I stumbled across a ‘92 18.5” Marlin 1894 chambered in .357/.38 this weekend at what I deemed a bargain. Having walking around money in my pocket, after a little haggling I brought it home. For all the world it almost looks new.
The first order of business was to clean the barrel. Much to my liking it was already clean as a whistle. No carbon, no fouling and the rifling looks pristine. Prior to this carbine I have no experience with micro groove barrels other than reading conflicting reports about shooting lead through them. I know I should have slugged the barrel to determine proper fitment. The desire to test fire the rifle tested my patience. The test results came back negative. I already had a bunch of .357 and .38 loaded for my revolvers. I grabbed some Lee 158 gas checked SWC’s cast with Lyman No2 sized to .359 that were loaded over 15.3 grains of H-110 in .357 starline cases that are the accuracy load for my Blackhawk. Those 158’s had been sorted for diameter before sizing and then sorted by weight after sizing, gas checking, and conventional lubing. In short really consistent. I also grabbed some NOE gas checked 124 TC’s with a light charge of W-231 loaded in 38 special and some sandbags and off I went. First order of business was it cycled and chambered both with no issues. Then I ran 3 of the .38’s through it. Off hand at 25 yards with those plinkers it feels like a .22 WMR. I put a target up at 100 yards and put the sand bags on the bench then filled the magazine up with 10 of the gas checked 158’s and with some trepidation after all the negatives I had read about lead in a micro groove barrel I laid in on the 100 Diamond, and hoped the previous owner had it on paper. I took a fine bead and let one fly. I walked down to have a look and I was about an inch left. Elevation was about right. Ok, this has promise. I went back to the bench and proceeded to carefully empty the magazine. When I went to check my target I was quite pleased. I need to drift the rear sight just a smidge right but the little carbine is a shooter. This little marlin has a really good set of irons on it. Here is the 10 shot group.
I was a little amped up after that. My plan to run about a dozen through it and then clean and check for leading before making too big of a mess was quickly forgotten. I ran 50 more rounds through it. A mixture of .38 and .357. No cycling issues even .38’s and .357’s mixed in the same magazine. One fun little carbine. I cleaned it when I got home. You guessed it. No lead in the micro groove barrel with gas checked Lyman No2 sized to .359. Man what a fun little rifle. I know it is only a one rifle sample but hey it is the only micro groove barrel I have shot lead out of.
Tight groups
Willie