Just dropped the hammer on a new Marlin 1894

I'm happily married, and to be fair, I'd already spent all my play money, and only had to wheel and deal because I wanted to buy it from the house account.

I got a call the day after I dropped it off that it was ready to pick up. When I get back in town, I'm anxious to see what the gunsmith did to fix it.

Forgot again to check where it was made, sorry.
 
I bought a guy's 44 Magnum Setup (200 new Starline brass, 300 CCI LMPP, Hornady Die Set / Shellholder, & a bunch of bullets) just so I was ready when I can afford the Marlin 1894 in 44 Mag.

One of my childhood friend's father had one and man it was a blast to shoot. I look forward to the day when the CFO (wife) says I can pick on up.
 
I shot one of my H110 loads in both my Marlin and M629.

Long before it was disclosed, I was able to come to the conclusion based on my chronograph data, that H110 and W296 were the same powder.

I was impressed with the low Standard Deviations I received with H110 in the Marlin.

You cannot reduce charges with H110/W296, it is full power only. Due to this I consider 2400 a better and more flexible powder.


Code: 
[SIZE="3"]M1894 Marlin Ballard Barrel
				
				
240 Speer JHP 22.0 grs 2400 CCI 500	
21-Dec-01	T = 54  °F			
				
Ave Vel =1747			
Std Dev =21			
ES =68			
Low =1717			
High =1785			
N =7			
				
240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05	T = 65° F			
				
Ave Vel =1725			
Std Dev =7			
ES =21			
Low =1715		
High =1736			
N =5		 	 
				
				
240 Nosler JHP 24.5 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05T = 65° F			
Ave Vel =1752			
Std Dev =12			
ES =28		
Low =1735			
High =1763			
N =5		 	 
				
				
240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F			
				
Ave Vel =1710			
Std Dev =3		
ES =9			
Low =1705			
High =1714			
N =5		 	 
				

				
240 Nosler JHP 24.5 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F			
				
Ave Vel =1745			
Std Dev =12			
ES =45			
Low =1723			
High =1768			
N =10			
				
				
240 Rem JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05	T = 65° F			
			
Ave Vel =1719			
Std Dev =10			
ES =29		
Low =1705			
High =1734			
N =10		 	 
		[/SIZE]
M1894FullLength.jpg

Code: 
[SIZE="3"]
S&W M629-4 	5" Barrel
						
240JHP R-P 24.0 grs H110 Midway cases WLP		
9-Oct-05	T = 66 °F					
Ave Vel =1228					
Std Dev =21.47					
ES =70.16					
Low =1268				
High =1197				
N=22					[/SIZE]
HogueXgriponM629-4sideviewDSCN6334.jpg
 
My 1894 in 44 mag is my favorite hunting rifle. Where I hunt you are lucky if you can shoot 100 yards so it is perfect. It is very handy as another poster stated. It's really nice walking through the woods with a little carbine that is so well balanced.

Sight in about 1" high at 50 yards and you should be on or maybe a touch low at 100. I would defiantly not try to push too much past 100 yards personally because it will be dropping like a brick at that point.

A buddy of mine and myself have never had the "marlin jam" that some talk about. I did see a kid do it to a 30-30 marlin once by not going through a full lever cycle when trying to load his model 336. He had to hunt all opening morning with a empty chamber until his dad came and got him.

To me it's a non issue. Just keep yoir gun lubed and fully cycle it each time.

Mine LOVES 20 grains of 2400 with a 240g semi jacketed soft point. It also shoots any of the 240g factory I have bought well.
 
Congrats on the new rifle. :D I think 125 yards is a reasonable distance for that rifle. That is about the distance I prefer to keep shots within for my 1895G. That rifle is plenty accurate enough to shoot a lot further but the trajectory is definitely less than ideal for longer shots. If the 1894 shoots even half as well as my 1895G, you will be rewarded with very, very good accuracy once you find what it likes. My next levergun will definitely be another Marlin.
 
Thanks.
So far I've seen several complaints about guns from the last year of the old plant, none specifically from the new plant identified.
Denis
 
Update

DPris: It was made at the CT factory. The gunsmith told me it is a transition gun, and he has been seeing a lot of them lately. The gun right after mine in his queue was a stainless 1894. He said the people that made them knew they were being laid off.

The gunsmith put a chamfer on the breech face, which had been left razor sharp. It is still not 100%, but a lot better.

I guess I will sacrifice an old screwdriver and grind it into a punch to fix the extractor spring, as that (to me) seems like the real issue. This was mentioned in the linked thread to the Marlin owner's forum.

As a side note, I have changed my stance on Marlin/Remington: don't buy a new gun that was made in CT. I don't know what the affected serial number range is, so a good first step in buying used guns made in CT would be to somehow find out what year they were made, and don't buy one that was made in the last few years in CT.

What worries me is that there may be other issues with this gun that I can't figure out. For instance, if it won't shoot better than 4" at 100 yds. and I know they're capable of 1 or 2"...
 
This is why I've been advising people on three or four forums not to buy a new Marlin without inspecting it carefully in hand first.

Sorry you missed the memo. :)
Denis
 
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