Marlin Model 9 stuck firing pin spring

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TheNev

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Hi all, hoping you can offer some help.

I picked up a used Model 9 a couple years ago, and couldn't ever get it to run right. I replaced the powdered buffer with a BlackJack buffer, and put in a 21# recoil spring from Wolff and picked up a couple 20rd S&W 59 series mags.

The problem is that the gun will never run through a mag. It will fire 1, maybe 2 rounds, and then just "click". I took it down, cleaned and lubed everything and still the same problem.

I took the bolt out and noticed that maybe the firing pin was too short. I could have an empty case on the breech face, and the firing pin did not protrude from the back of the bolt. I got online to look for a replacement, and that's when I noticed that there should be a firing pin spring. The firing pin rattled in the bolt. Solved my problem, or so I thought.

I got a new spring from Midway, and took it to work (machinist by trade) and drove out the pin holding the firing pin in. Went to install the spring and it wouldn't go all the way in. Grabbed a gage pin to see what diameter the firing pin channel was (figured the spring was too large O.D.) and as I pushed down, the gage pin had some spring to it!

So the problem has now become that I do have a firing pin spring, but it's jammed into the firing pin channel and I have no idea how to get it out. I tried grabbing an undersize drill bit and hoping the flute would catch a coil or two and pull it out, but no luck. Any ideas? I don't want to resort to drilling it out and damaging by bolt, but at this point I don't know what else to do.
 
A fellow gun enthusiast co-worker suggested I try a wood screw of appropriate size to try to pull the spring out. If that doesn't work, I'll give the crochet hook a shot.

When I eventually do get the spring out, I'd like to clean up the firing pin channel (the spring obviously got stuck in there somehow). I'm planning on checking the I.D.'s of the firing pin channel and running an appropriately sized reamer in there. Any reason why I shouldn't? Is there anything I could damage in there by doing that?
 
A proper size tap should snag it out.

Or a bronze bore brush might work even better.

I can't advise you on whether you should run a reamer in it.
If it's a straight hole, couldn't hurt.

But that bronze bore brush chucked in a drill will take everything out Marlin didn't leave in there on purpose without any risk at all.

rc
 
rcModel, the bronze brush is an excellent idea. I'm pretty sure I have an appropriate sized one at home in a cleaning kit. I also have a drill I can chuck it up in and smooth out the firing pin channel.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions guys.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I tried using a machinist's scribe to wiggle the point under a coil but that didn't work. It almost seems like the firing pin peened the counterbore of the firing pin channel, thus trapping the spring. I may have to run a reamer in it anyway.
 
Ok, so I got the firing pin spring out. Used a 8-32 tap and it pulled out something I didn't know it needed. A firing pin bushing. Looked at a schematic, and sure enough it shows it attached to the firing pin. Considering this was the source of my troubles to begin with, is a firing pin bushing necessary? Would it be ok if I replaced only the spring and the firing pin?

Apparently the bushing jammed itself into the firing pin channel keeping the spring from doing it's job.
 
There is no 'firing pin bushing' listed in the parts list or schematic; There wasn't one in the one I rebuilt for my sister. Maybe somebody subbed a shorter spring, and thought they needed a bushing to fill in? IDK. I'd leave it out, and just to be sure, I'd replace the firing pin also.
 
entropy: there isn't a separate detail for the bushing. If you look at the schematic on Numrich's website, the bushing can be seen as a sort of collar on the firing pin. There is a part on MidwayUSA's website that shows a firing pin bushing. For life of me, I can't figure out why a bushing on the firing pin would be necessary.

I don't think the firing pin needs to be replaced, it looks to be in excellent shape. I'll try to get pictures of the whole thing tomorrow. I left everything at work.
 
The whole reason the gun won't fire is because the bushing jammed in the channel, keeping the spring from doing what it's supposed to do. I will include the original bushing, but I'm going to ream the hole open slightly so that the bushing is free to slide in and out of the firing pin channel.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, I'll work on it again tomorrow and post up again when I get a chance to test fire it.
 
If the bolt hole is clean and reasonably smooth?

Reduce & polish the bushing slightly.

Always modify the cheapest replaceable part!!!

You can still get bushings for $3.95.
Or easily make one.

But I don't think you can get bolts, at any price if you screw it up.

rc
 
That's a good point, rcmodel. I'll polish up the bushing a bit instead. Not sure why I didn't think of that myself.
 
UPDATE: I'm replying back to this thread to update all of you, and also to help anyone in the future should they have the same problem. Hopefully this saves you some trouble.

So I got the bolt disassembled again. I ran a .129" reamer through the ID and put a micrometer over the OD and a gage pin through the ID. I could barely get a .183" gage pin in the firing pin channel. I put a micrometer on the OD of the bushing, and it checked .1827" Obviously not nearly enough clearance to float through the firing pin channel. I chucked it up in a drill by getting a 4-40 bolt through the bushing and chucking on the thread of the bolt. I used some sandpaper while the drill was turning, and got the OD down to .180". I got everything back together, and it appeared that the firing pin was now doing what it was intended to do. It protruded very slightly out of the back of the bolt, and when pushed, it came out of the bolt face. When I stopped pushing, the spring did it's thing and retracted the firing pin.

I fired it yesterday, and it worked flawlessly. Only got 40 rounds through it with the time I had, but it worked great and was plenty accurate. 16oz water-bottle at 50 yards open sights and unsupported. Good enough for me.

Thanks again everyone for all the help and ideas.
 
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