Micro-Groove barrel question

[cnemeth]

Can you fire lead bullets through Marlin's Micro-Groove rifled barrels? Would this harm the barrel or would it just result in poor accuracy?

Thanks
Chris Nemeth

 

[Mal H]

Yes, you can fire lead through the Micro-Groove barrels. It won't harm the barrel and probably will not harm accuracy. They have used MG barrels for .22's for a long time and they are all lead. However, with the higher power calibers you will probably get more and faster leading than with Ballard rifling. You'll notice that, other than the .22's, they use MG barrels only with calibers meant to be copper jacketed only - 9mm, 30/30, etc. They have recently changed the rifling from MG to Ballard on several lever action rifles just so they can shoot lead more reliably.

[This message has been edited by Mal H (edited January 12, 2000).]

 

[Kingcreek]

my past experience with a .444 Marlin and microgroove= more/faster lead fouling and marginal accuracy. it did best with the copper flavored bullets.

 

[Paul B.]

Cnemeth. You can fire lead bullets in Microgroove barrels. For best results, I have found that bullets should be sized .002 over groove diameter, and be as hard as you can possibly make them. Heat treating your own cast bullets would harden them enough. If you are using commercially cast bullets, try to find the hardest bullets possible, and make sure they are .002 inch oversize.
I shoot nothing but lead in a Marlin 30-30 and 45-70 with good results using the above methods.
Hope this helps.
Paul B.

 

[fubsy]

I just purchased an old marlin 3030 that was made before I was born,,,,its that old....lol...but if feels right. I understand from talking with a friend who has much more reloading experience then i do especially with 30-30 lever style rifles,,,,that you should not try to hot rod the round because of something call breech face pressure.....he has told me that accuracy can be surprisingly good out of these rifles, the fun with these rifles is bringing that out by handloading......I mentioned using lead on the mg barrel and he said no problem ....."ya ever heard of gas checks" and showed me a box he had cast and was reloading from....while Ive not done this yet it is going to be worth trying...fubsy.