Early Marlin 1893 and Barnes bullets

Vince Greaves

I have a 50% deposit on a 1st year production Marlin 1893(#99554) in .38-55 98% condition, tight action, shiny sharp-edged bore. Bore swage is .379 groove 2 groove.

I want to paper-patch swaged lead bullets with 24 lb. paper patches.

What diameter swaged bullet diameter do you recommend. Thanks.

charliemeyer007

Paper patching is nearly a lost art. The ones I liked were two wraps of paper on the bullet. The paper was cut as a trapezoid so the seam was a spiral on the bullet at the same rate at the rifle twist. A flat brass template is pressed on the paper and a razor knife run on the perimeter to cut the patch.

Swedge or cast bullet?

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessie/PPB/PPB.htm

Vince Greaves

Swaged bullets for paper patching.

But what diameter for a .3795 grv. 2 grv diameter bore?

Also what weight paper - 20 lb., 24 lb.?

charliemeyer007

You have to measure the paper. It is a lot easier/cheaper to change the paper or the application technique than to change the bullet diameter. Then there is how tight of fit issue to the barrel.

In the old days swaged bullets were undersized by rolling them between steel plates, then different paper was tried.

There is no short cut, you are deep into the custom hand loading.

Swaged bullets are usually very soft and will upset some to fit the bore especially if pushed hard. I would expect the patched bullet to be .379 to .381 but who knows what your rifle will like.

If it were mine I would just shoot soft hand lubricated as cast bullets from a Lyman 375240, perhaps with some antimony if the increased diameter help. Maybe you could find an oversized one.

There are people that make custom molds.

I have seen cast cores that were then finished swaged.

MIKE WISKEY

just a quick check shows 20# paper is .004" thick so 2 wraps @ 2 thicknesses = .016". .379"-.016"= .363" (or .364/365" for 'fudge' factor.
just to note, some old rifles will not chamber a cartidge with a .379" bullet, the cases are too thick, Starline made a run of 'thin wall' cases just for this

rufe-snow

Years ago I had on of the old 93's in 38-55. The best most accurate ammo that I was able to shoot in it, was this Canadian stuff. I understand you wanting to shoot only lead, in the one you're going to get. But casting and paper patching lead slugs, is a major hassle. If you can get groove diameter jacketed bullets, you might give them a try. I don't recall the diameter of the CIL bullets? But they sure shot accurately.

Hawk Carse

A two groove Marlin barrel in the era when Marlin owned Ballard?
Really?

Any road, I would worry about a paper patched bullet making it through the action of a repeater.