38's in a 357 Marlin?

[mellonhead]

Any of you guys have any luck with 38 specials in your Marlin 94's. I just picked up a 357 mag Cowboy and have about 3k pcs. of 38 brass here. I'll probably try some loads tomorrow with some 150 grain SWC's. I just wanted to know if you guys had any recipies.

Toby

[Ben]

Recipes for an 1894 Marlin 357 mag shooting 38 spec. ? Well , yes and no.....My Marlin 1894 is a 38 Spec ( not 357 Mag ) CBC. Each Marlin 1894 seems to tolerate or not tolerate certain loads. My own 1894 will feed full 148 gr. W/C's seated flush with the end of the case mouth of 38 Spec cases from the magazine, 7 for 7, smooth as silk. I own many different 38/357 bullet molds, I've yet to find one that will not cycle smoothly in my rifle.

By the way, mine is a shooter ! !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Marlin%2038%20Special/PICT0006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/880.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/01042011.jpg

[Firebricker]

My 94 is in .357 and it feeds .38spls fine with rnfp. I use Unique and 158gr boolits. FB

[TCFAN]

My 94C is also a 357. I use a lot of 38 specials in it. The main load for the 38 is the Lee RNFP 158gr boolit pushed by 4.2grs of Bullseye.This shoots good in my Marlin.

Ben.....That is a very nice Marlin you have there. First one I have ever seen in a 38..........Terry

[Guesser]

My 1894C 357 is about 30 years old and has always fed and fired 38 Specials. Doesn't matter what bullet profile, they all work in 38 and 357. I use 358156 in 357 and 358311 & 357446 in 38.

[Ben]

TCFAN

Someone told me that there were only about 400ea. 38 spec. Marlin 1894 CBC rifles that were made. That may be true or not true, I'm not certain. Maybe someone else can offer help on the quantity made ? ?

[xringdave]

i've had good luck in my marlin with 38 specials i use a 158 gr. round nose boolit.

[TCFAN]

TCFAN

Someone told me that there were only about 400ea. 38 spec. Marlin 1894 CBC rifles that were made. That may be true or not true, I'm not certain. Maybe someone else can offer help on the quantity made ? ?

Ben if they only made that many then you are very lucky to have one.Sure wish I could find one and have the money at the time to buy it.....Terry

[Ben]

TCFAN

I've been offered a " chunk of change " from a fellow in NH for this rifle, I turned the deal down. Claims he had been looking for a nice one for a long time with no success.

I forgot to mention, my rifle is Ballard rifled, not micro-groove.

Ben

[tall grass]

My 1894c jams with 38s with regular OAL. If the bullet can be set out so that the OAL is 0.150" or so (don't have my notes handy) it will feed them.

Jim

[maglvr]

Try Elmer's original 38-44 load, my 1894C LOVES them!!!

358429
----------
13.5gr 2400

To anyone else reading this post "DO NOT USE THIS LOAD IN ANY MED. OR SMALL FRAME .38 Spl." the pressure is in the 357 mag range!!

[btroj]

My 1894 feeds 38s fine. It just doesn't shoot them very well.

[izzyjoe]

i have an 1894c and it seem to like rnfp boolits in 38 cases, but when i loaded up some wc's, it locked the gun up. seems that the rim of the case got of the mag tube, and the lifter would'nt rise. not fun! :(

[GP100man]

Go here : http://www.biglube.com/BulletMolds.aspx?ItemID=ee788c75-7068-4a70-a6f0-6d4ee38b0030

Me & Muddy Creek Sam loaded these in 38 cases with Holy Black , he`s shot em alot with 0 FTF problems ,or atleast I have`nt heard none .

I tried em in 357 mag in a revolver but there just a mite long if seated in the crimp groove & go too deep in a 357 case , but perfect in a 38spc.

& the loobe groove holds ample loobe for the longest of barrels !!!

[358 Win]

Try Elmer's original 38-44 load, my 1894C LOVES them!!!

358429
----------
13.5gr 2400

To anyone else reading this post "DO NOT USE THIS LOAD IN ANY MED. OR SMALL FRAME .38 Spl." the pressure is in the 357 mag range!!

My 1894CBL, ballard rifled, 24" barrel also loves the Lyman 358429 in .38 Special
cases. I use 11.5gr of 2400 powder for 1450fps. My 358429 bulllets weigh 178gr
with my alloy. It is a great walk about load and it'll smack dead anything that needs killing. Have the Lyman 66LA receiver sights on mine. Helps my tired old eyes get her on target.
358 Win

[mellonhead]

I tried 6.0 grains of HS6 under a NOE 360-145-SWC. Accuracy seemed ok. Didn't have as good of a rest as I would have liked, but it showed some promise.

Toby

[MikeG70]

Sometimes the 38 Special round will lock up a rifle designed to shoot 357. You may want to do what I did and buy yourself 357 Mag brass then load it down to 38 Special specs. My practice load is 4.0 gr of Trail Boss under a Meister 125 gr LRNFP bullet. This load also works well in 38 Special and is under 1000 fps in each. Just a suggestion.

