JC Higgins Model45 by Marlin

[BadMako]

May take ownership of JC Higgins Model45. I'm mostly clear on the relation to the 336 but noticed the butt plate size & fit is pretty poor. Looks like it is about an 1/8" to short. Thought maybe even a poor swap, but then have seen some photos of others about as bad. Otherwise, gun is in nice shape. Insight on the butt plates on others appreciated. Any specifics otherwise to look for or know about these?

[BadMako]

The butt plate does not sit flush & smooth to the stock as it seems smaller than the stock's wood. Was wondering if this is common fit and fitment for the Sears branded model or has this gun been modified.

[marlinman93]

Likely it's a replacement. But I've also seen gunstocks that were stored in damp areas and swelled slightly so they were larger than the buttplate. I gave my dad a Model 60 Marlin .22 many years ago and he kept it in his closet, which happened to also be where the water heater was. One day he got it out and discovered the water heater was leaking, and the stock was about 1/8" larger at the buttplate! I took it home and removed the stock, and laid it in front of a furnace register for a few weeks. Checked it often, and it gradually shrank back almost 100%. Still slightly large, but not enough to worry about.
But I've seen plenty of buttplates on Marlins that fit poorly. Since stocks were final sanded with the buttplate in place, no two were identical. So you could take one off another Marlin and odds are it will never be a perfect fit to your gun.