Who reloads for a Marlin 1894?

mlehtovaara

mlehtovaara

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Just looking to purchase some bullets to be used in a Marlin 1894 .44mag. What are you using and where can I get them?
I have read alot of issues with long COAL and SWC's.
I just need to know what to look for I have some jacketed FP bullets that have a longer overall length than what is recommended so I am looking for something else. Lead or Jacketed I don't care just want something reliable.
Thanks
Mark
 
My 1894 loves heavy hard-cast bullets. I cast my own using a lee 2 cavity.

The OAL is not really a problem if you have a file handy and are comfortable disassembling the action (which is straightforward once you've done it a couple of times).

Put a dummy round in the magazine and open the action. Looking in and down, notice the vertical flat surface the cartridge is stopped by. This can be easily and safely moved back to increase the max OAL of firearm. There's a good guide on the net, but you'll need to google it yourself as I'm too lazy. The gist is below, though.

Remove the cartridge lifter.

Carefully file back the cartridge carrier stop (the flat part of the lifter the back end of the cartridge sits on when it comes out of the magazine). This will cause the cartridge to sit farther back in the carrier when it's lifted to the chamber

Go slow and maintain the angle. A fine milling file works best as this is a cast metal part. Don't use a dremel, do it by hand as you only need to remove a little metal.

Your longer OAL is no longer a problem. Standard length bullets still work if you don't go longer than you need to. In my experience, you can remove as much as .120" before you have issues. Those issues are easily solved by a dot of JB weld at the FRONT of the carrier tapered towards the magazine, but I'm sure you'd rather not go there.
 
I use the "Cactus Plains" cast bullets (245 gr SWC) from Wholesale Sports.
I had some issues with them keyholing and 12 ""patterns" at 25 yds until I started using Bullseye powder. I'm pushing them at around 1200 fps with decent 50 yd groups.

The feed fine at 1.610" OAL
I had to chamfer the entrance of the chamber to take a sharp edge off that was scratching the brass. Work the lever like you mean it and it feeds just fine!
 
I've always had more trouble with the sharp edges on some bullets then overall length, for instance the 245 gr. Keith bullet does not feed well in my '94 due to the sharp driving band. Only 1 LBT LFN design is too long but the WFNs are good to go. The .444 Marlin is much more trouble with OAL then this....
 
Has anyone had any experience with the 1894c in .357 and 158g SWC's?

I'm thinking of buying one of those
 
thebigslide said:
My 1894 loves heavy hard-cast bullets. I cast my own using a lee 2 cavity.

The OAL is not really a problem if you have a file handy and are comfortable disassembling the action (which is straightforward once you've done it a couple of times).

Put a dummy round in the magazine and open the action. Looking in and down, notice the vertical flat surface the cartridge is stopped by. This can be easily and safely moved back to increase the max OAL of firearm. There's a good guide on the net, but you'll need to google it yourself as I'm too lazy. The gist is below, though.

Remove the cartridge lifter.

Carefully file back the cartridge carrier stop (the flat part of the lifter the back end of the cartridge sits on when it comes out of the magazine). This will cause the cartridge to sit farther back in the carrier when it's lifted to the chamber

Go slow and maintain the angle. A fine milling file works best as this is a cast metal part. Don't use a dremel, do it by hand as you only need to remove a little metal.

Your longer OAL is no longer a problem. Standard length bullets still work if you don't go longer than you need to. In my experience, you can remove as much as .120" before you have issues. Those issues are easily solved by a dot of JB weld at the FRONT of the carrier tapered towards the magazine, but I'm sure you'd rather not go there.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I've been thinking of doing something similar to mine and hadn't decided if it was a good idea or not.

I know my '94 doesn't like the semi-wadcutter 240's much. Sometimes you get lucky and 4 or 5 in a row will cycle. Currently awaiting a 200gr rounded flatpoint old that I shope will do better.
 
vagrantviking said:
Thanks for the info. I've been thinking of doing something similar to mine and hadn't decided if it was a good idea or not.

I know my '94 doesn't like the semi-wadcutter 240's much. Sometimes you get lucky and 4 or 5 in a row will cycle. Currently awaiting a 200gr rounded flatpoint old that I shope will do better.
Click to expand...

If the bottoms of the SWCs are catching on the bottom of the chamber entrance, a small dot of JB weld at the front of the lifter will help lift the tip of the cartridge into the chamber successfully. I've had a dot like this on my 1895 for over 1200 rounds and it hasn't knocked loose yet. Because the lifter is supported by a piece of spring steel, standard bullets won't bind either. It's a neat trick for these long pistols.
 
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