I purchased my new MARLIN 1895 rifle in .45-70 Gov't cal last Nov (2004), and have been unable to use it until today. Wisconsin weather doesn't generally let up until about now. Today was my first time out with my new rifle. I fired approximately 70 rnds through it with 31 gr of H-4198, which is a real mello load by anyone's standard. I was checking over my rifle carefully during cleaning (as I always do), and found my shoulder stock cracked just under the tang. Needless to say, I was disappointed that this happened. I've always taken very good care of my equipment and have NEVER experienced a broken stock on ANY of my rifles. Is this normal wear and tear or is this a factory defect?????? Has anyone else experienced a broken stock on their MARLIN 1895's??????? I looked at MARLIN's website and needless to say, I'm NOT IMPRESSED WITH IT!!! It appears that the only access to their "Customer Service" is a 1-800 number. I really DON'T WANT TO SEND MY COMPLETE RIFLE BACK TO THEM FOR A STUPID SHOULDER STOCK THAT CAN FIT AND INSTALL MYSELF!! Help.......anyone?????

That's not normal wear and tear. If it was a 20 year old rifle, maybe, but on the first time, absolutely not. They have a good customer service record, so give them a chance to make it right. You might end up with some nicer wood out of it.

Zac

Heavy-recoiling lever guns can split the stock at the tang, if the buttstock was not properly inletted.

Myself, I'd just glass-bed the tang, but it's brand new, you might call them. Might get luck and just be able to send them the buttstock.

I'd call them and send it back. They have a pretty quick turn around. Don't let it get any closer to hunting season.

Thanks for your input, guys......I did take sound advice and mailed it back to the factory and a lady in CUSTOMER SERVICE was kind enough to tell me that it was ok to just mail in the stock and they would send me a new one.

One other piece of sound advice that I will take also......that I will probably glass-bed that stock when the replacement gets here.

I've owned several and shot a lot of heavy recoiling rifles in my day without a problem with the wood. As I looked at the break, it appeared a defect in the wood.........looked like a knot.

I'd hate to think what might've happened if I'd loaded up the 405 gr bullets to a higher velocity! That's another reason that I am careful about inspecting during and after each range session.

I appreciated your input.

Marlin makes a lot of guns, once in a while you can get a bad piece of wood or the inletting is a few thousands off and cause what happened to you. You don't see it often unless your in the gun business. They did you right, but it might be a good idea to bed the new butt stock in.

Yeah the grain should be straighter in that area.

Anyway glass-bed it, when you get the new one. Don't forget to seal the inletting while you've got it apart.

A few years ago, I purchased a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 and it, too, had a cracked stock and the screw holding the loading gate in place was broken. Don't know if it came from the factory that way or if my dealer dropped it transporting it to and from gun shows. Bought a screw from Brownells and fixed the stock crack with Acraglas. Sent a letter to Marlin telling them about the problem and my disappointment and within a couple of weeks, (without asking) they sent me a new (beautiful) replacement stock and a replacement screw. All my other Marlins (two guide guns and a model something or other in .45 Colt) have been in perfect shape when purchased. I was very impressed with how they quickly and courteously handled the problem.

Best advice is to send it back...Marlin will make good on it.

IF you just have to fix it, then it's not too hard.

Good news (from looking at the supplied pictures) is that you should be able to repair that crack and not have it visible once the stock is mounted.

As far a breaks go, that's a "good" one...clean wood, lots of surface area for the small size of the chip...should glue just fine.

Would repair the crack seperate (first) from the bedding effort. Want a bit thinner 'glass, warm the wood and the 'glass (hair drier) to get a bit more penetration. It's in a hard to reach place, so you can't clamp it easily...but you can wrap tubber bands all over it to supply some tension. After a couple of hours, when it's starting to set up well, trim the excess that's oozed out of the joint...it's easier to trim it with a razor blade when it's stiff than to try to sand it when it's rock hard.

Once it's all cleaned up and cured for a day or two, then test the fit to the action. Want to see that the stock is bearing evenly on both sides....probably don't have layout color, but proably can find a decent substitue like lip-stick. Paint the metal work with it, try the stock, and see where it's NOT rubbing off (the high spots). Work the low spots of the stock (the places that did rub off the color) a little bit at a time until it's fitting "even".

Then bed the stock to the action.

Now I like a hairline of space at the very end of the tangs when bedding without 'glass...with glass, I'll bed it tight. IDea of leaving a space without 'glass is taht wood compresses, and the tangs will dig in and often CAUSE a crack...but with all the glass contact, won't have a problem with wood compression and shouldn't have a problem with tang tips digging in.

It great to hear that Marlin takes care of its customer. I recently had a bad experience with Smith - Wesson on a handgun that needed a little work. Not under warranty but the customer service rep was RUDE !!!!

I've owned a lot of Marlin's, but the first was a pistol grip 45-70 with the 22 inch barrel (I think, and I forget the exact model). Anyway, would not feed right at all. Cartridge would get hung up half way out of the magazine. Sent it to Marlin. Within two weeks, it was fixed, returned, no charge, and worked perfectly.

The old 336 I bought a month ago came with a cracked stock (it was a 33 year old, well used rifle). I replaced it with a black synthetic, as it will be a "beater" rifle. But I have a 45-70, and have had several others, and never had a stock crack. Sounds like Marlin is taking care of you well, though. Good luck.

458plinker

The Malin Guide that I had , the stock was not tight , and I noticed this after awhile when the stock started to loosen up in the tang.
I would think had I not noticed the rear stock could have broken.

A friend of mine had a shot gun that broke the rear stock. He replaced the stock , thinking the wood was defective and the following year it broke again in the same spot.
The idea of checking the wood to metal contact is a good one , and I would take some time to insure that you had full contact.
I would have sent the rifle back to Marlin , thinking that if the wood to metal contact could be a concern , and down the road the stock broke again , you would have a record of a repair, and could probably have it repaired again .
Once you have made a repair , it could be argued that you did something or forgot something , thus the cost is yours.
My .02 cts