How'd I Do?

[murf205]

Went to a VERY small gun show today and it was full of all the black rifles, pink and orange pistols and all the over priced ammo you could afford along with phony jewelry. After about 45 minutes I had enough and was leaving when a guy walked in the front door with a lever action Marlin. I asked him if he cared if I looked at it while the police lady was putting a zip tie on it. He said sure and it was for trade or sale. It was a Glenfield 30 50yr anniversary gun in absolutely pristine condition except for where some previous owner had taken a small engraver and scratched his name and SS# on the receiver. Not very deep but there never the less. I asked him what his bottom line was and he said he had this and that in the gun and it was in great shape, bla bla bla. I asked him if he would take $400 for it and he said he would have to think about it. While he was thinking I laid 4 $100 bills on the police lady's table and he took it. It is not marked " Micro Groove" but it is and it is a '69 gun.314247314248314249
So what to do? Make a 38-55 , 35-30, or just shoot it like it is ? Bore is perfect and I have a Skinner sight set for it (Thanks Andy).

[Martin Luber]

Nice! What is the original caliber?

[pworley1]

Nice. I wouldn't do anything to it until I was sure it needed something.

[BLAHUT]

I would just shoot it for now, then see if it needed to be changed ???

[murf205]

It's a 30-30. I think I will order a mold , maybe a 170 gr and pc a few to find out if all the bad press about micro groove rifling is true or not. I need some 30 cal gas checks to give this old gun a fair evaluation. Which brings another question. Is there any performance difference between AL and copper gas checks. All that I have ever used have been copper crimp on's and with good results but Sage checks have Aluminum in stock now.

[Mk42gunner]

So what to do? Make a 38-55 , 35-30, or just shoot it like it is ? Bore is perfect and I have a Skinner sight set for it
If you shoot it, it will forever stay a .30-30, not that that is a bad thing. Shooting a donor rifle is the number one cause of failure to convert to some other suitable caliber.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be very enthused about pouring more money into a rifle that had someone else's name and SSN on it. I have never understood this practice on anything that has a factory serial number.

My Model 30AW likes boolits sized 0.311".

Robert

[WRideout]

That's a very nice find. I never owned one but I like the idea of the side eject on the Marlin/Glenfield rifles. The old 30-30 is a deservedly popular cartridge still. If it were mine I would shoot it as is, then go from there.

Wayne

[Texas by God]

I had a Marlin 36G( the first model of Glenfield) and the first group I shot with it was 3/4” of an inch at 100 yards. It had swing over Weaver mounts and a 4x Valor scope.
That gun will hunt for sure.
But if the 30-30s accuracy and performance bore you;- it’ll make a dandy 38-55!


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[Shawlerbrook]

You did very good ! If you already have a 30 30 then I would have JES make you a 356 Winchester.

[murf205]

If you shoot it, it will forever stay a .30-30, not that that is a bad thing. Shooting a donor rifle is the number one cause of failure to convert to some other suitable caliber.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be very enthused about pouring more money into a rifle that had someone else's name and SSN on it. I have never understood this practice on anything that has a factory serial number.

My Model 30AW likes boolits sized 0.311".

Robert

I wonder if a 170 gr Lee mold will drop a .311. I agree that having a gun with someone's ss# and name on it is less than ideal but other than this, the rifle is a solid 98% gun with a pristine bore. As far as shooting the donor, I've already made that mistake with my F N 30-06. I bought it for $125 to make a 35 Whelen but it shot 1" 100 yd groups with 3 different batches of ammo I had loaded previously. Yep, it's still a 30-06, for that very reason.

[Wag]

I LIKE it!!!

--Wag--

[murf205]

Thanks Wag. I figured a $400 336 Marlin in this shape will not be seen again except for rare instances, especially since looking at today's prices.

[stubshaft]

Absolutely nothing wrong with the 30/30. Good snag at a great price.

[FergusonTO35]

I have a Glenfield 30 and it's the most accurate lever action I've ever tried, it will keep up with most off the shelf bolt actions. I would keep it as is and figure out what load it likes. Mine is super accurate with 30 grains IMR 4064 and a Sierra 150. I want to get into .38-55 myself, but I think you'll discover that rifle is about perfect in .30-30. If you end up putting a scope on it, don't be afraid to spend on a good one because this rifle can take advantage of it. Mine wears a Leupold VX-3 1-5x20.

