Marlin didn't fix my rifle, what are my options?

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TruthTellers

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UPDATE: Marlin lapped the barrel. I believe them as the chatter marks in the bore don't look as sharp and crisp as before, so the high spots have been taken down some. I will shoot it when it warms up this weekend or next week.
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I bought a Marlin .22 back in 2014. I didn't get around to shooting it until last year and have had accuracy issues ever since.

Finally, last month I sent it in for repair after I saw that there was chatter in the microgroove rifling. I never noticed this before because the grooves are so small that it was difficult to see. I got it back today to find that the barrel is exactly the same, still has the chatter toolmarks. My suspicion is that nothing has been done to this rifle to repair it, even thought it is still under warranty and will be for another couple years.

I intend to call Marlin tomorrow to find out what they found. I will shoot it in the next few days to see if maybe they did do something to fix the accuracy issues, but I doubt they did. Still want to try it to make sure though.

If in the event Marlin didn't do anything and the gun still shoots like garbage, can I request a full refund after 3 years? Or should I go about this a different way?

I appreciate any advice here, I've never had to deal with a new gun being shit.
 
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Can you elaborate on your accuracy issues? What groups size are you getting and at what distance? sights or scope? Have you ruled out a sight/scope problem? What ammo have you tried? Shooting from a bench-rest, prone, off hand? What model rifle is it? Does Marlin have any sort of accuracy guarantee?
 
Reminds me of this video. You can decide if it is worth the headache to deal with them.

[video=youtube_share;FUOrbeQNi2E]http://youtu.be/FUOrbeQNi2E[/video]
 
BobJ used a grit based bullet combination to gain accuracy in guns with these issues. Search his threads and you may find your answer.
 
SJan said:
Can you elaborate on your accuracy issues? What groups size are you getting and at what distance? sights or scope? Have you ruled out a sight/scope problem? What ammo have you tried? Shooting from a bench-rest, prone, off hand? What model rifle is it? Does Marlin have any sort of accuracy guarantee?
Click to expand...

It's a Marlin XT-22 with tube magazine in stainless.

I mounted a scope on it last year and asked my uncle, who shoots at every rifle competition on the weekends within 100 miles of where he lives and has been shooting for 40+ years to help as I've never mounted a scope before. We both tried shooting it and at 15 or 25 yards, off his 1000 dollar aluminum rest, we couldn't get groups under 2 inches using either the scope or iron sights or European match .22 ammunition.

So, I decided now that I have my own range membership to put my Marlin up against a 15 year old Mossberg 702 I also have using just iron sights. I was shooting at 15 yards, seated using a wood block as a rest and the Mossberg grouped tighter with all ammunition except one load (CCI Quiet) than the Marlin did.

That Mossberg is a $100 rifle, the Marlin cost $250-ish.

Ammo I've tried is CCI Stinger (which sucks btw in every gun I shoot it in), CCI Velocitor, CCI Quiet, CCI Mini Mag, CCI Standard, Aguila standard LRN (very accurate btw), Aguila SSS, Federal bulk, Remington bulk, and I think some Remington and Winchester .22 Shorts.

All I hear is that microgroove rifling for .22 LR, which is only available in Marlin rifles, is supposed to be very accurate, better than standard rifling. Marlin doesn't guarantee any sort of accuracy, but this gun costs more than Walmart garbage .22's so it should at least shoot as well as my Mossberg, preferably better.

My number one issue right now is that the chatter marks in the bore have not been fixed and I find it hard to believe that chatter in the grooves increases accuracy.
 
Fixxah said:
BobJ used a grit based bullet combination to gain accuracy in guns with these issues. Search his threads and you may find your answer.
Click to expand...
I'm not using a special ammunition to make this more expensive rifle shoot on par with a Mossberg that costs half the price. If this rifle is defective, which I believe it is, I want it repaired. If Marlin won't fix my rifle, I want a refund.

If this is standard performance for this rifle and it's supposed to group at 2 inches 15 yards away, then I still want a refund because this thing sucks.
 
Have you shot it since they sent it back? If not shoot it and see what you’ve got. If it won’t shoot ask them to either fix it or refund your $. Marlin went through some pretty well known quality issues after Remington bought them and moved the manufacturing to NY.
 
