Combo: 686 plus .357 lever action for home

[scwcharlie]

At age 76, I just purchased a Marlin .357 lever action to match cartridges with my pair of 686's. Intention is home defense and shooting enjoyment.
Haven't fired it yet, still learning protocol. I'm having trouble "chambering" cartridges and can't believe it should be so difficult. (I'm old but not impaired. Still use all my hand-tools, etc.) Should I go to a gunsmith to determine the problem? Or, ......................?

Thanks,

Charlie

 

[john traveler]

Charlie,

The Marlin M1894C is notorious for being awkward to load. The trick is to insert a round partway into the loading gate, with the rim and 1/3 of the case showing, and press the following round into position, replacing the one already there. This keeps the loading gate open, and allows the following cartridges to enter easily into the magazine tube. Repeat this until tube is full.

The Marlin action (like most other lever actions) is also sensitive to maximum cartridge length. If you handload and your cartridge exceeds maximum COL, it will jam the action and require disassembly to clear.

And lastly, sharp, snappy operation of the lever will help to give smooth chambering. Being new, the action might be a bit stiff. Repeatedly operating the action (without snapping the hammer) several hundred times will help to smooth it out. Yes, a gunsmith can slick up the action, but it is also relatively easy to do yourself.

 

[buck460XVR]

Are you shooting .38s or regular .357s? Marlin levers are notorious for disliking the shorter .38 specials.

 

[ShakyJake]

Hi scwcharlie
The Marlin 1894c, which I presume you have, is a great rifle for the 357 cal cartridge. If you have just acquired it, new or used, my first suggestion would be, check three times that it is empty, then to thoroughly clean the rifle and lightly oil it. Then cycle it empty lots of times for feel and function. It should be smooth. Mine was a lot easier to load than the Winnie I have now. Check all your screws for tightness, especially the one securing the loading gate. It will affect both loading and feed if loose. Works best with 357's. Look forward to some pics and results from the range.
TaKe CaRe
Ted

 

[JamesArthur60]

I also have the Marlin 1894C to match my 686. I've had no problems loading it. All I've shot were Winchester copper round nose and the flat nose as well. The 357 round also works well. As described by member john traveler, that is the method I use when loading. I also do not baby the lever when "jacking" a new round. A quick snap of the lever every time or it will jam up. Unfortunately, with the price of factory 38 ammo, my 686 and 1894C spend most of the time sleeping in a gun locker.

 

[ranger7]

I was introduced to the Marlin 1894C by a good friend who is a Cowboy Action shooter. I had so much fun shooting his carbine that I jumped into C.A. myself. Didn't find C.A. as much fun as I thought, so after a few years, I'm unloading the revolvers and coach gun. I do plan to keep the lever action though. I have several double action 357 revolvers including a 686. Remember to be careful about what bullet types you put in your lever gun's magazine. The hard point of one bullet can fire the primer of the next round in the mag if sufficient impact crashes them together. Use flat points or ammo like Hornady LEVERevolution® that have soft polymer points on the bullets.

 

[5Wire]

Me, too, on the 1894 in .357 with same caliber revolver(s) combo. Home defense, for me, if it's ever needed, is likely to be the wheel gun .357 or a Remington 870 or whatever's on my person.

 

[Fanner50]

I have an 1894 Cowboy that I really enjoy shooting. Sometimes loading it is a little difficult, but I think it's just me. I reload .357 cases to .38 Special velocities. I've never shot .38's in it, only very low powered and medium powered .357's. BTW, I'm a youngster at 64, LOL.

 

[jazzman452]

That is the same combo I have, but I have both the carbine and the cowboy on which to choose from. Must be something us older folks like,
I'm 56 years young.

Jazzman

 

[Hang-Fire Hank]

Marlin Lever-Actions

scwcharlie: I need to add my .02 worth:

You said you had a problem with CHAMBERING, not LOADING. Are you attempting to chamber cartridges with semi-wadcutter bullets? Don't! They're too damn hard to get into the chamber, regardless of whether a Marlin or Winnie. Use round-nose FLAT-POINTS (lead or jacketed)!

Mr. Traveler said Marlins are sensitive to cartridge length. ALL LEVER-ACTIONS are sensitive, in that the cartridges can't be too long.

Not ALL Marlin 357's are hard to load 38's. Mine does just fine. Again, choose a round-nose flat-point bullet. It might make the difference.

DO NOT put cartridges with round-nose bullets into the tube. As Mr. ranger7 said, the bullet tip of one cartridge MIGHT set off the primer of the cartridge in front of it. I've seen it happen. Wouldn't matter whether the rifle is a Winnie nor a Marlin.

If you have plenty of 357 cases, use them & don't worry whether it will or won't feed 38 cases. You might lose maximum loading capacity of one cartridge.

And before someone else brings up the subject, yes, Marlin's Micro-Groove rifling will accurately shoot lead bullets. That's all I've ever fired. Just keep the velocity at or below 1,000 FPS.

