Trigger job on 336 Marlin

ripplerider

Senior Member
Anyone on here ever had this done? I want to hunt with mine this year. I put a Leupold scope on it and I'm getting pretty good groups but I'm not satisfied with the heavy trigger pull. I guess I'm spoiled with the crisp trigger on my Model 700. It's been my experience that a heavy trigger pull can cause me to shoot high in the heat of the moment. I missed my biggest buck ever seen like this with a muzzleloader.
 

wareagle700

Senior Member
The muzzle loader could have been due to the delay in the powder ignition rather than heavy trigger. Or jerking the trigger in anticipation rather than squeezing. Usually its an issue with fundamentals rather than pull weight. That can be easily fixed with practice. If you are certain you need a lighter trigger, make for darn sure the person working on it knows what they are doing (no garage gunsmiths). I've never messed with a Marlin trigger, all mine break clean around 4 lbs. To me, thats about perfect for a hunting rifle.

You might get what you want trying a drop in part like this:
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/triggers-parts/triggers/trigger-happy-kit-prod16630.aspx
 

rayjay

Senior Member
Very simple trigger/hammer/sear set up. Take the hammer and trigger out and look at the way they work to get an idea of which surfaces need to be polished. No real metal removal, just a smoothing up. Then look at the trigger return spring. A lighter weight spring would be the first part to replace. I would think there would be lots of articles and videos out there.

I did an 1894 way back in the mid 70's. Pretty simple stuff.
 

ripplerider

Senior Member
The muzzleloader miss I'll never forget wasnt slow ignition though I experienced that one other time. I've killed a lot of deer and one bear with muzzleloaders. I missed that time because that muzzleloader, an old Hawken .45 cal., had a set trigger as well as the primary one. you could shoot it withot setting the trigger but the pull was pretty heavy. Jumped this tremendous buck, he ran in a half circle and stopped not knowing exactly where I was, didnt have time to set the trigger and shot right over his back. Back to the Marlin's trigger. After looking on the interwebs it seems like a lot of folks have benefitted from a trigger job. Anyone on here ever tried it? Posted this before I saw rayjays answer. Did you replace the hammer return spring or flatten it out?
 
You can also Google "wild west happy trigger" to see if you'd prefer that. I bought a .444P that had one installed and it is quite nice.
 

rayjay

Senior Member
Posted this before I saw rayjays answer. Did you replace the hammer return spring or flatten it out?

No way I'm remembering details from that long ago :)
 

jmoser

Senior Member
Marlin lever guns are super easy to work on trigger pull; any competent smith should be able to lighten up the pull and reduce creep without any new parts. I have done 4 or 5 myself on 1894/95 rifles [336 is same internal setup.]

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/basic-triggers/21382-reduce-your-leverguns-trigger-pull.html

The Wild West replacement is nice but a big $$ investment in a relatively low $$ gun if you can live with the 'flop' in the factory trigger reset.
 
The Wild West trigger is pricey, but I am extremely happy with mine:clap:

Agree! It was already installed in the .444P that I traded for, but without a doubt much nicer than the other dozen or so Marlins I own. :cool:

I will add, however, that on a M336 that hasn't had a lot of use, sitting an evening or two and simply racking the action and dry firing will smooth out the action and trigger pull. On the post '83 models I own, I leave the HBS in the on position as I fire. For the trigger only, you can simply sit and pull the hammer back and dry fire. One warning; your wife might not enjoy watching TV with you as you do this. :shoot:
 

SC Hunter

Senior Member
I traded into a 336 30-30 last year that has a Wild West trigger systems in it. It breaks crisp and clean about 3 pounds, it wears a leupold vx3 and will get some stand time this year.
 

ScottA

Senior Member
The Wild West trigger is pricey, but I am extremely happy with mine:clap:

Another vote for the Wild West Happy Trigger. Pricey, like all Wild West products, but worth it.

I installed one in my 450 Marlin 1895 and couldn't be happier with the trigger pull; clean, crisp, and light, but not too light.
 
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