The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Are marlin owners following the instructions and half cocking their actions before loading the mag tube?

In the instructions it says safety off, rest the hammer, half cock the hammer, safety on, load. (then if carrying de cock to half cock again - ignore for the UK really)

I know in the US they are more mindful that hammer strikes or dropping the rifle could set off the chambered round but do you guys actually go through putting the hammer to rest, then half cocking etc?

Assuming you are shooing on the range in the UK that is.

I load as follows:
Rack the rifle to ensure it's clear.
Close the action and lower the hammer.
Apply safety.
Load the magazine tube with the required amount of rounds for the detail.
Rack and chamber a round when ready to shoot and remove the safety and aim and fire.

No. Rifle facing down range. Hammer down. Load. Work the lever. Shoot. Repeat as necessary. Clear rifle when satiated.

Mine doesn't have a safety button. I got tired of putting the rifle down on the bench, the safety inadvertently engaging and the first sighting for my shot resulting in a dry click. Removed it for a saddle ring.

Only ever see them shot in practical type competitions where there's no time for the normal nicities. Load tube, safety off, hammer cocked and chamber loaded. As long as its pointed down range and there's no finger in the trigger guard then you're covered.

If I was plinking or doing something that wasn't against the clock I might be tempted to put the safety on, but I've seen the trigger pulled and nothing happen, only for the shooter to then rack a live round out and do it again, before it finally clicks that the safety is on!

On the plus side I've never seen an AD/ND with a lever-action. In fact I think that's the only gun type that I haven't! Probably something to do with the monstrous trigger weight!

They have a safety...???

If in competition to start with an empty chamber (i.e. Phoenix A), close action, load 10 in the mag tube, assume start position.

If plinking from the bench, point downrange, open action, drop one in breach, close action, load mag tube, raise to aim and start blasting.

If you're loading into the tubular magazine and your chamber is empty, what's the point in lowering your hammer? As soon as you open the lever to chamber your first round, the hammer is cocked anyway so it makes no difference. I've not bothered with applying the safety because my rifle is always pointing down range whenever I chamber a round and my finger kept off the trigger until ready to fire. I have done this procedure for over 4,000 rounds fired and no ND.

Bwss rules are.
Carry to loading table. Barrel up. Racked open
At loading table. Close lever. Drop hammer
Load 10.
Hands off til called to the line. Do not walk off etc.

I generally follow a similar procedure in the OP, it was just the way I was taught when I joined by first club.

Rifle bag to bench (no un-sleeved rifle between table and shooting bench) I am aware that others do with action open, rifle pointing down range, rack action (to ensure clear), half cock, safety on, load, rack action, safety off, shoot.

To load 10 into a marlin 357 you need to have one chambered as the mag tube only holds 9

Duey wrote:To load 10 into a marlin 357 you need to have one chambered as the mag tube only holds 9

Unless you've carefully cut some coils off the mag tube spring then stretched it....

My 1894CS mag tube will hold 10x .357 cases with 158gn TC bullets