I'm looking for a source for a longer magazine tube for the stainless Marlin Guide Gun.

Is anybody producing such a thing?

FWIW, I'm in the process of re-barreling a Marlin 1895 "Cowboy" that has a 26" full length magazine. When the 336 action is used for a 45-70 (Guide gun, etc.) the large diameters of the barrel/magazine tube require the milling of a long, tapering, groove in the bottom of the barrel to accept the magazine tube. I could be wrong but, unless your barrel has enough taper, I'm afraid you cannot just install a longer magazine tube without increasing the length of the milled groove on the bottom of your barrel.

My bet is that Marlin would sell you a mag tube for a start for a full length tube. Only problem I see for you is that the tube will be blue instead of stainless. I guess you could have it nickeled.

You would also have to have a new dovetail cut on the bottom of the barrel to attach the new tube. A competent gunsmith should be able to help you, but I don't see anyway for a extension to be put on due to the way the front of the tube is attached to the rifle.

The system Marlin uses puts the attaching screw through the tube and tube cap and that would have to be moved down the barrel and a new tube installed.

So its more complicated than I envisioned.

I haven't taken delivery of it yet so I haven't looked at one up close with this idea in mind.

I guess I would have figured out these problems upon looking at it.

Thanks for the info guys.

I wonder why Marlin didn't go full length with the mag tube on this one?

Read this thread:

http://www.marlinowners.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=18413

Doesn't look to be to difficult.

Brockman offers such a conversion. Or you could start with a 26 inch Cowboy and shorten it to the length you have in mind.

Thanks again guys.

ptaylor: that is just what I needed.