Unusual lever cartridge in a bolt-action

[blixen]

Saw a professionally (and beautifully) done custom large-ring Mauser in a Mannlicher stock at a local gun store. The tag said .444 Marlin and I thought it was a mistake. But one look at the bore proved it wasn’t. The clerk on duty didn’t have any info on it.


A .444 Marlin in a quality bolt action intrigued me as a caster, but at $600, it’s an experience I’ll have to pass up.

[Omnivore]

Hm, well for a "beautifully done" custom, 600 is very low.

[largom]

I would not sell my Siamese Mauser 45-70 for that price.

Larry

[blixen01]

Oh, I agree on the value. I just don't have the brass in my pocket.

[bouncer50]

I bet it was build on a Siamese action because the Siamese was made for a rim shell. The 98 was build for a rim less shell. For a custom build 600.00 would be a fair price. A lot of guys love the 444 marlin round In a bolt action you can reload it pretty hot.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Sounds like a dandy rifle. The 444 is similar to several old African cartridges in power and would be a fine candidate to thump largish mean types. Sort of falls right in there between a 40-65 (actually closer to .41) and the caliber 45's. Always has been a nice nitch for a .43 caliber rifle. A 300 grain boolit floating along at 2200 fps or faster would be a heavy hitter no matter if it was fired from a .41-444, a .444 or a 45-70.
I have loaded up to 345 grains in my .41-444 Marlin and would not hesitate to tackle any North American or south American critter with it at 509 yards or less. Now imagine adding 2-300 fps more with a fine, strong bolt rifle. Why with a bolt rifle I could throat that beast and get to 400 grains easy.
Mike in Peru

[kens]

.444 Marlin rim size is about the same as a standard belted magnum, and .303 Brit.
I am sure it would be easy to feed in any .303 Brit action, or magnum boltface mauser.

[pietro]

.

Yeah, but................ it's counter-productive, to try to stack rimmed (.444) cartridges in a vertical magazine made for rimless cartridges, like most Mauser 98's - and why an action manufactured for a rimmed cartridge (like Siamese Mausers, Lee-Enfields/SMLE's, and Enfield Model 1914's are usually chosen for BA sporters in rimmed chamberings.


.

[TheGrimReaper]

Do they do lay-a-way?!?!

[Kestrel4k]

I've been really into the bolt-action Ruger 77/xx's recently, as their rotary mags work very well with the rimmed .357's & .44's.
The weird part of me (that's a big part :rolleyes:) has been wishing for an elongated version of that action for the .444 for quite some time now. Of course, not holding my breath though.

[blixen01]

You could be right about the Siamese action. It wasn't familiar to me and I have Spanish, yugo, argentine and Swede Mausers. If I'm back that way I'll snap a picture.

[John Taylor]

I'm doing a 98 to 444 for another smith. Looks like there will be no feeding problems, just need to make sure the rim is in front of the one below.

[northmn]

My first rifle was a 303 SMLE MK 4 #1 and it worked fine with rimmed cases. Seemed to have served the British well for over 50 years or so. Another bolt conversion I have read about is that of a 35 Remington. Guess it was made in a few lightweight rifles and like the 444 could be loaded a little hotter. Both my daughter and I shot a deer last year with bolt action 300 Savages and again they could be loaded at max levels as compared to the 99. Traded mine back for a lever 357. My daughters is a Chilean Mauser that had a Remington 300 Savage barrel installed. I worked it over for her and she has shot quite a few deer with it. Mention this because sometimes less is better also as the rifle has less recoil than a 308.

DP

[bouncer50]

30 to 40 years Siamese Mauser were dirt cheap no surplus ammo and single round just to have one cost me me five dollars. A single stripper clip i hear goes for a 100 dollars. Guy just bought them for the action. Yep like 45/70 7.62 x 54 rim, 303, 450- 50 cal Alaskan. 444 Malin 405, anything with a rim shell. Change the bolt then you can handle rimless shells. A lot of different ways you can build one. But their not cheap now for a action. I have 3 complete action and my one buddy been wanting one to build a 45/70.

[GhostHawk]

So I suppose you guys don't want to hear about the .444 Marlin H&R single shot rifles for sale at 207$ at Grabagun.com?

Been having scope issues, but it shoots the Lee .430 310 gr bullet fairly well, using 13 gr of Red Dot for now as that is about all my shoulder is up to.

[Artful]

Mosin Nagant's have been converted to 44 mag, 444, 45-70, 450 Marlin - might be a way to go but 600 for quality custom isn't a bad buy.

[W.R.Buchanan]

The lever calibers have been adapted to several different types of bolt actions but the best ones I personally have seen are these two.

The #4 is in .45-70 is nicely done, and we all know Gibbs made the Summit rifle in that caliber for a cheaper alternative, but the other gun is a #1 Mk3 in .348 Winchester made by Lon Paul. That gun is beautifully done and a classic sporting rifle in all respects, and by anyone's standards.

The Enfields are also twisted into other calibers like .35-303, .375-303, and even .400-303 which is called something else that escapes me.

Granted these guns were originally designed for a rimmed cartridge, and they would be much easier to convert to a cartridge like the .444 than any of the Mausers. But my point is showing that they can be made into beautiful Sporting Rifles as well and for a lot less than any Mauser conversion due simply to the initial cost of the gun to start with.

I guess you could spend more if you wanted to as past a certain point a custom rifle is a custom rifle, irrespective of what you start with. Spending money always follows.


There's a saying in the motorsports world,,,

"Speed costs money,,, How fast do you want to go?"

It kind of applies to guns as well.

Randy

[northmn]

The 400/303 or whatever in black powder is commonly a 40-60. What the smokeless variation is called I do not know. In Finland they claim the 7.62X54 Russian is worked over the same way for wildcats. It is also a rimmed cartridge. My first rifle was a #4 MK 1 SMLE and I still have a fond spot for those rifles. When you look at the history of the 303 cartridge in the British Empire it has had an amazing record. Still have that SMLE and sometimes take it out for old times sake. Mine came D&T for a scoped way back when.

DP

[Hardcast416taylor]

Mosin Nagant's have been converted to 44 mag, 444, 45-70, 450 Marlin - might be a way to go but 600 for quality custom isn't a bad buy.

Along with 3 other talented guys we developed, designed and built 91/30 Mosins into what we named ".416 Russian Express". Same Mosin case only necked up to .416 caliber. The altered magazine holds 4 of the new rounds.Robert

[Artful]

Along with 3 other talented guys we developed, designed and built 91/30 Mosins into what we named ".416 Russian Express". Same Mosin case only necked up to .416 caliber. The altered magazine holds 4 of the new rounds.Robert

I like the sound of that - good name!