Marlin 57M

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Marlin 57M

Post by xpilot »

Have an opportunity to acquire a Marlin 57M (22mag) for a pistol cartiridge rifle. For those that have shot/owned this rifle , how is the trigger, accuracy etc. This particular rifle is one of the later generation, if that makes a difference. Not looking for a project, just a PC gun. Also what ammo is preferred?
Thanks in advance. Jim
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by Byron »

Check with steel chicken member Jason. He uses a 57 for the small bore and a 57M for the pistol cartridge. Shoots upper master scores with both.

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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by xpilot »

Byron, Thanks for the reply. I sent a couple PMs to Jason, no response. Maybe some problem with the PM.
Jason, if you copy, please give me a hand.
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by 44 mag »

We used the 57m when we first started. The gun shot very well and held very well. The only problem was the trigger. It was horrible and was not easy to work on. When I finaly got it to where I wanted it the sear would not set every time. We were using the Federal 50 grain on Rams and had no issues on Rams at most ranges and 40 grain on the rest of the animals. I know of A few people here in Pa that are still using them and like them. Good Luck!
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by edgehit »

The trigger is horrible and very difficult to work on. And the hammer and sear metals are going to loose their edge because its soft. But if you or your gunsmith can find a solution let us in on it.

They are plenty accurate, hold well, and compliment the Redfield 75 receiver sight just fine
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by xpilot »

[quote="edgehit"]The trigger is horrible and very difficult to work on. And the hammer and sear metals are going to loose their edge because its soft. But if you or your gunsmith can find a solution let us in on it.

I didn't want a "project gun", so I passed. Thank you all for the information, it was helpful. Jason must have the triggers figured out but I never did get a response.

Best Regards All, Jim
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by Jason »

Hi XPilot. It's been a crazy last week or two at work and hadn't noticed the PMs here. The Marlin 57 and 57M design can be a great cowboy silhouette rifle, but it general does take a bit more work to get them there than the usual designs like the Marlin 39A. Once there, they have a definitely advantage on locktime and the one-piece stock allows much more flexibility in holds than most other lever action rifles.

As has been stated, the weakness of the design is the trigger. I don't really think their triggers are any more horrible on average than most other lever action rifles of their day, but they do take a bit more work to make better. Here's a thread at Rimfire Central that shows all the pieces involved in the trigger. The model shown is a model 56, but the 57 is basically the same rifle with a tube magazine instead of a detachable magazine.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/sh ... p?t=455606

For each attempt to make the trigger better, that whole assembly needs to be taken apart and then put back together. Some of the important parts in the design have way too much play in them to make the trigger truly great. As has been said, if you get it so that feels great the sear may not catch the hammer consistently due to loose tolerances. The extra play in the trigger also can make it unsafe. One of my first attempts at a trigger job resulted in a nice, crisp trigger that took right at 2lbs of pressure consistently if the trigger was pressed from the front of it. About halfway through my first match, I figured out that it only took about four ounces of pressure against the side of the trigger to make it fire, though. A couple of the right shims in the right places make that issue much better and allow a much more consistent trigger pull also.

When a Marlin 57 or 57M is tweaked and working well, it is a pretty awesome rifle for the cowboy lever silhouette matches. The design prevents the use of a tang sight, but it works very well with the Williams or Redfield sights. The 22 Mag cartridge is a bit underpowered for pistol cartridge rams at some ranges under some conditions (wet, with wind blowing at the targets from behind them, etc) with most factory loads, but enhanced 50gr Federal loads haven't lost a ram for me yet. I do know of at least one person who has lost rams with the same enhanced loads, though.

All in all, I can't complain about them. I've shot lots of scores in the upper 30s with by 57 and 57M rifles, including topping out at 39/40 with both and winning the biannual cowboy lever tournament (smallbore and PC) the last two times. I still haven't hit that perfect 40/40 yet, and with a complete lack of any practice between matches due to my work schedule lately I doubt it will happen anytime soon... :mrgreen:
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by TheBugFather »

Gun seems to like the federal 50 grainers. Mine does about an inch at 100 yards (with a scope).
Trigger has not been a problem for me, I sat down with it and figured it out by taking it apart many times.
The key is to only work on the sear and clean up the surfaces and make the "angle" that the sear engages a bit more vertical than slanted like it is.
Don't do anything to the hammer except maybe clean and polish it, don't change the angles on it or try and grind it down.
The few that I have worked on all have had butchered hammers and they are very unpredictable.
It is possible to get a about a 1.25 lb trigger, but I like mine a little over 2lbs to be safe.
The sear has a little spring on it that keeps it positively engaged with the hammer.
Good Luck! --Dennis
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by L. Rivard »

Seems like a little trigger work might yield a competitive outfit, after all it's what Gerald Hayler used last year to run sixty straight at Hat Creek.
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by Merlin »

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread but..... Just bought a 57 and am hoping that someone has some additional info on how to do the trigger on one. I have searched high and low and find plenty of "hard to do the trigger" but would love to find what to do to the trigger...?

Bend springs - polish sears and trigger notches or.....?

Anyone?
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by Jason »

The reply from Dennis above is the best that I have seen. Don't do anything to the hammer other than polish it, and always polish along the surface toward the edge, not against the edge, so you don't round the edge off. On the sear, go very slowly with correcting the engagement angle to more vertical so you don't have to actually push the hammer back against the force of the hammer spring. That's pretty much all there is to it, as long all of the original parts are there and functioning. With that said, there are so many parts in there compared to a more traditional design like a Marlin 39A that it's a royal pain to take apart and put back together to test with.
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by Merlin »

Thanks Jason... I really wanted to go with a 24" barrel and the 57 seemed to be a good way to get there... I followed the link (you posted?) to Rimfire Central and the tutorial posted there should get the through the disassemble and reassemble . If I get a couple of teardowns in the jar I can probably make it go bang after I work on it...

I don't particularly like the looks of the 57 but I sure love my other Marlins and I hope that the 57 lives up to expectations....
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by edgehit »

They are really neat rifles and hold really well. You can free float the barrel and that's an accuracy plus. I also like that you can easily mount a Redfield 75 on it plus a weaver scope base. The one I played with was easily a 1-1/2" rifle with mediocre ammo.

There's lots going for it. Have fun
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by Merlin »

All of the Redfield 75s I have seen have a side mount to them... Are you talking about a side or top mount on a Weaver type rail? :?:
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Re: Marlin 57M

Post by edgehit »

Side mount using the factory holes. You have to trim some wood. I installed a scope mount and left it on there so I could easily install a scope to test ammo or whatever.
- Joe
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