[curiousgeorge]

I have a Marlin 1894 .357 that feeds the 358156 seated long in the second crimp groove from .38 special cases slick as can be. I am shooting 12.5 grs of 2400 under this gas checked boolilt and the rifle loves them. It also feeds the 358429 very well, but the 358156 seated out comes close to the same OAL as a standard .357 and really works slick.

***THIS LOAD SHOULD NOT BE USED IN .38 SPECIAL REVOLVERS - .357 MAGNUM RANGE PRESSURES ***

[1Shirt]

My 94 Win 357 (and wish I also had a Marlin) will shoot 38's ok, BUT-not as accurate as 357 brass. The excepting being 358429 seated out properly and crimped in the appropriate crimp groove. This shoots equal with 358's. Other blts that are shorter OAL when seated do not seem to seal as well
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Four Fingers of Death]

I shoot 44/40in Cowboy comps myself, but most use Marlins with 38s, but with RNF boolits. They seem to be able to get em' percolating realll fast! Thinking of buying one for the wife to match her 38/357 SASS Rugers.

[gundownunder]

Mine cycles anything in 38 cases like they were made for it, RNFP, SWC, XTP, they all work in both 38 and 357. Some rifles will and some won't, you need to try it for yourself.
If you've got thousands of 38s you may as well use them if your rifle likes them. As already mentioned, Keith's 38/44 load will do just about anything the 357 will, but be extremely careful with that quoted load from magIvr, 13.5 grains was the load with Hercules 2400, not Alliant 2400. 13.5 grains is above book maximum even for 357 cases let alone 38 cases. I have used 12 grains behind a 158 grain in a 38 and had no pressure signs, and would think that would probably be a safe place to start.

[161]

I found in an old Lyman manual "38 Special High Velocity Heavy Framed Guns Only". 6.4 gr. of Unique behind a 358156. I loaded 20 with Wolf primers in 38 cases behind a Lee TL358-158-SWC. Got 1340 FPS out of my marlin 1894 357. And 1150 in the 6 inch GP100. Not sure I want 38s around that could be dangerous in a J frame gun but it did shoot well

[JSH]

The two I have will cycle and shoot 38's. Does either like them, NO. Leading in barrels is one thing, leading in the chamber is way worse.
I can run about 20-25 (38's) rounds through my 1894's and everything is fine. After that they shoot patterns. I have had ZERO issues with 357 brass. I am pretty much done "short" loading anything, wheel guns included.
jeff

[161]

What would be the pros and cons to loading 38s to 357 OAL. The TL boolits have multiple crimp grooves. Then you wouldn't have to worry about one finding it's way into a light framed gun. Just wondering.

[EDK]

What would be the pros and cons to loading 38s to 357 OAL. The TL boolits have multiple crimp grooves. Then you wouldn't have to worry about one finding it's way into a light framed gun. Just wondering.


See post above by JSH. Yoiur chamber would have to be cleaned everytime you use the gun or it could be permanently gunked up with the carbon ring and other gook from using the shorter casings. An extreme case would require a chambering reamer or something similar to remove the gook. "I have a couple thousand 38 Special empties and d*** near that many 44 Specials in storage because of the hassle of cleaning the chamber." Someone in the now defunct SHOOT! magazine purposely didn't clean the chambers of a 44 Magnum VAQUERO and made it a de facto 44 Special.

Get yourself 500-to-1000 357 empties off gunbroker...nuts4bolts is my guy for once fired brass...and save yourself a hassle. I wish once fired 44s were as cheap and plentiful.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[kelbro]

I have shot hundreds of 38s in my 1894C and hundreds of 44 spls in my 1894 with no chamber issues.

[dualsport]

Starline Brass- about $125 for 1,000 new .357 cases- set for a long time.

[GH1]

I shoot .38's in mine fairly often, but no more than 50 rounds or so at a time.. I use a 158 gr RNFP from Dardas on top of 3 gr of Bullseye. I clean my gun everytime I shoot it so the carbon ring hasn't been an issue for me.
Leverguns can be fussy in regards to OAL, I believe the Marlin spec is between 1.40" and 1.59". Mine fed SWC's fairly well, but it likes the RNFP much better.
GH1

[NHlever]

TCFAN

I've been offered a " chunk of change " from a fellow in NH for this rifle, I turned the deal down. Claims he had been looking for a nice one for a long time with no success.

I forgot to mention, my rifle is Ballard rifled, not micro-groove.

Ben

Your friend missed a good one here in NH about a year ago at one of the more well known gun shops. Gone now, of course. There were some around here when I was thinking that the lever gun had to be good on deer to be interesting, and I passed them by. I am only slightly older, and wiser now, but don't see .38 Special, or .357 used lever guns around much at all. The Kittery Trading Post (ktpguns.com) has a clean Marlin 1894 .45 Colt 24" cowboy right now that I saw yesterday. I am waiting on new glasses for my new driver's license so I couldn't do much about ti. I have managed to find a regular Marlin, and a Winchester Legacy with pistol grip in .357, and neither of them are going any place soon, and I do have a Ruger 77/357 on order as we speak. They, along with their .44 mag nmates are sure fun to work with, and shoot. I have hunted them all, but so far haven't happened to have one when the shooting started yet.