[murf205]

"Mine wears a Leupold VX-3 1-5x20."
That's just about the perfect scope for your rifle. Huge scopes on a lever gun look as out of place as I would have at King Charles coronation! A 4x Leupold compact is a good looking choice but a used one is scarce and pricey. I an going to put a Skinner brass trimmed peep and brass front blade on this one to facilitate carrying it with my hand around the receiver.

[fordwannabe]

If you cast and then PC the PC will let you size it to .311. What to do what to do I am not a good one to ask as I had a gun rebored in 38-55 I have a 35/30-30 and several 30-30 soooo my answer would be ONE OF EACH, Ok you need another gun or two!

[murf205]

Sizing to .311 will mean as dropped and pc'd I am thinking if I use a Lee .309 170 gr which is what I will probably try first. My only concern is that Lee's are famous for dropping a bit small although I have not had this problem with hand gun molds from Lee. I have a Lyman GC seating tool so I shouldn't have to run the boolit through my sizer. All I have read and members here have told me, is that Micro Groove Marlins like 'em fat and gas checked. If pc'd larger than .311 I might have to get a Lee push through sizer.

[snowwolfe]

Did you verify he was the actual person whose name and social security number was engraved on the gun?

[koger]

I would consider taking the info off of the reciever and polish and rust blue it, or eve have it hot blued. I have done for several customers over the years, that bought guns off of estate auctions, and the owner who had passed away, had etched his name and soc sec# on shotguns and rifles. I used a fine grit sanding belt when it would work, then buffed them down starting with 180, 240, 400 and 550 grit before hot bluing. They looked better than new. Also, you could get the reciever cleaned off by drawfiling it with wet/dry sandpaper of a fine grit, then spray it with duracoat gun blue finish. Looks good and protects the metal great. Just some possibilities.

[murf205]

The man I bought it from said he had researched the mans name and said he was dead. His story. I will look in the obits for this man but I'm not going to do any cosmetics until I shoot it. Just because it is a very clean rifle doesn't mean it is a shooter. the proof will be at the bench. The engraving looks very shallow and would not take a ton of draw filing to fix but not by me for sure. It doesn't take much to remove the well defined edge of the Marlin receiver.

[fordwannabe]

Murf you can surely try as cast. I use the NOE sizing system so I usually buy 3-4 for the caliber I am shooting because he sells them cheap. Hope it shoots lights out for you!

[murf205]

I should have bought the NOE system a long time ago. Now I have a bunch of the Lee's, EXCEPT the ones I need at the time. The plunge into the Micro Groove water is going to be a new experience for me but I have read too many post about how our members here have it figured out so my "support group" is large and knowledgeable.
I see that Sage has .015 and .017 gas checks. If I use the Lee 170 gr GC mold, is the thicker check a benefit? I don't have a boolit to measure the base diameter where the check goes.

[GregLaROCHE]

A number of times when I put the cash on the table, the seller quickly accepted my offer.

[murf205]

I bought a boat the same way. Spread the money and you will find out how serious the seller is.

[ddixie884]

Yes, buy a mold and see if you can wear it out.

[FergusonTO35]

I should have bought the NOE system a long time ago. Now I have a bunch of the Lee's, EXCEPT the ones I need at the time. The plunge into the Micro Groove water is going to be a new experience for me but I have read too many post about how our members here have it figured out so my "support group" is large and knowledgeable.
I see that Sage has .015 and .017 gas checks. If I use the Lee 170 gr GC mold, is the thicker check a benefit? I don't have a boolit to measure the base diameter where the check goes.

My Winchesters and Marlins both like the Lee 170 at .310 with a standard aluminum gas check. They are being sized down, so I would guess they drop around .311. The RCBS 150 is a really good one also. Mine do great with 24 grains Reloder 7 or H335 with either boolit.

