Marlin 1894SS With Oversize Chamber

[Southern Son]

I have searched around, but cannot find anything on this. So I am just going to have to ask everyone here.

A couple of years ago I bought a new Marlin 1894 in stainless. I started shooting 44Mag loads in old PMC and new Remington brass and .44Spl loads in cut down PMC Magnum brass. Things appeared to be going OK until I bought some Starline 44Spl brass. Most of this brass was unfired, and what had been fire had only been fired once. I loaded 15grains of 2400 under a 240gr boolit in the Starline Brass, and headed to the range.

On firing, every single case separated. All at the same point, 0.600 from the base of the case.

I thought that maybe the Starline brass might be too hard, so I anealed 50 of them, filled them with the same load and took them too the range and fired them. None of them separated, however, I did notice they looked over expanded. At the point the unanealed cases were separating, the fired anealed cases measure .462-.463, .013 larger than the sized/unfired case. Immeadiately above the extractor groove, the case measures .451, and then then expand to .463 at .600 from the base of the case.

I have since gone back and measured the Remington and PMC brass and it all shows the same expansion.

Is this a normal amount of case expansion in a .44Mag Lever Gun? Is the Starline brass the problem? Why do I always get these problems? An answer to any of those questions would be welcome. Does anyone else out there have the dimentions of some fired brass from a 1894 Marlin .44Mag?

P.S. Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get all the information included.

[MtGun44]

I just miked some new Starline .44 mag brass and got .452 about mid case. Then I grabbed
three random fired .44 mag cases and they miked .456, .457 and .457 about mid
length.

Sounds like you have a bit oversized chamber. Maybe you need to send a few cases to
Marlin and see what they have to say. I suspect you may need a new barrel. It depends
on their tolerances. My fired cases were most likely from pistols, I have two .44 mag
leverguns but shoot them far less than the pistols, so just grabbing a random few fired
cases are about 99% probability that they came from a S&W or Ruger pistol. I have had
excellent results with all the Starline brass that I have ever used in many different
calibers.

Bill

[TCFAN]

Sorry about your problems with your Marlin 44.I just got about 3 months ago a new Marlin 44Mag. made in 2009.I also have had a few head separation.But i think mine was from using old well used brass.
I just went out and got 2 once fired 44 mag case and measured each after sizing and loading.At one half inch above the rim they measured.451.At the rim they measured .454.

I loaded both up with 15grs. of 2400 and a RD 432-265 boolit sized .432 with a Hornady check.The boolit weighs about 270 grs. ready to shoot.

After shooting them the case measured .457 one half inch above the rim and 454 at the rim.

Don't know if any of this helps but I hope so..................Terry

[Southern Son]

Bill, TC,
Thanks for that. Bill, I don't know about talking to Marlin, I am in Australia. As for the importer, I have dealt with importers in Australia before. The idea of sending them my rifle, at my expense, so that they can look at it, probably fire some factory ammo in it (which probably won't separate, most of the other cases didn't separate, even when loaded hot), then ship it back to me and say the rifle is "within specs" just seems like a waste of time. I have had the rifle for more than 2 years now, 12 months seems to be the magiic number for warrantees. I don't think it matters that I didn't shoot the rifle for the first 10 months, and then it only got very light work for another six due to work comittments.

I will send it to a gunsmith and see if he can rechamber or re barrell. I don't like the idea of working my brass that much. With that much sizing, brass won't last long.

Thanks again guys.

[Dutch4122]

Just out of curiosity, would you mind measuring the inside of a casemouth from a piece of brass that was fired in that rifle, but not resized yet? The reason I ask is that my 1894ss (mfg'd in 2001) will chamber a dummy round that contains a .435" boolit. I size my slugs to .433" and the bore is .431"

I don't have an issue with casenecks splitting like you do; but I am curious to know how fat a boolit your chamber will accept.

Thanks,

[Southern Son]

Dutch,
Just measured, they are between .433 and .436 (?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?) Your boolits would probably chamber without being sized. Would you mind measuring one of your fired cases at a point .600 from the base? I am curious about just how oversize my chamber is. I am thinking at the moment that I will get the Gunsmith to shorten and rechamber the barrel. Will loose a couple of rounds magazine capacity, but if I ain't hit it with 8, then 2 more will be probably wasted.

[NHlever]

I have a Marlin carbine, a Winchester carbine, and a couple of Ruger handguns in .44 mag. My Marlin has the largest chamber of the bunch, but hasn't caused any real problems yet.