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Marlin Appleseed LTR and some 7th step stuff

Started by Big John, April 07, 2014, 11:25:11 AM

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Big John

Took my coworker who is going to the April 19th Appleseed at Redbrush out there yesterday to shoot some.
I would have just recommended reading up on the positions and the six steps of the shot, and letting
Mr. Mudcat and company teach him all, but he hadn't shot this rifle yet, so I figured he could at least sight it in.

I did attempt to throw him a ringer by giving him one of my 10-22s and a redcoat target, which he hit most of,
so that was good. Broke out the LTR, and it needed some 1/2 inch of adjustment on a grid target, but being nicely
on paper on the first shots was good. The sling has the proper loops, hooks, and clamps to use correctly, but it seems
to be a 1 inch width as opposed to 1.25" like the USGI slings you buy off Midway. The Tech Sights detented well,
but needed movement with a punch pin; would not go by hand. We used a cotter pin removal tool, which is great
for a lot of things, to move the sight wheel.

Last round bolt hold open (which you don't see on a Ruger) worked well, as did the safety, trigger, bolt release, and mags. No flush fit mag for this one, though it did not seem to be a problem. We went through the positions, and I banged
around with my Marlin 39A lever action, which I've got sling and a good rear sight coming for it in the mail, so I'm looking
forward to lever action and tube fed shenanigans come Patriot's Day.

I threw up an AQT target for him as the last thing we did, he did all right. With real instruction, he should polish up into a Rifleman in short to medium order, I think.

Overall, the Marlin LTR seems to be a very good rifle for Appleseed, especially how you could buy it, and take it straight to one. There are better accessories and trigger packs and optics and such if you put together your own, but a lot of people won't want to do that, so it gets an A from me for its intended role.

TJ Kackowski

Excellent work Big John.

FYI, Tech Sights has a tool to adjust the sights installed on the Marlin LTR.  You'll want to look for Item #TS211 - Sight Tool for Adjusting TS220 ($5.00 + shipping) on their web site. 

However, as you've already learned, there are other tools readily available to adjust these sights.  I've seen a golf tee also used with great success.

Something to watch for when using the manual bolt hold open on the Marlin LTR (bolt all the way back and charging handle pushed into the receiver).  With this engaged, the bolt release tab by the trigger will flop about ... this may cause people some concern ... nothing is broken, there's just no pressure on the last shot bolt holder since you've manually locked the bolt open.

I've also been messing around with my Marlin 39A.  The transition stages are causing me fits!  Something I have learned is that I need to use the kneeling position in lieu of the sitting position.  A little more practice and I think I'll be ready to give an AQT a real go with this rifle.

Brown

Sling width was done on purpose. When we set this up with Marlin price point is EVERYTHING in the 22 market so they tried to shave every dollar they could and still make it to my recommendations. The sling was one of the things cut back on. I think it saved them $2 over the USGI 1.25" cotton sling when they source it from Tech sights.

Just like I dont love the swivels on it because I tend to break the steel ones with the tension I like on the sling so I put stainless swivels on all of mine. small price to pay.

Quote from: Big John on April 07, 2014, 11:25:11 AM
Took my coworker who is going to the April 19th Appleseed at Redbrush out there yesterday to shoot some.
I would have just recommended reading up on the positions and the six steps of the shot, and letting
Mr. Mudcat and company teach him all, but he hadn't shot this rifle yet, so I figured he could at least sight it in.

I did attempt to throw him a ringer by giving him one of my 10-22s and a redcoat target, which he hit most of,
so that was good. Broke out the LTR, and it needed some 1/2 inch of adjustment on a grid target, but being nicely
on paper on the first shots was good. The sling has the proper loops, hooks, and clamps to use correctly, but it seems
to be a 1 inch width as opposed to 1.25" like the USGI slings you buy off Midway. The Tech Sights detented well,
but needed movement with a punch pin; would not go by hand. We used a cotter pin removal tool, which is great
for a lot of things, to move the sight wheel.

Last round bolt hold open (which you don't see on a Ruger) worked well, as did the safety, trigger, bolt release, and mags. No flush fit mag for this one, though it did not seem to be a problem. We went through the positions, and I banged
around with my Marlin 39A lever action, which I've got sling and a good rear sight coming for it in the mail, so I'm looking
forward to lever action and tube fed shenanigans come Patriot's Day.

I threw up an AQT target for him as the last thing we did, he did all right. With real instruction, he should polish up into a Rifleman in short to medium order, I think.

