Can this Marlin 1895 barrel be made useful?

[RG1911]

I finally made three careful slugs of the bore of my micro-groove Marlin 1895 in .45-70: under the front sight; under the rear sight; and full length.

The diameters as measured using a Mitutoyo micrometer showed a slightly oval bore with measurements ranging from .4589 to .4591. Not a huge discrepancy, but I think it shows why .459 cast bullets were horribly inaccurate. 405-gr cast, gas-checked bullets sized to .460 from Beartooth Bullets showed improved accuracy. Jacketed 300-gr bullets showed a reasonable accuracy.

Assuming I know how to use a micrometer, and assuming my micrometer is calibrated correctly, what are the chances that accuracy can be improved from the current 3-4 inches at 100 yards (scoped and from a rest)? For instance, getting a mold and sizing bullets to .461? (I called Beartooth, but they cannot supply .461 diameter cast.)

My suspicion is that it would be extremely expensive to rebarrel the rifle. Unfortunate since Marlin finally saw the light and changed to Ballard rifling.

Thank you,
Richard

[rockrat]

See if someone here can supply you with a few .461" boolits.

[Nobade]

My own 1895CB had a similar barrel on it. Large grooves, and tight spots under the writing and dovetails. First thing was a few firelapping loads, cleaning it well after each and watching the throat with a borescope. I think I fired four through it and stopped when I saw the throat start getting worn away. That helped quite a bit, and it's funny that they wore the bluing off under the tight spots so you can now see the writing on the inside of the barrel. The next thing was to spend a few years shooting it with paper patched boolits and either smokeless or black powder. The PP shines up the bore and the more I shoot it the better shape it is in. I can also make them the size I want, which is .461" to be a slip fit into a fired case. When I got this rifle I was very disappointed in the quality of the barrel, but five years later I really like it and am extremely impressed with its accuracy and ease of cleaning after having all that paper run through it. It still regularly turns in good scores in the cowboy levergun silhouette matches when I feel the need to experience that much recoil for forty shots.

-Nobade

[EDG]

Richard
You might try to find a few of the old Hornady FMJ 500 grain bullets.
They have a steel jacket that might squeeze open the tight spots. If you do try them load and shoot single shot.
They do not need to be loaded very fast but they do need to exit the barrel.

[largom]

I would fire-lap the barrel. 10 shots with 320 grit and 10 shots 400 grit.
Moving the throat forward will not hurt anything and will probably help if loading long boolits.

Larry

[RG1911]

I would fire-lap the barrel. 10 shots with 320 grit and 10 shots 400 grit.
Moving the throat forward will not hurt anything and will probably help if loading long boolits.

Larry
Larry,

Since the entire bore seems to be oversize, I'm not sure what the benefit is of fire lapping. Is it just to open all of it to .4591?

It seems that if the .4589 portions open up to .4591, the .4591 sections will be lapped to .4593.

Is this an incorrect assumption?

Thank you,
Richard

[TAMU74]

My 1895 microgroove shoots best with the Lee 405 grain hollow base. My mold drops them a hair bigger than .460. I pan lube and size to .460 and they are about 1/2" tighter at 100 yds than any other bullets I have tried.

[gzig5]

I think that most custom barrel makers would be satisfied with two ten thousandths of an inch total difference in the diameter of the bore. That is a very small difference. I don't think there is anything wrong with that barrel if the measurements are correct, which by the way is not an easy thing to repeat accurately to a tenth or two. More likely you have not found what the barrel wants. There have been a lot of experiments where near identical, nearly perfect barrels don't shoot the same. Some shoot lights out and others don't with all else we can control being equal. Bedding, reloading technique, and shooting technique would likely gain more than messing with that barrel. A 45-70 lever rifle is not a rigid stocked BR gun. I know that my Marlin .35 Rem is very sensitive to how it is held on the bench. Good luck, but I'd leave the bore of that rifle alone and look elsewhere.

[wmitty]

Marlin misstamped these rifles... should'a been .46-70

[Smoke4320]

Marlin misstamped these rifles... should'a been .46-70

yes an unstamped commerative:) :)

[RG1911]

Marlin misstamped these rifles... should'a been .46-70

Now that's funny!

Thanks for the chuckle.