[murf205]

That's good news about the aluminum checks since Sage's is currently out of copper ones. I have not cast for a rifle before but I figure I have selected the most rookie friendly caliber to start with. My 358 Norma has been used with commercial cast with great results. That Accurate Molds catalogue is also a candy store. What sizer are you using to get a .310 boolit? 314337

[FergusonTO35]

I just use a regular RCBS or Lyman die (don't remember which) and a flat nose punch. Lube is whatever is in the sizer, usually RCBS 80008. Aluminum checks from James Sage are all I use and they work great. Hint: their regular .357 checks will work on many plain base boolits including the excellent Lee 358-158-RF.

[murf205]

If I order the Accurate Mold in the pic, I will probably specify a .310, they usually drop .002. Have you had any problems with leading in your Marlin? My gun is a 1969 model and it isn't stamped "Micro Groove" but from looking down the barrel, it looks like one. It was spotless when I bought it.

[Frank V]

Congratulations, I think you did well!

[murf205]

I looked at the Accurate Molds order process and for the boolit in the previous post and there is a space to select the bore riding diameter. Is there an advantage to a smaller diameter bore riding band as opposed to the full diameter or should it be full diameter?

[FergusonTO35]

If I order the Accurate Mold in the pic, I will probably specify a .310, they usually drop .002. Have you had any problems with leading in your Marlin? My gun is a 1969 model and it isn't stamped "Micro Groove" but from looking down the barrel, it looks like one. It was spotless when I bought it.

My Glenfield 30 is an unnamed Micro Groove also. Never had a problem with leading in any of my .30-30's, Winny or Marlin. Gas check, good lube, and proper sizing is what it takes. I should add I don't push them incredibly hard, maybe 1800 fps or so. For deer and varmints out to 100 yards I don't see any need for more than that. If you place the slug where it needs to go it will do the job. In fact, my jacketed loads are not much faster than that and they still make things go dead just fine.

[murf205]

I agree, it doesn't take a nuclear device to kill a deer. Tom just answered an email and told me that if a mold is for a bore rider, it should be full diameter. In other words, if it is a .310 mold, the most forward bore riding band should be .310 as well. I had to ask that question because in his order options, there is a place for a different bore riding band. Lot's of options, thanks Tom and all the rest of you all who furnished the good advice.

[fordwannabe]

haven't you guys been reading up on the 30-30? Those bullets will literally bounce off a whitetail. hmmm, It appears that todays deer are a rare hybrid that contains multiple layers of carbon fiber that deflects bullets and a .600whizbangsupermagnumdeerassassin is the required minimum. sheez some people just don't keep up with the times. Silly man thinks if you take a 30-30 170 grain Lead ( ooo! scary lead) projectile and put it in the heart/lung area of a deer they will die hardy harhar har. Silly guys.

[35 Rem]

I'm looking at the Accurate ordering form now and I think you are misinterpreting it somewhat. The Bore Ride Diameter is referring to the entire cylindrical portion of the nose which is a nominal .3 inches diameter in the drawing. If you make it much larger than that, you won't be able to chamber a round. This portion of the bullet is not supposed to engage the rifling but instead, as the name implies, "ride" on top of the rifling in the true "bore".

The way the ordering form is set up, you don't have a specific block to request the diameter of the front driving band (the one in front of the crimp groove). Well, unless you use the Special Note section.

I use this same basic design in 35 caliber for my 35 Remington (36-200A). Also am awaiting delivery on the 32 caliber version this design (32-180A) for my 32 Winchester Special. Obviously I like the bullet and I bet you will too!

[murf205]

I'm looking at the Accurate ordering form now and I think you are misinterpreting it somewhat. The Bore Ride Diameter is referring to the entire cylindrical portion of the nose which is a nominal .3 inches diameter in the drawing. If you make it much larger than that, you won't be able to chamber a round. This portion of the bullet is not supposed to engage the rifling but instead, as the name implies, "ride" on top of the rifling in the true "bore".

The way the ordering form is set up, you don't have a specific block to request the diameter of the front driving band (the one in front of the crimp groove). Well, unless you use the Special Note section.

I use this same basic design in 35 caliber for my 35 Remington (36-200A). Also am awaiting delivery on the 32 caliber version this design (32-180A) for my 32 Winchester Special. Obviously I like the bullet and I bet you will too!

