So I've got this Marlin 1894SS in 44mag...

[AricTheRed]

So I've got this Marlin 1894SS in 44mag and it has never been very accurate. I've been fiddling with loads, got new sights, cause my Red Ryder BB gun with the compass in the stock and the thing that tells time has better sights on it than this Marlin and I finally noticed the barrel crown.



So I went over to Brownells and ordered their 11degree crowning tool and a steel 44muzzle pilot. I chucked the works up in to my Millers Falls Brace, and blammo after a couple 'o minutes what should emerge but this beatuy...



Keep a look out for a range report as I'm heading out tomorrow to do some wet-pack testing on my 44 spl loads and will bench the Marlin and see what has happened.

[wallenba]

Their crowning and face cutters are excellant. I used a brass pilot, the power adapter for my cordless drill and got beautiful results. Slow working and lots of good cutting oil is key I think. Still no signs of wearing on the cutters. I have a stainless barrel I'd like to do next, but am unsure about it's ability to work on that one.

[Nobade]

That ought to help considerably.

-Nobade

[Rusty Goose]

It looks like the factory used a dull pipe cutter to crown the thing originally. Nice job, I look forward to the range report.

[yooper]

I can't believe the factory put out a "crown", if you can call it that, that looked like yours originally did. It should shoot much better with your modification. It'll be interesting to hear your range reports.
yooper

[AricTheRed]

So I never got around to posting a range report because evidently the barrel is so crappy everywhere else that a proper crown made no discernable difference. Bummer, looks like I'm living in new barrel city!

[Artful]

Have you tried lapping or fire lapping? And are you using a Gas Check boolit - mine loves GC Boolits

[alexanderkidd]

Interested to see how the new crown affects things.

[Salmoneye]

Saying the 'barrel is crappy' does not help us help you...

The first thing I ask people when they tell me that their .44 Mag rifle/carbine won't shoot, is whether they are aware that the SAAMI spec for groove diameter is NOT the same as it is for .44 Mag pistol...

Pistol = .429"

Rifle = .431"

I am aware of no other cartridge that has the same differences...

My 1894S hates Jacketed below .430" (Means I load Hornady only), and cast needs to be .432", and .433" is better...

[eka]

I'll be glad to share my pet load for my Marlin in that caliber. RCBS 240 SWC sized .430, 24.0 H110, magnum primer. One of my most successful endeavors at shooting cast from a rifle. A pretty stout load with plenty of recoil. But, it makes tight little groups at fifty off the bench. Most of them touching usually. You may have already testing something along these lines, but if not it might be worth a try.
Keith

[colt1960]

You need to slug the barrel. If you dont have a good fit you will never have good accuracy. Are you shotting cast or factory ammo? You may also have leading in the barrel. Im sure you can make it shoot well you just need to figure it out.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

+1 for slugging the BBL, if you find tight spots.... can fire lap/lap the BBL. As said before , I have two micro BBL'S and I use .434 boolits, it took some shooting to find what worked in my guns, but they love the big boolits, your hardness of alloy , may also be part of the problem....

[Alan in GA]

Marlin isn't the only company that turns out a bad crown now and then. I had a stainless steel take of barrel off a Winchester Model 70 Classic rifle and the whole muzzle/crown looked just like your Marlin...as though done from ONE SIDE at an angle!..and it didn't take any magnification to see it!

[yeahbub]

AricTheRed,

A while ago, a fellow acquired a Marlin 94 in .44 Mag and it's accuracy was underwhelming until we cast boolit lapped it, starting with US Products Crystalon 400 grit and finished with 600. Microgroove rifling is so shallow I'm leery of going any coarser - we wanted to preserve the clean and sharp land profile. Most bore constrictions are very short and disappear pretty quckly, as did these. The result was a bore that slugged smoothly from breech to muzzle and shot paper patched 265gr RNFP's with all holes touching (most of the time) at 50 yards. Jacketed did almost as well. No bare cast were tried. The muzzle crown was nicer than the one you have and nothing was done with it. The whole job was complete with less than 25 rounds, so it doesn't usually take much to lap a barrel. You may want to give that a try. Certainly cheaper than having another mounted. Good luck with the project.

[geargnasher]

If you do rebarrel it, consider a faster twist.

Gear

[AricTheRed]

If you do rebarrel it, consider a faster twist.

Gear

Ab-so-lutly, The smith I've been talking with is going to do it in 1:25" which should be fine, I asked for 1:20 as that is what my SRH is but I'll trust his judgement as he's been doing this longer than me.

[Salmoneye]

Still haven't told us what you believe to be 'crappy' about the barrel...

[JesterGrin_1]

If you really like the rifle that much then by all means put a New Barrel on it.

I had one of the Stainless Models and sold it off. And purchased a Marlin 1895GS in 45-70 which was one of the best things I have done as far as Lever Guns lol.

But it all depends on what a person considers accurate. The best I could ever get out of mine is right at a 2 1/4" group at 100 yards with a scope. But the 2 1/2 or so range was more the norm. This is with Hunting ammo not plinking ammo lol.

While my Marlin 1895GS in 45-70 is a 3/4" group rifle at 100 yards with a scope. Big improvement.

I could not justify putting that much money into a re-barrel of the rifle.

But if I were to re-barrel the rifle it would be as you said with a 1-2O twist or so with a .429 cut barrel so I could use the same bullets in both pistols and the rifle.

I do believe that Winchesters .44 Mag carbine is a 1-2O Twist.

Just something off of the cuff lol. If you are not stuck on the .44 Mag maybe you could contact Jess to have it re-bored to 45 Colt. It would probably be cheaper and you can get what twist you wish to have and bore.