I will shoot it, but the least Marlin could have included is a statement telling me what they did or didn't do and why. That's why I'm calling them tomorrow to find out.
 
First thing I would ask.

Did you clean the rifle before you shot it the first go around.
2. How are you seeing these marks in such a tiny little hole.
3. Does this rifle have iron sights?
4. What scope. I know you had help from a 40 year shooter but even so a shit scope is a shit scope and even experienced shooters miss stuff like the rings not sitting correctly. Over tight rings (use of inch pound torque wrench)
Do I think you should get better than 2" at 15 yards...yes BUT stop shooting so much random shit through your rifle.
Pick one Agulia or CCI standard give your bore a really good scrub. Then with sand bags supporting the stock start shooting and see what happens.
I also suggest getting the targets or make them with 1" dots. 1 shot per dot. Then compare where the shot hits on each dot.
Now what where you expecting for accuracy?
How tight or loose are your action screws.
How is the crown on your barrel?

If you where to see the inside of many rifles and how "nasty" the bores are you would be shocked at some of the results down range.
My 1942 remington 513t bore is nasty yet it still shoots under 2" at 100 yards.

These inexpensive 22s are a Crap shoot.
Some are great ,some what you paid for and some just suck.

If you do not get any where with the rifle and marlin PM me. I need a project gun. I have been buying defective,broken no good 22s for 30 plus years.
 
I agree with mac1911. I have a model 1873 Winchester with a bore so rough, you'd expect it to shoot lousy but it still shoots great. I'd look elsewhere. In one case a friend had a .17 rimfire that shot very badly. We changed the rings and it shot fine. If it has sights, take off the scope and use the sights. If it shoots OK with the sights, it's the scope/rings.
 
OP-

at least your rifle is like $200 for a new one. imagine having accuracy issues with a $3k bolt gun. it happens.
 
mac1911 said:
First thing I would ask.

Did you clean the rifle before you shot it the first go around.
2. How are you seeing these marks in such a tiny little hole.
3. Does this rifle have iron sights?
4. What scope. I know you had help from a 40 year shooter but even so a shit scope is a shit scope and even experienced shooters miss stuff like the rings not sitting correctly. Over tight rings (use of inch pound torque wrench)
Do I think you should get better than 2" at 15 yards...yes BUT stop shooting so much random shit through your rifle.
Pick one Agulia or CCI standard give your bore a really good scrub. Then with sand bags supporting the stock start shooting and see what happens.
I also suggest getting the targets or make them with 1" dots. 1 shot per dot. Then compare where the shot hits on each dot.
Now what where you expecting for accuracy?
How tight or loose are your action screws.
How is the crown on your barrel?

If you where to see the inside of many rifles and how "nasty" the bores are you would be shocked at some of the results down range.
My 1942 remington 513t bore is nasty yet it still shoots under 2" at 100 yards.

These inexpensive 22s are a Crap shoot.
Some are great ,some what you paid for and some just suck.

If you do not get any where with the rifle and marlin PM me. I need a project gun. I have been buying defective,broken no good 22s for 30 plus years.
Click to expand...

1. Yes
2. I have a small, but bright LED flashlight that I can stick into the bore and see the lands/grooves at the end of the barrel near the crown.
3. Yes
4. Scope is a Mueller APV https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1...- Scopes - 12X and Greater-_-Mueller-_-119797

Crown is fine, that was my original concern but others have told me there's nothing wrong with it.

I tested a lot of different .22 ammo that was common and not pricey match stuff. I wanted to see if any of them would work best and beat the Mossberg. So far only CCI Quiet performed to an excellent level in the Marlin 4 shots in one hole at 15 yards with irons. I don't want to limit myself to that extremely weak load tho. My original goal was to use Aguila 60 grain SSS as it's super quiet, but hits hard.

Haven't looked at any action screws.

I was expecting 1 inch groups at 25 yards with standard velocity loads, 2 inches with hyper velocity.
 
TruthTellers said:
1. Yes
2. I have a small, but bright LED flashlight that I can stick into the bore and see the lands/grooves at the end of the barrel near the crown.
3. Yes
4. Scope is a Mueller APV https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1...- Scopes - 12X and Greater-_-Mueller-_-119797

Crown is fine, that was my original concern but others have told me there's nothing wrong with it.

