Installing New Band on Marlin 60 Magazine

[Chips O'Toole]

I made the mistake of buying a Marlin 60. Most disappointing gun ever. After Marlin replaced the first one I bought, I took the replacement out and shot it, and the tube magazine fell out. The pin that holds it in disappeared.

After almost two years of not even wanting to look at this gun, I ordered a new pin. These pins are supposed to fit tightly. The new pin can be shoved into the band's base with a fingernail. Obviously, the band is defective. The holes are too big.

I can't fix the giant holes in the band, and I don't want to jam a larger pin in there against the magazine, so I ordered a new band.

Can anyone advise me on the proper tools for drifting the old band out of the barrel and installing the new one? I don't want to bang the gun up. It might conceivably function if I can get the magazine to stay on.

Also, is there a reasonably safe way to get a loose pin to stay in place so I can use the gun while I wait for the new band? I guess I could put Gorilla Tape on it.

 

[epanzella]

Locktite

 

[MontanaLon]

Many ways to fix it. Loctite isn't a bad idea, but if you already have a pin and just need the hole to be smaller in the band, you could drill it out, put a filler in it. I'd probably do a tapered pin, drill a proper sized hole through it and then ream out the inside of the band so it clears the tube when you reassemble.

Other options, peen the edges of the hole that is there now so the pin is tight.

A dab of silver solder on the pin to give it some grip in the larger hole.

A bit of JB Weld on each end of the pin.

Marlin under Remington has had many issues with quality. My Model 60 from 30 years ago, bought for $53.99 was a workhorse. Accurate as all get out too. Accounted for many squirrels, prairie dogs and other critters over the years. Probably had in excess of 50,000 rounds, probably closer to 100,000 and wouldn't surprise me if it was over that, through it when it was stolen. That was back when you could get a 525 round milk carton for $5.97 at Walmart.

If I still had it today it would get a mil-dot scope or one with trajectory reticle in it. Any prairie dog within 300 yards was going to get shot at back then, but it was all Kentucky elevation using the duplex crosshairs. I hit quite a few out at 250+ yards by walking the bullets into them. Those towns were well off the beaten path and rarely got shot so the dogs would stand there as you rained down all 14 rounds around them and then let you reload to keep trying. I'm not saying I hit with any percentage, but they were dumb enough the odds would eventually catch up with them.

 

[Chips O'Toole]

I'm not too thrilled with this thing. I think the people who are crazy about them probably don't know how cheap the innards are, and as you say, the QC doesn't seem great.

I tried Loctite, but I ordered a couple of parts anyway in case the pin falls out again.

It has gorgeous figuring on the wood, and I installed a peep sight and a good sling, but the insides are still not impressive.

 

[MontanaLon]

I'm not too thrilled with this thing. I think the people who are crazy about them probably don't know how cheap the innards are, and as you say, the QC doesn't seem great.

I tried Loctite, but I ordered a couple of parts anyway in case the pin falls out again.

It has gorgeous figuring on the wood, and I installed a peep sight and a good sling, but the insides are still not impressive.

I don't think the guts of it were ever impressive. The trigger wasn't spectacular by any stretch and most of the pieces in the trigger group were stamped sheet metal, or pot metal. But it worked ever bit as good as my buddy's 10/22 and was more accurate too. But the cheap construction back then was good enough for what it needed to do. Only issues I ever had with it were when it was hot and dirty. 525 rounds in a prairie dog town will gum up any semiauto 22. But it would function for a whole milk carton and then some with a squirt of lube. Cleaning was easy too, everything in the trigger was open, hose it down with crud cutter and it was clean. Qtip out the bolt and receiver and it was good for another 1,000 or so. Seriously there were days we went back to Walmart twice for ammo.

The newer ones I haven't had much experience with. Moved to the .17 for squirrel hunting and don't get any prairie dogging in.

 

[epanzella]

I had a Marlin mdl 60 30 years ago. Even then the quality was not great and it could never empty the magazine two times in a row without jamming. Ive got at least 1000 rounds thru my Ruger 10-22 without a jam.

 

[Dhal22]

I've owned a Marlin 60 most of my life. Cheap, yes but cheap so i may have 3-4 of them. Little Tasco scope and I can light a match with it it's so accurate. Keep it clean.

 

[Silverbullet]

You could egg shape the pin on the end . Hold the pin and peen it so its bulged and try in hole. Mash some lead or brass paper thin roll and press a bit in hole before punching pin in place. Theres two ways im sure will work if you dont want a bigger pin. Good luck many great guns are the ones helped by shooter - hobby gunsmith. We know it can be done so we do it.