Overall, the Marlin LTR seems to be a very good rifle for Appleseed, especially how you could buy it, and take it straight to one. There are better accessories and trigger packs and optics and such if you put together your own, but a lot of people won't want to do that, so it gets an A from me for its intended role.
I have noticed you get things done and I respect that-SPQR

JSW

Shot my best standing group ever with LTR .  Just sayin!  Love it

PaleRider

Gotta give it to Marlin, it was sighted in at the factory! The sling ain't bad either. It'll get the job done. Just got done giving it the trigger job from FogCityTactical on Youtube, and that baby's down to a 3.5lb trigger! After shaving the magwell a bit, the mag drops free as well! Ready for action next Friday!
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." Rev 6:8

SPQR

JSW-While I will be the first to tout the value of the LTR it was your shooting that improved the groups, not the arrow.
"It is amazing to watch the intricate dance of the Indiana instructors playing off each other's strengths. No ego involved. Just doing what needs to be done by the person best suited to do it to give the shooters what they need." - Miki

"Indiana rules!" - Nero

"We all need Bedford." - brianheeter

Unbridled Liberty

That trigger job was the worst thing I ever did to my original 795 that I bought in 2010.  It made it unreliable and ultimately unusable.  I struggled with it for a year before I went back to the unmodified factory spring.  Now it goes bang 99.9% of the time.  I hope your story is better.  The drop free mag mod, on the other hand, is a very worthwhile feature, especially on a loaner.  Best wishes.

UL
For Liberty, each Freeman Strives
As its a Gift of God
And for it willing yield their Lives
And Seal it with their Blood

Thrice happy they who thus resign
Into the peacefull Grave
Much better there, in Death Confin'd
Than a Surviving Slave

This Motto may adorn their Tombs,
(Let tyrants come and view)
"We rather seek these silent Rooms
Than live as Slaves to You"

Lemuel Haynes, 1775

AuntieBellum

I finally got to spend some quality time with my Marlin LTR yesterday. I am REALLY happy with it.  TJ made a great suggestion to move my rear sight back, and it made all the difference. If you're struggling to see the front post, unscrew that sight and move it!  Based on our super- quick poll of the Marlin LTRs present, none of those sights came from the factory set in the same place so don't think it's screwed on at some mysteriously perfect spot. It's not. Move it.

Side note: TJ is one smart cookie. That IIT3 had no problems telling a SB what to fix. I like it.   O0
"Nothing is as strong as the heart of a volunteer."
-Lt. Colonel James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, US Army Air Corps, 1942

"You smell like Appleseed." - Rimshot

Big John

I hope my buddy and I can get back to the range Friday if our schedules permit. If not, I'll go myself,
I need to work out the kinks in this Marlin lever action. I made some speedloaders from a couple things
I found at Walmart; they have some some "soda straws" that have good end caps, and some "mason jar"
straws that are long enough, when you put the end cap on it about halfway, to exactly hold ten rounds.
Trim down the other end so it has a bit of a leading edge, and they'll dump right in. However, it seems some
times you may need an eleventh round to eject, so maybe they need to be longer, which I can do by taping
two together, although that may be for semi auto tube rifles only. Found some clarification below.

http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=17996.msg145420#msg145420
http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=19931.msg157611#msg157611

I'll bring some 10/22s along in case this Marlin gets upset with me trying to put it back into service after
years of an uncertain history and suffers technical difficulties.

As for the LTR and my friend, he declined my offer of a wider sling (though I'll bring a spare anyway in case he changes
his mind, with loops to make it work) and I'll mention the sight move, if he finds it necessary. He seemed to be handling
the rifle ok, and shot respectable stages his first time, so it should be good to go.

Charles McKinley

If you cut the metal tab off of a 1 1/4" sling it will go through a 1" loop. (If cotton whip stitch it to keep it from unraveling, nylon melt together)  I've done it on the Ruger factory loops.  The J hook for the but end you will have to grind down to fit.  Not a perfect solution but it works.
Last evening, it occurred to me that when a defender of Liberty is called home, their load lands upon the shoulders of the defenders left behind. Just as the Founders did their duty for Liberty, every subsequent generation must continue their work lest Liberty perish. As there is no way for the remaining adults to take on the work of those that die, we must pass the ideals and duties on to the children. -PHenery

TJ Kackowski

Big John,    Here's a link to the a write-up I did on the tube speed loaders I use ... http://ingunowners.com/forums/appleseed/316111-tubular-magazine-speed-loaders.html

Very sturdy and very affordable. 

During the preparation period, I pull the whole inner tube and empty the speed loader, then re-insert and lock-in the inner tube.  Chamber flag stays put until given the load command.

Big John

Quote from: TJ Kackowski on April 14, 2014, 10:07:58 PM
Big John,    Here's a link to the a write-up I did on the tube speed loaders I use ... http://ingunowners.com/forums/appleseed/316111-tubular-magazine-speed-loaders.html

Very sturdy and very affordable. 

During the preparation period, I pull the whole inner tube and empty the speed loader, then re-insert and lock-in the inner tube.  Chamber flag stays put until given the load command.

Nice. I bookmarked it for next time. Soda straws this weekend because I'm out of time. Better ideas, (ie yours) next time.

PaleRider

@Unbridled Liberty, the trigger job is working flawlessly. I didn't really see anything it that should have given you that much trouble unless something was done that wasn't quite the same as what he did. Most of the work shouldn't have really done more than minor tweaking. The biggest difference is using the 3.5 floppy spring in place of the trigger spring, but all you're looking for there is that the trigger returns to it's original position. The only other thing I can think of is that you failed to attempt to "flatten" the hammer spring after cutting the single coil. Either way, it has greatly improved my new rifle.

I'm glad you said something, though, or I wouldn't have taken it back to the range to try out before handing it to my wife for her first AS this Friday.
Tim
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." Rev 6:8