Mojave Lever Crew - Roll Call!

[bergmen]

Nah, I'm pretty confident it is 25-20 Improved. The fire formed brass looks identical, is the same exact length as regular 25-20, and those two are both WAY too long for it.

I'm almost convinced to send Hornady 3 pieces of fire formed brass and have them make me some custom dies for it, and just go with it from there. Should be easy to work up a load with.


And, because I think I forgot to put photos, here's some terrible probably too small phone pics to look at.

That's one beautiful rifle! Does it have a newer stock on it that is checkered? This is going to make a nifty project I'm sure. You've got a lot more powder capacity than the 25-20 case.

Keep us up to date!

Dan

[Spyder]

Yea, it should be a crescent butt stock. I'm thinking that at some point in the last hundred years someone put a later model straight butt stock on it. I like the look of it fine as it was done really well, but that hideous White Line red butt pad has to go! It was hand checkered (looks really good, but there's spots where you can see it wasn't quite straight and went a little over the outline of where it was checkered), which I kind of like for character, since it isn't all original.

My plan is to, for now, just put a Marlin pad on it and start loading ammo for it. I'll use it for squirrels and rabbits and steel. I'll keep an eye out for a proper stock set for it, but won't be the least bit disappointed in it if I don't find one for cheap.

Perhaps... https://cuttingedgebullets.com/257-70gr-esp-raptor ?

[BOBGBA]

Nah, I'm pretty confident it is 25-20 Improved. The fire formed brass looks identical, is the same exact length as regular 25-20, and those two are both WAY too long for it.

I'm almost convinced to send Hornady 3 pieces of fire formed brass and have them make me some custom dies for it, and just go with it from there. Should be easy to work up a load with.


And, because I think I forgot to put photos, here's some terrible probably too small phone pics to look at.

Looks like a nice rifle.

[golfish]

Spyder, that old Marlin is a beauty. Those old heavy barreled Marlins are built like a tank.
Please keep us updated on your progress...

Thanks for sharing

[Calif Hunter]

That sure looks like a .25-20 Improved of some flavor - Ackley, Mashburn, like a K-Hornet?



I have a 4 inch Model 57. I also have a lot of bullets for it, mainly 200 and 210 gr SPs. I will have to make an inventory and see just how many. I passed my 1970 Blackhawk along to my daughter and son-in-law and sold a Model 58 that was just too immaculate to shoot.

I always wanted a lever gun in .41 but they are/were hard to find and expensive when I was looking.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I would compare that cartridge closely to the .256 Win Mag. dimensions before I jumped off a custom die cliff.

It doesn't make sense to re-chamber a gun to an Wildcat Caliber when there is a factory cartridge that will do everything the wildcat will do and have Factory ammo available to shoot, and brass to reload.

I'd check that closely before I did anything else. I had a Springfield Sporter that I though was re-chambered in .308 Norma Magnum Which is 1/16th shorter than .300 Win Mag. However after trying to chamber a .308 Norma case the bolt wouldn't close. A trip to the Cartridges of the World Book revealed that the next shorter case with a belt was the .30 Ackley #2 Short Magnum which is 1/8" shorter than the .300 Win Mag. cases were made from .300 H&H shortened and blown out. I sold the gun along with dies I found on Ebay and 100 cases a friend made for me.

My point of telling you this is, you kind of need to be sure what you got as it is not always evident by a quick look, and why people and especially gunsmiths, don't stamp the barrel with the new caliber is beyond me. As soon as I fired the gun with light loads to form the cases I engraved the barrel with a vibro engraver so the next guys would know for sure what it was.

You should do the same after you figure it out.

Randy

[DueceMcGurk]

Another cartridge of that ilk was the .256 Win Mag

https://huntforever.org/2012/10/05/marlins-256-winchester-levermatic/

Brass can actually be made from 357 mag -- necked down of course.

[Spyder]

Look at the shape of the shoulder. I'm confident it's not 256.

[Spyder]

The 256 came around in late 50s or early 60s right? This thing had already been around for 50-60 years by then, lots of opportunity to have been Improved.

I'll figure it out when I have time. Too many projects not enough days off!

[McGuiver]

Mojave Lever Crew - Roll Call!

Another cartridge of that ilk was the .256 Win Mag

https://huntforever.org/2012/10/05/marlins-256-winchester-levermatic/

Brass can actually be made from 357 mag -- necked down of course.

[200Apples]

McGuiver

I picked up a Marlin model 56 with steel receiver a while back.



It did not come with magazines, and once I found out how rare a steel receiver vs aluminum receiver was I purchased it. I had to search for mags, but found some new old stock. The steel receiver was only made for the first year of production. Aluminum was for the rest of the production years.

My model 56 is a tack driver in 22 LR. It has a 22” long barrel. Thanks for your post. Please add me to the list of members of MLC.

Holy Toledo! Ohio... a DBM lever in 22 LR and made by Marlin! Good gawd. Another! rifle to add to the armory one day. Congrats on your rare steel receiver score!

Thanks for your post -and- WELCOME! to the Mojave Lever Crew, McGuiver.

[Horsewright]

Congrats on that Marlin. Gorgeous wood on that stock!

[Spyder]

Dang. I didn't know that one existed. Very cool!

[DueceMcGurk]

Great lever. I have the 989 M2 and love it. No lever of course.

[200Apples]

Alright, everybody... bust out your BREAK-actions.


But, seriously... no, it doesn't, but since you're such a high-ranking member (as are we all) of the MLC, you may feel free to post any and all photos of your personal weapons, personal game-getters, clays-busters and hunting rigs as your heart desires.