Curious Relics #081: The Marlin A1 Semi Auto Conservation Part IV
Sam.S 01.10.24
Welcome to the 4th and final installment of our Marlin A1 Saga. In the previous parts, we explored the history, variations, dating intricacies, and accessory landscape of these affordable 22 rifles. To wrap things up, we’ll now run down a recent range trip which you will find yielded some different results and requires a further explanation. Let’s dive right in!
Recent Content in Curious Relics:
- Curious Relics #080: The Marlin A1 Semiautomatic 22LR Part III
- Curious Relics #079: The Automatic 1 – Marlin A1 Part II
- Curious Relics #078: Back From The Dead – Marlin A1
- Curious Relics #074: A Historic Gem – The Spanish Ruby
- Curious Relics #075: A Dime a Dozen – The Spanish Ruby Pistol
- Curious Relics #076: Ruby in The Rough – Spanish Ruby Pistol
- Curious Relics #077: Ruby at The Range – Spanish Ruby Pistol
Welcome to our recurring series of “Curious Relics.” Here, we want to share all of our experiences, knowledge, misadventures, and passion for older firearms that one might categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that is at least 50 years old according to the ATF. Hopefully along the way you can garner a greater appreciation for older firearms like we do, and simultaneously you can teach us things as well through sharing your own expertise and thoughts in the Comments. Understanding the firearms of old, their importance, and their development which lead to many of the arms we now cherish today is incredibly fascinating and we hope you enjoy what we have to share, too!
Range Time: Marlin A1
So as I just mentioned in the introduction, the usual Curious Relic range day did not go as the rest have. This is mainly my fault for having a little too much confidence in springs that looked in good health but had already been rusted and restored. I went to the range and set up a target at about 15 yards. I figured this was good enough for a typical farm/barn gun accuracy test and the first three shots yielded very fine results. I had a group that could have fit into a quarter. You may be thinking “Well the magazines hold six don’t they?”. Yep, they do. I started to get both feeding issues as well as light strikes.
It seems that the magazine catch was failing. I tried inserting the five magazines I had and not would stay attached. I went as far as holding them in while cycling and attempting to shoot but the light strikes continued. This is almost definitely not a firing pin problem since it’s in mint condition and there were strikes but faint. I should mention I was using a mixed bag of old ammunition (I mean 10+ years old junky ammo). I failed to get a shot off the rest of my range trip.
As I alluded to in my earliest Marlin A1 article, this gun went through a conversion process which brought it back to life from being a rusty boat anchor. That is cataloged below and a more in-depth discussion can be found over at TFB.
This gun aside from being in rough shape was missing parts and parts were broken. The buttplate was busted, the front sight was loose, the rear was missing, the charging handle was lost and two internal parts were made from scratch decades ago by its previous owner. One such part was the magazine catch which though crude actually functioned enough to rattle off and feed rounds in early function tests. The other part was one of the two guide rods. While working on this gun I noticed that someone had crafted a guide rod from a nail. My thought was that this was cute and if it all worked then why get rid of the unique character of this gun. This obviously came back to bite me.
That being said I have no photos from the range but will post below when the day comes that this is back in working order. It should be an easy fix for me and I will report back when that day comes.
Conservation: Marlin A1
The Marlin A1 .22 rifle had been left in my grandfather’s garage for years. It was rusted with some missing parts when my father and I rediscovered it. I decided to go through conserving the decades-old rifle without having to fully restore or reblue it.
I disassembled the rifle, soaked all parts in penetrating oil for lubrication, then subjected them to extended boiling or steaming. This heating process softened and detached the layers of rust so it could be brushed off, but did not alter the original metal finishes underneath. Using a carding wheel and steel wool, I gently removed the loosened rust, revealing areas of intact bluing on most metal components.
After brushing off all rust, I thoroughly cleaned and oiled the parts before reassembling them. Though still well-worn, the rifle now functioned properly when handled and dry-fired. For the wooden stock, light cleaning with soap and water, gentle sanding, and a fresh coat of Danish oil were all that was needed.
Through this firearms conservation technique focused on steam, mechanical cleaning, and retention of original finishes, decades of rust and neglect were reversed without damaging what remained of the rifle’s finish beneath. It remains a worn, character-filled artifact rather than a restored collector’s piece. With proper upkeep, the decades-old Marlin should continue functioning for years to come.
The simple process brought this rusted relic back to usable form. No caustic chemicals nor removal and reapplication of surface finishes were required. Just water, heat, gentle friction, and care for what was already there.
Final Thoughts: Marlin A1
In my opinion, the forend on this Marlin A1 is a bit chunky in hand. However, the sights align cleanly and the safety is smooth. While the magazine catch and release feel unfortunately cheap, overall this rifle fills the role of a serviceable farm gun despite its neglected condition. For an affordable workhorse firearm, it’s unsurprising it was simply set aside after one repair too many until I revived it recently through conservation.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics segment informed as well as entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We did not just realize how guns were supposed to look and function. It was a long and tedious process that has shaped the world we live in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm out there that you feel does not get much notoriety? What should our next Curious Relics topic cover? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
