There are a couple of clips on you tube of a customized Marlin chambered in 45-90. Longer cartridge than will fit in a regular Marlin. Lots of custom fitting by David Clay. Just thought it was interesting. I usually post in the big bore section, but this looked like an interesting gun. Not mine by the way.

I've been trying to find David R Clay for well over a year now, but the link listed in Leverguns doesn't get you anywhere. I don't know when that particular rifle was built, as seen on UToob, but it is at least 2 years old anyway...no one I've asked seems to know where he went.

Wish I could find him.

I can use 45-90 cases and even up to 2.5" case length in my Marlin but the max OAL in my Marlin for particular bullets is still only ~2.65"...well short of what a 45-90 can do.

I would really like to find a smith that would do the "action lengthening" I want and not the full treatment, but the two I tried didn't want to bother with it...I don't blame them...one did give me a clue how to mess around a bit with the carrier and gain up to ~2.70...getting any more requires a few more "tricks" and a lot of hand fitting...with minimal gains. Rechambering to a slightly larger diameter case will give you the higher case volume/velocity at a cheaper price.

Besides...most people don't want anything to do with the added recoil of a 45-90 with 500 gr bullets in a "light" levergun...most peole are happy with a standard Rem 405gr factory or going down to 300 gr.

That's all right too.

Luck

Why not buy one of the Miroku/Winchester 1886 .45-90s with the full octagon 26 inch barrel like I did. The 9.5 pound weight absorbs much of the recoil from heavy loads.

I second CRSHELTON's idea if you must have a 45/90 caliber. I suppose you can do anything with enough money and time, but always heard the Marlin was not a suitable platform for modifying to that caliber. The purchase of the new Winchester mentioned would most likely be equal to the cost of trying to modify the Marlin?? With some luck you could find one of those older Browning 1886 rifles and believe all you would have to do is lengthen the chamber??

David Clay is still working on guns in Alverado Taxas. pm me for his phone number. He is in almost every afternoon. This marlin involved a lot of gun smithing to get it to feed that long of a cartridge.

I go along with the Win 1886 as it doesn't have the design problems of the Marlin...and it probably would cost a lot less.

I would really love a Turnbull conversion, but I can't even afford to log on the site much less call for a price quote.

I've spent almost 2 years working with my Marlin 336 to come up with workarounds I could do cheaply and still come up with a safe rifle running at ~42KPCI...there are many ways to achieve 45-90 ballistics and slightly beyond but none that are really cheap even by doing the work myself.

I want to do a 50 cal barrel by NOT a 348 cased conversion so I've been working with the WSM/RUM cases and looking for a higher strength barrel, inbetween my other projects.

Marlin has both a cartridge LENGTH limitation...which can be overcome somewhat fairly easily...and a safe pressure limitation that can't(or I won't go beyond SAAMI pressure specs for the Marlin)...all you can do is go down in pressure as you go up in case diameter....AKA 45 and 50 Alaskan which run at ~35KCUP.

Basically trying to go from 45-70 to 45-90 in a Marlin 336/1895 is finding a way to achieve the difference in case volume...~78gr H20 vs ~92gr H20 and the ~0.330" difference in case length and ~2.55" OAL and ~2.90 OAL in a receiver barely able to handle the 2.55" in the first place.

But if done properly and you want to spend the money, I see no problem in having it done...It is a custom rifle few have, just like other custom jobbys...I just can't afford what the few leversmiths require in the form of MONEY or time.

I just looked on the Winguns site and couldn't find a 45-90 listed in either the 1886 or 71 links...I swear I saw a 71 some months ago listed in the $1400 catagory....did I miss something more than usual??

Bigdoggy...I take it David doesn't have a website and his time if full doing other things or he is semi-retired??

Luck

When you mention Win. Mod. 71, an original that is, the pricing you mention is not out of the ordinary. In excellent condition will fetch more than that and if Super Grade, much more indeed. The Browning reproductions made in the 80's can usually be had and are very fine rifles. The '86 Browning Rifle, 26" barrel, with some shopping can be had for less than 1,000.00. Believe the new Winchester offerings exceed the 1000.00 mark and you have that tang safety/trigger set up. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something lawyers dreamed up to "enhance" safety so to speak.

I have not seen one of the Browning High Grades 1886 newer models for as little as 1000 in quite some time. That would be a really great price.

You are right about the High Grades, they usually approach the 2,000.00 range, but the "plain jane" versions are much less. Had opportunity to purchase NIB High Grade and they are indeed fine, but are you really going to hunt with one of them?? You can of coure, but first fall, bump, etc. would be more than I could stand.

Quick question: Considering the threading of the barrel to the action on the Marlin 1895, what larger cartridge cases would work for upping the power in the Marlin .45-70?

Oh, noted the use of WSM cases. Will the Marlin feed/extract the rimless cases?

As for rimless case/extraction, the Marlin 450 is rimless I believe and have not heard of any problems regarding extraction?? The 450Marlin is supposedly greater in performance than the 45/70, but you can load the 45/70 in the Marlin to quite a high level. More than your shoulder would want as well.

Isn't the 338 Marlin rimless also?
Makes You wonder just how far you can go with a Win 71.
Maybe a 470 Capstick Short?

Cheers, John