1894?
 

if you were buying a marlin 1894, which would you get, i'm leaning towards the 38/357 because of the cheap ammo, but i have a 41mag smith that i really like, i also have a ruger 44 rifle so the 1894 in 44 didn't really intrest me, beside cost and availability of ammo, which do you guys have and which would you choose, i reload but i dont reload pistol stuff, i only have a single stage press, maybe a dillon should be in the works;)

RE: 1894?
 

I have 2 marlins 1894 one in 357 magnum and one in 44 magnum. Both are great guns but the 357 gets a lot more use. The 357 is a lot of fun just to shoot .My niece shot a doe with the 357 and a 140 gr hornady XTP handload. It only went 10 yds and dropped.
When i reload handgun cartridges I do 500 rounds at a time.I use a lee hand press,hand trimmer, and hand primer tool. I sit and watch tv and get my brass resized,trimed ,and primed in a couple of nights. The next night I dump in the powder and seat the bullets .

RE: 1894?
 

if I trimmed 500 rnds in one sitting my arm would fall off....literally :D:D:D

RE: 1894?
 

thanks sam444, i am leaning the38/357 way, just wondered if anyone had one in 41mag

RE: 1894?
 

I'd prefer it in .45 Colt, if there's such an animal.....

RE: 1894?
 

hey!! the 45LC would be cool, but they only offer it in 38/357, 41 mag, 44 mag , and 32/20?, i really likemy smith in 41 mag, i also love my ruger 44 mag rifle, i am kind of torn between mass and velocity if that makes sense, but i want something reasonable and fun to shoot, lets don't even talk about my 10/22's, the one factor i really like about the 38/357 version is the cheap ammo, like a 38sp in a wad-cutter, or if i wanted to reload for it,icould get a pound of red dot and shoot for a while;), but i would need to upgrade my old rcbs rock-chucker press with something newlike a dillion progressive loader, hummm, maybe that could be next years X-mas idea;),,,,hey sam444 do you have any pet loads for your 444, i have a friend that has one and we have just started working with it, i tell you that is one deer bustin round[:-], lever guns are so neat, well i did sell my ole blr, but thatwas because i was dis-satisfied with the trigger[:@], i love browning, but i believe they could have done a little better with the BLR

RE: 1894?
 

Unless the 1894 has had some changes since I had one (20 years ago!), forget shooting .38 Specialwadcutters from it. Too short to feed, and youalmost have to disassemble the damned rifleto clear it.

WishI still had mine.

RE: 1894?
 

yesI have pet load for my 444s. I use Hornady's 265gr flat nose, CCI 200primers, and 44.4 grs of H 4198. that's an easy load to remember and it shoots well.I have been using that load since the early 70s. According to hornady 's sixth addition thid load is a gr. under max for rifles.

RE: 1894?
 

m.t.hands -

Don't be so discouraged about reloading ammo for pistols with a single stage press. Its really not that difficult. I load for 45 ACP, and can load about 100 per hour with my Rockchucker, or about the same as I can reload for my rifles.

BTW - I would go with the 44:D