Regaurding the 180gr bullets in the Marlin 1894C.

[Rifleman336]

I've been reading about people having problems chambering 180gr bulliets (.357 Magnum in a Marlin 1894C) Unfourtunatly, I have some of these very rounds loaded by Federal. Have others experienced the same?

If so, is their anything a gunsmith can do with the forcing cone or breech to accomadate these heavier bulliets?


Rifleman 336

[AJMD429]

I've used SPEER and one other brand (dunno if it was Federal or not) 180 grainers, and they fed just fine. I didn't go "cowboy action shooting" with them, but they cycled fine off the bench, and in the deer stand. Gun was a 1970's or 1980's vintage Marlin 1894c. May try them in the 1894css pretty soon...

[Rifleman336]

My gun is a 16" "Guide Gun" made around 2000 or so. Just that I've seen more than one complaint, so I thought I'd ask around the "captive aduience" to see if was true. For I have plans for casting 200gr bullets for use in the future.

Rifleman 336

[Hobie]

I haven't had a problem with my rifle.

[Coldfingers]

Mine has no problem with the 180 gr LBT style (like BuffBore or handrolled equivilant with CastPerformance boolits) but it will NOT cycle the CorBon .357s with the 200gr without doing a little dressing up of the carrier to lengthen things out.
Mine will cycle the Fed 180's day in and day out without a hiccup.

It is a pretty simple fix to get the little darlin to cycle a "slightly" longer OAL bullet if necessary. The CorBon 200's would cycle only with a little jiggling of the rifle to get the carrier to lift it as they were hanging up slighty after leaving the loading tube.

there is a sticky over at Marlinowners.com for addressing feeding issues with the 94C

Hope this helped,

Scotty

[Hobie]

You know, I felt I had to come back to this to clarify a point. I read "chambering" not "feeding". Chambering isn't a problem in my 1982 vintage 1894C but feeding was right at max LOA with the 180 gr. Rem. SJHPs. I had to "finesse" the cartridge length by seating the bullets so that the crimp rolled right into the forward edge of the cannelure. Rolling the crimp into the middle of the cannelure left the COL too long to feed with that particular bullet.

[Rifleman336]

OK maybe thats what the two complaints might have been, so it accually boils down to COAL out of the magazine. That will be something to look in to also. I'm a member of Marlinowners and I'll look in to the feeding fix., Thanks Coldfingers and Hobie, I 'm much abliged to you.

Rifleman 336