Right after I acquired the Marlin 45 Camp Carbine last week I put in an order with Midway. I ordered three extra 21# recoil springs and four stock buffers. It occurred to me today, as I was opening the package, that it seems I have already made up my mind about keeping this gun since ordering this many extras, and the expense involved, would suggest that ‘flipping it’ was never really part of the plan. So be it.
I’ll strip out the existing recoil spring and buffer, both of unknown age and condition, and replace them with the new. They may be just fine, but I don’t know that. They could have ten rounds in their history or they could have ten thousand. I just don’t know. So….replacements it is.
I also picked up a pic rail for it. Impulse purchase. But I bet a little red dot pistol sight like a Holosun of some flavor would be really handy on this thing.
One thing I hate about logistics is having to carry around spare parts for the life of my ownership of a gun. For example, I have a large .50 cal. ammo can with “P35” written on it in big letters. In it are spare parts, exploded diagrams, spare magazines, extra grips, extra holsters, etc, etc. And I have to keep that around for as long as I own that gun. (Yeah, technically I dont have to do anything…but if I’m holding onto a gun for the long-term it gets a support package like that.)
The Marlin was discontinued in 1999 and it’s propensity for eating stocks is a very well known issue. The treatment (because it isnt a fix) is to replace the buffer once in a while. Numbers I see call for replacing the buffer around 5,000 rounds. I don’t think I’ve shot 5,000 rounds of .45 ACP over my life. If that replacement schedule is to be believed, I’ve got enough buffers to last for 20,000 rounds and I’d surprised if I ever fire enough ammo through it to even make it to the first buffer swap.
But…maybe someday something will come across my path that I really want and the Marlin may come as trade goods. Or maybe I’ll keep it for the rest of my life. In either case, having the spares just makes the gun that much more attractive.
For those that have a Marlin carbine and haven’t laid in extras….I sourced mine from Midway and they were manufactured by Power Custom:
We had no doubts from the beginning that you were keeping it.
The Ruger LC Carbine folds up and fits better in your pickup. So far no spring problems and its on sale at Palmetto.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/ruger-lc-carbine-45-acp-16-25-13rd-rifle-black-19309.html
I have the LC Carbine in .45, as mentioned in the earlier post, and, IMHO, it sucks.
It wouldn’t hurt to also have an extra firing pin and spring, along with extractor / spring and ejector just in case…
Good use of logic on your part. Especially adding the dot sight possibility for this – I don’t think .45ACP is noted for extreme accuracy and a dot sight for hitting a tea cup size target inside 25 yards much faster makes a lot of sense. Maybe a sling would be worth it too.
To me, this carbine sounds a lot like a .45 caliber M1 carbine package. I wonder if a similar dual magazine pouch for the stock would be hard to find – build.
The pouch arrangements arent hard to set up. Just grab a law enforcement style double mag pouch and run some sort of velcro strap through the belt loops, around the stock, and cinch tight. I did that on my original Ruger 9mm carbines.
https://i0.wp.com/www.commanderzero.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/thumbnail.jpg?ssl=1
I had forgotten about that post. Thank you for the link back to it.
As you are keeping it and it’s known to break stocks are you planning on strengthening the wrist by embedding a steel rod or the brass pins brownell’s sell?
Swapping out to a Choate stock.