Cycling 38 special rounds in a Marlin 1894?

[emilianoksa]

I've wanted one of these carbines for a long time, and now a local gunshop has one.

However, I've read that these guns function better with the 357 Winchester round, and sometimes don't cycle very well with 38 special. Since magnum rounds are not available to civilians where I live, I'd pretty much be stuck with 38.

Your comments would be appreciated.

Also, does the 1894 have the same tendency as some of Marlin's rifle calibre lever actions to suffer from the Marlin jam?

 

[MMCSRET]

My 1894C is 25 years old and handles 38's well, but its really well broken in. I own and use several Marlins in several calibers and several actions and have never experienced the "Marlin Jam".

 

[emilianoksa]

Thank you.

That's very reassuring.

Might phone the gun shop tomorrow mornng to see if they've still got it.

 

[easyrider604]

My 1894C suffers from the Marlin Jam. There is a fix but haven't gotten around to doing it.

Flawless cycling 357s.

Jams within 4 rounds with 38 special. Locks up the lever in halfway open position.

 

[zxcvbob]

Mine is still reasonably new. It cycles .38's just fine, except for wadcutters and SWC's. (The SWC's actually cycle OK but they catch a little going into the chamber and feel kind of rough) It also like .357's loaded with DEWC's, which also lets you get one extra in the magazine.

 

[kanook]

now a question for the OP. if you reload, would you be able to use 357 brass with no marking on it, or would they frown on it cause it's still a 357? I am not sure but I think I have seen some brass that didn't say mag or magnum on it only 357 remington. I would just make sure that it was downloaded to 38special loads just in case.(no problem in either mine or my wifes shooting 38's. when I started to do CAS I started to use 357 brass downloaded so that I would get that 38 build up in the chamber)

 

[edrice]

It should be able to cycle both .38 and .357. If it doesn't there's a timing problem and a snith should be able to adjust that. This happened with my 1894P in .44mag/.44spec. It wouldn't cycle the .44 specials, but now it does.
I also have the 1894c but it didn't have this problem.

Ed

 

[76shuvlinoff]

I have a 1977 1894c, I bought it last fall so I do not know the complete history but it runs 38 specials just fine so far.

 

[emilianoksa]

As far as I know, reloading isn't allowed.

Most Americans would find firearms restrictions here very tight.

To a Limey like me, they seem pretty liberal.

In Britain even airguns are viewed with suspicion, and will, in my opinion, eventually be licensed, and probably even banned.

In the UK guns are seen by the establishment as bad, and people with an interest in shooting are generally regarded as nut jobs.

Britain is one of the most politically correct societies in the world.

I pray you don't go down the same road in the United States.

Common sense would then truly be dead and gone.

 

[woof]

The issue is with the overall length of the 38 spcl rounds, if too short a jam can happen. Some time back there was a thread here that included the minimum overall length to avoid jams but I don't remember it.