Help! Marlin 1894 Won't Feed SWC

[OregonJohnny]

Oh great...After days of research, e-mailing bullet manufacturers, and reading countless articles and posts online, I finally settled on 500 rounds of Oregon Trail Laser Cast 240-grain SWC for my .44 Magnum reloads. I made up 3 dummy rounds, checked OAL, gave them a healthy crimp right in the crimp groove, and loaded them into my Marlin 1894.

Every round hangs up every time. I have lots of other dummy rounds consisting of 180, 240, and 300 grain XTP bullets, and they all feed like butter. I mix the 3 SWC rounds in with the XTP rounds, and without fail the SWC rounds hang up HARD!

It's pretty clear that the front driving band of the SWC rounds are jamming on the top edge of the chamber.

Can I safely radius this sharp chamber edge? I don't have files, but I do have a...gulp...Dremel, and I also have a few sheets of 400 and 600 grit wet/dry sand paper.

What is the fix for this problem? If this edge gets gently rounded, will there be any problems with case head support? Function? Is my carrier pushing rounds up too high into the chamber?

It seems like this might be a common problem with Marlins. For reference, it's a fairly new rifle with approximately 250 rounds through it - all jacketed bullets.

Thanks.

 

[dprice3844444]

ask marlin

http://marauder.homestead.com/files/Marlin94Fix.html here ya go

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=4195



Posts: 46

Re: Marlin 1894C Feed Issues
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2011, 06:56:06 AM »I had the same problem with my .44mag 1894. I sent it back to Marlin and they polished up the chamber throat. Works great now. I have heard of many having this very issue. Shame that Marlin cannot seem to get it right the first time.

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/customersupport/repairs.asp#map

 

[OregonJohnny]

I've read through the maurader pages many times. I do not have problems with the "letting in 2" Marlin jam.

My rifle cycles all types of jacketed bullets flawlessly. These SWC bullets are clearly banging up against the top edge of the chamber.

Before I go to the trouble of contacting Marlin, and sending off my rifle, I was hoping there was a common fix to this seemingly common problem.

 

[dagger dog]

Johnny,

I had to have a lever gun to compliment my .45 Colt Blackhawk. I wound up with a
Rossi '92. It has fed fired and ejected LRNFP, 2 different design LSWC's and Winchester Silver Tip HP's, plus A Zoom snap caps.

I load my own and during the processing of the first batch of rounds shot from the Rossi, I found a noticable bulge at the base of the all the brass about at the area of the bottom of the case when in the chamber.

That area of the mouth of the chamber has been relieved (Dremeled?)from the factory. I think the fact that the Rossi will feed about any type round is directly proportional to the amount of metal removed from the chamber mouth. So far it has not been a problem as some of the cases are on their 3 reloading.

Of course I know the Marlin is a far cry from the Rossi in quality and they are totally different in design.

If you are not dead set on the Keith style LSWC may I suggest you try some LRNFP's. I have read the near 1/2" meplat of the RNFP design is as deadly as the Keith's in their ability to cut a clean wound channel and penetrate deeply, all the paper targets I have shot with the LRNFP show wadcutter style clean edged holes. They may also be the ticket to the feeding problem of your Marlin too.

 

[kelbro]

You can shape the chamber mouth all you want and the issue will not go away if the rear of the cartridge is not sliding under the extractor hook or is hanging on the little 'tit' on the boltface.

Read through the '1894' and 'Gunsmithing' forums on the Marlinowners website. The improvements are easy to do yourself with limited tools.

Be ready to accept the fact that some 1894s just will not feed some SWCs. Mine does the 429421 just fine but does not like the 429244. I love the 429421 in my pistols but I want to use the GC 429244 bullet in the rifle. Doggone Marlins!

 

[EMC45]

Mine feeds the Lyman 429-421 fine but will lock up on Lee SWC so bad I had to disassemble it to clear it.

 

[OregonJohnny]

Darn. I guess I'm out of luck. Well, I'll just have to use these 500 Laser Cast SWC bullets for my revolver loads, and stick to Hornady XTPs for now in the 1894.

 

[Wil Terry]

ACTUALLY, that particular SWC bullet was NOT designed to feed in any levergun. It is a PISTOL bullet and does not shoot for sour apples in the three leverguns I tried to shoot it in. LC does make a LFN 240 that feeds and shoots up a storm on that carbine with the correct developed loads.
MY MARLIN 44MAG carbine will feed any bullert [ up to an LOA of 1.710" ] including full WC bullets but you can't hit a cow in the tit with a tin cup with any of 'em anyways, so why bother ??

 

[OregonJohnny]

ACTUALLY, that particular SWC bullet was NOT designed to feed in any levergun.

I e-mailed Oregon Trail about this particular Laser Cast bullet from a rifle, and this is part of the response I got:

"With our 44c 240g SWC in a 44mag rifle the highest velocity we have tested without having leading was with H4227 up to 1736 FPS without leading issues."

So I assumed it would function in my Marlin 1894. I assumed wrong.

 

[EMC45]

Not bashing Oregon Trail bullets, but the experences I have had with them is they are rock hard (bad for fill out/slug-up/obturation) and undersized, which leads to terrible leading. I have guns that would NOT shoot OT bullets, but I started to cast and all is good!

 

[mjsdwash]

i have a 94c, shortening the overall length a little makes a world of difference. the momentum lets it kick up a little better, but without, the blunt nose hits the wall. For a check, load up a 44 spl, and see how it feeds.

 

[ocharry]

dagger dog has your answer,,,,change that SWC out for a LRNFP and be happy

they hit just as hard and do just as much damage,,i think they work better on game,,but that is just my opinion and we all know what they say about those,,,LMAO

AND they will feed like butter through that marlin

AND if you are a 1911 shooter try them in that gun also,,if you are having feed issues with the SWC switch to a RNFP,,they feed great

my .02

ocharry

 

[greyling22]

any rim on a bullet will tend to hang up in a marlin. SWC's are the worst. they'll still go bang, but you may have to double close the lever and sort of wiggle them in. round nose, rnfp, TC, all feed quite well in my marlins.