1894 44 mag cowboy special edition

[Dirty Tiger]

I just picked up a used, unfired 94 in 44 mag.  Doesn't show up on Marlin's website. It has the 24 octagon barrel, walnut w/checkering.  The 20 inch barrels have the slow twist for light bullets. Does the 24 have the same twist rate. Also tell me what you think it's worth. I may have paid more than I should have at 750, but it's so dang pretty!

[Mikey]

It sounds like a pretty good looking rifle, Dirty, but the twist used by Marlin in the 44s, which might be anywhere from a 1:20 to a 1:38 will shoot any jacketed bullet in just about any weight you can find pretty accurately. 

If this Marlin wears a microgroove barrel and you wish to shoot cast bullets then drop on down to Veral Smith's website (down the list here at Greybeards) for his insights on bore lapping the microgroove barrel.  It is well worth the read and incredibly informative. 

[Bitterroot Bob]

Howdy,
Back in the good ol' days of Cowboy Action Shooting, when a scenario might include 12 or 13 rifle targets (Horrors!) instead of the now standard 10, Davidson's ordered a bunch of long-tube M94's that will hold two more rounds than the standard M1894CS. They had standard rifling to work with lead bullets and smooth wood. Later versions offered by Marlin went to a 20" octagonal barrel and checkered wood. Since the majority of cowboy shooters can't handle the idea of shooting more than ten rounds at any bank of targets, the long barrels have fallen out off favor.
You are lucky to have found one in a darned useful caliber. I switched from a short Marlin to a 24" Uberti '73 .44WCF in 1999 after getting tired of loading the last two shots through the side of the Marlin on long stages. 4" of barrel might not seem like much, but it turns a carbine into a rock-steady off-hand gun.

Bitterroot