[NHlever]

What would be the pros and cons to loading 38s to 357 OAL. The TL boolits have multiple crimp grooves. Then you wouldn't have to worry about one finding it's way into a light framed gun. Just wondering.

I have loaded hundreds of the Lyman 358156 boolits in .38 Special cases for use in my .357 guns with no problems. Much of that time, I havne't had any .38 Special guns around so that has never been a concern. I do seat them out, and crimp in the second groove. I have used Skeeter's load as well as around 3 grains of Tite Group, 231, etc. in those loads with good accuracy.

[161]

To answer mellonheads question I have several K 38s and have shot 1000s of Lee TL358-158-SWC in 38sp cases in my 1894C. The work fine as well as the 357 with the same boolit. I just clean it after session.

[JSH]

Hmmmmm, now a question for those of you that shoot a LOT of 38's in your 357's.
How many of you that shoot 38's then in turn try to shoot or chamber a 357, with NO issues? I am curious as to what type of throating it has.
jeff

[fecmech]

Hmmmmm, now a question for those of you that shoot a LOT of 38's in your 357's.
How many of you that shoot 38's then in turn try to shoot or chamber a 357, with NO issues? I am curious as to what type of throating it has.
jeff

Well I just went downstairs and dropped 2 loaded .357 rounds into my Rossi 92 chamber and they both fell in to the rim of their own weight. Both were loaded with 358429, one in an RP case and the other in Starline. The 92 has not been cleaned for a while and 2 weeks ago at our silhouette party I ran about 150 rds of .38's ( 125 rnfp and 121 TC over 4.5/BE) through it and last week about 100 more in the back yard. Until just now no .357 cases have been in the gun. This "problem" is something I read about a lot but have experienced next to never and I fire a lot of .38's in a lot of different .357 guns both revolver and lever. My guns get shot a lot and cleaned very little, maybe I'm just lucky!
BTW- The Rossi has your basic ball seat cone shaped throat

[kelbro]

The only 'problem child' that I have is my 357 Taurus 605 revolver. It needs a pretty good swabbing after shooting 38s. My 586, DW 15-2, nor my 1894C have any issues.

[Harter66]

I've an 1894CB.I've had it about 7 years,the only new gun I've ever bought. I've fed it XTPs,358-158RNFPs,and a few assorted SWCs even mixed magazines of 38/357. The only issue I've had was some 38s I"saved" by cutting off the mouth cracks, down to a looong seated 9x23R.OAL was about 1.3 " . I doubt mine would feed full flush seated WCs well in either case.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Well, I used the 357/38 Rossi again on Sunday and it is a great little rifle (which I got for peanuts), but it is difficult to load. The first three go in easily, but after that it is a struggle. You really have to remove the mag tube inner whatever you call it and feed hem through the slot like a 22. But that is difficult to get in and out as well.

I was running a mob of learners through all day and I just ended up loading 4 at a time.

I had intended for my wife to use it for cowboy shooting, but I could foresee her having problems and me running back and forwards to help her, which would be a distraction and annoying to boot for both of us.

So.........., I walked into the local gun shop this morning and put a deposit on a new Marlin 1894.

I have another Rossi 92 (44Mag) which I never warmed to (crappy sights, not happy feeding 44Specials), so I will sell both of them and that will help pay for the 1894.

Boy, it sure is roughly finished though. The wood is smooth enough, the inletting is ok and the checkering is good, but the stock looks like it is just about dry (probably a polymer coating). All of the parts look like they are sharp edged and it cycles rough. I will be doing a bit of stoning and smoothing before this one is as slick as my 5 year old 44Mag 1894. It has a Ballard rifled Bbl, which I like.

I have a pair of old Weavers, 2.5 and a 3x from memory, they will ride these two rifles when I am hunting and not Cowboying! ( I will run the Bbl in with 50 odd mid range jacketed bullets then a few thousand lead boolits through it and it should be good to go!).

Looking forward to it, probably the rifle I should of bought years ago.

I'm, 63, I figure life is too short to fiddle with guns that have annoying traits!

[ChuckJaxFL]

...The Kittery Trading Post (ktpguns.com)...

I have memories of that place from the '70s!! My father was stationed at Pease AFB for his last tour.

I couldn't have been more than 6 or so the first time I climbed the stairs and saw that bear. I think the first time, I screamed. Then after than I remember wanting to pet it.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have memories of that place from the '70s!! My father was stationed at Pease AFB for his last tour.

I couldn't have been more than 6 or so the first time I climbed the stairs and saw that bear. I think the first time, I screamed. Then after than I remember wanting to pet it.

Sounds like my kinda store