Marlin 1894 in 45 colt

[Lefty SRH]

I am considering one of these rifles. I would like to shoot cast pretty exclusively. I currently cast a LEE 255gr rfn and the Ruger ONLY LFN.
Will this rifle cycle these two boolits?
What have been your experiences with this rifle?

[Gunlaker]

I have an older 1894 Cowboy in .45 colt. It's an excellent little rifle. I have only used commercial hard cast 250gr RNFP bullets, and the RCBS 250gr RNFP. Both shoot and feed very well. I have a Lyman 17A sight on the front and a Lyman peep on the rear. I also put a WWG Happy Trigger into it which is quite nice.

Chris.

[ReloaderFred]

I have two of the Marlin 1894CB's in .45 Colt, and both of them will feed just about anything I put in the magazine, even SWC bullets. I've tried different weights, but for what I do with them, I've found that the 200 gr. RNFP works quite well out to 100 yards.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[cwlongshot]

I also have a few and all feed everything I have tried. From 200 swc, 250 swc, 225 & 255 rnfp & even my 310 LBT. I have a 300 LEE WFN I have yet to try.

One of my favorite rifles!

CW

[Lefty SRH]

I have an older 1894 Cowboy in .45 colt. It's an excellent little rifle. I have only used commercial hard cast 250gr RNFP bullets, and the RCBS 250gr RNFP. Both shoot and feed very well. I have a Lyman 17A sight on the front and a Lyman peep on the rear. I also put a WWG Happy Trigger into it which is quite nice.

Chris.

Thanks for your help Chris. But what do you mean by older? Thats actually another concern. I want a genuine Marlin rifle, not a Remlin.
Do you know how to makes sure youre getting a Marlin?

[ReloaderFred]

An older Marlin, made by Marlin, will have a "JM" stamp on the barrel, just in front of the receiver.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Walks]

I have one of the very first Marlin Cowboy's in .45Colt. The 24" bbl'd one. Made in 1996.
Recently bought a Lee #45-255-RF 6cav.
I haven't shot any yet, but I made up 6 dummy rds. They feed, cycle & eject PERFECTLY.

Just waiting for a chance to Powder Coat & size, so I can shoot a bunch. They do drop from the mold at .455 when cast from 50% COWW + 50% #2.

[1Papalote]

My CB24" 45 colt from 96 shoots the Lee255 (.453) very well. Standard clay targets on the 100 yard backstop are monotony with this boolit, homemade loob, and Unique. The sights are a skinner front and marlin rear folding. My favorite of all leverguns. I hunt with it.

1Papalote

[Gunlaker]

Lefty, mine is a JM built rifle. I don't remember when I got it, maybe 2007 or so?

I would buy a new one, but not without inspecting it first. I'd heard that they were getting much better so I went down to my favorite gun shop and had a look at one that just came in. The butt stock was fit so poorly I could see right through the gap between it and where it met the metal at the back of the receiver.

But I'd take a chance on a new one that passed a visual inspection. Even my older one is not perfect. But it shoots great and is a pile of fun.

Chris.

[KMac]

Easy way to tell if it is a Marlin/Remington is the serial number starting with MR.

[Lefty SRH]

Thanks KMac

[Finn45Colt]

JM Marlin CB and NOE 454-285-SWC working just fine.

[Jeff Michel]

I have one of the current production Marlins, I run the NOE 280 WFN. No problems.

[Lefty SRH]

I have one of the current production Marlins, I run the NOE 280 WFN. No problems.

Jeff, how wide is the meplat on that NOE boolit and whats the OAL of the loaded cartridge?

[cwlongshot]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/CWLONGSHOT/15D94C73-A17C-4069-AE91-1B8591FF02F1_zps6qulwh9o.jpeg

Lee 300 WFN and a 270 Lyman. Both are new to me and not yet tested in the Marlin. Both chamber in my Blk Hawk.

CW

[Jeff Michel]

Meplat is .325. From the crimping groove to the meplat is .400. I'll have to measure the overall when I get home. If I remember correctly is going to be about .050 over max. It's my favorite bullet for deer in my Marlin. I have had nothing but headaches trying to get it to work in my 1892 Winchester.

[lar45]

I have a Rossi/Puma 24"SS octagon 45 Colt, and the max nose length on it seems to be around .385"
I mostly shoot the Hunter's Supply 275, for a length of 1.660". The HS 275 has a meplat of .325"
Will the Marlin's feed and function with a .4" nose?

[Jeff Michel]

Absolutely, feeds without a hitch in the Marlin. Your findings on your nose length limitations is similar to my Winchester 92 and it will not feed the NOE 275 grain bullet. My cartridge overall length is 1.684.

[Lefty SRH]

The boolit in question (MiHa 454-300 Ruger ONLY) has a nose length, crimp to meplat, of .440”
The meplat is about .335”
This is the boolit Id like to shoot in this rifle.

https://www.mp-molds.com/e-shop/molds/hollow-points-molds/mp-45-ruger-only-pb-hp-2-cav

[Lefty SRH]

There appears to be a lighter weight and shorter version that might work. Its crimp to meplat is only .375” long. But I dont have that mold.