So what you are saying s that the nose body is the bore rider and it t the same diameter as the lands (not grooves) in the barrel-rght?

[35 Rem]

Correct. To insure reliability, I would order the bore-rider nose diameter at the true bore diameter (nominally .3) with a tolerance of +.000/-.002. That way you can't get a bullet too large to fit.

[murf205]

Got it. Thanks for sorting this out. I guess was leading a jaded life just being a wheel gun junkie.

[35 Rem]

Glad to help what little I can. :D The ordering process at Accurate is a bit intimidating because you have to set dimensions yourself. I agonized over it a while myself before getting the 35 caliber mold.

[murf205]

I have found that the Accurate molds are spot on. They drop +.002 if ordered that way just like Tom say's. I ordered my 158gr 357 mold at .358 and it drops at .360 and pc's to .361 which is perfect for my S&W 33-1 which is a 38 S&W caliber.

[FergusonTO35]

My Marlins have snug throats, I would not order anything with a nose fatter than bore diameter. Good way to crack your brass and drive pressure up.

[murf205]

If you shoot it, it will forever stay a .30-30, not that that is a bad thing. Shooting a donor rifle is the number one cause of failure to convert to some other suitable caliber.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be very enthused about pouring more money into a rifle that had someone else's name and SSN on it. I have never understood this practice on anything that has a factory serial number.

My Model 30AW likes boolits sized 0.311".

Robert

Weii, Robert, you were right. I cant bring myself to change a thing on this little orphan. I didn't have a mold or any cast boolits but I found a half a box of 170 gr Speers and tried Reloader 15. These were shot at 50 yds which is where I put the targets to zero the scope, but promising anyway.314626 I'm not crazy about the way it looks with a 3x9 scope on it but it helps the testing part.

[ulav8r]

Does not look like it has any issues that would make it a bad choice for a conversion to 38-55. Good 30-30's are easy to find, 38-55's are not as easy to find.

A 255 grain bullet at 1200 fps can be fun, at 1800 fps it can be very effective on larger game. At 2000-2100 fps it is very serious.

[Texas by God]

It looks like it shoots like a Marlin.
I remember discovering their accuracy as a teen.
Dads Winchester 94 wouldn’t keep up with my brothers $75 Marlin 336- even without scopes.
You scored a good rifle.
A fixed 4x scope on there will be perfect.[emoji2]


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[murf205]

I thought the same thing about a fixed 4x. They are hard to find now and the only one I know of is Leupold. Burris used to make a really good one but they are hard to find as well. I do have a Skinner peep sight with the brass insert and a brass front sight that was on my 1895 CB 45/70 that I might try but is sure is gratifying to shoot those small groups.

[FergusonTO35]

Try some different powders and I bet you can cut those groups in half. Mine loves IMR 4064. I wouldn't rebore a rifle that nice, especially given that the half mag version tends to be very accurate from the get go.

[murf205]

The fact that the 1/2 mag guns shoot better has been my experience too. My 1895 Cow Boy 4/70 was a whole different animal with that 26" long magazine full of ammo. If it was single loaded, it was pretty accurate but with a full load, all bets were off, plus it weighed a lot more with a mag full. I believe that's one reason the Winchester 94's I have dealt with didn't shoot nearly as this 1/2 mag gun. It is also one reason I dove on it at the gun show quickly.

[ulav8r]

Unless it is the only 30-30 you have, you should consider a rebore to 38-55. If you have several 30-30's then you might select a different one for rebore.

Either way, you need a 38-55.

[murf205]

It's the only 30-30 that I have. I have been on the lookout for a used Henry single shot to have rebored by JES. I intended to have this rifle rebored but considering how it shoots, I think I'll leave it alone...for now. MK42gunner was right and I knew in the back of my mind that same thing, that if you shoot the donor, it better be a dog or you will end up liking it.

[FergusonTO35]

You can find a factory Winchester 94 .38-55 for the same money as you would have in this one with a rebore if you are patient. Or a new Henry for not much more. I think your Glenfield 30 could be an MOA rifle with some experimentation, mine certainly is.

[murf205]

Yep, these Marlins have been good shooters. Must be the JM stamp, LOL. After all, I've never seen 2 initial worth so much $.