Correcting a headspace issue in a lever gun

whoadog

whoadog

Member
I have a Marlin Glenfield 30-30 I got when I was twelve (50 years ago) and I decided to rescope it. This gun has only had about 50 rounds through it in those 50 years. When sighting in the other day I noticed the primers were very proud (sticking out of the case head) about .013 on all the empty hulls. The last rounds I shot were Hornady LR and 6 of the eleven rounds I shot split not at the mouth of the case but starting about 3/16" from the mouth and splitting down through the shoulder. Several had two splits 180* apart. I also had four or five failure to fire in the total of about 30 rounds I shot. Since then I've read all I can about these issues and it seems common to have some protruding primers but not more than .010. I measured the head space with a no go gauge I made (SAMMI max is .070) and the action closed on it. I also measured it by using a partially seated primer in a sized case and got similar results indicating the head space is greater than .070 in this gun. I have a couple questions:
First, is there a way for a gunsmith to adjust the headspace with out setting back the barrel in a lever gun by adding material to the locking lug? Second, does anyone know a good gunsmith they could recommend that deals with the Marlins. I have not called Marlin as I heard that they don't deal with these older guns since Remington bought them out. Any suggestions?
 
Any competent gunsmith can set the barrel back and correct that headspace. This is the only correct way to fix your problem.


However, you can custom make handloads that will correct the problem as well. They would be Taylor made for only that chamber and would function safety.

Create a false shoulder to take up that headspace. Fire form and be happy, but setting the barrel back and correcting headspace is the best, or you could just make it work for you.
 
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Originally Posted By: SmokelessAny competent gunsmith can set the barrel back and correct that headspace. This is the only correct way to fix your problem.


However, you can custom make handloads that will correct the problem as well. They would be Taylor made for only that chamber and would function safety.

Create a false shoulder to take up that headspace. Fire form and be happy, but setting the barrel back and correcting headspace is the best, or you could just make it work for you.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Or you could hang it above the fire place and buy a new one.
 
I understand about fire forming some cases and moving the shoulders forward to headspace off the shoulder but this seems to be a little extreme splitting cases to be safe. If it was just backing out primers that's probably what I'd do. I guess if I had a pile of 30-30 cases I could go through them and sort the ones with the thickest rims. Hey Winny Fan do you know a competent gun smith around you. The only guys I know around here are years behind getting out work. I would be interested in seeing what it would cost to fix right, mainly to make it safe and usable for an extra grand kid gun. Thanks for the info guys!
 
Excess head space on old levers is not uncommon and most just live with it but splitting cases is not normal even with headspace problems. I would try a different name brand of ammo, you may some hard brass, not common but I have seen it. In 30 years of gunsmithing I was never asked to correct the headspace on a lever but when serving my apprenticeship my boss/instructor did it by setting the bolt forward
 
I would start reloading, buy some cases load em a hair on the light side but enough to blow out the case shoulder, just cut powder charge a few grains, resize them cases down to .005 under what they were after you fired them.
 
I have a 308 ruger that I can close the bolt on a factory cartridge with 5 pieces of scotch tape{003] fitted on back of the case over the primer end[poormanswaytocheckexcessheadspace#]Should be 2 max. One @.003 would be even better. But I reload and just set my size die back after firing to push the shoulder back .003 and the rifle shoots great. Give it a try before you give up on the gun or sell it to me, I always wanted a Marlin 30-30 lever, not kidding.
 


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