Marlin 1894CB .38 Special-what would you do?

[45Driver]

with this gun? I wasn't thinking straight when I bought this,I had been looking for one in .357 but this .38 came available and before I could stop myself,I told the guy "I'll take it".:-D

It's the Cowboy model but I'm not into cowboy stuff so this will be a plinker and very rarely used for small game.
Just been kinda scratchin' my head as to what to load for it.

The Ballard type rifling is good for lead bullets but I have a very good stock of jacketed numbers on the shelf and I'm concerned about sticking a bullet in the bore if I don't load 'em to +P+ levels.

Anyone here got a.38 carbine they've been loading for?

Thanks for any comments.

Dave

http://images34.fotki.com/v1150/photos/1/1256184/5635696/Marlin1894CB1-vi.jpg

http://images24.fotki.com/v768/photos/1/1256184/5635696/Marlin1894CB3-vi.jpg

[fecmech]

I'd be interested in buying it if the price is right, I'm more interested in a target gun than hunting anyway. Shoot me a PM if your interested. Nick

[Scrounger]

Yes, put a price on it or what you'll take in trade.

[crabo]

Sell it and buy one in 357, because then you have a gun that is much more than a plinker, but you can load it down when you want to plink.

[45Driver]

...wasn't really looking to sell but this gun is still unfired and in new condition,there hasn't even been a round loaded into the tube yet.

I paid $650 plus tax at 5.5% = 35.75 so I'd need $685.75 plus actual shipping. I'm sure that doesn't even approach "the right price".:neutral:

Still like to hear from anyone who loads for a .38 Special rifle. :)

Dave

[fecmech]

Dave--Realistically there is no reason why you can't load .357 mag loads in that gun. You will have to use .38 spl cases which are no problem. The action was designed for the .357,.44mag and .45 colt. I believe all they did was chamber it in .38 spl but I can't believe they made a special weaker action for the .38. The down side is you won't be able to use factory .357 ammo in it. Hell the .357 was developed in .38 cases. Just keep the cases well separated if you have a .38 spl only revolver in the house, you don't want any accidents that way. Good Luck Nick

[crabo]

http://www.lasc.us/FryxellMarlin1894.htm

Read this, Glenn has a lot to say about 38 cases and a lot of different bullets.

[Hairtrigger]

Would it be possible to remove the barrel and have it reamed to 357?

[badgeredd]

http://www.lasc.us/FryxellMarlin1894.htm

Read this, Glenn has a lot to say about 38 cases and a lot of different bullets.

Fine article, crabo. Thanks for posting the link. It sounds like the 38 Special is the ticket, doesn't it?

[Rustyleee]

You might not even have to remove the barrel to ream it. Just remove the bolt and work through there. Before I tried that, I load a couple .38's as long as I could make them to see if function with the longer rounds was going to be a problem.

[crabo]

Badgeredd, I wonder what they did to make it a 38 special gun? Did they just short chamber it or did they also do something to the feed mechanisms?

I just got the same rifle in 357 last night. The thing that I noticed right away was that most of my bullets would not feed from the magazine when loaded from the tube, when 357 cases were used.

I want to use a 357 case so the bullet does not have to jump so far to engage the rifling. The only bullet that I had that would feed was the Lee 125 rf cowboy bullet. I put 5.3 grains of Trailboss in it, and shot it this morning. I had no problem wearing out chickens and pigs, but I didn't get to shoot it at the turkeys and rams. (22 match going on) I think a heavier bullet would do better at the turky and ram line.

I have 2 questions for the lever gurus.......

1. Any problems with shortening the mag brass a little so the rounds will feed?

2. Does anyone ramp and polish the barrels a little like you do on a 45 to facilitate tubular loading?

Thanks,

Crabo

[ktw]

I have been working with one of these recently in 357 mag.

I have not had a problem getting the Steen 358-180-RFgc (Blammer's NEI group buy) to feed through the rifle when loaded in 357 mag brass.

The Group Buy 358-170-K (a 358429 copy honchoed by Garandsrus) does require the use of 38 spcl brass. I have not run into any issues with loading it up to 1500-1600 fps in the shorter brass.

