Lever Action .44

[King31]

Needing suggestions on a new lever action .44 for my dad. He currently has an older Marlin JM stamp that is a great gun but having some issues with loading. I'd like to help get him a new one because I will inherit them in the long run. Which brand is the best right now? Any brands to avoid? Looking at a traditional wood/blued look on this one. It will only be used as a truck gun and deer rifle for about 10 days out of the year.

 

[Route 45]

If he has issues with loading, one of the Henry rifles with the tube magazine might be the ticket. They also have them with both the traditional style loading gate and the slot loading tube.

Big Boy Steel Rifle & Carbine | Henry Repeating Arms

While we are fond of the brass tradition begun by B.T. Henry’s 1860 rifle, we do understand that today’s hunter may prefer something a shade lighter on the mountain, and the Big Boy Steel Side Gate carries on the same brush gun appeal of the brass-framed Big Boys in its overall configuration...

www.henryusa.com

 

[daddyusmaximus]

Get him one that the magazine will hold like 8 or 9, then just have him load 6 or so at a time so the spring isn't under so much tension. My Chiappa 1892 Alaskan takedown is supposed to hold 8, and I can actually get 9 in the tube, but it's not easy to get that last one in there. It will feed them all reliably once loaded, but even at the regular 8, you can feel the spring tension increase as the rounds pile up. Especially the last couple. If he loads less, it's easier, and most times you don't really need that many...

Sometimes it's not even the mag spring, but the loading gate spring that causes problems. This can be lightened up by a gunsmith, and there are youtube videos on it I'm sure.

 

[Ricnzak]

Another vote for Henry. I have nothing but good things to say about the one we have.

 

[92FSTech]

What kid of loading issues is he having? IMO you cant do much better than the Marlin, so if it's some kind of mechanical issue with the gun, I'd opt to fix that over replacing it. If it's a personal difficulty, like arthritis or something, the Henry tube load system would be a viable option.

 

[phatgemi]

If by loading issue you mean the loading gate is biting him, the solution is simple. Go to rangerpoint and just get him their replacement gate. Easy install and works very well.

 

[King31]

All issues are mechanical only. I plan on trying to work on it when time allows. The Marlin sometimes jams when the lever is cycled.

 

[Jaybird1980]

If I was looking for another lever 44 it would probably be a Henry.

Might go for a Ruger 96-44 if I found one for a decent price.

 

[dak109]

All issues are mechanical only. I plan on trying to work on it when time allows. The Marlin sometimes jams when the lever is cycled.

Is he running the lever hard and fast? Mine will hang up if you you try to run is slow. Also, make sure it’s straight up and down. Mine doesn’t like to be ran sideways.

 

[Gabriel]

The only real downside to the Henry rifles is the weight. There is a real noticeable difference between my Marlin and Henry, plus the weight on the Henry is farther forward throwing off the balance a little IMO. Beyond that, I like them both.

 

[Bill2905]

I own a Henry Big Boy Steel and a Rossi 92. I enjoy shooting both but the Henry is smoother and functions more reliably.

 

[Michigan Slim]

I've got a Winchester 94, a Marlin 94, and a Rossi 92. The 92 is the lightest and can be a little uncomfortable with fullhouse .44 mags. My favorite is the Winchester.

 

[BigRed]

Cannot go wrong with a pre 64 Winchester 94!

For .44, its Marlin 94.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Cannot go wrong with a pre 64 Winchester 94!

For .44, its Marlin 94.

My daughter agrees!

 

[Leadeye]

JM feed tubes in the 1894 can have rough edges which can make it hard to get cartridges into the magazine. Many years ago I pulled my mag tube and found this to be the case. A quick chamfer with a large countersink I had fixed the problem forever.

 

[warren5421]

Some sites to help with the Marlin

The Cowboy Shop By Chuckaroo

COWBOY ACTION FIREARMS - LONG HUNTER SHOOTING SUPPLY

Contact Long Hunter’s for your cowboy action competition firearms, gun leather and parts

www.longhunt.com

Pioneer Gun Works, Inc.

The finest SASS Cowboy competition firearm parts.

www.pioneergunworks.com

Marlin Loading Gate | Flyweight, Easy Loading

Buy lever-action loading gate for marlin lever-action rifles 1895, 1894, 336, 308, 338, 444, 450M. Available in black, silver, gold & military green color.

rangerpointstore.com

Is this the "Marlin Jam"?

Hello, Brand new poster. I was recommended to this site by a users from AccurateShooter. I have a Marlin 1894 in 45LC. It's a couple years old. Ever since the first time I shot it, it's jammed. The next round doesn't make it all the way out of the feeding tube, before the lift tries to elevate it...

forums.sassnet.com

 

[92FSTech]

All issues are mechanical only. I plan on trying to work on it when time allows. The Marlin sometimes jams when the lever is cycled.

I've had two issues with my marlins...one mechanical, and one ammo related.

My .357 was experiencing "marlin jam"...it would try to dump two shells out of the magazine at the same time onto the lifter, resulting in one being stuck half in and half out of the mag, blocking the lifter. This was a huge pain to clear. It turns out, there was a groove worn in the lifter where it bottoms out against the lever, allowing it to drop down too far and not block the second shell from exiting the magazine. I replaced the lifter and radiused the edge of the lever a tiny bit so it wasn't contacting the lifter with such a sharp edge. It now runs 100% (I saved the old part just in case I ever need a spare I can have somebody tig weld it up and file it back into spec).

Neither gun likes semi-wadcutter bullets, but the .45 is the worst of the two. The cartridge will bounce up and the shoulder of the SWC bullet will hang on the top of the chamber when I run the lever hard (works fine if I run it slow). I tried chamfering the chamber mouth just a bit to see if that would resolve it, but got to the point where I didn't want to go any further for fear of creating an unsupported chamber. The issue still exists. Ultimately, I just started loading round-nose-flat-point bullets instead of the semi-wadcutters, and the rounded profile mates up well with the edge of the chamber and feeds perfectly, no matter how fast I run the lever.

 

[Dinny]

Henry!

 

[King31]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions folks. I have the gun stripped down right now looking at the carrier and where I can do some polishing to potentially smooth it up. A new Henry might be in the works as well because he loves the tube fed idea.

 

[King31]

First photo is off my .357 marlin and the second would be from my dads .44 marlin. Is this piece missing from the .44 and if so can it be purchased? I’m having a heck of a time finding anything on a schematic but from the few pictures found online it looks like it is missing. This would help guide the casing into the chamber, essentially eliminating the issues we are having.