Should I make friends with Micro Groove?

[planetmobius]

Got a chance to pick up a Marlin 1894 in 357 mag. The price is so right I am having a hard time walking away. It is a pre-Remington but post-cross bolt. Of course it has the micro groove barrel. I am a bit gunshy about this (no punn intended) since sears ago I had one in 44 mag that couldn't stay on a pie plate at 100 yds regardless of the jacketed bullet. With lead 44 specials, it about duplicated the accuracy of my wrist rocket. Should I expect the same with this one. What kind of accuracy has anyone had with lead reloads and over the counter lead 38 specials? That would probably be its main diet.

 

[BKDinTexas]

Micro-groove will usually shoot jacketed bullets fine bot not so well with cast. If you like to shoot cast I would hold out for a later model with Ballard type rifling.

 

[morcey2]

If you're shooting jacketed, go for it. If you're going to be shooting cast bullets, grab the April 2014 edition of Handloader magazine. It has an article about shooting cast in microgroove rifling. It's written around a 35 Rem, but the same principles apply. Slug the bore and size to 0.001"-0.002" larger than the bore. Castboolits.gunloads.com has a bunch of people who have no issue shooting cast in microgroove barrels. The correct bullet diameter is critical and hardness is somewhat important.

Matt

 

[jerkface11]

Micro groove gets along well with gas checked bullets.

 

[GBExpat]

... I had one in 44 mag that couldn't stay on a pie plate at 100 yds regardless of the jacketed bullet ...

Interesting. In ~1988 I purchased a used microgroove Marlin 1894 in .44 at the Medina, OH gunshow.

I added a Williams 5D aperture rear sight and quickly found that with generic jacketed 240gr ammo (I have never tried lead) the rifle was deadly accurate at 100yds.

FWIW, if I had a chance to acquire one of these rifles in .38/.357, I would in a heartbeat ... even if I found later that I needed to reload with plated or jacketed bullets rather than lead.

 

[planetmobius]

GBExpat,

I've head the same thing from other guys with a 1894 44 mag. I suspect that it was my rifle but since it was my only micro groove experience I just never went back. My other Marlins are all 1950's vintage with ballard rifling and have never had any problem with them.

 

[GBExpat]

IIRC, it was Shift Powers of Band of Brothers fame who was known among his group as a crack shot. He was the closest thing they had to a sniper.

In one of the books on the subject that I read, very late in the war or just after he decided to trade-in his M1 for another because he was tired of always being graded lower during Inspections (which suggests the after scenario) due to some visible pitting in the bore.

With his new M1, he could not hit squat.

Good thing he waited to do the trade-in.

 

[greyling22]

I shoot my microgroove 357 with a handloaded .360 diameter bullet and it shoots like a laser. I've never tried it with a factory load (lead of jacketed) though.

supposedly the new ones just now trickling out are pretty good, so you might want to wait. Or if the price is that right, buy it, try it, and sell it if you're not happy.

 

[horsemen61]

Can I ask how much roughly it is

 

[Jlr2267]

Get it. If you don't like the accuracy, sell it. They are selling for big $ in that caliber and vintage, depending on condition.

 

[planetmobius]

$500.00 private sale.

 

[Furncliff]

$500 is a very good price. Mine is one of the never sell firearms I own (my daughter thinks it's hers). After a bunch of testing I settled on Lil-Gun and Hornaday 158g XTP. That load is a little stout but the most accurate (about 1 in. to 1 1/2 inch groups at 50 yards). I've used it with .38 spl. to transition rimfire shooters to CF rifle. I like the Skinner peep sights.

 

[greyling22]

buy it.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i would buy it to at that price i have a older 1894 in 44mag 1973
micro groove shoots cast well sized at .432

 

[Jlr2267]

$500.00 private sale.

$500 is a steal if its in good condition. I see them going for $700 to $1000, much more with octagon barrel...round barrel stainless bring a premium too.

It's one of those guns you just can't lose with...there will be no more JM stamped Marlins made...there will only be fewer and fewer as the years pass. I would not hesitate at that price.

 

[planetmobius]

Yeah, like I said, having a hard time walking away.

 

[Elkins45]

I have had nothing but good luck shooting cast out of the microgroove barrels. I guess I was just lucky that I didn't know it wasn't supposed to work.

 

[horsemen61]

Op I sent you a pm

 

[hoghunting]

Had a 1894C in 357 that was amazingly accurate with 140 and 158 gr jacketed bullets, never tried cast as I didn't want to clean lead out of it. I would still own it if a buddy's son didn't want it as a college graduation gift. I'd grab that one for $500.

 

[YunGun]

Slug the bore and size to 0.001"-0.002" larger than the bore. Castboolits.gunloads.com has a bunch of people who have no issue shooting cast in microgroove barrels. The correct bullet diameter is critical and hardness is somewhat important.

+1! The only 'problem' with MicroGroove barrels is simply that they tend to require slightly wider than 'nominal' bullet diameters in order to properly seal the bore.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

The short answer is "Yes". I have had one for 20 years and have not regretted it for one second.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

since sears ago I had one in 44 mag that couldn't stay on a pie plate at 100 yds

My 1971 made Marlin 1894 in .44 mag always made one ragged hole from a rest @ 100 yds. with 240 grn. jacketed factory loads. I never shot cast after I tried semi-wadcutters and couldn't load or chamber them without shaving hunks of lead off. I was very happy with the jacketed rounds of any manufacture.

 

[planetmobius]

Bought it.

 

[herrwalther]

My microgroove 336C shoots 1/2 @ 100 using reloads with boring repeatability. Made a fan out of me but I don't shoot lead with it and don't really plan to either.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

Bought it.

Good man!

Unless you're a wizard with cast bullets, the .44 mag. and .357 mag. when loaded to potential are 'jacketed bullet cartridges'. That being the case, Micro-Groove doesn't impose any meaningful restrictions for most of us.

I've got one of each, both M-G, both sweethearts. Never had a serious desire to shoot lead in either.