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Anyone have a real number for the max overall length that will feed through a current 1895?
Not loading manual number, real number that will feed from magazine and clear for the carrier to pick up the round and lift it up into position.
Then with the boolits I have we will see what will chamber.
I load a 2010 45-70 1895 G . It will just make a 2.555" .
AOL in Marlin levers for straight case cartridges can be affected by bullet shape for feed purposes.
Traditional round nose lead boolits would be what AOL is based on. Other bullets will clear as far as AOL but will not feed into chamber properly.
Each gun is different. You'll just have to figure that out with the bullet you want to shoot.
Each Gun is a study of itself. I’ve had some feed cartridges fine and other jam 1/8” into the lands. Make up some dummy cartridges and see how they do.
Generally my 1971 1895 will feed a rounded FN @ 2.55" OAL fine.
There is a specialty shop in AK that builds 1895s that will feed a slightly longer shells but they do modifications to the frame and lifter to make them work. Don't hold me to this but I think they will feed their special shells at 2.65-2.70". Really not much difference. Think name is Wild West Guns.
If you want to reload long nosed bullets, just trim back the case to the point where the OAL works and the case can be crimped into the correct groove. Have done this with 38 Special cases using long nose bullets in 357 guns.
There are a series of increasingly difficult changes that can be made to the Marlin 1895 to increase COL capability. Even without modification, the bullet shape can affect function. 2.55 is the standard but you will need to work with your bullet for your 'real' COL. M.L. McPherson ran a series in Precision Shooting magazine explaining and showing the changes. He has a book on Amazon with some of the information but some of the pictures are missing.
I also believe that the OAL can to some degree, be increased by a gunsmith. I know someone that had a Marlin rechambered to 307 Winchester and had the overall feed length increased some to accommodate the longer .308 Hornady flextip bullets made for the 308 ME.