Picked this orphan up it is a National Fire Arms Co 12ga pump Made by Marlin. It is their 1898 model 21 I believe since it is a takedown model with a straight stock. From what I've read these were deemed unsafe to shoot by the Marlin Co around 1998. I first thought it was a variation of a Winchester 1897 until I got it home. I figured it would make a interesting project, and since I've only got $15 in it worse case I could part it out. It is missing a few screws (probably like me), and the ejector nothing else major that I can tell. Got the internals of the action out. Got the mag tube slid forward going try, and unscrew the barrel tonight left hand threads. If anyone has had experience with these I would like to hear about it not much info online.
Picked Up A Project Shotgun
- Thread starter merl67
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My question would be, Why did they determine they were unsafe?
Failure to lock up, chamber failures????
Failure to lock up, chamber failures????
They are deemed unsafe because if it fires out of battery. The bolt can leave the receiver striking the shooters head at a high rate of speed. These shotguns do not have any disconnect features. I’ve owed several of the marlins, never slam fired any of them because of this potential situation. It looks like a fun project. Good luck.
OP
If, and I stess if the safety features incorporated fail it can fire out of battery. My thoughts are any gun could possibly do that. This gun by virtue of still being intact hasn't done that looks like someone took it apart years ago then for reasons unknown either couldn't get it back together or chose not to. It is missing the ejector , recoil block, and a few screws all which are headed my way. I have the gun completely stripped down so far I've seen nothing that gives me much concern it has light surface rust but the surfaces are fairly smooth so should clean up well. The forearm appears to be homemade I may fire up the woodshop, and see what I can come up with or see if perhaps a more common forearm can be modified to work. Anyway I think it will be a fun project.
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This video explains the hazards better than I can. https://youtu.be/GrOabReKI_I
Ivan the Butcher
Member
The Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) has banned them from their competitions, because of the potential safety issues. The safety declaration by Marlin was an attempt to head off possible lawsuits from people that had no real business handling century old guns of questionable design.
The warning "Have gun inspected by a qualified Gunsmith." has left me wondering if I thought a few of the "gunsmiths" around my area would be qualified to inspect for safety purposes anything beyond a squirt gun!
Ivan
The warning "Have gun inspected by a qualified Gunsmith." has left me wondering if I thought a few of the "gunsmiths" around my area would be qualified to inspect for safety purposes anything beyond a squirt gun!
Ivan
OP
Around here all we have are a few that will build you a AR 15 or swap parts out on Glocks.
OP
Well I've got the Shotgun functioning. I originally paid $15 I do got a bit more in it now lol. I found some
2-1/2 shells don't know if I'll shoot it though....
2-1/2 shells don't know if I'll shoot it though....
AudieMurphy
Member
as a safety precaution....use a string tied to the trigger and stay behind a tree routine.....
Marlin advised not to shoot those Hammer Pump models as far back as the early 70's when I worked there.
There are a bunch if design differences in them, but the main thing is the locking bolt.
It is a simple teeter-totter type arrangement inside the hollow bolt.
The locking bolt tips downward at the rear to sit against the recv'r right below the hammer.
The problem is that there are a couple of different things that can go wrong where the bolt doesn't tip down and lock when the bolt is closed.
But the hammer can drop , strike the firing pin and the pin can strike the primer of a cartridge in the chamber.
There is nothing to hold the breech shut other than the shooters hand on the forend at that point and you can figure what the result(s) can end up being.
The designs being slightly different model to model do have things like a firing pin disconnector, a disconnector so the hammer can't drop if the bolt isn't closed& locked,,normal safety features you'd expect in a mechanism like this. But they are weak in design and wear easily were they are featured generally.
The added Slide Release on the right side not featured on the earliest designs has it's own weaknesses. The internal part that engages the bolt is very fragile and thin and can crack easily. It's case hardened and often over hardened.
Just not a very good gathering of design and build.
There are a bunch if design differences in them, but the main thing is the locking bolt.
It is a simple teeter-totter type arrangement inside the hollow bolt.
The locking bolt tips downward at the rear to sit against the recv'r right below the hammer.
The problem is that there are a couple of different things that can go wrong where the bolt doesn't tip down and lock when the bolt is closed.
But the hammer can drop , strike the firing pin and the pin can strike the primer of a cartridge in the chamber.
There is nothing to hold the breech shut other than the shooters hand on the forend at that point and you can figure what the result(s) can end up being.
The designs being slightly different model to model do have things like a firing pin disconnector, a disconnector so the hammer can't drop if the bolt isn't closed& locked,,normal safety features you'd expect in a mechanism like this. But they are weak in design and wear easily were they are featured generally.
The added Slide Release on the right side not featured on the earliest designs has it's own weaknesses. The internal part that engages the bolt is very fragile and thin and can crack easily. It's case hardened and often over hardened.
Just not a very good gathering of design and build.
OP
To those concerned. I have a spare tire rig that I use to test such guns. My plan would be to shoot it first from this rig with a string. If that goes well I might venture to shoot from the shoulder carefully making sure with each shot the bolt cannot be opened no rapid shots or any such thing. I may not shoot it at all as I enjoy my forehead non perforated it already has enough scars from putting it through the side window of my 1978 Datsun 510 hatchback. I have already learned a bunch about a gun I have never worked on before that's the part I enjoy most.
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