Marlin 1894 .44 mag BP loads?

[johnhenry57]

Has anyone come up with a decent BP load for this, or should I try the .44 Spl for BP.

[Scharfschuetze]

I've not loaded BP in the 44s, but the technique shouldn't be any different than loading for the 45 Colt that I've some experience with. Fact is, I'll be shooting an 1873 revolver and rifle in 45 Colt with BP later this month in Wyoming at a family reunion.

Use a hot magnum pistol primer
use enough BP so that it is compressed when you seat the bullet
(If using a substitute BP, follow the manufacturer's recommendations)
Use a soft alloy bullet with a good crimping groove
Lube with a soft and viscous product like SPG
Seat your bullet and use a heavy crimp. I use a full roll crimp for BP


should I try the .44 Spl for BP.

The reduced powder capacity of the 44 Special cases will reduce your ballistics a bit, but that's a good thing for lighter loads or perhaps trying to duplicate the original 44 Rimfire loads as used in the Henry and 1866 Winchester rifles.
Bang away.

[Outpost75]

I use the Accurate 43-230EB with 30 grains of 3Fg Goex in the .44 Mag and it is a pleasant load. The .44 mag holds about 5 grains less powder than the .44-40.


Modern solid-head .44 Mags hold the same amount of BP as old pre-WW2 balloon-head .44 Specials.

[johnhenry57]

Thanks for the great advise gentlemen.

[Outpost75]

Contrary to popular folklore, the Microgroove barrels WILL shoot OK with black if you use a SOFT alloy and a bullet which FITS, and holds a generous amount of lube, these groups were shot at 100 yards with iron sights from my 1894S .44-40, but my .44 Magnum rifle in that caliber does the same. Bullets cast from 1:30 tin-lead from Roto, shot as-cast and unsized at .433" and pan lubed with Confederate Army Lube, equal parts by melted volume of Goya manteca and beeswax.

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[johnhenry57]

Wow, Outpost75 That's some nice shooting. Have rifles,have BP, need soft boolits.

[Outpost75]

Matt's bullets can do custom alloy for 1000 minimum order.
He has a 215-grain .430" FN with big lube groove.

[longbow]

I've only loaded and shot a few BP loads in my .44 mag. Marlin but used to shoot a lot of BP under the Lyman 457124 (385 gr. roundnose) with good success. Believe it or not, and contrary to the "can't use petroleum grease with BP" my lube at the time was Valvoline PB wheel bearing grease wiped on by hand. No fouling problems and good accuracy. Both guns are microgroove and in both cases by boolits were ACWW. Worked for me anyway.

Just fill the cartridge until you get slight compression when seating the boolit and go try it out. Fire and smoke is always fun!

Just clean your brass right after shooting BP or it gets pretty munged up.

Longbow

[17nut]

I've only loaded and shot a few BP loads in my .44 mag. Marlin but used to shoot a lot of BP under the Lyman 457124 (385 gr. roundnose) with good success. Believe it or not, and contrary to the "can't use petroleum grease with BP" my lube at the time was Valvoline PB wheel bearing grease wiped on by hand. No fouling problems and good accuracy. Both guns are microgroove and in both cases by boolits were ACWW. Worked for me anyway.

Just fill the cartridge until you get slight compression when seating the boolit and go try it out. Fire and smoke is always fun!

Just clean your brass right after shooting BP or it gets pretty munged up.

Longbow

Most often it's not a real problem.
The thing is sulphur and petrochemical residues that tend to form an asphalt like substance.
Shot fast in fair weather and no worries, shoot slow in Arizona climate and it will "gum" up and be a nasty clean when time comes.

In a lever you need the bullet to carry all lube internally or else the action will be nasty in no time flat.
On a single shooter you can dip the bullets after loading like a 22LR and that carries a lot!
I have shot 25 shots of BP with a 45-60 followed by 5 shots smokeless with extra lube on the bullets and the gun was clean, i mean almost spotless mirror.

Crisco is great for dipping!
Lots of grease and lots of water in it.

[johnhenry57]

Matt's bullets can do custom alloy for 1000 minimum order.
He has a 215-grain .430" FN with big lube groove.

Thanks for that lead Outpost75

[17nut]

Thanks for that lead Outpost75

If you have a Marlin do slug it before forking out $$$ for bullets that might not fit!
The MG's run as big as .432" and need .433" or better.

[Outpost75]

Thanks for that lead Outpost75

Here is link to Matt's web site and the .44 bullet of his I used before I started casting my own.

http://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=275

[longbow]

"If you have a Marlin do slug it before forking out $$$ for bullets that might not fit!
The MG's run as big as .432" and need .433" or better."

Good point! Marlins tend to be on the large side and require boolits to fit. I had poor results with typical .44 boolits of 0.429"/0.430" and found that my groove diameter was 0.4315". Yes, I should have slugged the bore first. Oops! I rectified that and now have moulds that cast 0.433" minimum and up to 0.435".

Yeah, I was shooting in Vancouver so coastal weather with relatively high humidity so that may have played a part in the Valvoline grease success. I never experienced that "tar" effect and actually found that the grease kept fouling soft and mushy. Crisco however, I had a great deal of trouble with in muzzleloaders so never tried it in cartridge guns for BP. Crisco gave me hard crispy fouling. I know lots use it but it didn't work for me. Go figure!

Safest bet is to use a well known BP lube in any case.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
On the idea of "fat cast" to fill the barrel. Old lever rifles demand you measure first. Numerous 44WCF's and 38's have pounded into my thinking that we all need to be aware of groove diameters in all firearms unless you enjoy shooting patterns one trigger pull at a time.

Lube.. If you have any beeswax and olive oil mix it 55% wax and 45% olive oil. Been using this for years in lever rifles with 3F and a cereal box wad under the cast. Many other lubes work just as well but don't lick your fingers using it. Beeswax & olive oil tastes great and is the only lube I can cook on the stove.
Mike in Peru
Mike in Peru