I spent 3 days slugging and measuring my Marlin .44 with BALLARD rifling. What a hoax!
My bore measures .424 to .4243. Groove to groove is .4305 to .431.
This leaves a paltry .00325 to .00335 deep rifling. No wonder the twist is 1 in 38", don't want to try and spin up a bullet. Leaves me to wonder what boolit will take rifling, maybe a steel jacket!
I am reading about worse rifles here like the 45-70 posted.
I want to make a mold that will work in this thing but don't see much hope.
Seems like Marlin and a few other makers have found a way to keep handloaders from shooting their guns, buy factory loads only.
Would all of you that have these rifles post your measurements?
Also the micro groove barrels.
I bought this rifle for the Ballard rifling and did not expect a smoothbore.
I know, I know, shoot grossly oversize cast boolits! Who makes a mold unless it is custom?
I want to know if any of you lucked into deeper rifling. Looks like a micro groove would have more bite.
No wonder you can't E mail Marlin, they don't want the heat.