I just acquired Model 2000 and am in the process of cleaning it up and refinishing the stock. When I pulled the stock off I noticed that there is a place for a magazine and a false magazine inserted. It looks like it will be quite easy to modify the gun to hold a real magazine. Is there a kit that I can buy or do I just need to buy a magazine and modify the aluminum bottom rail? Doe this gun use a standard magazine that Marlin sells?
Your subject says Model 7000 but the post says Model 2000. The Model 7000 is the heavy barrel / no factory sights version of the Model 70 which is basically the current Model 795. The 10 round nickel magazine ($13-$16) is Marlin number 71902. There are 7 round blued and 7 round nickel ones available as well and the blued ones will work depending on the vintage of your magazine guide. the newer ones have a raised nub that fits into a groove in the magazine. The older magazines don't have the groove, but a few minutes with a file takes care of the raised nub in the mag guide. The Model 2000 is a bolt action target rifle that had a biathlon kit available with a 5 round magazine. My understanding is that the biathlon kit is extremely hard to come by but the same #71902 magazines will work if converted. I'm sure some of the model 70/795 parts could be used to convert it. The ejector/mag release part may not be long enough for the model 2000 stock. Some pictures would be nice!
Thanks Matt I know I sort of screwed up the title of the original post. It is a Model 2000. A local camp was disposing of some older rifles that they were not using so I was able to get this one as a project. It shoots fine and the metal is all in good shape, but the stock is a mess. I have started to strip the stock so that I can refinish it. It will not be that original powder blue when I am finished.
The Model 2000 is a bolt action target rifle that had a biathlon kit available with a 5 round magazine. My understanding is that the biathlon kit is extremely hard to come by but the same #71902 magazines will work if converted. I'm sure some of the model 70/795 parts could be used to convert it. The ejector/mag release part may not be long enough for the model 2000 stock. As it turns out when you remove the stock the magazine carriage and the release are all in place. There is a fake magazine installed to keep rounds from falling down into the stock. I purchased a #71902 magazine and it fits fine in the carriage, but I currently have the gun in pieces so I am not sure how it will work when it is assembled. I would like to get a picture of what one of these guns looks like from the bottom with a magazine installed. Or I would like to know what the biathlon kit consisted of. As far as I can tell everything is in place to add the magazine, but the aluminum rail on the bottom of the stock is going to need to be milled out so that the magazine can be inserted.
Very cool - I learned something, thanks for following up. Now to have a bolt gun with the same mags as 7 of my other rifles - I have to find a Marlin 2000
