Mom's rifle

It’s really nothing fancy, just a Marlin 1894 CS, but it I gave it to her one year for mother’s day. Installing the Williams FP on the back and the white line post sight on the front were easy things I had done before on my own rifles. Cutting the stock down for her (she isn’t very big) and fitting a Limbsaver pad was a little more complicated; still, it was basically junior high shop class stuff.

Next came the part you can’t even see, but that paid off the most. At one time I frequented the leverguns.com forums. So I printed out a post on how a guy had slicked up the action on his Marlin, ordered the Evil Roy one piece firing pin and spring kit the post recommended, bought some files and sandpaper, and went to work.

The little .357 had a few rough spots on the internals, and slicking them up did wonders. I also reshaped the hammer just a little, following the instructions closely. I really think that helped more than anything. For the sake of igniting a primer every time I kept the factory hammer spring instead of using the lightened spring from the kit. But because of the reshaped hammer it’s still much easier to work the lever. That makes a difference for somebody small like my mom.

I had kinda sorta thought the rifle could be used on hogs. I’ve still got my fingers crossed on that, it just hasn’t happened yet. What it has done, though, is make my mom smile when she’s shot it. Right now it’s leaning against the wall by the desk in her office, ready for whatever may happen. That’s something that makes me proud.