Marlin feeding problem.

[DuncaninFrance]

Thanks for the many suggestions guys.
I am going to try:
Polishing the internal angles.
Adjusting the Extractor Spring a little
Re-shaping the hook on the extractor a little.

Watch this space.

[casterofboolits]

Back in the mid 80's, I purchased a Marlin 1894 in 44 Mag to go with my S&W Mod. 29. The action functioned like it was filled with gravel and would not feed my handloads with the Lyman 429421 44-245-SWCPB.

I took the action apart and it was ROUGH, burrs and ragged edges on every part and the inside of the frame. I spent two days stoning every part and the inside of the frame using hard Arkanas stones.

Once the action was smothed out, it fed the SWC's as smooth as butter! I was happy, to say the least. Marlin seemed to have a quality problem at that time and I also did the same for a friends 444 with the same results.

[DuncaninFrance]

To date I have tried adjusting the extractor spring, crimping the bullets a little more and making the bullet the maximum length to change the feed angle but all to no avail. It still will not feed cast but will feed Sierra as smoothly as a hot knife cutting butter!

[MakeMineA10mm]

Here's a start: Failure to feed issues in 1894 SOLVED

Beyond that, let me encourage you to not give up. My 1894SS feeds SWCs (and most everything else) fine, so it can happen. As was said above, some of it is tolerances, angles, loosness vs. tightness of the parts, etc.

I know one big step that improves a lot of them is radiusing the rear edge of the chamber. It must be carefully done, but basically you are just taking away the sharp edge and replacing it with a curved one. Don't be too aggressive.

[MakeMineA10mm]

Oh, and another thing. Keep in mind that when these guns were designed the only bullet designs out there were the Round Nose Flat Point (RNFP) and Round Nose (RN). Both of those will feed like butter as well. Most jacketed bullets have a truncated cone or RNFP shape, so they feed quite well too.

You are trying to make a bullet with a sharp-edge feed. This the gun was not designed to do. But, at the link above, some suggestions should help get you closer, if not all the way there.

[joecool911]

Even with straight walled bullets like ones from Beartooth, if I don't get a good crimp my rounds wont feed either. Get stuck right at the case rim. Try a lee crimp die. From there I would change bullet design.

[DuncaninFrance]

OK, not giving up yet. I joined the Marlin Owners Forum Group and have posted in the Failure to feed issues in 1894 SOLVED slot so I am working hard to sort this problem.