[cwlongshot]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/CWLONGSHOT/15D94C73-A17C-4069-AE91-1B8591FF02F1_zps6qulwh9o.jpeg

Lee 300 WFN and a 270 Lyman. Both are new to me and not yet tested in the Marlin. Both chamber in my Blk Hawk.

CW I tried both of these last night in two of my Marlins I could get to easily... The 270 was a slick feeder... but again that derned LEE wont feed... too long or too fat or both. Pulled the dies and sized two more cases and seated another 300 LEE a lil deeper. This time to 1.60 and that's the top crimp groove. NOPE, too long and fat. Ticks me off kinda too, nice lookin' boolit but now it wont work in my 450 Bushmaster OR my 45 Colt marlin. Dosen't LEE do ANY R&D or do they just smack out a mold... Yes, it will work in my Black Hawk, but so would and does my FULL WAD CUTTERS!!

I have a couple hundred cast and PC'd as I have hi hi hopes for them in the bushmaster... I doubt I'll ever cast another from this next to useless mold.

CW

[ReloaderFred]

Over all length (OAL) is critical for Marlins, and most other lever action rifles and carbines. With a cast bullet, you can just crimp into the side of the bullet wherever you need to get the OAL that will feed through the action. The only thing you have to be aware of is not to crimp into a lube groove, or too far into the ogive, or you won't have enough crimp tension to keep the bullets from being compressed into the case under spring tension in the magazine tube.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[cwlongshot]

Yes, absolutely OAL is big on these levers. Did ya look at that Bullet Fred?

Its top crimp groove under 1.60. Of coarse you can crimp anywhere, but for top loads best consistency comes from a groove. On this bullet, unless you crimp on the Ojive, you cannot make it any shorter...

CW

[ReloaderFred]

I looked at it, and I also mentioned that you have to be aware of crimping on the ogive.

You might try shortening it a little just to try to get it to feed. You'll never know until you try, right?:drinks:

Hope this helps.

Fred

[cwlongshot]

I looked at it, and I also mentioned that you have to be aware of crimping on the ogive.

You might try shortening it a little just to try to get it to feed. You'll never know until you try, right?:drinks:

Hope this helps.

Fred :goodpost: Never thought of shortening the case...Probably because of further reducing the powder cap isn't something I generally want to be doing. [smilie=l:

CW

[ReloaderFred]

I didn't mean to shorten the case, though Hornady already does that with their factory ammunition. I meant to just seat the bullet deeper into the case enough to get it to feed. If you can do that, and still obtain enough crimp into the side of the bullet, then you can adjust your powder charge to account for the decrease in case volume. At least you'd be able to use that bullet that way.

If you don't care to, that's OK, too. It was just a suggestion.

Fred

[Hickok]

Had a JM Marlin Cowboy with octagon barrel in 45 Colt.

Fired cases came out bulged due to too large of a chamber. Looked like pregnant guppies.

Sent it back to Marlin, came back with a new barrel.....same thing, bulged cases. Not heavy loads either.

Got rid of it.

[cwlongshot]

Thats the way that they all are, hasnt bithered a thing in any of mine. Sure it works the brass a bit more, but isnt dangerious brass is but a vessle to contain the powder its dosnet hold pressure especially on its side walls.

CW

[Baltimoreed]

My JM .45 Cowboy Ltd does not like 200 gr [poor accuracy, fed them ok] but 225-300 gr rnfp are fine. It also makes fired brass with a little bulge but I’ve never split a case except when shooting a state cas match in a rain but they all resize just fine. The bulge doesn’t seem to matter. It’s what I use when I want to be competitive, I use one of my ‘73 muskets when I’m having fun.

[cwlongshot]

I didn't mean to shorten the case, though Hornady already does that with their factory ammunition. I meant to just seat the bullet deeper into the case enough to get it to feed. If you can do that, and still obtain enough crimp into the side of the bullet, then you can adjust your powder charge to account for the decrease in case volume. At least you'd be able to use that bullet that way.

If you don't care to, that's OK, too. It was just a suggestion.

Fred

Seated one tonight to 1.565 and it just functions. 1.563 for a bit of measure. Tagt puts the bottom of the bullet just below a factory 255 rnfp.

Ill have to do some load dillagence. But that might just work. :awesome::awesome::awesome::D

Cw

[ReloaderFred]

If that works, then that mold won't be so useless, which is a good thing, right? I really hope it works out for you, since that bullet looks like a heavy hitter. :drinks:

Fred

[krems]

I Shoot the 250gr RNFP bullets in my JM Marlin Cboy. I had to shoot .454” bullets to get any kind of accuracy. Cases are bulged at base but I adjusted the sizing dies so they don’t size down as much. I have dedicated brass for this rifle and just live with O/S chambers.