Dave:
My name is Mike H., and I ran across your site while looking for some
info on the Marlin Camp .45. There's one on Gunsamerica.com I'm very
interested, so I wanted to get your feedback on this unusual rifle.
First, what are you going to use it for, home defense, hunting, or just
simple target shooting? Also, what's the range? Finally, besides the sights,
what other mods would you do to it?
Thanks for your help,
Mike
To which I replied:
Hi Mike,
My primary use for my Marlin Camp .45 is plinking. Secondary uses would be home defense and teaching new shooters. Semiautomatic rifles are not legal for hunting in PA, where I live. The furthest I've shot it is 50 yards. It's basically a 100 yard gun.
The only modification I recommend is replacing the stock recoil spring with a Wolff 21 lb. spring. Combined with not-properly-tightened actions crews, the original weak spring can result in a cracked stock. The OEM spring is only 11 lbs., which may be OK for the Camp 9 but is way undersprung for .45 ACP. The Wolf 16 lb. spring works ok in .45, but the 21 lb. spring almost eliminates recoil, and just about eliminates lefthanders getting any "gun-schmutz" in their face from out of the ejection port.
I also suggest picking up a spare bolt buffer from Blackjack Buffers or Marlin, if they have any left in stock. I got one from Blackjack. If the gun has been shot a lot the original buffer may need replacement. So far mine hasn't.
My Marlin wears a Bushnell red dot sight using the rings that came with the sight, mounted on a Weaver base. The Camp Carbines use the same scope bases as the Marlin 336 lever actions.
If you need a folding stock for compact storage, Choate Machine and Tool makes a good one.
Hope this helps.
Posts
4 comments:
Do you know anything about the Marlin Camp 45 being hard to maintain/disassemble-reassemble? I read on another site that 1 writer complained about this problem.
Thank you.
Will the Marlin Camp 45 work with lead bullet reloads? I have read one person's experience with the MC and it sounds as though they only work with Jacketed bullets.
Any ideas?
Field stripping and reassembly are simple. Just ensure that the bullet guide is in the proper position when reassembling.
Detail stripping of the trigger group is difficult. However, it's rarely required. If it gets dirty spray it out with a mild solvent such as Ballistol, Rem Oil, or Break Free CLP. Do not use anything like Gun Scrubber or brake cleaner, because they will disolve the plastic trigger housing.
Re lead bullets:
The Camp 45 has Microgroove rifling. It is safe to shoot unjacketed bullets in the Camp 45 but accuracy may suffer. Try hard cast loads and see. At worst, you'll get poor accuracy and maybe some leading.
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