I follow a break in method for every new gun/barrel that I buy.
Cam

If it makes any difference I read that the new "44"mag 1894's have Ballard rifling now not the micro groove.

Thanks for all the reply's guys. It does have ballard rifling. Anyway, I sent it to a Cowboy tuner and am getting it back Friday. They told me they ran twenty rounds through it and it runs great. I guess I don't have to worry about breaking in that new barrel now!

I shot my new marlin cowboy 45/70 one shot/clean for 10 rounds then shot 5/clean and 5/clean on the first outing.

This was the first time I have done this with any rifle.

Can't say if it will make a difference.

Now I just clean it after each time to the range around 30 shots.

Thanks for all the reply's guys! I got the rifle from the smith after it's action job and found the action to be very slick but the gun shoots 6" groups! I think it has a bad barrel! Any ideas would be appreciated!

If its got a micro groove barrel your going through the same pains I am ! I have found a few loads that will pull it to 3" at 100 yards on a bench with a 4x scope. I'm still hoping to get it down to 1.5".

Hey ChuckWagon,I would be happy if it shot as well as yours at this point! It doesn't have Microgroove rifling though.

I'm confident mine will shoot a lot better once I get a trigger job or a replacement from WWG. The factory one is a POS !

Thanks for all the tips everyone! My Marlin was tuned by Coyote Cap and has a crisp 2lb trigger. It looks like I have to send it back to him to put back in stock condition, send it to Marlin, then have him put it back how it should be again. What a hassle!

Wiktor,

I honestly doubt that you have a bad barrel....it's possible, but doubtful. The gent who told you to free up the magazine tube is spot on. Another trick is to remove the magazine spring and cut about 1/3 of it off. They make them way too long and it makes pressure in the magazine tube, which is in turn attached to the barrel and plays hell with the harmonics. No, I didn't put much stock in it either until I tried it. Cut the spring so it is just longer than the magazine tube maybe 2". This gives plenty of push to feed the cartridges without binding things. Do indeed recut the crown....that is the single biggest offender. Lastly; run a real tight patch down the bore feeling as you go for a tight spot and note where you find it. See if you can repeat this, locating a restriction in the bore. IF you find a rough spot/restriction, then you may need to send it back. You can also slug the bore by driving a soft lead slug through it and then measure the slug and see what it mikes. You will also find any rough/tight spots by slugging the bore. You can do all this stuff yourself in a few hours. Take your time and be patient. Yeah, it's a bitch to buy a rifle and find it doesn't drive nails right out of the box, but with a little TLC, you can probably cure it.

I would definately firelap it before I sent it back. Just about every Marlin that comes down the pike initially has some restrictions in the barrel. I'd reccomend you get the Book ( $14 )from Beartooth bullets and slug the bore, make sure your useing the right size ammo and lap it. I personally would skip cutting the springs. It might make the magazine easier to load but IMO it certailnly won't make it accurate. If its that sensative you might just need to shoot with one hand so you dont bind the bore ! lmao. Either way the book, fire lapping kit and having a smith re-cut the crown won't set you back as much as shipping so you really don't have much to loose.

Hey guys, thanks for all the advice! Today I put another scope on it and guess what, it was a defective scope! That is the first time I have ever had a new scope that was bad.I also found out that the gun doesn't like Remington ammo but does like Hornady's. It shoots 2 1/4" five shot groups with it. I have one other question for you guys, I definately don't have a Micro-groove barrel but do you notice that the rifling is quite shallow compared to some other rifles?
THANKS!

Wiktor,



If you want a long throat in your rifle fire lap the hell out of it. Fire lapping takes more than a restriction out as it squirts down the bore. Don't skip cutting the magazine spring! I have a safe full of lever rifles along with many dozen bolt actions of every make and description. I'm not talking out the side of my face but speak from experience. A goddamned spring may cost you $10 if you whack it off too short, but you ain't going to make it too short if you cut it two inches longer than the tube. If you want to fire lap and cut the throat about two inches deeper, let me know. I have a fire lapping kit here that I used once on a crapped out military barrel. I'll give it to you. Just remember this bit of wisdom: You can't make chicken salad from Chicken Shit. If you find tight spots in that barrel, then send it back. And NO, Marlin barrels are not known (by anybody but Chuckwagon) for having constrictions in the bore. They make a fine barrel. It's all the junk hanging off them that plays hell with accuracy.



I'll even suggest this; take your rifle and strip the magazine tube and all the bands off and shoot it and see what results. A machinists hand held 45 degree chamfer tool will debur the crown and is easily done with a bit of patience, if you're anal about precision, have a 'smith chuck it in his lathe and touch the crown up with this tool.

Right O cutting the magazine springs will improve your accuracy ! ROTFLMAO ! If you used a copper bullet for lapping then it could POTENTIALLY enhance the problem area due to the fact that the bullet would not expand and primarily ride on the rifeling with out polishing the lands, or at least that is one theory. You can certainly read more about that at the Beartooth Bullets web site. Marlin and many, many others come from the factory with constrictions. You can only expect so much out of a factory barrel. Every place there is a hanger, or a barrel band etc. there is likely a constriction of at least .002-.003. If you ever slug a bore you would feel them and its a real eye opener the first time you do it. On the '94 I'm working with now there was a huge constriction above the throat. But I understand your wisdom of running .....how did you put it ? A couple HUNDRED rounds of jacketed through the gun Vs a few rounds of fire lapping and a little JB's polish. I'll certainly give you one thing though...Its not the side of your mouth your talking out of !!

Whiktor, Very glad to hear you worked it out. I'd still order that book and at the very least look up the average bore Diameter on the Beartooth website of your gun and caliber.

Chuck,

Alright fuckhead, you've drawn me out of my shell. You spend your time reading some websight and then figure you're a goddamned expert. You fail to impress anybody but your own conceited self, asshole.

You just keep right on rolling around and maybe you'll fall off the turnip wagon you rode in on. A good bitchslap up the side of your flat head would do you more good than anything.

I think all of the intellect you've shared with us recently speaks for itself. I'm not any sort of expert I'm just trying to help another fellow shooter that's why I pointed him in the right direction instead of suggesting he start cutting up us gun on the advice of someone with such impeachable character as yours.

You might check out this site in regards to accurizeing Marlins. www.Marauder13.homestead.com/files/TUNING_M_1894





Follow the link to the great information page, then to Maurauders Irons page and finaly to tuning the 1894. Sorry for the roundabout but I was having trouble with a direct link.

CW,

Yes, my character is unimpeachable, which is more than I can say for yours. If you'd stop grandstanding and denegrating everything I say, perhaps you'd receive less flak from me.

I've spent more time over the last 30 years with guns than you have in your miserable life and have probably forgotten more than you'll ever know. If you'd shut up and listen, you might learn something.