I recently purchased a Marlin mod 95 (1971, pre safety) 45-70 carbine..

What is involved in converting it to a 45-90 Win, and is it feasible..Ive never been overly impressed with the 45-70 and would like a bit more push!!!

Ray

NO; the receiver is too short to allow that. And even if it could be done, you would not gain anything; pressure is still limited.
However, if you are talking about factory 45-70 loads, it can be loaded a lot hotter than that.
Loads for the 95 are in the books. 45-70 has plenty of powder capacity for a 95. Now, if you are wanting to use 500 grainers at magnum velocities, then you need a Ruger #1.

If you just want more push, consider adding some juice to the 45-70.

These warmed up factory loads claim to give a bit more push, have a better coefficient over flats or hollow points and the soft tips will work in your lever gun.

Hornady's LEVERevolution FTX

Seems a lot alluded to it, but have you looked at input and output for the 1895 45-70 loadings compared to the trapdoor loads most likely about the same as factory loads.
Not sure how much more omph you want beyond the 45-70.
Maybe get rid of that nasty old Marlin, price it low enough enough even I may want it )and get a ruger #1 if you wan to push for 458 levels.

Ray,
IIRC, your previous .45-90 rifles were 1886 Winchesters.

On that subject, MY 45-70 DR is now being upgraded to 45-90 and I just now settled on a safe N133 load to get 4,ooo + foot pounds out of the 45-90 Express cartridge. My 1886 will love this! That 350 grain NF SS will be scooting right along and likely through any thing it hits. Love those North Fork bullets.

You've heard me on this before, Ray, but if you lengthen the throat in your Marlin, you might be able use any spare action length it does have.

I like this option better than lengthening the chamber to .45-90, anyway, because you don't have to buy the dearer brass.

Original 1895s were chambered for the .45-90. Perhaps the action can accommodate the longer cartridge. It's .300" longer (2.1 to 2.4"). In the old days the 45-90 shot a 300 grain bullet and the rifling twist was different than the .45-70s quicker twist for the 405 grain bullet.

If the action will take the longer cartridge, I'd vote to go for the cool factor and be able to shoot both types of ammmo.

Ok, original Marlin 95s used a longer frame than the ones they started making in about 1972, and I vividly remember them coming out; I have owned at least 5 of them. The first ones had 8 groove rifling, and later ones had 12 and were marked Micro Groove, although they never used that type of rifling.
Those were, and are the 336 frame; they just changed the name but used the 30-30 Marlin 336 frame, with the ejection port opened up and the carrier modified. They did not make a new frame.
I have actually converted 336s to 45-70. So I know what the mods are.
So, no, it still won't work.
And lengthening the throat is not the problem the carrier and frame will only take so much OAL.
Look in any reloading manual; they will have three levels of 45-70 loads; Trapdoor, Marlin, and Ruger #1/Siamese Mauser.
You can get a 400 grainer to 1800 FPS and a 350 to 1900, and a 300 grainer to 2100. If you want more than that you need a Ruger or Siamese Mauser.

quote:

If you want more than that you need a Ruger or Siamese Mauser.

Or a Miroku made Winchester 1886 .45-90. aka Modern 1886 45-90 .
My current 45-90 Express N133 load (see Loaddata.com for 45-90 Express loads using 3031) of a NF 350SS load is 2300+ with 4,000+ foot pounds energy. Just tinkering around with guns!

PS, I could buy a .458 win Mag or Ruger #1, but this is more fun. Reminiscent of the crestfallen faces of many "experts" that said you could not kill African DG with a levergun. The old/new 1886 with modern bullets proved them wrong (really just uninformed and a wee bit prejudiced).

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Ive never been overly impressed with the 45-70 and would like a bit more push!!!

Ray

IMR3031 and 405gr will get you plenty of push at moderate pressures. Plenty. As I recall, 1900 fps at 28,000 cup.

Appreciate the advise from all, it was I suspected btw, but its been awhile since I owned a 45-70 or a Marlin..This is a 1971 era gun, carbine and its cute as a bugs ear! I think I will leave it as is and shoot some Texas hill country whitetail with it..Maybe an Idaho Mule deer or two..and be looking for a 45-90 1886 for elk..

Please stop. I do not need a 45-70 or another gun. Well...........

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Appreciate the advise from all, it was I suspected btw, but its been awhile since I owned a 45-70 or a Marlin..This is a 1971 era gun, carbine and its cute as a bugs ear! I think I will leave it as is and shoot some Texas hill country whitetail with it..Maybe an Idaho Mule deer or two..and be looking for a 45-90 1886 for elk..

Took an early Marlin 45/70 to Namibia. It would shoot broadside through Kudu and Gemsbok. Under the hide on the offside of Eland. If you need more then that, better go to a .458.
Got the gun transferred to my pal there. He's shot dozens more of the above game and loves it. Being a lefty himself, he thinks levers are great.

First year of new 95 production was 1972; the serial numbers then started with B0. And they had outsourced barrels. I remember well when they came out; I was heavily into 45-70s then.
And now.

I bought one in 1972 and loaded it with Elmer Keith's load of 53 of 3031 and a 400 grain bullet. It kicked like a mule but was one of the most accurate hunting rifles, at 100 yds, I ever owned. My best group was a .4 for five shots. I won turkeys and money with that rifle for a few years. I opened up the port and altered the ejector to allow me to use a 445 grain cast bullet I made with a homemade mould but the 400 Speer was always my favorite bullet. I traded that rifle off in 1976 and have regretted it ever since. Regards, Bill

Somebody must’ve done a comparison of power levels from 45–70 all the way up to 45–120.

I have to wonder, given modern smokeless powders and using the same bullets, how much difference in power there is across the range of these old cartridges.

Maybe limit the test to modern-made Sharps model 1874 rifles?

It's already been done and it's all in Ken Waters' Pet Loads. He tests everything from a Trapdoor to a Ruger #1 and everything in between.
No, the Sharps is not all that strong and is unsuitable for the 50K psi loads for the Ruger and Siamese Mauser, and the Miroku High wall.
Once you set a max pressure for each rifle, having a larger capacity case is often immaterial; such as the 45-120 (3.25) example. No way it can be utilized in a Sharps, but in a Ruger, yes. It is only a 120 with Black Powder.

Time to get rid of the 95 anyway; it will never shoot sub MOA; not accurate; not interesting.