There are a few smiths who accurize the Marlin lever guns. DIY is fine, too. There are other articles, but you can start with this one to see if you wish to pursue accurizing -
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/chapter23.htm
Paco claims that in the good ole days there were sub 2 MOA, ten shot groups being reported. I looked at my "
Practical Dope on the Big Bores", (Stackpole 1948) and for a Winchester M55, there are no sub 2 MOA groups claimed.
This is typical: "At 100 yards over a stump rest, groups were 3 1/4 X 5 inches and 3 1/4 X 4 inches"
Now for bolt guns, for a Win M54, the author claims sub 2 MOA groups at 100 yards for the 30-30 cartridge. When shot out of a rigid action with a good barrel and bedding, a 30-30 is capable of excellent accuracy, it is however, still limited in terms of its maximum velocity. A 30-40 would be a better choice if someone has to have a period rimmed case.
I would like to see some sub 2 MOA, or better yet, some sub MOA ten shot groups at 100 yards with any lever action. My Marlin, the reason my loads are a couple of grains about manual maximums is because Marlin reamed the chamber large.
If I had not lubricated the cases before firing
I am absolutely certain with this much shoulder movement
I would have had some case head separations. As it was, the greased cases slide to the bolt face, the shoulders folded out, and I did not stretch the case sidewalls.
The throat is so far out that I cannot load on the lands. The distance to the throat is further than the bullet is long, and then, the OAL of the cartridge would be too long to extract a loaded case. I tried soft seating a bullet to determine distance to the lands and I ended up having to remove the lever, to extract the case!
I did talk to Marlin before they moved. They explicitly stated they built their rifles for woods hunters not target shooters. I am certain if someone wants to buy a $250 barrel for their Marlin and pay $250 to $300 for the barreling job, well at least they will have a better barrel, and possibly smaller groups. But for that type of money, I would go buy a nice M70 Winchester. Would not have to be a new M70, could even be a push feed M70, but I prefer the controlled feed M70's.