Marlin 1889 38-40 Love the old stuff!

[rbertalotto]

On my way to pick-up a Lyman Mini Sharps that I bought off a fellow on the internet, I stopped in a small gun shop. And sitting in the rack was this pristine 1889 Marlin, 38-40. Perfect working condition and a perfect 9.99 out of 10 bore! The action is smoother than most of my other lever actions that I've spent hours on getting them slick. I took it to the range and off-hand it put ten rounds into a 4" circle at 25 yds. Perfect for my Cowboy Action Shooting!









Lots more picture in the PHOTO ALBUM here:
http://www.rvbprecision.com

[rbertalotto]

[gamekeeper]

If only it could talk.....

[rbertalotto]

Not sure it would have a lot to say. It is in such good condition, I don't think it got used much......

[Borregos]

That is real nice

[RustyJr]

Very nice rifle. I would love to take a whitetail with that. Wonder how many it has to its name already.

RustyJr

[1894c]

very nice...great find...like the pics... :)

[Dave B]

very nice...great find...like the pics...

+1

[buckeyeshooter]

Really nice looking shooter. I would love to find one like that!

[RIHMFIRE]

that needs to go hunting this year! ....nice

[rusty gunns]

I also have an 89 Marlin in 38-40. It shot groups much larger than 4 inches at the start.

I've been playing with loads and bullet diameters to tighten her groups. I honestly believe you can tighten yours by slugging the barrel. You may find that its just a tad large. Mine is .406 instead of the .401 it should be. With the right bullet diameter, I now get 2 and a half inch groups at 25 yards, and the riffling in my old girl's barrel is only about a 7.

If you're getting 4 inch groups now, your barrel isn't anywhere near as over bored as mine. I was all over the paper before I slugged the old girl. If you're not using soft lead, There are led bullets out there that are .403 that may bring her down to a ragged hole.

But Lordie, don't they shoot nice!

[44-40 Willy]

A lot of those old blackpowder leverguns have oversize bores as they were counting on obduration of the soft lead bullets to make up the difference. When smokeless came out, the manufacturers tightened up the bores because smokeless doesn't obdurate the bullets as well.

The old guns are a lot of fun to shoot, but sometimes you have to do things a little differently than you would with a modern gun.

[Griff]

BP! It screams Black Powder! 'Sides that will obturate soft lead to help fill the bore.

[rangerider7]

I love the look and feel of a rifle like that. RR7 Congrats.

[rusty gunns]

Desperado Cowboy Bullets sells a great 38-40 180 gr .403 bullet

http://cowboybullets.com/Products.html

53 bucks for 500 or $10.60 for a sample box. I tried them. Though they were still too small in diameter for my Marlin, they are fine bullets.

I use his 38-55 and 44-40 bullets.

In my case, I bought a Lee sizer (24 bucks at lee precision http://leeprecision.com/bullet-casting/ ... izing-kit/) and for ten dollars extra, had them make it .405.

I buy .410 BP lubed bullets and size them down. Resting on a sand bag, I get one and a half inch groups at 25 yards. Two and a half off hand.

[rbertalotto]

I shoot Big Lube 38-40 bullets with Black Powder that I cast with pure lead and lube with SPG and the RCBS 38-40 bullet cast with 20-1 and lubed with SPG or Lyman Orange.

Both shoot to amazing accuracy in the three 38-40 rifles I currently own (1892 "Japan" Take Down, 1889 Marlin and 1873 Winchester)

[1historian]

What ammo were you using? I had very good luck with reloads,1/20 cast bullets, bp lube and black powder. could knock down a reduced size turkey steel at 75 yards off hand every time (if I did my part.)Sure was a fun gun...but was in MUCH worse shape than yours. Finally had to part with it. Sold it at a loss as it had been reblued sometime in its past so the collectors turned up their noses at it. "It sure IS blue!"