won a online auction for a 1894 marlin CB 357 with 24" barrel.

[FishinTodd]

SO I won a online auction for a JM- 1894 marlin CB 357 with 24" barrel. incuded a pic hope I did it right. So I already reload 38 specials with 158/160 grn swc plain base that I cast, and I have 3k wadcutters I was given for free. They both shoot great in my S&W heavy duty 38/44. Will they work in the marlin or should I be looking for some 357 mag brass and a gas check mold? Anyone one out there have info on 1894 marlin cowboy 357's made in 1999, I would love to hear about it. I'm still waiting for gun to be shipped.

[725]

Way to go. I have no info for you, but somebody will chime in soon with, no doubt, very good info. Welcome to the site. Lots of experience here and advice is freely given.

[RED BEAR]

Way to go looks nice. I wouldn't mind one of those myself.

[Wheelguns 1961]

Congratulations! Welcome to the forum!

[Shawlerbrook]

Welcome and very nice score. Most Marlins will cycle 38 Special length brass although full wad cutters may be finicky. You may want to cruise over to the Marlinowners forum and share that beauty and get loads of information.

[Bazoo]

Howdy, welcome to the CB.GL forum.

Sometimes them marlins are ornery, sometimes not. You probably will want to chamfer the chamber mouth. That will help it feed semi wadcutters. It might feed wadcutters but the problem with them is the overall length more than the profile. The last one I had fed magnum brass better than special brass, but it was an ornery one. I lost it when my house burnt so never got it straightened out.

If you get a Lyman 358156, it has two crimp grooves so that you can load 357 magnum loads in special brass by seating the bullet out in the lower crimp groove. It's a GC design. The overall length will feed trough your rifle in mag brass when seated to the top crimp groove. A Lyman 358429 however will not feed through your rifle in magnum brass when crimped in the crimp groove. Unless you modify the shell lifter to accept a longer cartridge, which may make it misfeed shorter ones. The 358429 should feed using special brass though. Just FYI on the 358429.

Do you need a GC bullet? I think so. You can probably get by without it if your shooting 38 special loads and using good lube, and having the bullet being the right size and hardness for your barrel and pressure. But if you don't have everything right you're likely to get leading, a GC bullet normally gives you a little leeway when other things ain't just right. I'd be running some full velocity magnum loads too, and the GC helps the bullet withstand those higher pressures.

[Conditor22]

Way to go. you've been a member for over 2 years and just waited until you had something cool to post.

Being tube feed, I would look for flat nosed boolits. I've had very good luck with Lee .358-158-RF

[gundownunder]

You'll love it.
Mine is the 20" that came after yours and it won't ever be sold.
You won't need gas checks if you use the right size bullets. Get something in .358 - .360, all mine are .359.
Many folks have found that their Marlins are partial to heavy for caliber bullets to get best accuracy, including mine. I use all 180 gr bullets, even for my wussy loads. Try the SWC, it may work, mine will feed them but is a little clunky on cycling, and at 158 gr is not very accurate either. My go to bullet for everything is Accurate's 36-175-B, which weighs right at 180 gr with COWW & 2% tin. Put that bullet on top of 14 gr of W296 with a CCI small rifle primer and you'll get about 1700 fps from your 24" barrel. Same bullet with Universal or Unique will make a nice plinking load. If you want to use 38 Spl cases you can load the old Elmer Keith 38/44 load, which is a 170 gr SWC bullet and 2400 powder.

[Michael J. Spangler]

My 1894C loves the 358156 loaded long in 38 special brass over 3.5 grains of bullseye.
Shoots lights out.

[FishinTodd]

Something happened to that account I couldn't get logged in, n request for password updates didnt work. Dont know if it hacked or what. I messaged admin and never heard back so made new account.

[FishinTodd]

I am thinking of getting 357 brass, so if I load warmer loads they dont get in the smith and wesson. It was my great grand fathers and worked on john dillinger and al Capone cars. He was a deputy, the cost of a new handgun in 1931 was a lot of money so who knows where he got it. I got a factory letter. It was shipped to Texas. So who knows how it went back to lake county indiana.

[Bazoo]

That sounds pretty neat, you aught to show us some pictures of that old 38. Thanks for sharing.

[osteodoc08]

Sounds like a nice one. Pictures and range report needed.

[gundownunder]

I am thinking of getting 357 brass, so if I load warmer loads they dont get in the smith and wesson.

You said in your OP that you had a S&W 38/44. That's about as warm as you can get a 38 Spl case to go.

The Marlin tends to be OAL sensitive, mine won't feed at all if I go over 1.595. With the 38 Spl cases not being used you will need to discount bullets such as the RCBS Sil, and Keith SWC, as they will be too long in the nose to fit into 357 cases. With the 36-175-B, I trim my 357 brass to 1.275, add to that .315 for the crimp to nose measure and I get an OAL of 1.590, which is perfect. That bullet has a nose like a freight train and at 200 meters will knock the steel silhouette ram on his butt, every time i can hit it, even with the most marginal of hits. I haven't hunted with it but if I did I wouldn't doubt it's ability to go all the way through deer, pigs, goats, or anything else in that class.

[Mistered]

Nice win!
And welcome from North of you in Wickiup Junction!

[GregLaROCHE]

Congratulations on a new gun.
I was always of the opinion that hand gun rounds shouldn’t be loaded the same as long guns do to barrel length and burn rate. I think barrel twist may play a part too. If you’re wanting to get a round that shoots well in both, you may have to play around with different loads. When you get something interesting, be sure to let us know.

[LUBEDUDE]

You’re going to love that Marlin CB! I have one that I bought new in 2000. I had it slicked up by a cowboy action gunsmith in Dallas,TX. I’ve never had it fail me with any bullet design in 38 or 357.

I haven’t tried wadcutters, but have run RNFP of 90, 105, 115, 130, and 160. And SWC IN 135, 140, and 158 in both 38/357 cases for all Bullets.



Was used weekly in Cowboy Action for many years. It has the rounds of multiple lifetimes of the average shooter run through it, and still runs great!

[FishinTodd]

Wow it is such a fun gun, I went thru 150 rounds of 38 spe ials, lee tl 158 swc, a box of cci 38 +p fmj a friend had given me yrs ago. N half a box of 357 125 hp I loaded up. I ordered 200 more 357 mag brass and a noe 178 gen ranch dog mold today. This rifle is like a big 22

[FishinTodd]

Lubedude, I think my gun has been slicked up, appears to have aftermarket trigger. It is silver colored. And safety button doesn't work. Which I'm fine with. I did the o ring trick w my guidegun

[LUBEDUDE]

Good to hear that you have a nice running rifle. I like your accurate description of being a big 22.