Marlin had literally tons of LCS parts (and many other early L/A Marlin firearms) in storage at the NorthHaven plant in the early 70's.
Haveing brought them over in the move from New Haven, they were never officially unpacked or stocked for repair use or sale.
They were left in their packing crates. Guns sent in for repair early on to the North Haven plant were sometimes worked but that soon changed.
A few sent in for 'restoration' were given a polish and hot blue to the frame and parts. I don't remember if they touched the bbls.
I do recall a Crown 20 getting the once over though!.
The wood was given to the guys in the WoodRoom to sand and finish right along with the 336's and Mod 60 stocks.
Slack belt & drum sanders and spray on finish.
The metal went to the polishing room where the guys polishing lever actions and 30-30 bbls gave the parts a shine. Then off to the bluing room where they got a bath along with what ever else was running that day.
You'd think that if they were making the 'new' LCS, that they'd know how to polish and finish and old one. But an old piece of wood, old checkering,, metal with pitting on it, engraving, etc. A world away from a new piece of AmWal and new steel right off of the machine line.
There were only 2 guys there in the Repair Dept that had been with Marlin through the original LCS era and could actually work on them. John Miller & Larry Sisson.
Larry was in his 70's then and still at it every day dispite emphisema. John was in his upper 60's IIRC. John still had his set of assemblers tools for the LCS.
Col. Brophy was there. Any LCS that was received he had to be notified. He came right down to inspect. Sometimes he left for his office with the gun and returned.
He even took time to look up my reblued 1908 'O' grade 12 for me.
The repair dept then decided to refuse original LCS shotguns for repair (early lever actions too).
Figuring into the mix was the fact that the 'new' LCS was starting to go out the door and retail sales made $$,,not repairs on elderly shotguns.
The new LCS was a bust. Glued on ribs and vent rib. Epoxy bedded wood,,alot of epoxy in some cases.
I know one assembler used the same (brown) epoxy to attach the ribs as he used for stock bedding.
Only 2 or 3 assemblers worked on them and they were a nightmare for them to get right.
There were more than a handful in storage in a secured area with burst tubes just ahead of the chamber. I never heard why the secure storage. Some said law suits, others said set aside for R&D testing,,damage from proofing.
All those LCS parts,,Marlin lever parts,,bbls, stocks, everything down to the smallest pin and screw. All tagged, bagged or boxed with part #'s.
Never used. Customers requests for repair of those guns were returned w/ 'no parts available'.
AFAIK much (maybe all) of lot was sold to Numrich.
A new old stock forend iron could have easily been gotten from Numrich sometime in the 70's or 80's.
Marlin even had a bit of a clash with L/E over the disposal of parts and clean-up from the factory at the local dump sight.
Seems they were throwing a bit of everything away (as most factorys do!). A local picker was simply taking the assemblage from the dump sight and making up rifles & shotguns in his garage.
There was no real security at the plant then,,just walk in the side door. No fences or security gates that I remember. There used to be barrels of stuff waiting for pick-up along side the building. Sometimes you'd see receivers, bbls, other parts in them. Supposedly scrap,,but an industrious soul could certainly make something of them,,and did!
Maybe some unwanted, 'unfinished' LCS parts got tossed too. Who knows. Anything that dropped on the floor got swept up and thrown away.
American industry at it's finest.
It's fun to think back sometimes though...sorry for the rambling.
