Marlin .35 Leverpower

[bearcove]

I have acquired a .35 Leverpower Marlin 336. I was looking for specs for the cartridge.

What I know is it is a wildcat on 30-40 krag brass that that has the rim turned down to .500 fire formed and trimmed. Also made from .303 Brit brass. Wade of Wade's gun room in Az. designed it.

It is listed in one of PO ackleys books and is also in quickloads. I don't have either, yet.

I have fireformed a 308 case and the body is the same as a 358 win, except it is about .05 inches longer. The shoulder angle seems sharper also. Not sure about neck length and plan on doing a chamber cast but I keep forgeting to order some cerrosafe.

Plan on getting quickloads but it is not in the budget right now.

Thanks, Rod

[pietro]

It was covered in this thread, from 5 years ago:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40907

.

[bearcove]

Thanks for the link but I already have that. They also came to the wrong conclusion. It is not a 356 rimless/358 win.

[JFE]

I have Ackley's book with some info on this cartridge. Like you say its based on the 30/40 cut to 30/30 length with a sharp shoulder minumum body taper design.

Ackley only quotes loads for a 200gr bullet, with velocities quoted from a 20" bbl Win 1894:

IMR 3031
40gr 2370 fps
41 2440
42 1440 (must be a typo)
43 2490
44 2515
45 2545
46 2600

Those loads look warm even for a 358, so I would suggest getting someone with quickload to work out some loads for you.

[bearcove]

Might not be too hot. My chamber shows the case capacity is a little larger than a 358. When I get some brass made I'll compare volumes. Then I can work on load data. My intention isn't to load to max but get a good hunting load for deer elk and moose.

I'm back working full time so quickload is on my buy soon list.

JFE thanks for info.

Rod

[Nobade]

Hi Rod,

You'll love Quickload! I wouldn't be without it any more. Once you get a copy just adjust the case capacity of the 35LP entry to match whatever you come up with using your own brass and it should give you good data.

I was shooting my 356 Rimless last weekend with the Ranch Dog 190 paper patched over 35gr. IMR 3031 plus COW filler for a compressed load. It shot great with no sign of excess pressure at all. That load should be good for 2300 fps or so, and I have plenty more that I can go up. So you should be able to easily get yours with its bigger case up to 2500 fps on top without any trouble at all. That sharp shoulder is going to be interesting with fillers though if you use any.

[bearcove]

How's it going Andy,

Quickload sounds great, I have wondered if it was accurate but haven't heard anything bad about it. Working with wildcats seems easy with it.

Don't think I'll try any filler in it with the sharp shoulder outside of fireforming. Don't have any experience with fillers in a case with a 40 degree shoulder. Have to see how it shoots with the misaligned throat. Hope it shoots cast but if not maybe it will shoot jacketed good enough for a hunting rifle

Might have to go the rebarrel route like you mentioned and rechamber a 35 rem replacement barrel to 356 RL. I think I've run out of room to fix that one, unless I just shoot wadcutters. It's already a long case. I think I'll size a few 30-06 and fireform them to see if I'm longer than 30-30 trim length the 35 LP is suposed to be. I have a feeling it is. The other dimensions have been off so no reason for length to be correct.

Oh well, it will be fall before I get to mess with it much, the new job is in Clovis working 50+ hrs a week. Just home to see the family, do the laundry, then back to Clovis.

[bearcove]

I made some cases from 30-06 brass after fireforming the dimensions are:
Dia at base 0.466
Dia at shoulder 0.454
Dia of neck .385
Length to shoulder 1.640
Length to neck 1.690
Shoulder angle 40 degrees
total length of chamber 2.100
Trimmed brass to 2.035
30-30 length
Seated and crimped Speer 220 gr
coal 2.585

The dummy round fed, chambered, and ejected.

To make brass used a 358 win die to push back the shoulder till lever would just close. Fireformed with 15 gr of bullseye and COW to neck, topped with a ball of paper towel to hold in place. Trimmed case to length. I tried 2.100 but coal was to long and would not feed at 2.685 (Hornady 200 RN). Trimmed to 2.035 (30-30 length) and had better results with Speer 220 gr FP. Neck had to be turned down a bit. It was 0.390 at shoulder after bullet was seated and wouldn't chamber.

Have to try a RCBS 200 gr next.

[Nobade]

I think you will find that having .065" gap between the end of the case and the end of the chamber may play havoc with boolit loads. Probably will work fine with the Hornadys though.

I wonder if whoever built that gun meant to get the neck so long? Or just went in a bit too deep with the necker.

[bearcove]

Yeah the gap is a problem. I can make the neck longer for cast loads but the jacketed have the cannelure to crimp into and that forced the case to be shorter. I could go with the 2.100 case length for boolits if the nose is short enough to stay under 2.600 coal.

I think the long neck was an OOPS! If it was 358 win length for coal then more bullets would fit. The Speer 220 gr FN is a good fit but that is probably the upper limit.

[JFE]

It might be that the chamber was cut with a 35 Whelen AI reamer, but only reamed out to 2.10" length ie only partially inserted. Might explain some of the case dimensions you have.

I think the OAL in Marlins can be lengthened to around 2.65" by altering the ejector.