Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
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- Shasta
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1558
- Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:50 pm
- Location: Shasta County, the far right stronghold in California
Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
I've been interested in getting a .44 Magnum lever action for some time. I wanted a 24" octagon barrel and checkered stock and was hoping for a Winchester, but a used Model 94 Marlin Cowboy Limited showed up at a local shop and looked pretty good to me. Asking price was too high at $695, but my used Winchester Chief Crazy Horse Commemorative .38-55 and a little boot money made the deal.
The Marlin's stocks were unblemished, but the bore was filthy and the action was scratchy and stiff, with a five pound trigger pull. A good scrubbing revealed a shining bore with the desired Ballard style rifling perfect for cast lead bullets. I completely disassembled the action, stoned and polished the obvious wear points, lightened the springs, and polished the sear notch. That really helped! The action is now very smooth and I have a 2 1/2 pound trigger pull. Since I don't shoot barrel sights very well, I removed the rear sight and installed a Marble's tang sight intended for the newer Winchesters with tang safety. It fits very well on the Marlin using just the single tang screw to mount it.
Next I slugged the bore and found it to be right at .431". The ammo I had loaded for my Smith & Wesson revolvers had plain-based cast lead bullets sized at .429, but I went ahead and tried them anyway. Accuracy at fifty yards was only fair with a five-shot group going about four inches. I fired another 95 rounds at various targets out to 150 yards with surprisingly good results. The rifle is a pleasure to shoot! Back at home I was expecting the bore to be heavily leaded, but it cleaned up easily with only light leading present. Now to get a .431 bullet sizer die and do some load testing. Yeah!
SHASTA
The Marlin's stocks were unblemished, but the bore was filthy and the action was scratchy and stiff, with a five pound trigger pull. A good scrubbing revealed a shining bore with the desired Ballard style rifling perfect for cast lead bullets. I completely disassembled the action, stoned and polished the obvious wear points, lightened the springs, and polished the sear notch. That really helped! The action is now very smooth and I have a 2 1/2 pound trigger pull. Since I don't shoot barrel sights very well, I removed the rear sight and installed a Marble's tang sight intended for the newer Winchesters with tang safety. It fits very well on the Marlin using just the single tang screw to mount it.
Next I slugged the bore and found it to be right at .431". The ammo I had loaded for my Smith & Wesson revolvers had plain-based cast lead bullets sized at .429, but I went ahead and tried them anyway. Accuracy at fifty yards was only fair with a five-shot group going about four inches. I fired another 95 rounds at various targets out to 150 yards with surprisingly good results. The rifle is a pleasure to shoot! Back at home I was expecting the bore to be heavily leaded, but it cleaned up easily with only light leading present. Now to get a .431 bullet sizer die and do some load testing. Yeah!
SHASTA
California Rifle & Pistol Association LIFE Member
National Rifle Association BENEFACTOR LIFE Member
http://www.hcrpclub.org/schedule.html
avatar pic is Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, & Mt. Shasta
National Rifle Association BENEFACTOR LIFE Member
http://www.hcrpclub.org/schedule.html
avatar pic is Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, & Mt. Shasta
Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
Nice, I like that tang sight. Those Cowboys sure a fine looking rifles.
-
- Levergunner 3.0
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Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
Neat Rifle! I was fortunate enough to acquire one a couple of years ago at a great price. I've shot it only sparingly, but accuracy seems good. I really need to slug my bore also. I suspect it may be a bit oversize--I've noticed some occasional keyholing on shots at 50 yds or so.
I like your tang sight too.
I like your tang sight too.
Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
You would be wiser to get one .432" . And you have a couple options for that !Shasta wrote: Now to get a .431 bullet sizer die and do some load testing. Yeah!
You can order a Lee push thru sizer that you mount on top your loading press for about $20 from Ranch Dog . Or the second idea and the one I use , you can order a .432" die that fits a Lyman or RCBS lubrisizer from Buffalo Arms for about $45 .
In the Marlin 44 MAG's and 444's I started with .430" dies and they shot okay , then I progressed to .431" which of course was a bit better . But my loads really started to shine when I got the custom cut die from Buffalo Arms . I even went so far as to have them cut me a .433" die at the same time . But so far I've not seen any need for that one . After I saw how well the .432" did for the 44 MAG and 444 I decided to order a .461" for my 45-70 and it showed noticable improvement as well !
Parkers , Mannlicher Schoenauer’s , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines !
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Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
Man, did you get a DANDY rifle! I have 2 of the 24" versions myself, one with a nice 2-7x Leupold, the other with a Williams receiver sight. All I've ever shot through both has been cast, sized .431, and accuracy has been up to my standards, about 2" @ 100 yards for 5 shots. The open sighted version is the one shot the most and packed the most on trails. It also puts just about every .44 load I have into the same hole, no matter how light or how heavy and what bullet weight! Not many rifles will do that.
You my friend have just swapped for what *I* consider to be the king of modern rifle and caliber
6-pt has me thinking I better get a few more sizing dies though......
2x22
You my friend have just swapped for what *I* consider to be the king of modern rifle and caliber
6-pt has me thinking I better get a few more sizing dies though......
2x22
"Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction." - Thomas Jefferson
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
I have 24" Cowboys in .357 , .44mag. and .45 Colt .
They are all great shooters.
You did good my friend!
They are all great shooters.
You did good my friend!
Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
Really nice looking rifle!
Oly
Oly
Cheers,
Oly
I hope and pray someday the world will learn
That fires we don't put out will bigger burn
Johnny Wright
Oly
I hope and pray someday the world will learn
That fires we don't put out will bigger burn
Johnny Wright
- Griff
- Posting leader...
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Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
Congrats!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
- kimwcook
- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
I have a 24" Cowboy in 45 Colt. Love it. And, it's a pretty good shooter. That's what I used to shoot levergun silhouette with Wind and Whit Spurzon.
Old Law Dawg
- Ysabel Kid
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- AJMD429
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Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
If you decide not to get the Marlin tang sight, you could probably use adhesive plus the one screw to get a fairly reliable mount; I did that for along time with a Rossi.
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"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
That's a beautiful rifle! Congrats!
Have you hugged your rifle today?
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- Levergunner 2.0
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Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
Very nice rifle, thanks for the info
I am buying a 44 mag Cowboy in 20 inch today. seriel number starts with 94 and am wondering if you guys can tell me if it is Ballard rifling?
I am buying a 44 mag Cowboy in 20 inch today. seriel number starts with 94 and am wondering if you guys can tell me if it is Ballard rifling?
Re: Swapped A Winchester For A Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum
2006 and Ballardsilverbuzzard wrote:Very nice rifle, thanks for the info
I am buying a 44 mag Cowboy in 20 inch today. seriel number starts with 94 and am wondering if you guys can tell me if it is Ballard rifling?
Parkers , Mannlicher Schoenauer’s , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines !
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