old marlin,new ammo?
Moderators: Regnier (gunrunner), JohnK, Sure-Shot
old marlin,new ammo?
OK, some may not agree with my annual christmas snooping!But what I Found out I am getting this year absolutly blew my mind!!My wife went out and bought me a marlin lever!All Ive seen so far is the reciept, but I was able to gather the model, serial and caliber it's a model 1893 in 3030 and accourding to the serial and the reserch i did,was made in 1903!My question is is it safe to shoot modern loads through a rifle that is one hundred and two years old?
If the rifle has no headspace issues, modern factory ammo is not unsafe to shoot in it. However, it's hard on the gun & should be avoided. The best course is cast bullets using light loads. If you don't reload, places like Black Hills ammo of Rapid City, SD make mild ammunition that's used in 'cowboy' competition.
The jacketed ammo is hard on the old guns due to the mild steel used in them. The modern powders will accelerate throat erosion, too. When your rifle is cocked and there is any end play in the bolt, ( if it moves a little using thumb pressure) it probably has a headspace issue. The problem in a headspace situation is that the chamber is a little too long for the cartridge. When fired, the cartridge has the potential of stretching to the point that it will fail, sending hot gases places you don't want them to go - potentially toward the shooters face. If you're unfamiliar with recognizing how bad it is, do have it checked by someone who does.
With the light cast loads and necksizing fired brass, these can still be fired regularly if the problem isn't too severe. SW
The jacketed ammo is hard on the old guns due to the mild steel used in them. The modern powders will accelerate throat erosion, too. When your rifle is cocked and there is any end play in the bolt, ( if it moves a little using thumb pressure) it probably has a headspace issue. The problem in a headspace situation is that the chamber is a little too long for the cartridge. When fired, the cartridge has the potential of stretching to the point that it will fail, sending hot gases places you don't want them to go - potentially toward the shooters face. If you're unfamiliar with recognizing how bad it is, do have it checked by someone who does.
With the light cast loads and necksizing fired brass, these can still be fired regularly if the problem isn't too severe. SW
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marlinman93
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