-ktw

[NoDakJak]

I have owned the 357 magnum since they first came on the market. As of today I have yet to run a 357 case through the rifle. At least 95% of the rounds fired through it have been cast. Jacketed load is with the 158 grain Winchester HP. The prime load is with Lyman 357429, ACWW, loaded ahead of 11 grains of 2400. I have never used the jacketed slug for hunting but out to at least 75 yards the deer don't seem to notice any difference between the cast load and my 30-30. Keep the rifle. You will never notice the difference if you don't need to shoot anything larger than deer. Neil

[Jack Stanley]

I wouldn't be real worried about sticking a bullet in the barrel with target loads . I regularly use a double-ended wadcutter loaded with two point seven grains of Bullseye without problems .
Another load for the special case uses a hundred eighty-five grain LBT bullet and four point five grains of Unique . I do think that this load could be boosted some or a slower powder used .

Jack

[Lloyd Smale]

that gun was built by marlin for the cowboy action shooters and addresses the fact that 38s dont feed all that well in a 357 gun. Marlin built it and tuned it specifically to shoot 38s and they came from the factory with the actions even slicked up by hand to insure reliable feeding. I couldnt amagine a better small game rifle. If a guy keeps in mind that its capable of shooting 38s as fast as a revolver will shoot .357s you will see that its not a pip squeak in the power department and is actually capable of being a short ranged deer rifle.

[Bret4207]

Why in the world do you think you'll stick a bullet in the barrel? Factory stuff will pop out fine.

[Glen]

You might try running some .357 Mag ammo through the action to see if it will cycle and chamber. I have run across cases where a firearm was labelled as "Special" but the manufacturer just went ahead and used the Magnum reamer to chamber it since that's what they were set up for. You never know, it's worth a try...

[noclue]

Keep it and love it or send it to me to love.

[Junior1942]

Keep that rifle!!! Pick a gas check cast bullet and load it in 38 cases with Lil'Gun to 100% loading density. Then go deer hunting if you want. It would push a 180 gr cast to 1600 to 1700 fps easy.

[dubber123]

I don't know where you are located, but I just bought one in .357 mag, on a whim, and would actually prefer a .38 for what I'm going to be doing with this gun.

[WyrTwister]

Badgeredd, I wonder what they did to make it a 38 special gun? Did they just short chamber it or did they also do something to the feed mechanisms?

I just got the same rifle in 357 last night. The thing that I noticed right away was that most of my bullets would not feed from the magazine when loaded from the tube, when 357 cases were used.

I want to use a 357 case so the bullet does not have to jump so far to engage the rifling. The only bullet that I had that would feed was the Lee 125 rf cowboy bullet. I put 5.3 grains of Trailboss in it, and shot it this morning. I had no problem wearing out chickens and pigs, but I didn't get to shoot it at the turkeys and rams. (22 match going on) I think a heavier bullet would do better at the turky and ram line.

I have 2 questions for the lever gurus.......

1. Any problems with shortening the mag brass a little so the rounds will feed?

2. Does anyone ramp and polish the barrels a little like you do on a 45 to facilitate tubular loading?

Thanks,

Crabo

My limited experience is lever guns like round nose bullets best .

The SWC's I have cast for my wheel guns have feed reluctently to not at all . They seem to feed better if you cycle the lever violently .

God bless
Wyr

[quasi]

brass is much cheaper in .38 than .357. Once fired brass that is.

[mdatlanta]

45Driver,

I'm in complete agreement with Junior1942...those 1894 CBs are GREAT! IMHO, keep it, shoot it, and try to keep the grin off your face! I bought the 1894C in .357mag, but all I ever shoot in it is .38s and wish I had gotten the CB model in .38--just like yours. Your gun is essentially a "custom" job--much, much smoother than the "plain-jane" 1894s, and hand-tuned for reliable operation. I've never felt the need to use .357s. Lot's of utility and just plain fun! :-P

You might try going over to www.sassnet.com and finding out what the "cowboys" have to say about your rifle.

Mike

[45Driver]

Thank you guys for all the thoughtful and encouraging replies!

I have a mold ordered for the .38, it's Lee's # 358-158-RF and I'm looking forward to loading 'em and getting out to the range.

I have another new,unfired levergun to try out for the first time-an Uberti made,Stoeger imported 1873 Winchester replica Short Rifle in .44-40.

That one was easy to figure out what to load for it!:).

Also I've just about got my Marlin 1894FG in .41 Mag dialed-in so I'm hip-deep in leverguns to shoot and enjoy.:mrgreen:

[Bullshead]

125 gr lead slug

3.8 grs of VV320

Good Lee roll crimp.

Excellent plinking load. :drinks: