Ruger Marlin Trapper 44 mag 1894 Model #70451

[zara_puppy]

Good Evening!

Just picked one of these up. It wouldn't cycle my handloads at all. Sent it to the local gunsmith and he thought there was a problem with the throat and since it was new and never fired he didn't want to mess with it. So he sent it back to Ruger. Two weeks later it came back with a new barrel. Ruger test fired it 17 times and the gunsmith fired it 5 times. I've only fired it six times - the first three were terrible - I guess I was expecting recoil and flinched a bit (or a LOT). Settled down and at 25 yards put three just outside of an inch. The rest I used was my balled up fist. I think it'll do better when I get it properly bagged. NOTE: I only loaded three in the tube at a time.

My son shot it - he fully loaded it and got a vertical string on the target. From what I understand barrel harmonics change when the tube is fully loaded. I read that a nylon washer in front of the hanger that touches the underside of the barrel will help with this. As well, hotter rounds can eliminate vertical stringing. I can do that. I was shooting Starline Brass, Large Pistol Primers (non magnum), 240 grain XTP's over 19.8 grains of Alliant 2400. I have some hotter loads already loaded in 0.4 grain increments.

I'd be interested in a couple of things - has anyone had a vertical string issue with their .44 lever? If so, how did you "fix" it? And I'd be interested in anyone's general impression of this rifle whether they own one or have just handled one.

Thanks!

[zara_puppy]

Gee whiz! Left for a few minutes and the subject of this post was ! - Yikes. Fixed now.

[Hatchdog]

I can’t speak to the Trapper version of the 1894 but back in the day I had a Pistol Grip version of the 20” 1894-44 mag. I had a scope on it and it was consistently very accurate shooting out to 50 yards. I don’t recall doing any testing with different quantities in the mag tube. I probably loaded either 3 or 5 when shooting for groups and fully loaded it when plinking.