A few questions regarding OAL in my Marlin 1895

[thecrazedorganist]

Evening everybody! I'm pretty new to reloading, so please bear with me! I have a plain-Jane Marlin 1895 (neither the cowboy nor the guide gun), a box of Laser-Cast 405g bullets, and a jug of IMR SR4759.

I'm currently looking at this article and noticing that it doesn't mention OAL for these loads: http://www.gunsandammomag.com/cs/Satellite/IMO_GA/Story_C/.45-70+Government?packedargs=pagenum%3D2

Is this because they assume the reloader is not using a levergun? What OAL should I be aiming for? A blackpowder loading guide suggests an oal of 2.515" with these bullets. I know that with smokeless powder bullet seating depth is critical. is this a safe OAL?

[NickSS]

The article says that a rifle with a 32 inch barrel was used. This was most likely a single shot rifle. OAL does not matter in those rifles as long as the wide part of the bullet can be seated in the chamber next to the rifling. With the marlin you can do the same thing by single loading the rifle but if you want to feed it through the magazine stick with an OAL that the reloading manuals call for. The Marlin must be loaded to those specs to function from the magazine. I shoot both marlins and single shots but load light bullets (405 gr and below) to work in either a single shot or lever gun. My favorite marlin bullet is a 325 gr RCBS mold sized to .459" that over 27 gr of AA5744 shoots really well in both my Marlin and my single shots out to 200 yards. In fact I was shooting that load today in my C. Sharps 1875 business rifle at 100 yards. I put my last 10 shots into the X and 10 ring of a 25 yard pistol target for a group that measured 1.25 inches and scored a 100 with six Xs (the group was about 3/8 inch low otherwize I would have had all Xs.

[doubs43]

The Marlin manual for the 1895 in 45-70 shows a maximum OAL of 2.550" which is also what some reloading manuals show too.

[crabo]

Make up a dummy round with no powder or primer, crimp in the crimp groove and see if it loads through the magazine.

[HammerMTB]

I got an 1895 guide gun this week. I put together some loads for it with 340 gr Lee boolits. Seated and crimped in the crimp groove, they are 2.550", max listed for the .45-70.
They fit and cycle thru the action fine.
It was apparent as I cycled them that much, if any longer would pose a problem if each round was not "unloaded thru the muzzle".
If you have light boolits (I have some 255 gr for my .45 Colt) those could go shorter without a problem.
For the most part, crimp 'em in the crimp groove and you will be fine. No more than 2.550"
If you go longer, you may need to "unload thru the muzzle" :Fire:

[doubs43]

After my post above that quoted the Marlin manual for the 1895 in .47-70, I loaded some 410 grain cast boolits and crimped them in the top groove. That gave an OAL of 2.560" or .010" longer than the manual says is max. My previous loads were all with RCBS & Saeco 300 grain boolits that were slightly less than 2.550" OAL and work great.

The 2.560" cartridges cycle through my 1895 Cowboy rifle just fine. Your rifle may or may not cycle cartridges that long and the only way to tell for certain is to make up a dummy and try it in your rifle.

[pdawg_shooter]

I load to 2.580 for my 1895g. Works and feeds fine.