I tested a lot of different .22 ammo that was common and not pricey match stuff. I wanted to see if any of them would work best and beat the Mossberg. So far only CCI Quiet performed to an excellent level in the Marlin 4 shots in one hole at 15 yards with irons. I don't want to limit myself to that extremely weak load tho. My original goal was to use Aguila 60 grain SSS as it's super quiet, but hits hard.

Haven't looked at any action screws.

I was expecting 1 inch groups at 25 yards with standard velocity loads, 2 inches with hyper velocity.
Click to expand...

There's something going on other than marks in the bore.
Can you possibly get a picture of the bore?
I had a camera with a macro setting I was able to get some bore shots at the crown end of a 17 cal pellet gun to show the paint that's in the first 1/8 or inch or so.
As I said start over clean the bore. Ditch the scope for now and use the iron sights.
At 15 yards aim at a solid dot as small as you can see use the factory sights. Take aim and shoot a few shots. Don't worry where the shots actually go in relation to your aim just look for how it groups.
Give the bore some time to "foul"

I also would check the tightness of the action screw/screws. I would loosen and then evenly tighten your action screws just to snug.
If you have a torque wrench start with about 18inlbs.
Some like a bit more or less sometimes you end up with a bit tighter on the front or rear screw.
I have a closet of inexpensive 22s some shoot better than others and all have their ammo they shoot better with.
Also remember a lot of these inexpensive 22s are basically minute of tin can...
I have a Glenfield 25 that's more or less the same rifle it really shines on 22shorts.

Also not that marlin has been building these inexpensive 22s on stamped steel tube receivers and they are not always very true.
 
Some guns are just finicky about ammo. I'd take off the scope and solidly sandbag the rifle on a bench and try a bunch of different brands and velocities. I'm betting you'll find a load the rifle likes.
 
What mount 1 piece 2 piece , rings?
The Mueller tubes are a bit thin and are very touchy to ring tightness or any uneven tension on them.
I have 2 one is on my 200 yard 22lr plinker.
The other goes from one rifle to the next when ever I feel the need.

Keep us posted
 
Guys, the scope hasn't been on this Marlin in over a year so stop saying ditch the scope, it's basically not a factor in the way I've been shooting this rifle.

The past year I've been using iron sights to shoot this and AGAIN, compared to my Mossberg with its iron sights and the exact same ammo, the Mossberg has performed better.

I'll see if the lapping job that's been done has fixed the issue when I hit the range in the next few days.

And the mount was two piece weaver #12's and quad rings.
 
TruthTellers said:
Guys, the scope hasn't been on this Marlin in over a year so stop saying ditch the scope, it's basically not a factor in the way I've been shooting this rifle.

The past year I've been using iron sights to shoot this and AGAIN, compared to my Mossberg with its iron sights and the exact same ammo, the Mossberg has performed better.

I'll see if the lapping job that's been done has fixed the issue when I hit the range in the next few days.

And the mount was two piece weaver #12's and quad rings.
Click to expand...

I was a little confused by your post as I read it as you had your uncle install a scope and it shot poorly?
Ok so if you where getting 2" groups at 15 yards.
That's around 12 minutes of angle.
Im guessing you could improve on that.

So OP when you get time to test it again let us know
How you make out.
Get off the wooden blocks and onto a nice heavy sand bag. Rest the stock just forward of the trigger group and place it on the bag in the same spot shot after shot.
Pick one of the known decent accuracy ammo.
From your list aguila or cci standard is most likely the better.

Also what do you think is acceptable accuracy of 22lr ammo? What would acceptable accuracy of a $200 rifle be. For a reference KIDD sells a match grade barrel with a 1 moa accuracy guaranty at 50 yards for around $200 for just the barrel. I can only assume this would be with match ammo.

So shoot 3 5 shot groups with the Mossberg and 3 5 shot groups with the marlin and post a picture.

Weaver rings and bases have really gone to Crap over the years. If you decide to re mount the scope try a nice 1 piece scope base.
The EGW is not bad and I have a DIP on my Rascal and its well made.

It's off subject but it's amazing how a good set of bases and rings help everything work out. For me Weaver had its time but I feel that has long passed.
 

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