Relining Marlin 1895?

[RG1911]

My Marlin 1895 in 45-70 has an oversize bore. That plus the micro-groove rifling ruins any hope of shooting accurately. I'm trying one last experiment with some cast bullets that were left unsized at around .461" (bore is .4595").

If this experiment fails, I'm left with a rifle that isn't really worth shooting, *unless* it can be relined. I don't know if the barrel has enough meat on it to be safely bored.

Is anyone familiar with relining a Marlin?

Thank you,
Richard

[longbow]

No idea on lining but if the bore is good and just large then get a mould that casts to a size that fits. If the boolits fits well then it will shoot well and a mould has to be cheaper than boring and lining the barrel.

There is nothing wrong with microgroove rifling and cast... in my opinion anyway. I used to have a 70's vintage 1895 with microgroove rifling that shot cast boolits just fine and I currently have an 1894 in .44 mag. with microgroove rifling and it also shoots cast boolits just fine.

In the case of the 1894, it has what is known as a typical Marlin "fat" bore but that is not really true, SAAMI specs show .44 mag rifle to have 0.431" groove diameter in comparison to handgun which is 0.429" groove. Best I can measure mine I have 0.4315" so maybe a half thou over.

It shoots anything under 0.431" poorly but at 0.432" + it shoots well. As always, boolit fit is king! I normally shoot as cast at 0.434" and tumble lubed.

If you don't have or can't find a mould to cast to 0.461" you can likely lap out a mould that casts at 0.460" ~ NOE has several. Lapping out a mould by a thou or two is not hard.

Alternately you can order a mould to cast to what you want from Accurate Molds. Tom can reproduce any design you want to exactly the size you want. One minor exception is that he has to leave a small flat on the nose.

Something else you might look at, though not sure it applies to 1895's but it does for 1894's... tight spots in the bore. When the roll stamping is put on 1894's it can produce tight spots in the bore. These tight spots are found by driving a boolit into the bore then running it through the bore slowly with pressure on the rod. My 1894 had three tight spots IIRC so I hand lapped those out and accuracy improved noticeably. Something to check regardless.

FWIW

Longbow

[Shawlerbrook]

Calling John Taylor. Not sure if something as big as a 45 70 can be relined. Usually low power rifles.

[John Taylor]

If there is enough barrel diameter it can be lined, if not a new barrel can be made for a little more than a reline. I would try larger bullets first. Liners are available up to 58 caliber.

[Winger Ed.]

I'd check into a custom mold for your '.46-70'.

[RG1911]

If there is enough barrel diameter it can be lined, if not a new barrel can be made for a little more than a reline. I would try larger bullets first. Liners are available up to 58 caliber.

May I send you some dimensions?

Hope you're enjoying Lewiston. I went to college many moons ago up in Moscow, but there were a couple great gun stores in Lewiston. It's been a while since I've passed through, so I don't know if they're still in business. One was Star.

Cheers,
Richard

[RG1911]

I'd check into a custom mold for your '.46-70'.

Yup. Will see how the test with the unsized bullets a kind person sent me works out.

Cheers,
Richard

[Winger Ed.]

As expensive as any serious barrel work is, it'd be a last resort for me.
Especially if the pipe wasn't ruined, or rotted out.

[big bore 99]

Have you thought about using the Lee .458 hollow base mold? Upon firing, it should expand to fit.

[beechbum444]

Evening, a little off topic....if you get to a point and want to get rid of it, pm me .....looking for a 1895 /45\70 project action to make into a 475 linbaugh ....regards

[Piedmont]

A new mold and a new sizer is a heckuva lot cheaper than rifle work. The only problem with your rifle is you haven't used bullets that fit. If you aren't using gas checks you don't even need a custom sizer die. You can finger lube. It is a little messy but works or look into powder coating, which I have not done.

[rockrat]

Check out Arsenal Moulds, I think you can get moulds made oversized.

[RG1911]

Evening, a little off topic....if you get to a point and want to get rid of it, pm me .....looking for a 1895 /45\70 project action to make into a 475 linbaugh ....regards

Shall do.
That sounds like a seriously pricey transformation.

[RG1911]

Have you thought about using the Lee .458 hollow base mold? Upon firing, it should expand to fit.

Had not thought if this. If the current test shows no signs of improvement, I'll give this a careful examination.

Thank you.

[RG1911]

A new mold and a new sizer is a heckuva lot cheaper than rifle work. The only problem with your rifle is you haven't used bullets that fit. If you aren't using gas checks you don't even need a custom sizer die. You can finger lube. It is a little messy but works or look into powder coating, which I have not done.

That was one of my thoughts after reacquainting myself with Elmer Keith's writings (good stuff). I may have to go all the way to .462". I had bought some .460" cast bullets, but they showed no perceptible improvement.

[Gtek]

Know anyone with a set of gauge pins? Inside neck ID of fired case? Maybe find a Boolit <.002" less than that if numbers line up.

[RG1911]

Know anyone with a set of gauge pins? Inside neck ID of fired case? Maybe find a Boolit <.002" less than that if numbers line up.

I see what you mean. I have pin gauges, but not that size. If my local 'smith doesn't have a set of that size, I'll buy a couple.

Thank you,
Richard

[725]

Give Bob Hoyt a call. He is a master at relining and reboring. I'll send you a PM.

[JRD]

The Microgroove Marlins were intended for jacketed bullets. When cowboy shooting and lead bullets gained popularity is when Marlin switched back to Ballard rifling.
Your easiest solution may be to shoot jacketed bullets or to trade your 1895 for another of more recent manufacture that has Ballard rifling.
Some cast booliters I've read have found success in Microgroove barrels by using oversized diameter bullets of hard alloy and not pushing them too hard.
I messed with some cast years ago in an 1895 microgroove but got poor accuracy and decided to just shoot jacketed bullets and save my cast to shoot in thet 45-70 in the rolling blocks and trapdoors.

[longbow]

As stated above, I used to own a Marlin 1895 with microgroove barrel and shot cast boolits in it exclusively with no issues at all and normally loaded to max. for 1895 Marlin (I was young and didn't mind recoil then!). Mostly I cast straight wheelweights and used plain base boolits with no issues at all and very good accuracy. My favourite boolit in that gun was the Lyman 457124 385 gr. round nose.

I am not sure what the mould cast to or what my groove diameter was as I never checked since it all worked. However, the microgroove barrel was not a problem with ACWW cast boolits.

All the OP needs is the correct size boolit mould of at least a thou or preferably 2 thou over groove diameter and Accurate Molds among others can supply what he needs at very reasonable cost.

Longbow

[rockrat]

Take your .460" boolits and boil the lube off of them , then powder coat and see how it works.

[Drm50]

I’ve had around 10 Marlin 1895s. Half JMs. I have one that shoots exceptionally well and had one than shot exceptionally bad. So bad it had no value as a gun. The others were more or less average I don’t believe in stuffing money in lost cause. If bullet diameter is not the cause get rid of gun. What you lose in case like this is not as much as you will spend trying to make them shoot. You got to know when to hold them and when to fold them.

[RG1911]

I’ve had around 10 Marlin 1895s. Half JMs. I have one that shoots exceptionally well and had one than shot exceptionally bad. So bad it had no value as a gun. The others were more or less average I don’t believe in stuffing money in lost cause. If bullet diameter is not the cause get rid of gun. What you lose in case like this is not as much as you will spend trying to make them shoot. You got to know when to hold them and when to fold them.

Concur. Thank you.