Marlin '94 with Black Powder

[Crusty Knees]

I loaded up some .45 Colt cases with Goex 3F and a 250gr BP lubed bullet.   And, I was thinking of shooting them in my Marlin.

Do the Marlins handle BP well, or do they get too gummed up to run for 6 stages?

 

Thanks,

CK

[Singin' Sue 71615]

Mine did fantastic.

It ate everything.

Mine was .38 cal though, and a well 'used' rifle.

[Pee Wee #15785]

I have used my Marlin .45 Colt in several state matches. I shoot full case FFFg Goex and a 250 gr RNFP.  It has cycled 1000's of black rounds and not failed in a match.

[German Jim]

In the past, I've used my 24", .45 Colt Marlin '94 a number of times with Black Powder loads.  I've used Elephant, Diamondback and Goex 2F powders.  All with no problems shooting 6 stage matches.  

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

I shoot two different Marlins with black powder.  One needs a squirt of Ballistol in the action every other stage to run smoothly.  The other runs for six stages without any maintenance.  I shoot Big Lube bullets when shooting real black powder.  You will appreciate how easy a Marlin is to field strip and clean after shooting black powder.  

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

My 44mag, 94 runs  just fine

OLG 

[Eyesa Horg]

I've only used mine in one 6 stage match. Things seemed to be going well at first, at least so I thought as this was my first match with BP. On the second stage I started to have extraction issues, sprayed in some Balistol and continued. The problem got worse and I was running out of finger mails to extract brass! Made it thru the match and upon disassembly to clean at home, I discovered that carbon had built up and was holding the extractor back. I'm going go with it as being my fault. I really don't know for sure if it was, but it had been a while since I had removed it and cleaned the hole. We'll see this year!! I'm encouraged by the replies above.

[Burn Through]

my dad likes b p in his says its easy to clean , one screw takes bolt out I think is what he says , good luck b p is fun to shoot

[Widder, SASS #59054]

1 hour ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I've only used mine in one 6 stage match. Things seemed to be going well at first, at least so I thought as this was my first match with BP. On the second stage I started to have extraction issues, sprayed in some Balistol and continued. The problem got worse and I was running out of finger mails to extract brass! Made it thru the match and upon disassembly to clean at home, I discovered that carbon had built up and was holding the extractor back. I'm going go with it as being my fault. I really don't know for sure if it was, but it had been a while since I had removed it and cleaned the hole. We'll see this year!! I'm encouraged by the replies above.

 

Howdy Eyesa.

You're not the only person who has experienced extractor issues caused by crud build-up in that hole.

And it can happen with smokeless or BP.

 

After you take out the Extractor and clean the crud out, future cleaning can usually be accomplished by spraying some cleaning fluids down in

the hole (without taking out the Extractor) and then blowing it out with some strong compressed air, like your air compressor.

 

If the rifle is a .32 H&R Marlin, be cautious  of the SHIM inside the Extractor hole.

 

Hope you are doing well.

 

..........Widder

 

[Eyesa Horg]

Thanks Widder, Mine is a 45, so all the more crud!! It was fun though.. Ellie & I are both doing well. Hope all is well at the Widder household.

 

 

Eyesa

[Tulsey, SASS#11236]

It seems my Browning 92 will go longer between cleaning than my Marlin 94 shooting black powder and subs,  I started using a Marlin because it is so easy to tear down and clean between matches.  When either starts to have problems,  a little lubricant will get them through the  day then it is time to do a good cleaning., In usual times the  rifle would have 60 rounds shot through in a day compared to only 30 for each pistol.  The rifle chamber would have 60 rounds put though it and each revolver cylinder would probably have five or six so the revolvers have fewer rounds and less buildup. Over a period of time if you don't do a good cleaning you can have some light hammer hits with any firearm having a moving firing pin if you don't keep it clean

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

My Model 1894 was made a long time before 45 Colt was ever chambered in rifles. It was made in 1895 and is chambered for 44-40. The caliber marking on the barrel actually says 44W, but that was the same as 44-40 in those days. Anyway, it handles my Black Powder 44-40 ammo just fine. I did have the extractor replaced a long time ago because it was not grabbing empties real well. Other than that it runs just fine with my BP 44-40 ammo loaded with the Mav-Dutchman Big Lube 200 grain bullet. No swabbing or nothing is necessary. By the way, this old Marlin is when I first found out that an old pitted bore like it has works just fine with Black Powder. It is not necessary to clean out every molecule of BP fouling hiding down in the bottom of the pits. After a quick cleaning with my favorite water based BP solvent, I run a patch soaked with Ballistol down the bore, and follow it up with a dry patch to mop up the excess. The Ballistol mixes with the little bit of fouling left in the bottom of the pits and prevents the fouling from absorbing any moisture out of the air, preventing any corrosion.

 

 

 

 

[Warden Callaway]

And before 1894 was 1889.