WTB: Merrill carbine 2nd model parts

[ewmail15]

I'll soon have a barn find Merrill carbine 2nd model all original, but missing some parts and some damage to the rear lever. Confident I can disassemble and repair/restore. Please message or reply here if you have any of these original parts: rear sight, front sight, forend band, mainspring screw (and maybe spring). Thanks, Eric.

[Carolina Reb]

Those are going to be tough parts to find. Second models may use either the 2nd or 3rd type rear sights. Both are being reproduced. They will not interchange. The other parts you will probably have to make. Some second model lock plates have a mainspring rivet rather than a screw. If it is a screw, it should be #8x30 tpi. Yancy VonYeast made the last mainspring I needed. He can probably make a front sight and mainspring screw too. The band can be made from thick wall brass tube. Best to do that yourself, since it will have to be fitted to the gun.

[ewmail15]

Thanks for replying Reb. I can't tell for the life of me what's in front of the breech lever. Could it be that it's the rear sight for a CSA model? I've seen butt plate tangs that had CSA on them. This one just has U.S. Once I receive the rifle and can assess what's missing, damaged, etc. I'll be in a happier state.

6409

[Carolina Reb]

The picture helps a lot. The lever on later second models does not latch to the sight, but to a lug dovetailed into the barrel. What you are seeing is the latching lug. You need the third type sight to go with that lug. Your lever is badly bent from being forced closed on a jammed round. It can be straightened, but it will need an expert. (Maybe that's why it was abandoned in the barn.)

[ewmail15]

I have a laptop USB-connected sight scope that should give me a good view of what's in the barrel. Maybe the wrong sized bullet was used? My understanding is that 2nd model had an improved brass or copper ram piece, which after all this time would not have rusted with the inside of the barrel. This second pic makes me believe that the damaging effort was in trying to open it, not close it. Lever is dipped inward where the serial number is supposed to be.

In order to separate the stock from the barrel/lever, do I just need to remove the three trigger plate screws from below, then the three saddle bar screws and the forend part of the stock to the barrel screw? Do I need to remove the nipple screw as well? With the stock off, would I be able to remove a pin or screw that's at the rear/tang, which would then allow me to remove the lever/latch assembly from the receiver?

Does anyone have pics of their Merrill disasssembled? Would like to see how everything is supposed to fit together, and how the parts are assembled on the backside of the lock plate. If I can separate the stock, then I can soak the whole lever assembly and lower barrel in a big vase of pb blaster for a week or so.

The only extractors I've seen have been the curly or drill bit type, but those are for round balls with higher caliber rifling. What's the tool that would be used to properly remove a cone-shaped bullet - same tools?


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[Carolina Reb]

All the CW Merrills have the copper faced breech pin. I have seen carbines with serial numbers in the very low 100s with it, sporting rifles with it too. I suspect Merrill was producing the design before he got the patent in early '61.

The lock is very well designed (it will never catch on half cock), but very standard configuration. If you have seen a Mississippi, '42 musket or Aston/Johnson pistol, there will be no surprises in there. The empty hole in the lock plate is for the mainspring pin. The screw or stud, as the case may be, is there, but I doubt there is a mainspring.

The barreled action is held by the trigger plate screws. The saddle bar screws pass under the barrel to hold the lock. The screw at the front of the saddle bar staple is a wood screw that holds the saddle bar in the stock when you take out the front and back lock plate screws. The bolster screw doesn't need to come out.

Whatever locked up the action is probably long gone. If something is still in there, after soaking the barrel in ATF for a few days, drop a 1/2 brass rod down the muzzle and gently tap the end while lifting the lever.

Good luck with it!

[ewmail15]

Glad you're helping me learn about another CW era carbine Reb. I'm going to do all I can to maintain the aged look, but that brass is going to shine like it came off the factory floor yesterday. That's why brass is so awesome.

Is there a band spring for this carbine?

[ewmail15]

Is there also a band spring for this Merrill to hold it in place? There's almost not enough runway to hold a spring in front of where the band should be. Other rifle pics don't show that underside or side view either. Should have the carbine by next Wednesday. Anyone know of potential contacts for original parts, please pass along my interest. Can't wait.

[Carolina Reb]

The band is held in place by a small countersunk wood screw, like a Smith.

[ewmail15]

Just noticed the two forward lever release pieces are not aligned. What could have caused that? I presume there are little springs and maybe one is busted?

[ewmail15]

Breech plunger is now free of the breech. Damage to the lever and plunger are fixed, and she's operating like she must have several decades ago, before she rusted up all over and inside the barrel.

Had to destroy the buttplate screw heads with extractor bit, as the rust all the way down the threads made it impossible to have leverage with the screwdriver on the heads. Found a guy on eBay (Alan, interarms_tx) who had .406 m1855-64 head diameter US Military Screw set for my buttplate.

Anyone ever run across a Merrill collector, someone who might have a box full of Merrill parts? Please keep me in mind for the front and rear sights and brass band. Any other carbine manufacturer that might have a size matching band?

[ewmail15]

After finding buttplate screws from a guy on eBay, I figured maybe James Merrill also used brass bands already mass produced for Springfield or other carbine makers. I tried my 1859 Sharps carbine band on my 1863 Merrill carbine, but it was too tall and wide. I also had bands from my 1859 Sharps long rifle. Forward and middle were too small and lower was too big.

Guy on eBay had an m1864 lower band that was also too big. Thought it was also brass from the pics but was just light effects. Anyone, please share thoughts on other carbines that might be a snug fit.

[geezmo]

S & S firearms has repro bands and rear sights. As for finding originals on the loose, good luck with that. If you ever find them they won't be cheap.

http://ssfirearms.com/ Nice folks, good to deal with. Check them out.

[Carolina Reb]

S&S is the way to go for a band. They are unique to Merrills. Not only that, they are fitted to each stock. If you find a loose band, it may require fitting to go on to your stock. Since Merrill was in Baltimore, he did not have the ready access to subcontractors that the New England contractors had, so he made a lot of the parts that others bought from subs.

[ewmail15]

There's leftover brass from the mold process. What's the best way to get rid of it? One spot too long with the dremel or grinder or file and it's toast. How do I hold it in the vice snugly without causing damage to the sides? Never done this, so hoping you can help reb. Thanks, Eric.

[ewmail15]

Did anyone who attended the CW show in OH happen to see a Merrill rear sight at Ed Knisely's table (I need 3rd type)? Heard from one person on another forum that he thought he saw one, but didn't ask about it. He said it was in a box of parts without a tag, so either Ed was clueless, or my contact was off. Rear sight still needed as well. Please be on the lookout and let me know of any leads. Eric in WI.

[geezmo]

Trust me, Ed is not clueless. There must be more to the story.

[ewmail15]

He replied that the rear sight was a Merrill repro. My reply included questions if he had the screw, what type it was.