| Boxerkidd |
10-26-2008 06:54 PM |
RE: 1950 model Marlin 336 C in 35 REM. PRICE REDUCED
In the post-war growth of the "Baby Boom" Marlin began to experiment with a number of new ideas. Up to this point, all Marlin rifles had been made with so-called "Ballard rifling". This was typically 6-groove rifling that was cut one groove at a time, with each groove being cut by multiple passes of the cutting head, generally to a depth of about .004". This is the time-tested method for making a rifled bore, but it is time-consuming and tedious. In the early 1950s Marlin started experimenting with a new form of rifling that was cut with a single pass of a multiple grooved tool head (which presumably speeded up production significantly). Each groove was smaller and shallower than "normal" in this process. Since each land would provide less overall "traction" on the bullet, Marlin put in a lot more grooves and lands (commonly 16 or more). Thus was born Micro-Groove rifling. After Micro-Groove rifling had proven itself in Marlin's line of .22 rimfire rifles, it was added to the centerfire line in the mid-1950s. Claims were made that Micro-Groove rifling produced better accuracy because it distorted the bullet less, but I have never been able to tell any significant difference in the accuracy between Ballard rifling and Micro-Groove rifling in my own group shooting.
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