old .45 long colt ammos in my new Marlin Lever

[paltik]

hello!
i have a few old .45 long colt ammos (balloon type head)..im wondering if this are safe to use in my new marlin 1894 cowboy lever rifle?
please help.
thanks

 

[seeemmiss]

I they are true balloon head brass, I doubt they are laoded to anything hotter than a cowboy load. If you know it to be factory ammo then it is safe to shoot. Remember that Marlin lever action is stronger than any Colt SAA or any copy of the same.

 

[desi2358]

should be safe to shoot but the rims may be too small for proper extraction. I have some old balloon head brass in my reloading stock and some of them have very tiny rims, not much for an extractor to get hold of. I have wondered if this might be why there was a lack of long guns in that caliber in the old days.

 

[ddixie884]

Lots of balloon head cases have no Xtractor groove, so may not work well in a carbine.

 

[yaktamer]

Slightly off topic, but does anybody know if you can use "Ruger only" pressure 45 Colt rounds in a Marlin 1894 or Henry Big Boy?

 

[john traveler]

The Marlin M1894 is also chambered in .44 Magnum as is the Henry Big Boy, so I do not see why not.

 

[walnutred]

I purchased a Marlin Cowboy the first year they came out and have consistently shot "Ruger Only" loads in it, with no noticeable ill effect. As was mentioned, the same action is/was available in 357, 41 Mag and 44 Mag.