Hey I own a Marlin Model 60 .22 LONG RIFLE. On the barrel of the rifle, it says LR only. We bought the rifle used a few years ag

[Reid Jones]

Hey I own a Marlin Model 60 .22 LONG RIFLE. On the barrel of the rifle, it says LR only. We bought the rifle used a few years ago. It did fine with shooting long rifle's. just last fall i was shooting a long rifle and when i pulled the trigger, nothing happened. I believe i heard a click. Then when i pulled back the bolt, there was two dents in the side of the cartridge. I tried a few times to shoot the long rifle shells again, and sure enough they didnt shoot. and again when i pulled the bolt back to take the round out of the action, there were 2 dents in the side. It looked like teeth. anybody know what's wrong? any solutions or suggestions?

[hjohn429]

Sounds to me like you have a broken firing pin. It is probably not long enough to hit the round very hard(if it is broken.)

[bomberpride]

I get the two dents in the side of mine. (I have the same gun and so does my little brother but that only happens to me when the shell casing does not eject fully and it catches the casing in the ejector.

[Reid Jones]

actually i don't think it's the firing pin, because i can shoot longs. just not long rifles. and sometimes it will shoot a long rifle or two. but on the third shot or so it will either shoot, and the case wont eject. or it clicks and doesnt shoot.

[MLH]

If there is a sharp defined dent on the back edge of the cartridge then your firing pin is probably okay. It's interesting that the Long is working but the LR is not. It is marked "LR only" because the gun is designed to operate best under Long Rifle ballistics. Longs or shorts might not generate enough recoil to operate the action correctly. Super hi-velocity rounds could also cause problems. If you did not get an owners manual then you can download one from the Marlin website.

This may be as simple as switching brands of LR ammo. Semi-autos can be particular about the brand and type.

If that doesn't work check the chamber to make sure it is clean and not leaded up. Also inspect the barrel face to make sure it is not damaged. Dry firing a rimfire drives the firing pin in the barrel face and can damage both.

If you know how then disassemble and clean the action. Don't forget the safety glasses. If you haven't done this you might want to take it to a gunsmith to show you how. Recoil and firing pin springs are dangerous under compression and can seriously hurt you or others nearby. They can also be damaged if assembled incorrectly, and you might not be able to find replacements.

It might just be weakened springs, which might be why it works with Longs and not LRs. If that is the problem then a gunsmith will know how to get replacement springs that will work. Stay safe.

[Jim in Mo]

It may have something to do with the headspace on your rifle. You said you bought it used. Reid Coffield did an article on this and setting headspace on a 22 is completely different than a centerfire rifle. A gunsmith is the way to go.