A good Cowboy Action Shooting gun smith will know how & where to smooth up the action, which makes a BIG DIFFERENCE. Just working the action to attain the same smoothness would take EONS!! I began CAS in the summer of '83 and only retired from the sport a few years ago. All my Marlin, Winchester, & Henry lever-actions are smooth as silk by having "action jobs" done by competent CAS shops.

I also have a S&W 686. It and the Marlin 1894 are superb firearms!

Respectfully,
H-F Hank
NRA Bene.
USAF Vet

 

[perpster]

Kudos on your combination!

 

[JWiley]

Take the others talking of not using any pointed bullets to heart!

I watched a guy blow up a replica Yellow-boy. He was a reloader and cutting corners he used pointed bullets that he "didn't quite file enough off of." The first three cartridges in the magazine were stuffed into each other.

The loading gate force can be eased to allow easier loading. Find a competent lever action gunsmith.

 

[scwcharlie]

Thanks for the many responses. Loading cartridges is becoming easier, though still "clumsy" for my old fingers. When I work the lever, cartridges seem to "jam" halfway "up" until I work the lever a second time. (Lever-jam-lever-into battery. Lever-jam-lever-into battery. etc.) Spoke to a gunsmith @ Gander Mtn. today & he indicated it "may" be a linkage "timing" problem and I should contact Marlin since it's warranty work. (I haven't fired it yet.)

Haven't tried working with 38's yet. Also, I don't do any "loading" yet either. Are Winchester FMJ round nose going to be a problem?

Heading to Phoenix this Sunday for a month. Anyone know a gunsmith in the Western valley (Sun City West) area that does good lever action
work?
Thanks all.

Charlie

 

[g88]

I've got an 1894 in 44mag. To load it I have to leave one cartridge holding the door open and push it in with the next one - which holds the door open for the next, and so on. To chamber a round smoothly, I have to work the lever straight through. Faster the better.

 

[Hang-Fire Hank]

Charlie:

The FMJ's you mentioned are exactly the type NOT TO USE! They have a full round nose & may set off the primer the nose is touching.

"Heading to Phoenix this Sunday for a month. Anyone know a gunsmith in the Western valley (Sun City West) area that does good lever action
work?"

Call Legendary Guns @ 602-242-1377. They're oriented toward CAS guns & are in the Phoenix Valley.

Good Luck & let us know how you do.

H-F Hank
NRA Bene.
USAF Bet

 

[john traveler]

Charlie,

Marlin does NOT recommend loading FMJ bullets in the lever action rifles.

The reason is that the bullet tips can touch primers and detonate them during recoil. The NRA Technical Advisor has tested this and also advises against using FMJ bullets in tubular magazine rifles.

Go with RN, JSP, JHP, or SWC bullet types for safety.

There are several good cowboy action/lever action gunsmiths in the Phoenix area, but all are badly overbooked for work. You just have to call them up and see who is available. I take it you are a "snowbird" from Michigan? Welcome to the southwest. I admire your ability to migrate with the good weather!

 

[JWiley]

Charlie, what you want is a bullet with a 'meplat' (the flat surface at the nose) to be larger than the primer pocket diameter. See here for some pix: The Meplat's Tale ). Just about any RNFP (round nose flat point) will do.

 

[scwcharlie]

Thanks for the additional responses.
I do: keep a cartridge holding the gate open for the next insert*; attempt a full, fast & smooth lever movement; work with only hollow point ammo. (Haven't fired it yet.)
*while keeping the gate open and injecting additional rounds, inserts can suddenly "jam" as if I've reached full capacity- takes "wiggling" and extreme pushing to get the following cartridge inserted.

MORE: I inspected my "insert practice" rounds and found the noses slightly flattened, deformed "hollow-shapes", and shiny parallel grooves cut into their face. Thinking that my .357's were too long (I'm trying 2 different brands), I took a strip of my .38 hollows and tried them to determine if length was the problem. Results were exactly the same.

Does anyone know of a Marlin Service Center in the Phoenix area? I'm hoping I can solve this problem and learn to use this gun at the Ben Avery Range before returning to Michigan, SnowBird that I am.

Thanks,

Charlie

 

[scwcharlie]

Thanks for the additional responses.
I do: keep a cartridge holding the gate open for the next insert*; attempt a full, fast & smooth lever movement; work with only hollow point ammo. (Haven't fired it yet.)
*while keeping the gate open and injecting additional rounds, inserts can suddenly "jam" as if I've reached full capacity- takes "wiggling" and extreme pushing to get the following cartridge inserted.

MORE: I inspected my "insert practice" rounds and found the noses slightly flattened, deformed "hollow-shapes", and shiny parallel grooves cut into their face. Thinking that my .357's were too long (I'm trying 2 different brands), I took a strip of my .38 hollows and tried them to determine if length was the problem. Results were exactly the same.

Does anyone know of a Marlin Service Center in the Phoenix area? I'm hoping I can solve this problem and learn to use this gun at the Ben Avery Range before returning to Michigan, SnowBird that I am.

Thanks,

Charlie

 

[blastfact]

I'm also thinking of going into a combo setup in .44 mag.

I hate to say it. But it's looking like Ruger is in the running with a Super Red Hawk and a 77/44 bolt action rifle. I'm also looking into import combo's. Russian or German made possible.