Sloppy chamber, 1895 GG???

[stiga]

Does anybody else have a problem with the chamber beeing to big? Even with moderat loads i get serious casehead expansion. Enough to see visually ( I dont have av micrometer, so i havent measured it) So what do i do? Have thougt about sending it in to a gunsmith and turning the barrel in one thread and rechamber, but this will set me back $ 150 - 200. Maybe I could just fireform the cases to my chamber? Bad idea

Stig

[GregP42]

Stig,

I would call Marlin and see if they will fix it before I would try the gunsmith route. It can't hurt and they might just do it.

Greg

[stiga]

Probably a very good idea. But I live in Norway And since 9/11, getting guns in and out of America has been a problem.

Stig

[Weissen]

Hey Stig

Are you talking actual case head expansion that causes the primier pockets to expand and primer to fall out, or just the normal expansion one sees about 3-4mm up from the rim ofthe case?
There is a difference.
One is normal, the other definitely ain't.

Most centrefire cases will show some visual expansion after firing just up from the rim where the brass starts to get thinner.
It can also be caused by excessive headspace.

[stiga]

No, the primers dont fall out. It is, as you say, the expansion ring i am seeing clearly. Eaven after i have fired a cartridge, i can stil wiggle the empty shell around in the chamber. Not a lott, but there is definitely some movement. Also the shell is covered in soot all the way back to the rim.

Stig

[Weissen]

Oooo...you shouldn't be seeing smoking on the cases that far back.

Sounds like either your loads are too light and not expanding the cases enough or your headspace is wrong and allowing the case to back out of the chamber a bit when firing.
These are handloads and not factory loads right?

You see, even if it is a loose chamber, upon firing the massive pressures inside the case will expand the thin brass to fill the chamber and then shrink back slightly by 0.001"-0.002" to allow it to be extracted easily when the pressure drops.

If you are using factory loads and you are getting smoking and stretched cases, I can almost say with cetainty that you have a headspace problem with that rifle and it's a gunsmith job I'm afraid.

[stiga]

Have used some factory loads. Federal 300gr. Did get some soot on them, but not all the way back to the rim. The other thing that is funny, is that after reloading the brass 5 times, they have needed no trimming:o By the way, the loads that gave me this big expansion ring, where not very hot, but getting there. I think they were like 60 gr. of either N 200 or N 202. The loads were from Normas loadbook. After that i backed of, and have only been shooting the weakest load from Normas loadbook.

Stig

[EsoxLucius]

I've heard this for the past 30 years, first when I said it when I shot my new Marlin 1895 in 1977.  It is just the brass conforming to the chamber.

[Weissen]

Ok, so the factory loads work fine with no soot but your reloads smoke the case all the way back to the rim.
Something is wrong here.
Hmmm....I suspect you are maybe using the wrong powder (marked incorrectly perhaps??) or an old degraded batch maybe??

60gr of N200 is pretty close to a max load in an 1895 lever gun and so it would not be unusual to see some bulging of the case at those loading levels, but soot, no way.
Soot on the sides of the case is a sign of low pressure, not of high pressure.

Don't forget the Marlin is a rear locking action so the bolt will compress a little when you fire the shot causing the case to bulge a little, usually more visible on one side of the cartridge, this is normal.
Some soot around the front of the case mouth is also normal but it shouldn't go any further than half way down the case at the very most.

I would double check the powder you are using and also the primers, make sure they are fresh and of the correct type and try again before attempting to use that particular powder again.

Hope this helps.