Is it easy to swap a Marlin 357 barrel?

[briannmilewis]

Search did me no good, so I have to ask.

Is it straight forward to change a barrel on a Marlin lever action?

[SkinnerSights]

Hello Brian,

I've done a fair amount of barrel swapping on marlins (not a .357 yet) and to date it has been very simple.

To qualify that, I do have a machine shop and proper gunsmithing tools.

You are going to NEED a barrel vise and Action wrench.  There is no way around that.  You just cant hold it tight enough in a vise to get the barrel out without hurting something.

If you are swapping one standard round barrel for another of the same configuration, then your only concern is the barrel indexing up straight and headspace being correct.  If you have to face the shoulder off the barrel to bring it up straight, you may also need to deepen the chamber to get headspacing where it should be.

If you are say... Swapping a round barrel for an Octagon...  Then things get a bit more difficult.

The forend will need to be inletted for the octagon barrel and the forend cap machined to fit the barrel flats.

There are other issues that go along with that barrel swap.  Magazine tube length, Barrel bands or forend hangers, etc.

I would love to find a .357 Marlin barrel to make a 357 Bain and Davis out of one of my .44 mag guns. 

Anyone know where I can pick one up?

If I can be more help, please feel free to contact me via www.skinnersights.com

Thanks Brian,

ANDY

[briannmilewis]

Andy, thanks for the invaluable advice. I know someone who is equipped and reasonable.

Here is what I want to do: 219 Zipper (full-length), 25-35 Win, and 38-55 on 30-30 actions; and 22 Rem Jet, 256 Win Mag, and 30-357 on 357 actions. The reasons are obvious in relation to cartridges and actions. I too think the 357-44 Bain & Davis is also an intriguing idea for the 44 Mag frame.

Just straight barrel for barrel, no oct in place of round etc.

All over time of course.

[SkinnerSights]

We did one in 225 Winchester...  My son calls it "Coolest Gun In The World" since we built it together...

See photo

[briannmilewis]

We did one in 225 Winchester...  My son calls it "Coolest Gun In The World" since we built it together...

See photo

Great photo. Hunters did get by quite well with the old cartridges!

[no guns here]

I'm not going to attempt this myself so does anyone have a gunsmith that they would reccomend to do this?  Seems like it would be a pretty easy way to switch a .357 into a .327 Federal.

Ideas?  Any show stoppers on this?


NGH

[briannmilewis]

I'm not going to attempt this myself so does anyone have a gunsmith that they would reccomend to do this?  Seems like it would be a pretty easy way to switch a .357 into a .327 Federal.

Ideas?  Any show stoppers on this?


NGH

My only comment apart from the fact that 327 Federal is a great idea, I eat my words, the Federal case is 1.20 and the 357 is 1.290! What a great case length match, I had missed that one. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

[no guns here]

I emailed Steve Young of Steve's Gunz.  He is supposed to be one of the best 92 guys around.  He said it would be hard to do the .327 swap because of a problem with the bolt and then smaller diameter of the .327 round.  Here is what he said...

"It would be difficult to do that. The problem is the lower part of the bolt has to pass between the guides and the space required is too wide to control the smaller 327 rim Dia.. Even the 32-20 and 25-20 gun had special clearance cuts on the bolt to allow it to pass.

 

Thanks,

Steve Young aka Nate Kiowa Jones Sass# 6765"




So hmmmm... gotta come up with another idea since it seems like no manufacturer will make what I want.


Later,
NGH