new barrel for 1895 ?

[wisconsin]

i would like to know if changing the micro groove barrel on my 1895ss to a ballard groove is worth it ? if so where would a good place to look for that barrel be ?:coffee: thanks steve

[45nut]

I am pretty sure Ranch Dog and a few others would confirm the payback would not be worth the cost. They do some pretty fine shootin' with the micro's. Look for his banner below and click to see his results. Maybe even pick up a mold r' two.

[wisconsin]

thanks i looked around in there its easy to use :coffee: the imput on the barrel change was good thanks wisconsin:drinks:

[9.3X62AL]

Welcome aboard, Wisconsin!

I share the view that MicroGroove rifling is very usable with cast boolits. My own "proof" was with a Marlin Model 62 in 30 Carbine--it runs the Lee Soup Can (113 grain round/flat nose gas check) better than any jacketed bullet I've tried so far, and at velocities to 2000 FPS+. Fit is EVERYTHING, and fat is usually good--.311" in the case of the M-62.

For the 1895 x 45-70, even the Ballard-rifled barrels are often poorly served by the available boolit moulds marketed for the 45-70. Castings falling free at .457" are of little use to many 45-70 shooters--my Ruger #1 (and a LOT of other rifles) need at least .459" diameter to shoot well. Another case of "fatter is better", and many MG 45-70's fit that recipe. I vacillate about getting another Marlin 1895, it is such a useful rifle and caliber......if this happens, another Fat Forty-Five Mould will cross my threshold.

[wisconsin]

thanks .459 is what ill look for. will gas checks be the trick for higher charges of powder? im looking to get a load for cast boolits that will feed well in the marlin . thinking pp. also want to work up same for my #2 in smokeless thanks

[NickSS]

I have both in a Marlin and can not tell the difference in accuracy. My old 1895 standard rifle has Micro grooves and My 1895 Cowboy has ballard rifling. I shoot .459 boolits in both and get about the same accuracy in both (less than 2 inches on average at 100 yards).

[BABore]

MicroGroove will shoot cast very well as long as you use the correct size bullet in it. Usually a couple thou over groove to start.

Although I'm not recommending a barrel change, for reference, Marlin will rebarrel your rifle for approximately $113.

[beagle]

But, if you really got to........

Marlin has a rebarrel service and last time I looked, it was pretty reasonable.

Personally, I think the cut rifling outshoots the MG with a hell of a lot less hassle and I have a pair of M1895s in .45/70 and .444. Both are cut rifling and outshoot my shooting partners' MG guns./beagle

[45-70marlin]

i had a marlin 1894 357mag with MG and it shot very well with cast bullets. did you try the rifle with cast bullets yet?

[ACK450]

What Beagle says! ACK

[flhroy]

and welcome to the board. What part of WI do you hale from? I grew up in SE WI on the mighty shores of Lake Michigan. Good luck with your Marlin

Take Care

Roy

[wisconsin]

rebarrel the marlin isnt that outragous for $113 . flihoy im at hayward just south of the big lake thanks for the info

[quasi]

My microgroove 95 prefers boolits at .460-.461 . It is very , very accurate with boolits and bullets. I also have a 95 with a Marlin 1/2 octagonal barrel that is Ballard style rifling. It is slightly less accurate than the micro-groove rifle.

By the way, the last time I looked, Gun parts corp has unfired Marlin 95 45-70 barrels with micro-groove rifling for $60.00. They also have .444 barrels I think for the same price.

[wisconsin]

i called marlin they'll do it for $130 mg to ballard i'm thin'in 18'' stainless ported the contrast sounds interesting . i need to talk to the gunsmith in solon springs see what his price and turn around is marlin s is aprox. two months . thanks

[44man]

What I have found is that the Ballard rifling is almost no deeper then the micro groove. You really have more boolit grip with the micro groove. All they did with the Ballard is reduce the number of lands and grooves.
Marlin has done us a disservice with rifling and twist rates. They have gotten very stubborn over the years.

[wisconsin]

thanks 44man i better really think it over more people here are saying it wont make a big diffrence thanks