shoot pc. Forgetting to change the sight setting from turkeys to Chickens when shooting chickens hurt my score. But that is not the reason for the post.

I noticed the last few times shooting the 39a that when the trigger breaks, there is a short,sharp upward movement of the barrel. This movement is due to the 1 ton trigger pull required to break the trigger. Sort of like my old 10/22 trigger but without the creap. Even with this trigger I can shoot 30 to 33 regularly, but, I would like a better trigger to help get me to the 35 mark. I own 4 marlins, 32 special has a great unmodified by me 2 lb trigger. The 357 is a good trigger, the 308 has an after market wild west trigger and is fantastic, the 39a is terrible. The trigger pull is more than the weight of the gun.

Is there an aftermarket trigger that will help? Does anyone know of a good gunsmith in AZ that will fix the trigger without having to ship the gun out?

[Jason]

The 39a has about the simplest trigger in the world. You can probably do a trigger job on that yourself if you buy a good stone. I tried a couple aftermarket triggers, and even a replacement lower-power spring, on mine to try to improve the pull. I never got it to be better than the factory parts that I smoothed and tweaked myself. I also went back to the factory spring, as the lower-power aftermarket spring also slowed the already-too-slow lock time. Just look where the two parts engage. After smoothing both surfaces (3" x 1/4" ultra fine, triangle-shaped stone works great for this), try it out. This should help a LOT. From there, you can work on engagement distance and angle very slowly. If you're not comfortable with this, any decent gunsmith should be able to take care of it for you. Mordecai is using the 39a that I did the trigger on and it's still working fine. It stayed at a crisp 12 ounces the entire time I owned it after the trigger job.

[timfinle]

Jason,

Thanks for the information. I am with you on changing out the hammer spring. Always it seems, I am putting the factory hammer spring back in and fixing the triggers in a different way. This is especally true on a 22 lr. I have a stone that has a very fine grit (used to polish my knives). It is 3 x1x.25. Any quick instruction for someone who has never taken a trigger apart? I imagine the process uses the take down knob to seperate the action, remove the back stock and then I should be able to see the trigger mechanism. Or, do I just take the back stock off and unscrew the trigger guard to remove the trigger? Any advise is appreciated. Thanks

[bigrobbierob]

Tim, where was the match at?

[mwick]

Do a search on Marlinowners.com, there is quite abit of discussion and some pictures on the 39a trigger.

Mike

[Jason]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to this. As I said, I don't have that Marlin 39a anymore. Mordecai's shooting it in matches now.

I remember it being pretty obvious how everything worked just by taking it down. I do think that I had to remove the buttstock to get to the little flat piece of steel that the trigger spring was attached to. That was pretty easy, too, though.

[timfinle]

Rob,

The match was at Ben Avery.

Jason thanks, I will give it a try.

Mike thanks, I will go to the web site and see if I can get enough info to do the trigger myself.

[timfinle]

Jason and Mike,

Thank you very much for the information. This week, we (Dave and I) made the attempt to improve the trigger on my (I was the guinea pig) 39a. I do not have a trigger gauge, but, I believe we have improved the trigger pull about 50 percent. It feels to be around 3-4 lbs. I think by rounding the square tip on the trigger sear a little more we can get it to 2 lbs. Maybe bending the trigger spring (not hammer) a little more would also help. You know, if someone would make a trigger spring out of a material that would give less tension, it would be a drop in solution for marlin 39a owners. A little thinner wire with a better bend angle is all that would be needed. To me, changing out the hammer spring is not an option as this would reduce lock time.

Again, thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. Marlinowners.com has good trigger information.

[Ramslammer]

G'Day Tim
If you go to Raton for the CLAS Nationals look for the Australian Team (they will be in the loud shirts) and ask for the Stinking Pom. He has a trigger on his 39a you would die for. He'll show you how to get it sweet as a nut and if he says anything tell him the Chairman said to show you. The Toad off this forum also had his very light but it broke that smooth you wouldn't get the trigger past 1/2 cock. It was a bit of a shock when it engaged during a shot.
Anyway the Pom has got a good one so have a look how he did it.
Juddy

[timfinle]

Juddy,

Thanks man, I am hoping to get to Raton. If I do I definantly will look up my Ausie brothers and sisters. If my memory serves me well, thats a good place to start looking for alcoholic beverages.

[RBriscoe]

Tim,

For those of us who did not make it to Raton, how about a report on the Aussie trigger?

Thanks,

Rick

[timfinle]

Rick,

You know, I forgot to get with the POM to check out his trigger. Here's how stupid I feel about that, the aussie guys helped me sight in my 39a (specificly thank you bear). If I remember correctly, they did not have their rifles with them, just beer. By the way, this was the only class that I did okay in.

Since this was first traveling experience, I did not relize that you need to sight in at each range each day because of the changing conditions. I received a phone call while sitting on the plane getting ready to fly to Colorado springs for my drive down to Raton. The first comment out of George's mouth to me was "aren't you going to sight in". My reply was "I already am sighted in" which his reply was "not for Raton". Well, as you can imagine, everything was off and my scores suffered greatly. Live and learn. Next year I will get there a day maybe two early.

[lone ringer]

Tim,

For those of us who did not make it to Raton, how about a report on the Aussie trigger?

Thanks,

Rick

I asked the Ex Pom if I could try the trigger on his 39A and it was fine, wished I could have live fired a few times to really get a fill for it.
I know a great trigger man that lives in Barstow, CA in case anybody is interested in having theirs worked on. He has done most if not all my lever action rifles.
He shoots at LASC on the second weekend of the month and will work your triggers on the spot for $40 each and will redo them until you are satisfied. His name is Jim Henry and he also performs his magic on any Thompson Center Contender and most other firearms.