[William Iorg]

A friend called last night and told me he had seen a copy of a shooting industry magazine that listed a few new Marlin lever actions for 2003.
First was a .41 Magnum called the 1894FG, it has a 20" barrel, pistol grip stock and checkered wood.
Of interest to me was a rifle called the "Spikehorn" if I remeber correctly. It is in .30-30 and has a 16 1/2" barrel with pistol grip stock. Since Winchester (my prefered lever gun) will not bring out a pistol grip .307 with a rifle forend I may get the Marlin and rechamber it to .307.
Right now we are working with a .30-30 Ackley reamer and Hodgdon Benchmark powder. Is anyone out there using Reloder 15 in the .30-30?

 

[imashooter2]

I thought the Spikehorn was going to have a shorter "youth" butt stock... might be a consideration if the rifle is intended for adult use.

 

[William Iorg]

I could well be, I just heard of it second hand. My friend was more excited about the .41 Mag.
Sure wish Winchester would get off the dime and start producing some interesting guns for les than a $1,000.00!

 

[gun runner]

Shure, Marlin has to go and do this. 2 days ago I told the wife I dint plan on buying anymore rifles and Marlin has to come back with the .41 mag. I have looked at a few used ones, that were trashed or the price looked like the national war debt. Wounder what this is gonna cost me at home ifin I get one?

Gun Runner

 

[gun runner]

I did it...

Well I called my dealer rep at RSR in Reno and asked ifin he had heard of the 1894FG, he said they should be getting some in around Apr/May. Have my name on the list for the first one they get. RSR has 5 major wharehouses and ifin something is in one that is wanted someplace a touch of the puter and it gets shipped direct to the dealer. All I have to figger out now is how to pay for it and what its gonna cost me to keep Peace in the house. Maybe the price on the used ones will drop since their comming back. oh well makes no diffrence gonna have a new one.

Gun Runner

 

[Ed Harris]

I've been using 34 grs. of RL-15 in the .30-30 loading 150-gr. Remington Core Lokt bullets in Remington cases with WLR primers, and have been getting excellent accuracy. Velocity was 2253 f.p.s. in my old Marlin square-bolt Model 36 with 20" barrel.

 

[William Iorg]

Ed Harris,
Thanks, does that load pretty well fill the case? We have been using H4895 and Varget in the regular .30-30 and the Improved version. Varget is very uniform with low extreme spreads and good accuracy, but H4895 seems to give less pressure for the same velocity.
I have been using the 150 grain core loks also. They will end up short if seated to the crimp groove. i seat them to 2.55" and use a factory crimp die. They seem just as accurate as the Sierra and Hornady 150's we have tried.
Does the Model 36 have the same lock-up as the later M-336? That is a notch in the lower bolt? The Winchester M-94 with the rear lock bolt covering the full rear of the sliding bolt seems to be a little stronger lock-up. That is to say that the Winchester seems to not allow the brass to stretch quite as readily. It is a very small point. Also, the Micro groove barrel seems to give a little higher velocity for the same loads, with the same components fired on the same day. A two rifle sample does not mean much though...